books

Winter Love

Suyin Han · 2022

<p><b>An unheralded queer classic set in wartime London--"Han Suyin's outstanding achievement . . . her finest novel." (Alison Hennegan)</b></p> <p>As a college student in London during the bitterly cold winter of 1944, Red falls in love with her married classmate Mara. Their affair unleashes a physical passion, jealousy, and self-doubt that sweep all her previous experiences aside and will leave her changed forever. </p> <p>Set against the rubble and austerity of wartime London--barrage balloons overhead, blackout curtains drawn, cafés eking out tins of powdered egg--Winter Love evokes the exhilaration and the peril of living and loving in a city under siege.</p> <p>First published in 1962, this novella was long overlooked in Han's prolific career. "Probably the best thing she has ever written" (<i>Daily Telegraph</i>), it is also Han Suyin's most unexpected, tender, and stirring work.</p>

Letters To Yves

Pierre Bergé · 2015

The Unworthy: A Novel

Agustina Bazterrica · 2025

Hello Beautiful (Oprah's Book Club): A Novel

Ann Napolitano · 2023

Heaven

Mieko Kawakami · 2021

“A raw, tender portrait of adolescent misery, reminiscent of Elena Ferrante’s fiction.” —NPR From the bestselling author of Breasts and Eggs, a sharp and illuminating novel about the impact of violence and the power of solidarity. Tormented by his peers because of his lazy eye, Kawakami’s protagonist suffers in silence. His only respite comes thanks to his friendship with a girl who is also the victim of relentless teasing. But what is the nature of a friendship if your shared bond is terror? Unflinching yet tender, intimate and multi-layered, Heaven is yet another dazzling testament to Kawakami’s uncontainable talent. “An argument in favor of meaning, of beauty, of life.” —The New York Times Book Review “If you enjoyed Mieko Kawakami’s brilliant Breasts and Eggs, you’re certain to be astonished by her latest novel exploring violence and bullying with fierce, feminist and damning candor.” —Ms. Magazine “This is the real magic of Heaven, which shows us how to think about morality as an ongoing, dramatic activity. It can be maddening and ruinous and isolating. But it can also be shared, enlivened . . . and momentarily redeemed through unheroic acts of solidarity.” —The New Yorker “Quietly devastating.” —TIME Magazine “Keen psychological insight, brilliant sensitivity, and compassionate understanding.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review “Raw and eloquent. . . . An unexpected classic.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review “An incredible literary talent.” —Booklist, starred review “Kawakami writes with jagged, visceral beauty.” —Oprah Daily “Kawakami never lets us settle comfortably, which is a testament to her storytelling power.” —Los Angeles Review of Books “One of Japan’s brightest stars.” —Japan Times

In the Miso Soup

Ryu Murakami · 2006

Piercing

Ryu Murakami · 2007

“Mr. Murakami’s novels are filled with entertaining psychopaths.”—The New York Times<br/><br/>A pulsating cult-favorite psycho-thriller, the basis of the major motion picture starring Christopher Abbott and Mia Wasikowska<br/><br/>*One of Literary Hub's “Ten Works of Literary Horror You Should Read (Even if You Don't Think You Like Horror)”*<br/><br/>Kawashima Masayuki is a successful graphic designer living in Tokyo with his loving wife, Yoko, and their baby girl. Outwardly, their lives are a picture of happiness and contentment, but every night while his wife sleeps Kawashima creeds from him bed and watches over the baby’s crib with an ice pick in his hand and an almost visceral desire to use it.<br/><br/>One night, as this struggle unfolds once more, Kawashima makes a decision to confront his demons and sets into motion an uncontrollable chain of events seeming to lead inexorably to murder. The follow-up to In the Miso Soup from a cult favorite writer, Piercing confirms Murakami as the master of the psycho thriller—terrifying, sickening, and utterly gripping.

Letters to a Young Poet

Rainer Maria Rilke · 2002

In 1903, a student at a military academy sent some of his verses to a well-known Austrian poet, requesting an assessment of their value. The older artist, Rainer Maria Rilke (1875–1926), replied to the novice in this series of letters — an amazing archive of remarkable insights into the ideas behind Rilke's greatest poetry. The ten letters reproduced here were written during an important stage in Rilke's artistic development, and they contain many of the themes that later appeared in his best works. The poet himself afterwards stated that his letters contained part of his creative genius, making this volume essential reading for scholars, poetry lovers, and anyone with an interest in Rilke, German poetry, or the creative impulse.

Me: Elton John Official Autobiography

Elton John · 2019

INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER<br/><br/>In his first and only official autobiography, music icon Elton John reveals the truth about his extraordinary life, from his rollercoaster lifestyle as shown in the film Rocketman, to becoming a living legend.<br/><br/>Christened Reginald Dwight, he was a shy boy with Buddy Holly glasses who grew up in the London suburb of Pinner and dreamed of becoming a pop star. By the age of twenty-three he was performing his first gig in America, facing an astonished audience in his bright yellow dungarees, a star-spangled T-shirt, and boots with wings. Elton John had arrived and the music world would never be the same again.<br/><br/>His life has been full of drama, from the early rejection of his work with song-writing partner Bernie Taupin to spinning out of control as a chart-topping superstar; from half-heartedly trying to drown himself in his LA swimming pool to disco-dancing with Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth; from friendships with John Lennon, Freddie Mercury, and George Michael to setting up his AIDS Foundation to conquering Broadway with Aida, The Lion King, and Billy Elliot the Musical. All the while Elton was hiding a drug addiction that would grip him for over a decade.<br/><br/>In Me, Elton also writes powerfully about getting clean and changing his life, about finding love with David Furnish and becoming a father. In a voice that is warm, humble, and open, this is Elton on his music and his relationships, his passions and his mistakes. This is a story that will stay with you by a living legend.

The Psychopath Test

Jon Ronson · 2011

What If Society Wasn't Fundamentally Rational, But Was Motivated By Insanity? This Thought Sets Jon Ronson On An Utterly Compelling Adventure Into The World Of Madness. Along The Way, Jon Meets Psychopaths, Those Whose Lives Have Been Touched By Madness And Those Whose Job It Is To Diagnose It, Including The Influential Psychologist Who Developed The Psychopath Test, From Whom Jon Learns The Art Of Psychopath-spotting. A Skill Which Seemingly Reveals That Madness Could Indeed Be At The Heart Of Everything . . . Combining Jon Ronson's Trademark Humour, Charm And Investigative Incision, The Psychopath Test Is Both Entertaining And Honest, Unearthing Dangerous Truths And Asking Serious Questions About How We Define Normality In A World Where We Are Increasingly Judged By Our Maddest Edges.

We Are Okay

Nina LaCour · 2019

Nina LaCour's award-winning, achingly beautiful novel is now available in paperback!<br/><br/>–Includes a new foreword by Nicola Yoon, #1 bestselling author of The Sun is Also a Star and Everything, Everything–<br/><br/>Winner of the Michael L. Printz Award<br/><br/>“Short, poetic and gorgeously written.” –The New York Times Book Review<br/>“A beautiful, devastating piece of art." –Bookpage<br/><br/>You go through life thinking there’s so much you need. . . . Until you leave with only your phone, your wallet, and a picture of your mother. Marin hasn’t spoken to anyone from her old life since the day she left everything behind. No one knows the truth about those final weeks. Not even her best friend Mabel. But even thousands of miles away from the California coast, at college in New York, Marin still feels the pull of the life and tragedy she’s tried to outrun. Now, months later, alone in an emptied dorm for winter break, Marin waits. Mabel is coming to visit and Marin will be forced to face everything that’s been left unsaid and finally confront the loneliness that has made a home in her heart.<br/><br/>An intimate whisper that packs an indelible punch, We Are Okay is Nina LaCour at her finest. This gorgeously crafted and achingly honest portrayal of grief will leave you urgent to reach across any distance to reconnect with the people you love.<br/><br/>Praise for We Are Okay<br/><br/>“Nina LaCour treats her emotions so beautifully and with such empathy.” —Bustle<br/><br/>★ “Exquisite.” —Kirkus<br/><br/>★ “LaCour paints a captivating depiction of loss, bewilderment, and emotional paralysis . . . raw and beautiful.” —Booklist<br/><br/>★ “Beautifully crafted . . . . A quietly moving, potent novel.” —SLJ<br/><br/>★ “A moving portrait of a girl struggling to rebound after everything she’s known has been thrown into disarray.” —Publishers Weekly<br/><br/>★"Bittersweet and hopeful . . . poetic and skillfully crafted." —Shelf Awareness<br/><br/>“So lonely and beautiful that I could hardly breathe. This is a perfect book.” —Stephanie Perkins, bestselling author of Anna and the French Kiss<br/><br/>“As beautiful as the best memories, as sad as the best songs, as hopeful as your best dreams.”<br/>—Siobhan Vivian, bestselling author of The Last Boy and Girl in the World<br/><br/>“You can feel every peak and valley of Marin’s emotional journey on your skin, in your gut. Beautifully written, heartfelt, and deeply real.” —Adi Alsaid, author of Never Always Sometimes and Let’s Get Lost

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth

Andrew Joseph White

Mosquitoland

David Arnold · 2016

“Top-notch” —USA Today<br/>“Illuminating” —Washington Post<br/>“A breath of fresh air” —Entertainment Weekly<br/>“Memorable” —People<br/><br/>After the sudden collapse of her family, Mim Malone is dragged from her home in northern Ohio to the “wastelands” of Mississippi, where she lives in a medicated milieu with her dad and new stepmom. Before the dust has a chance to settle, she learns her mother is sick back in Cleveland.<br/>So she ditches her new life and hops aboard a northbound Greyhound bus to her real home and her real mother, meeting a quirky cast of fellow travelers along the way. But when her thousand-mile journey takes a few turns she could never see coming, Mim must confront her own demons, redefining her notions of love, loyalty, and what it means to be sane.<br/><br/>*Includes a discussion guide, exclusive author interview, and music lyrics written by David Arnold

The Mission

Jason Myers · 2009

Wake up and do something!<br/><br/>Kaden Norris's life is shattered when his older brother -- his best friend and hero -- is killed in Iraq. All Kaden has left of Kenny is a letter, urging him to break away from his sheltered life and to go to San Francisco to visit his cousin, James.<br/><br/>Kaden is blown away, as James introduces him to a life filled with drugs, sex, and apathy. He goes from extreme high to extreme low, having no idea what to expect. And when Kaden uncovers secrets about his family that have been kept from him for years, his entire world comes crashing down. This may not be the trip his brother had envisioned for him, but it's one Kaden will never forget.

Blazed

Jason Myers · 2014

Jamie uncovers life-changing secrets from his past when he’s sent to live with a father he’s never met in this gritty novel from the author of Exit Here. and Run the Game. Jamie is invincible when he is high. His anger, his isolation, his mom’s manic mood swings—nothing can shatter his glass castle. But one brutal night upends everything, leaving his mom broken and Jamie betrayed. Sent to live with a father he’s never met, Jamie is determined to hate the man he blames for his mother’s ruin. And he blocks out the pain with drugs, fierce music, and sweet, sweet Dominique. Except the more time Jamie spends at his dad’s, the more his mother’s scathing stories start to unravel. Who is he supposed to believe? And how much will he have to sacrifice to uncover the truth?

Radio Silence

Alice Oseman · 2019

The second novel by the phenomenally talented Alice Oseman, the author of the million-copy bestselling Heartstopper books—now a major Netflix series.<br/>What if everything you set yourself up to be was wrong?<br/>Frances has always been a study machine with one goal: elite university. Nothing will stand in her way. Not friends, not a guilty secret—not even the person she is on the inside.<br/>But when Frances meets Aled, the shy genius behind her favorite podcast, she discovers a new freedom. He unlocks the door to Real Frances and for the first time she experiences true friendship, unafraid to be herself. Then the podcast goes viral and the fragile trust between them is broken.<br/>Caught between who she was and who she longs to be, Frances’s dreams come crashing down. Suffocating with guilt, she knows that she has to confront her past…<br/>She has to confess why Carys disappeared…<br/>Meanwhile at university, Aled is alone, fighting even darker secrets.<br/>It’s only by facing up to your fears that you can overcome them. And it’s only by being your true self that you can find happiness.<br/>Frances is going to need every bit of courage she has.<br/>A coming-of-age read that tackles issues of identity, the pressure to succeed, diversity, and freedom to choose, Radio Silence is a tour de force by the most exciting writer of her generation.

If You Still Recognise Me

Cynthia So · 2022