Narrative theme: social issues / social problems

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Book SynopsisAs dramatized on Radio 4 and seen on Netflix, Nella Larsen’s Passing is a distinctive and revealing novel about racial identity, and a key text of the Harlem Renaissance.Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful hardbacks make perfect gifts for book lovers, or wonderful additions to your own collection. This edition of Passing features an introduction by writer and academic, Christa Holm Vogelius.Irene Redfield, married to a successful physician, enjoys a comfortable life in 1920s Harlem, New York. Reluctantly, she renews her friendship with old school friend, Clare Kendry. Clare, who like Irene is light skinned, ‘passes’ as white and is married to a racist white man who has no idea about Clare’s racial heritage. Clare is very persuasive and Irene, despite misgivings, can’t resist letting her back into her world. As tensions mount between friends and between couples, this taut and mesmerizing narrative spins towards an unexpected end.Trade ReviewA fascinating inquiry into the nature of race (and a window into the Harlem Renaissance) catalyzed by a chance meeting between two childhood friends. A page-turning classic. -- Jennifer Egan, author of Manhattan BeachA tragic story rooted in inescapable facts of American life . . . Passing is the work of a highly talented and thoughtful writer -- Richard Bernstein * The New York Times *Nella Larsen’s uncanny, tightly structured 1929 novel about Black female friendship, mirroring, deception, and class privilege. -- Hilton Als * New Yorker *A short, easy, engaging read . . . as much as it is a revealing cultural study of the 1920s, is also incredibly relevant today. -- Lexi Nisita * Refinery 29 *A bitter, brave and astonishingly modern book. -- Tim Robey * Telegraph *Much-loved and much-studied . . . The dynamic between the pair [Irene and Clare] is dramatically limitless, an awkward, complex friendship between two women of colour both trying to survive at a time when their country is against them. -- Benjamin Lee * Guardian *Perhaps as much as anything, Passing is about victimhood, and the twisted way we sometimes claim to be the injured party to avoid the unsavory truth that some hurt is self-inflicted. -- Jessica Kiang * Variety *Passing asks who is allowed in certain spaces (and who is the gatekeeper of those spaces), and what happens when people are ejected from them, either by their own free will or an outside force . . . Larsen never set out to deliver answers; just rich, searching stories rounded in real experience. -- Kate Erbland * IndieWire *I was astounded by how haunted I was by Nella Larsen’s words and world, I truly couldn’t shake either. -- Tessa Thompson * Los Angeles Times *

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Book Synopsis**SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE****SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER**Booker Prize-winning, internationally bestselling author Salman Rushdie has created a dazzling Don Quixote for the modern age. Inspired by the Cervantes classic, Sam DuChamp, mediocre writer of spy thrillers, creates Quichotte, a courtly, addled salesman obsessed with television, who falls in impossible love with the TV star Salman R. Together with his (imaginary) son Sancho, Quichotte sets off on a picaresque quest across America to prove worthy of her hand, gallantly braving the tragicomic perils of an age where 'Anything-Can-Happen'. Meanwhile his creator, in a midlife crisis, has equally urgent challenges of his own. Just as Cervantes wrote Don Quixote to satirise the culture of his time, Rushdie takes the reader on a wild ride through a country on the verge of moral and spiritual collapse, with the kind of storytelling magic that is the hallmark of his work. The fully realised lives of DuChamp and Quichotte intertwine in a profoundly human quest for love and a wickedly entertaining portrait of an age in which fact is so often indiscernible from fiction.Trade ReviewRushdie is one of the greats of his generation… But it’s rare for a writer to produce their best work towards the end of their career… Quichotte is one of the cleverest, most enjoyable metafictional capers this side of postmodernism… This novel can fly, it can float, it’s anecdotal, effervescent, charming, and a jolly good story to boot… Encore! Encore! * Sunday Times *A brilliant, funny, world-encompassing wonder… His readers realize that they would happily follow Rushdie to the end of the world… a glimmer of hope, like an impossible dream, is left for us [in Quichotte]. * Time Magazine *A triumphant assault on the coarsened American sensibility… [A] packed, funny, melancholy, masterpiece of a novel. * The Times *A novel that is as sharp as a flick-knife and as clever as a barrel of monkeys... More than just another postmodern box of tricks, [Quichotte] is a novel that feeds the heart while it fills the mind. * The Times *Rushdie’s fans will find much to love in this hyperactive, tenchicolour satire… Many balls are juggles here, but, somehow, Rushdie keeps them all gloriously in the air. * Daily Mail *

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Book Synopsis*WINNER OF THE 2023 LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD FOR LESBIAN FICTION**A New York Times 100 Notable Book of 2022*'These stories glitter and pulse' Dantiel W. MontizIn her singular, electrifying style, K-Ming Chang peels back questions of body, power and identity, and the relationships of Asian American women, with vivid imagination.A stream of women adjust to American life by sneaking kisses from women at temple and buying tubs of vanilla ice cream to prepare for citizenship tests. Ghost-cousins cross space, seas and skies to haunt their living cousin. Two girls explore each other's bodies for the first time in the belly of a plastic shark.Brimming with moths and mothers, nine-headed birds and storm-chasers, these queer, fabulist tales delve viscerally into myth and memory, corporeality and ghostliness, beauty and the grotesque.ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR in New York Times, NPR, Them and Book Riot, from the National Book Award '5 under 35' honoree and author of Bestiary.'Wild and lyrical, visionary and touching. Read her!' Sharlene Teo'A voracious, probing collection, proof of how exhilarating the short story can be' New York Times'Stunning and moving... One of our most brilliant authors' Bryan WashingtonTrade ReviewAlert to the ways reality can buckle and contort, Chang conjures fiction that is almost fairytale-like, mythical, unsettling - yet at the same time blisteringly alive and unapologetically queer * Guardian *These stories glitter and pulse -- DANTIEL W. MONIZ, author of Milk Blood HeatA voracious, probing collection, proof of how exhilarating the short story can be... Each one is possessed of a powerful hunger, a drive to metabolize the recognizable features of a familiar world and transform them into something wilder, and achingly alive -- Alexandra Kleeman * New York Times Book Review *Constantly illuminating and thoroughly astounding... a stunning and moving work by one of our most brilliant authors. -- BRYAN WASHINGTON, author of Lot and MemorialThese stories by the Taiwanese American author of the gutsy 2020 debut novel Bestiary are obsessed with the vagaries of emigration and adolescence. Populated by ghosts and spirits, they dissolve the rigidities of American life into a slipstream of folkloric myth and transform the familiar world into something wilder. -- 100 Notable Books of 2022 * New York Times *

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Book SynopsisLove and marriage, children and family, death and grief. Life touches everyone the same, but living under lockdown? It changes us alone.A man abroad wanders the stag-and-hen-strewn streets of Newcastle, as news of the virus at home asks him to question his next move. An exhausted nurse struggles to let go, having lost a much-loved patient in isolation. A middle-aged son, barred from his mother's funeral, wakes to an oncoming hangover of regret. Told with Doyle's signature warmth, wit and extraordinary eye for the richness that underpins the quiet of our lives, Life Without Children cuts to the heart of how we are all navigating loss, loneliness and the shifting of history underneath our feet.'Life Without Children is boldly exhilarating, with its revelations of quiet love and the sheer charm of the characters' voices' Sunday Times'Quietly devastating...shivers with emotion' Financial Times'In the stripping away of everyday anxieties, the virus reveals what matters most, those qualities that are always at the heart of Doyle's fiction: love and connection' Observer'Moving...and beautiful' Daily MailTrade ReviewA quietly devastating collection of short stories that brilliantly portrays the pervasive sense of hopelessness that immobilised us during the dog days of Covid... Silver linings have been hard to find lately, but in Life Without Children Doyle has given us just that * Sunday Times *[A] gem of a collection... Roddy Doyle's greatest gift has always been for dialogue. He can command the full range of Irish voices and registers, but he has lately put his gifts to use in painting a picture of characters in...their "third age". * Daily Telegraph *Quietly devastating... Doyle's clipped, plain dialogue shivers with emotion. * Financial Times *Life Without Children...displays Doyle's remarkable talent for conveying the strongest of emotions in the simplest of words and the shortest of sentences... It bristles with quietly sharp insights into the shape of a human life. * Reader's Digest *There is an immediacy to the stories in Life Without Children, an emotional charge that comes with writing in real time, and an optimism too. In the stripping away of everyday anxieties, the virus reveals what matters most, those qualities that are always at the heart of Doyle's fiction: love and connection. * Observer *

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Book Synopsis'Riveting' Guardian'Electrifying' Colson WhiteheadWhen the world collapses, where will you run? After rolling blackouts and epic storms engulf America, the neighbourhood of First Street, Charlottesville comes under attack by violent white supremacists. A small group of families, friends and strangers flee for their lives, taking refuge in Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's historic plantation home in the hills above the town.Over nineteen heart-stopping days the group, led by Da'Naisha Love - a young Black descendant of Jefferson and Sally Hemings - find ways to survive as the world burns beneath them. But with the terror below coming closer, they must decide how far they're willing to go to protect what's theirs . . .'Absolutely unforgettable' Roxane Gay'Stunning' Mail on SundayTrade ReviewRiveting storytelling. This incandescent work speaks not just to the moment, but to history * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *A badass debut by any measure - nimble, knowing, and electrifying * Colson Whitehead, twice-Pulitzer Prize winning author of THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD and THE NICKEL BOYS *An electric new literary voice * Esquire *Absolutely unforgettable. Johnson's prose soars to remarkable heights * Roxane Gay, New York Times bestselling author of HUNGER and AYITI *Unputdownable... Extraordinarily powerful... One of the finest books of 2021 and a future classic * The Bookseller, Book of the Month *

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Book SynopsisSHE CAME TO STAY is the stunning debut novel from the author of THE UNSPEAKABLE ACTS OF ZINA PAVLOU, now a feature title on BBC2's Between the Covers, and also named one of Woman & Home's Best Historical Fiction Reads of 2020.'Secrets and lies, poverty and elegance, old loyalties and new friendships all combine to make Eleni Kyriacou's debut novel a compelling page-turner' - Fiona Valpy, bestselling author of The Dressmaker's GiftIn a city of strangers, who can you trust?London, 1952. Dina Demetriou has travelled from Cyprus for a better life. She's certain that excitement, adventure and opportunity are out there, waiting - if only she knew where to look.Her passion for clothes and flair for sewing land her a job repairing the glittering costumes at the notorious Pelican Revue. It's here that she befriends the mysterious and beautiful Bebba.With her bleached-blonde hair and an appetite for mischief, Bebba is like no Greek Dina has ever met before. She guides Dina around the fashionable shops, bars and clubs of Soho, and Dina finally feels life has begun.But Bebba has a secret. And as thick smog brings the city to a standstill, the truth emerges with devastating results. Dina's new life now hangs by a thread. What will be left when the fog finally clears? And will Dina be willing to risk everything to protect her future?Further praise for SHE CAME TO STAY:'An atmospheric page-turner perfectly set in the smoke and glitter of a vanished world . . . gripping' - Erin Kelly, bestselling author of He Said/She Said'Compelling and beautifully observed. Kyriacou brilliantly evokes the violence and the grime beneath the sequins and surface glamour of 1950s Soho' - Rachel Rhys, bestselling author of Dangerous Crossing 'I absolutely loved it. A gripping, enthralling story . . . I was completely engrossed' - Laura Marshall, bestselling author of Friend Request 'An absorbing story of friendship, betrayal and resilience' - Sarah Maine, bestselling author of Beyond the Wild River 'A gripping, evocative story . . . well researched and utterly convincing. A real gem of a book' - Gill Paul, bestselling author of The Lost Daughter'An evocative page-turner full of memorable characters. A wonderful debut' - Jenny Quintana, author of The Missing GirlReaders are loving SHE CAME TO STAY!'I can highly recommend this book. You will be hooked from start to finish.' 5 STARS'A cracking storyline packed with secrets, as well as unexpected twists and turns make this, cliche or no, a proper page-turner.' 5 STARS'A brilliant read.' 5 STARS'The plot moves quickly and is gripping. I didn't want to put the book down but then was sorry to leave the characters and their London haunts behind when I got to the end.' 5 STARS'A really enjoyable read.' 5 STARSTrade ReviewShe Came To Stay is a gripping story about friendship, family and the meaning of home. An atmospheric page-turner perfectly set in the smoke and glitter of a vanished world. -- Erin KellySet in the dazzling world of 1950s Soho, She Came to Stay is an evocative page-turner full of memorable characters who stayed inside my head long after I had finished reading. Eleni Kyriacou has written a wonderful debut -- Jenny Quintana, author of The Missing GirlSecrets and lies, poverty and elegance, old loyalties and new friendships all combine to make Eleni Kyriacou's debut novel a compelling page-turner, following Dina as she struggles to escape her past in rural Cyprus and make a better life for herself in 1950s Soho. * Fiona Valpy, bestselling author of The Dressmaker's Gift *Compelling and beautifully observed. Kyriacou brilliantly evokes the violence and the grime beneath the sequins and surface glamour of 1950s Soho * Rachel Rhys, bestselling author of Dangerous Crossing *An absorbing story of friendship, betrayal and resilience amongst the immigrant community where the struggle for survival brings out the best - and the worst - in characters who choose conflicting, often dangerous, ways to get ahead in a post war London. * Sarah Maine, bestselling author of Beyond the Wild River *I absolutely loved it - a gripping, enthralling story with characters I loved (and hated!), and so atmospheric, I was completely engrossed in the world of 1950s SohoA gripping, evocative story of the dangers facing a young Cypriot girl in 1950s Soho. Even breathing the air is a risk as the great smog descends. The descriptions of the louche world of cafés and strip clubs are well researched and utterly convincing. It's a real gem of a book. * Gill Paul, bestselling author of The Lost Daughter *An intriguing tale that is supported by wonderful characterisation * Woman's Own *

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Book SynopsisONE OF BARACK OBAMA'S FAVOURITE BOOKS OF 2021 LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE 2022'A thrilling work' Ta-Nehisi Coates'Lovely and lyrical . . . warm and wonderful' Kiley ReidA queen of punk before her time. A duo on the brink of stardom. A night that will define their story for ever.Opal is a fiercely independent young woman pushing against the grain in her style and attitude, a Black punk artist before her time. Despite her unconventional looks, Opal believes she can be a star. So when the aspiring British singer/songwriter Neville Charles discovers her one night, she takes him up on his offer to make rock music together.In early seventies New York City, just as she's finding her niche as part of a flamboyant and funky creative scene, a rival band signed to her label brandishes a Confederate flag at a promotional concert. Opal's bold protest and the violence that ensues set off a chain of events that will not only change the lives of those she loves, but also be a deadly reminder that repercussions are always harsher for women, especially Black women, who dare to speak their truth.Decades later, as Opal considers a 2016 reunion with Nev, music journalist S. Sunny Shelton seizes the chance to curate an oral history about her idols. Sunny thought she knew most of the stories leading up to the cult duo's most politicized chapter, but as her interviews dig deeper, a nasty new allegation from an unexpected source threatens everything.Provocative and haunting, The Final Revival of Opal & Nev introduces a bold new name in contemporary fiction and a heroine the likes of which we've not seen in storytelling.'An absolutely brilliant book' SARA COLLINS'Musical and revolutionary' JASON REYNOLDS'A marvellous musical tale of friendship, betrayal, and the power that comes with self-reclamation' LAYLA SAAD'Fantastic . . . Magical' ZAKIYA DALILA HARRIS'A packed time capsule that doubles as a stick of dynamite' NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW'An absorbing tale bursting with colour' COSMOPOLITAN'One of the books of the year' STYLIST'An utterly fresh take on finding one's voice' O, THE OPRAH MAGAZINETrade ReviewLovely and lyrical; a warm and wonderful intersection between journalism and fiction. This is a novel you'll want to read out loud. It's made for readers and music lovers who find themselves wishing that Behind The Music was still on the air * Kiley Reid *Dawnie Walton's The Final Revival Of Opal & Nev is one of the most immersive novels I've ever read. This is largely because of Walton's skill at letting so many people talk in so many different ways. Voices are marshalled from across America, and then across the Atlantic, and blended seamlessly into a tale about black culture, black women, American capitalism. This is a thrilling work of polyphony -- a first novel, that reads like the work of an old hand * Ta-Nehisi Coates *Incredible. There was a moment while reading when the volume of the world went on mute, for me. An absolutely brilliant book * Sara Collins *Like the best fiction, it feels truer and more mesmerizing than some true stories. It's a packed time capsule that doubles as a stick of dynamite * New York Times Book Review *The Final Revival of Opal & Nev is as musical and revolutionary in tone and structure as it is in content. It delves into the complexities of the creative life, specifically as it pertains to Black women, and instead of shying away or egg-shelling, it does what every good book does: tells the truth. A truth that bangs. That shrieks. A siren song to shatter what we've known of the novel. Things won't ever be the same after this. And I'm so happy Dawnie Walton has arrived * Jason Reynolds, author of the New York Times bestseller LONG WAY DOWN *My heart races thrillingly every time I think about Opal & Nev! A marvelous musical tale of friendship, betrayal, and the power that comes with self-reclamation. This story will stay with me for many years to come * Layla Saad *Fantastic. I so desperately wanted Opal Jewel to have existed; I wanted to have experienced her music first-hand. What I love most of all about this book, though, is the way Walton quite literally inserts a strong, bold Black rock musician into a history that's often discouraged us from shining, or from even entering at all. Magical * Zakiya Dalila Harris, author of THE OTHER BLACK GIRL *A dazzling debut * Louise O'Neill *By turns playful and serious, and always wonderfully entertaining, The Final Revival of Opal & Nev is a fascinating account of a woman's search for her father and of the music business in the 1960s and early 70s. The immensely gifted Dawnie Walton creates a vivid chorus of voices as she tells the story of Opal's journey from a church in Detroit to the stage in New York where everything changes. This novel rocks. * Margot Livesey *What a fresh, spirited book. The Final Revival of Opal & Nev has such a lived quality and its every character is so sharply observed, it's hard to believe this is a work of fiction. Then again, one is utterly transported by it: no matter how far away the reader is from the world of 1970s' New York rock and roll, we are let in to this generous, fascinating saga. A huge achievement * Caoilinn Hughes *Walton's fabulous debut novel is an utterly fresh take on finding one's voice, on systemic racism and sexism, and on freedom of expression. That these heavy subjects don't weigh down this hugely entertaining novel are testament to Walton's deftness and skill * O, The Oprah Magazine *The quixotic Opal is a wonderfully flawed heroine and her frustration as a Black female singer denied a voice is particularly apposite. Fans of Daisy Jones & The Six will love it * Red *Walton pumps up the volume with a fresh angle on systemic racism and freedom of expression. This is a firecracker * Publishers Weekly *[An] absorbing tale bursting with colour . . . One for fans of Daisy Jones and The Six * Cosmopolitan *Presented as an oral history of a cult band on the verge of reappraisal, Walton's debut is also a smart, sharp take on white privilege and who owns whose voice * The i *[Layered] in both its organization and its impact, Dawnie Walton's novel tells the story of '70s musicians Opal and Nev and is alternatingly structured as an oral history and recurring editors' notes from a journalist assembling the twisty, politically inflected tale * Vogue US *Delicious and deep ... a rollicking tale of 1970s New York - but with a fascinating twist * Elle US *Daisy Jones & The Six fans will love this story * Good Housekeeping *Walton has created an entirely believable and powerful universe that looks at race, talent, envy and forgiveness and is filled with emotion. It's one of the books of the year * Stylist *[A] brilliant, crackling firework of a debut * Daily Mirror *The book bursts with clear-eyed takes on race, sex, and creativity that Walton unfurls in urgent, endlessly readable style * Entertainment Weekly *Walton has penned a true wonder of a debut novel . . . her writing is impeccable * Library Journal *Provocative, daring and a remarkable female heroine make this unforgettable * Image *With beautiful, honest writing and an otherworldly way of bringing her characters to life, it is safe to say that Dawnie Walton has created a masterpiece with The Final Revival of Opal & Nev * Reading Happy blog *Dawnie Walton's debut is a smash hit. At the heart of the story is Opal Jewel; an audaciously unapologetic Afro-punk heroine, who is so alive as a character that it feels as though Walton has rewritten music history * Irish News *In a combination of music, politics, race and feminism that transcends the line between fiction and reality, Walton makes a poignant statement about freedom of expression and finding your own path * Press Association *Poignant . . . a smash hit * Woman's Way *An engaging and fun read, a case of fiction being truer and more revealing than fact * International Times *Walton has delivered a thoughtful page-turner that locks into its groove early on, and offers a timely exploration of both feminist agency and America's seemingly insoluble problem with race * Big Issue *Rich in atmosphere * Independent *It's wonderful, powerful and so cinematic. I stayed up late into the night to finish it and enjoyed how each character was uniquely selfish and flawed. It's a brilliant book * i news *

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Book Synopsis"A mystery and an elegy for the death of old-fashioned journalism, it's a book that will warm your heart." The Observer "Splendid . . . Funny, poignant, perceptive and plenty of sharp elbows along the way." Val McDermid Thorn Marsh was raised in a house of whispers, of meaningful glances and half- finished sentences. Now she's a journalist with a passion for truth, more devoted to her work at the London Journal than she ever was to her ex-husband. When the newspaper is bought by media giant The Goring Group, who value sales figures over fact-checking, Thorn openly questions their methods, and promptly finds herself moved from the news desk to the midweek supplement, reporting heart-warming stories for their new segment, The Bright Side, a job to which she is spectacularly unsuited. On a final warning and with no heart-warming news in sight, a desperate Thorn fabricates a good-news story of her own. The story, centred on an angelic apparition on Hampstead Heath, goes viral. Caught between her principles and her ambitions, Thorn goes in search of the truth behind her creation, only to find the answers locked away in the unconscious mind of a stranger.Marika Cobbold returns with her eighth novel, On Hampstead Heath. Sharp, poignant, and infused with dark humour, On Hampstead Heath is an homage to storytelling and to truth; to the tales we tell ourselves, and the stories that save us.Trade ReviewOn Hampstead Heath is a deliciously romantic comedy of misunderstandings and misbehaviour - I loved it -- Clare Chambers * author of SMALL PLEASURES *With On Hampstead Heath, Marika Cobbold has rebooted the Hampstead Novel for the 21st century. A delightful novel -- Amanda CraigA heart-warming and at times hilarious tale about truth and honesty in this treacherous age of social media -- Josie LloydA brilliant and brave take on fake news and its fallout -- Elizabeth BuchanClever and funny with a splinter of melancholy running through it. It's a superb read -- Frances Quinn * author of THE SMALLEST MAN *Few writers balance darkness and light as well as Cobbold -- Sarah Hughes * i paper *On Hampstead Heath was so refreshing and unexpectedly needed, like feeling the sun on your face in winter. Funny, astute, and aching in all the right ways, I was utterly charmed. -- Tor Udall * author of A THOUSAND PAPER BIRDS *Marika Cobbold's look on life is unique -- Katie FfordeOn Hampstead Heath is exactly what is needed at this time. A romantic story tempered with a sharp wit and written with knowledge and love of place in which it's set -- Adèle GerasAn absolute little gem of a book, On Hampstead Heath is entertaining, thought-provoking and extremely witty -- Michelle Ryles * The Book Magnet *A fabulous read. It's wise and perceptive, honest and witty * Short Book and Scribes *Brilliant and funny and darkly surprising -- Emma Stonex

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Book Synopsis‘Set in Sydney’s diverse Western suburbs, this tender coming-of-age story about love, loyalty and what home means also functions as a visceral love letter to the glorious, foliage-filled melting pot of its location… The author exposes various cultural stereotypes but then challenges and disrupts them, leaving us with a more nuanced view of the immigrant community she so evocatively describes. I rooted for Nicole and raced straight through to the end.’ – Daily Mail UKTwenty-six-year-old Nicole Najim is struggling to find herself after a painful breakup, just when she thought she was going to settle down. Working a dead-end job in the family car dealership and at a loose end, she picks up her camera and returns to the melting pot of Sydney’s West to rediscover her roots. When she catches up with childhood friend, Danny, who makes his living in a shadowy underworld, their relationship intensifies just as the law starts to close in. Nicole must weigh her feelings against her deepest fears, all while chasing her own dreams and capturing the hidden truths around her. Something Blue is a novel about loving home and leaving home, but never escaping your roots. Or your footy colours. Trade Review‘Set in Sydney’s diverse Western suburbs, this tender coming-of-age story about love, loyalty and what home means also functions as a visceral love letter to the glorious, foliage-filled melting pot of its location… The author exposes various cultural stereotypes but then challenges and disrupts them, leaving us with a more nuanced view of the immigrant community she so evocatively describes. I rooted for Nicole and raced straight through to the end.’ * Daily Mail UK *

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Book SynopsisJOKER INCORPORATED? Ghost-Maker and the rest of Batman Incorporated have a villain worthy of their talents, but the problem is that villain isn t just one Clown Prince of Crime, it s a whole international circus of Jokers!

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Book SynopsisDegenerates one and all!

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Book SynopsisDinosaurs from space! Homicidal worms and talking tigers! Atomic robots, alien worlds, mad scientists, sinister curses, and villains from throughout the DC Universe welcome to the wild adventures of Billy Batson, whose big red alter ego defends the Earth from its weirdest and wildest threats!

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Book SynopsisAfter retiring to Metropolis following his 'death,' Oswald Cobblepot finds himself forced back into the unpredictable and violent Gotham City underworld as a pawn for the United States intelligence community!

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Book SynopsisHorror devastates the DC Universe, and this volume details how the Titans, Shazam, Black Adam, Angel Breaker, and Ravager navigate the terror of the Nightmare Realm!

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Book SynopsisThe latest collection of writer Gail Simone's classic Birds of Prey stories unleashes a shocking new lineup with a bold new mission!

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Book SynopsisIn the aftermath of Crisis on Infinite Earths the origins of the Justice League of America are re-imagined for a new era.

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Book SynopsisThe Titans have stepped up to become the DCU s premier superhero team, and all eyes are on them!

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Book SynopsisJohn Stewart returns as Green Lantern for a story about rediscovering your past and forging your future as a Guardian!

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Book SynopsisBatman must save Gotham from its newest threat... another vigilante hero!

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Book SynopsisIn a tricky legal and ethical dilemma, the Birds of Prey must show mercy to a would-be white-collar criminal, but their act of compassion brings them to the attention of master extortionist (and one-time super-hero) Savant, a man who claims he can outthink Oracle and outfight the Canary...and can prove it!

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Book SynopsisStill reeling from a cataclysmic battle, Batman finds himself up against some of the biggest (literally) threats he's ever faced within the city limits of Gotham.

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Book SynopsisArkham Asylum has been attacked! All eyes are on the Joker.

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Book SynopsisOliver Queen is back! And after months of time-travel and space, he's ready to be a bit more grounded...or so he thinks!

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Book SynopsisIn Elseworlds, heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places some that have existed, or might have existed, and others that can t, couldn t or shouldn t exist.

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Book SynopsisWhat if your son was the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll?From the moment she first holds him, Gladys Presley loves her son Elvis ferociously. She is the one by his side when his father is in the jailhouse; as they move from place to place skirting poverty; as Elvis’s obsession with music grows and he begins his whirlwind rise to never-before-seen success. But while he brings audiences across the land to their knees and achieves unimagined wealth and fame, there is another story – of drinking and diet pills, loneliness and loss – and at the height of his power Elvis finds that even kings must go on alone.‘Roberts is an exceptionally tender and empathetic writer, and the story of Elvis Presley and his relationship with his mother is one ripe for her skills… both epic and intimate’ GraziaTrade ReviewAn immediately convincing evocation of time and place, as well as character, colour, sultry heat and complex emotions... Moving effortlessly between the late 1950s and Elvis's straitened upbringing, it vividly conveys his world * Sunday Times *This is an impressive, deceptively gentle novel, full of quiet music and even quieter tragedy -- Claire Allfree * Daily Telegraph *One of the best books about a rock star I've ever readBethan Roberts grew up in a house filled with Elvis’s music and pored over her mother’s Elvis annuals and scrapbooks as a child… its emotional range rings true and its fidelity to a certain strain of wistful melancholy might go deeper than facts... an understated, thoughtful novel about a man who wore suits fashioned from gold leaf on stage, which occasionally prompts the reader to burst into song. -- Susie Boyt * Financial Times *Graceland is an astonishing literary achievement. Bethan Roberts somehow manages to unlock the mystery to that beautiful sadness in the voice of Elvis. Utterly heartbreaking. -- Jake Arnott

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Book SynopsisVINTAGE CLASSICS' HARLEM RENAISSANCE SERIES Celebrating the finest works of the Harlem Renaissance, one of the most important Black arts movements in modern history.'Why not? She's just as a good as the rest, and you know what they say, "the blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice"'Growing up, Emma Lou Morgan stuck out - her skin was the darkest in every room, even within her own home. With the encouragement of her uncle, Emma flees smalltown Idaho firstly to study in Los Angeles before travelling to Harlem. Though she enjoys the glamour of attending the theatre and the buzz of cabaret, every excursion is tinged with the fear of discrimination. Even in big cities, Emma cannot escape the bigotry of colourism, but can she change how it makes her feel about herself?The Blacker the Berry is an arrestingly vivid portrayal of how very deeply every facet of prejudice runs.'Thurman's novel presents some of the most layered portrayals of New York City life...from seedy employment agency waiting rooms to swank Harlem hot spots' NPRTrade Review'Thurman's novel presents some of the most layered portrayals of New York City life...from seedy employment agency waiting rooms to swank Harlem hot spots' * NPR *

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Book Synopsis***AS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 4's OPEN BOOK***The 'propulsive, haunting' and 'gripping' (Oprah) rediscovered classic that exposes the dark heart of America for an inncocent Black man on the run from the policeFred Daniels, a black man, is randomly picked up by the police after a brutal murder in a Chicago suburb. Taken to the local precinct, he is tortured -- until he confesses to a crime he didn't commit.But when he sees his chance, Fred Daniels, makes a run for it. With the world now against him, there is only one place left to hide: Underground. Taking residence in the sewers below the streets of Chicago, Fred's new vantage point takes him on a journey through America's unjust, and inhumane underbelly.PRAISE FOR THE MAN WHO LIVED UNDERGROUND'Propulsive, haunting...gripping' Oprah Daily'A tale for today' New York Times'Absolutely not to be missed' BookRiot'A masterpiece' Time 'Wright's most brilliantly crafted, and ominously foretelling, book.' Kiese LaymonThe Man Who Lived Underground was a New York Times Bestseller on 24/04/2022Trade ReviewThe Man Who Lived Underground is a masterpiece * Time Magazine *Moves continuously forward with its masterful blend of action and reflection, a kind of philosophy on the run... Whether or not The Man Who Lived Underground is Wright's single finest work, it must be counted among his most significant * Wall Street Journal *Not just Wright's masterwork, but also a milestone in African American literature... The Man Who Lived Underground is one of those indispensable works that reminds all its readers that, whether we are in the flow of life or somehow separated from it, above- or belowground, we are all human * CNN *Propulsive, haunting... The graphic, gripping book ends with a revealing companion essay that further explains the themes of this searing novel * Oprah Daily *The Man Who Lived Underground reminds us that any 'greatest writers of the 20th century' list that doesn't start and end with Richard Wright is laughable. It might very well be Wright's most brilliantly crafted, and ominously foretelling, book -- Kiese LaymonA tale for today... [Wright's] restored novel feels wearily descriptive of far too many moments in contemporary America * New York Times *This is a significant work of literary fiction from a legendary author that's absolutely not to be missed * Book Riot *

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Book Synopsis‘Beatty insistently finds poetry in the projects, dignity on the street.’ Guardian ‘Beatty’s blunt, impious, streetwise eloquence [is] transfixing’ New York Times ‘The writing here is seamless and teeming with momentum’ New York Times Book Review Winston ‘Tuffy’ Foshay is a 19-year-old, 24-stone ‘player-king’ to a hapless gang in Spanish Harlem, a denizen who breaks jaws and shoots dogs. His best friend is a disabled Muslim man who wants to rob banks, his guiding light is an ex-hippie Asian woman who worked for Malcolm X, and his wife he married over the phone whilst in jail. When the frustrated Tuffy agrees to run for City Council, so begins a zany, riotous concoction of nonstop hip-hop chatter and brilliant mainstream social satire, as the indomitable Beatty again demonstrates why he is hailed as one of the shrewdest cultural commentators and hilarious cutups of his generation.Trade Review‘If there really were a hip-hop nation, Paul Beatty would be its poet laureate.’ * Vibe *An extravagant, satirical cri de coeur from the inner city.... Tuff is a funny book, and Mr. Beatty’s blunt, impious, streetwise eloquence has a...transfixing power.’ * New York Times *

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Book Synopsis'Dark, timely and thought-provoking. It's a must-read' THE SUN'Visceral and raw. Buy it' GLAMOUR'Reminiscent of HBO's hit The White Lotus... The obvious read-alike is My Dark Vanessa' BOOKLIST'Packs an incredible punch' THE TIMES'It's set to be a big summer hit' The IndependentAn idyllic island. An all-consuming romance. The best summer of your life . . .But what if everything you remember was a lie?**********Rachel has loved Alistair since she was seventeen.Even though she hasn't seen him for sixteen years and she's now married to someone else.Even though she was a teenager when they met.Even though he is almost twenty years older than her.Now in her thirties, Rachel has never been able to forget their golden summer together on a remote, sun-trapped Greek island. But as dark and deeply suppressed memories rise to the surface, Rachel begins to understand that Alistair - and the enigmatic, wealthy man he worked for - controlled much more than she ever realized.Rachel has never once considered herself a victim - until now.**********For fans of GIRL A, MY DARK VANESSA and LUCKIEST GIRL ALIVE, The Girls of Summer is a bold compulsive exploration of sex, power and consent, and what happens when we revisit the past with rose-tinted glasses.'Beautifully written, transportive, and thought-provoking' LUCY CLARKE, author of THE CASTAWAYS'A mesmerising, unsettling and gripping debut' CATHERINE RYAN HOWARD, author of RUN TIME'Thought-provoking, timely' SARAH TURNER, author of STEPPING UP***********Readers are talking about THE GIRLS OF SUMMER:* 'In the age of #MeToo, this book is one that will ring true with so many people'* 'Beautifully written with a tense, emotive plot that will be relatable to so many women'* 'An excellent debut. Raw, real, and gut-wrenchingly familiar'* 'Wow wow wow! I am still thinking about it, it's one of those stories that stays with you'Trade ReviewIt's been a long time since I've read such a compelling debut. Beautifully written, transportive, and thought-provoking, THE GIRLS OF SUMMER sizzles with suspense. It's the book I'll be recommending that all my girlfriends pack for their holidays this summer * Lucy Clarke, Sunday Times bestselling author of THE CASTAWAYS *This startling debut...packs an incredible punch. The dark undertow of an idyllic summer and the lies girls are told and tell themselves are captured with stark, affecting honesty and evocative prose * The Times *This debut should be on every summer reading list... THE GIRLS OF SUMMER explores consent, the power discrepancies in relationships, control, and the intoxication of lust in a gripping read that is visceral and raw. Buy it * Glamour *Reminiscent of HBO's hit The White Lotus... The obvious read-alike is My Dark Vanessa, by Kate Elizabeth Russell, and the plot-driven tension will appeal to fans of psychological suspense * Booklist *A mesmerising, unsettling and gripping debut * Catherine Ryan Howard, bestselling author of RUN TIME *

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Book SynopsisThe bad girls of Gotham are at it again! The Gotham City Sirens ? Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy ? are back together for the first time in years, ready to dole out their own brand of ?justice? as a new threat emerges in the place they call home!A new energy drink has become all the rage in Gotham, thanks to a rather unorthodox marketing campaign! Caffeinated citizens are being pushed to riot for the chance to participate in ?hunting? parties that involve herds of bio-mechanical beasts flooding the streets, putting civilians and the environment at risk. Thankfully, Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy are on the case! Together again as the Gotham City Sirens, they?re here to prove that sometimes the only way to stop bad is with even worse!Join the rising-star team of Leah Williams and Matteo Lolli as they take the Sirens on a wild romp through their city, facing down everything from cowboy creeps to salacious internet streamers in the complete series, Gotham City Sirens #1-4!

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Book SynopsisDeadpool has already killed every hero in the Marvel Universe, but he isn''t through. This time... Deadpool''s gonna take down the most famous characters in classic literature! Why read a book when you can watch a book die?! Tom Sawyer gets slashed in TWAIN! The Little Women''s throats MAY get ALL-CUT! Scrooge gets a visit from THREE BULLETS! Gulliver gets a SWIFT DEATH! The Three Musketeers are all DONE! Sherlock Holmes gets to the bottom of HIS OWN GRAVE! And more book-related puns! Can Deadpool rid the universe of the scourge of classical literature? Throw away your library card and buy this book! You never knew how badly you needed this! Collecting, DEADPOOL: KILLUSTRATED (2013) #1-4.

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Book SynopsisThe critically acclaimed second novel from the author of ‘The Corrections’. ‘Strong Motion’ is the brilliant, bold second novel from the bestselling and critically acclaimed author of ‘The Corrections’ and ‘Freedom’. Louis Holland arrives in Boston in a spring of strange happenings – earthquakes strike the city, and the first one kills his grandmother. During a bitter feud over the inheritance Louis falls in love with Renée Seitchek, a passionate and brilliant seismologist, whose discoveries about the origin of the earthquakes complicate everything. Potent and vivid, ‘Strong Motion’ is a complex story of change from the forceful imagination of Jonathan Franzen.Trade Review'By sheer force of his imaginative writing and his unsheathed views of American life, Franzen succeeds in joining together a love story, a family story, and a corporate-cum-environmental story…Distinctly original.' The New York Times 'No doubt about it: Jonathan Franzen is one of the most extraordinary writers around.' Newsweek 'Ingeniously put together…His ear for American vernacular is flawless…His gift for description has a kinetic immediacy.' The Seattle Times 'Bold, layered…an elaborate construct, with the stuff of several books crammed into one…An affirmation of Franzen's fierce imagination and distinctive seriocomic voice.' New York Times Book Review

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Book SynopsisAt the end of the Great War, Andreas Pum has lost a leg but at least he has a medal and a barrel-organ which he plays on the streets of Vienna. At first the simple-minded veteran is satisfied with his lot, and he even finds an ample widow to marry. But then a public quarrel with a respectable citizen on a tram turns Andreas's life onto a rapid downward trajectory. As he loses first his beggar's permit, then his new wife, and even his freedom, he is finally provoked into rejecting his blind faith in the benevolence of both government and God.

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Book SynopsisTwenty-eight-year-old Dorothy Hare leads a life of drudgery and self-abnegation in the house of her father, the rector of Knype Hill, helping him stave off his creditors and making costumes for fund-raising events. When, after being invited to dinner by Mr Warburton, a local atheist and libertine, she is glimpsed in his arms by the village gossip, Mrs Semprill, Dorothy suffers a breakdown and, struck by amnesia, embarks on journey that will see her join a group of vagrants, pick hops in the fields of Kent, stay in a hotel for “working girls” and sleep rough on the streets of London. Perhaps the most experimental among his writings, A Clergyman’s Daughter, first published in 1935, is Orwell’s second work of fiction – and one that, in its depiction of a protagonist who rebels against and is ultimately vanquished by the society that oppresses her, is a clear prefiguration of later novels such as Keep the Aspidistra Flying and Nineteen Eighty-Four.

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In the Ubari Sand Sea in 2011, during the First Libyan Civil War, a mysterious pilot falls from the sky – a sky devil – and is forever changed by the little boy who rescues him. One year later, in the town of Roseville, Louisiana, in the aftermath of economic crisis and corporate environmental damage, 10-year-old Lenny Lockhart is losing the people and things dearest to him. His only friends now are his plucky, elderly neighbour, Miss Julie, and the town’s lonely librarian, Lucy Albert. Homeless and neglected, Lenny heads deep into the dark and unpredictable bayou, determined to conquer the sinkhole that is threatening to swallow his town. As time seems to be simultaneously slowing down and running out, is it really Lenny who needs saving, or the broken adults in his life? As these two timelines converge, Lenny tells a deeply affecting story of family and love, the ways we can be kind, and the power of one boy’s imagination to heal and survive.

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Book SynopsisThe TMNT are back in a new series, and this Library Edition provides an upscale experience with extra features!This oversize hardcover is perfect for fans who want a little more! Along with the prelude story “Long Way from Home” and issues #1–6 of the series, this edition contains extra back matter like character designs, layouts, inked pages, and more!The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have all left New York to pursue their own interests, but gathering forces will pull them back together in this first arc of a new ongoing series by superstar writer Jason Aaron and an all-star lineup of artists, including Joëlle Jones, Rafael Albuquerque, Cliff Chiang, Chris Burnham, Darick Robertson, and Juan Ferreyra!Raphael is in prison. Michelangelo is living in Tokyo, where he’s become a TV star. Leonardo is traveling the world in search of peace. Donatello is trapped in a mutant zoo and forced to fight rich men looking for a thrill. And what has been going on in New York while the Turtles are scattered across the globe? More than two million Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics have been sold in 2024! Join in on the fun!

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Book SynopsisSince before the dawn of memory, one thing has defined human history: the war between ninjas and yakuzas. This coarse and manly manga follows two members of these warring tribes who fill the gutters of modern Tokyo with blood to determine which elemental force will reign supreme!An outrageous new action series, like Jojo's Bizarre Adventure meets Fist of the North Star!Shinoha is a frickin' NINJA. He can't even smile because of a dark trauma in his past that you'll find out about later. But for now, what you need to know is, he kicks ass and can kill so many guys. Kiwami, on the other hand, looks like a regular business guy, but actually he's a flipping YAKUZA. Everyone knows ninjas and yakuzas have been at war for three hundred years, so when Kiwami and Shinoha meet, it's like, fwoosh, slice, kabloop, stab stab stab... My point is, this manga has REAL ULTIMATE POWER and, if you read it? Maybe you can too.

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Book SynopsisAttention kaiju and sentai fans! From the creator of The Quintessential Quintuplets comes a new anti-ranger action-comedy that'll make you root for the alien invaders! Perfect for fans of Kaiju No. 8 and Power Rangers. Thirteen years ago, an evil army of mysterious alien monsters invaded the Earth, but the great protectors of mankind--the Divine Dragon Rangers--rose up to stop them! To this day, the fate of the Earth hangs in the balance as the fierce struggle continues to unfold!...Or does it?In truth, the evil aliens were subjugated within the first year, and they've now become nothing more than clowns forced to act out their continuous defeat every week for the entertainment of the masses. They're not real villains, being forced to crank out a monster a week for the Rangers to crush. But one of the aliens has had enough. Something has to change! He'll rebel against the strongest might of the Dragon Rangers and destroy them all from the inside!

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