In the midst of the Civil War, another war brews among the enslaved who are living and enduring in the shadow of the plantations. Luke, intelligent and literate, and Henri, a man with a strong and defiant spirit, forge an unbreakable bond at Magnolia Row in Virginia. Luke and Henri will leave their mark, sparking future uprisings. Like Josephine, a young, sharp, and observant girl who wields silence as her greatest weapon. Charity Butler, who has successfully fought for her freedom, but battles against a deeply unjust system and a future abolitionist. Then there is Nathaniel, a Black enslaver whose existence disturbs the very nature of bondage. His rule is fragile and contradictory, setting off a collision of resistance that will shape their fates. 

 

When Jamie attends a speed-dating event, she expects to meet mediocre men and indulge in street food. She doesn’t expect one of her dates to have his throat slit during a blackout. With more bodies on the floor, it becomes clear that speed dating can be dangerous. Armed with makeshift weapons and Jamie’s knowledge of what not to do in a horror movie, the remaining speed daters try to find an exit while the killer adds to their body count. As Jamie comes face-to-mask with the murderer, she suspects he is trying to woo one of the daters and turn her into his real-life Final Girl. But Jamie has a different love story in mind, and she can’t help but find herself in a love triangle with two of the other speed-daters. Will she survive the bloodshed to find her happily ever after?

 

In a time not so far from ours, society is run by a global AI system controlled by an all-powerful corporation. The Shepherd Organization oversees every medical school in the country save one in New Orleans, Hippocrates, which still insists on human-led medicine. It is the last choice for an ambitious young New Yorker named Pok. But after his father dies under mysterious circumstances connected to the shepherds and their CEO, Pok finds himself on a quest for answers that leads right to Hippocrates. Once enrolled, he stumbles upon a further mystery: a strange illness plaguing newcomers to New Orleans who grew up under shepherd rule. What is causing this fatal anomaly? And how does it relate to the mystery of Pok’s father’s death?

 

In this story of intense friendship and grit, two down-and-out teens escape the hopelessness of their lives and chase a different future through rock-climbing. Dan and Tamma are two teenagers in their last year of high school in the southern Mojave. One is a gifted golden child, the other a mouthy burnout. Climbing boulders in trash-strewn parking lots during cold desert nights, they seal their unique bond and dream of a life of adventure. As the year progresses and adult reality looms, they are rocked by change and pulled apart by irreconcilable obligations. Differences of class, talent, and prospects take on new importance; options dwindle, and their decisions grow ever more consequential and perilous. It feels inevitable, finally, that something must give.

by Liz Douglas

 

Cozy Vegan is the ultimate cookbook for anyone wanting to explore a plant-based lifestyle, feel incredible, and not sacrifice the delicious foods they love. This book is filled with colorful, balanced meals and vegan twists on your favorite comfort foods, showing just how quick and easy cooking vegan comfort food can be. Author Liz Douglas offers 100 deliciously decadent recipes and cooking tips that make it easier than ever to live a wholesome, plant-based lifestyle.

In the woods above Atkin’s home live the tawny owls she calls her neighbors. They come to her cottage at dusk, calling out as night falls- in particular a trio of owlets she watches grow from fledglings to young adults. As the antics of the owls develop, they encourage her to think differently about the big needs of all our lives: solitude and companionship, care and belonging, rest and retreat. And into the frame step questions about all sorts of relationships, from how we feel when in darkness to the digital world and its ability to connect us across continents. This is a love song to owls and a reflection on what makes them, and us, unique and distinctive. It’s a call to find joy in unexpected places and times. It is a lesson in learning to really listen in a world full of noise.

 

The age-old art of matchmaking meets Hollywood as the founder of LJMatchmaking takes us behind the scenes of her work as a matchmaker and date coach for the entertainment industry’s most eligible singles. Even the glitziest picture-perfect set-up could flop due to bad dating habits, a frustration that Jaydi specializes in solving. Now, in Your Last First Date, she’s sharing her incredible stories, along with the exclusive practical wisdom we all need. Whether you’re the one in a rush to “make it happen,” the one who’s convinced yourself you’re better off alone, or even the one who’s “figured it all out” but wants to play matchmaker for your friends, you’ll recognize yourself in these pages- and in the process, learn how to achieve your “Hollywood” ending.

by Peter Ormerod

 

In this wide-ranging biography, Peter Ormerod explores the quest for spirituality that powered David Bowie's creativity from his earliest recordings to his death-defying final album. Bowie's genre-expanding, era-crossing genius had an extraordinary impact on popular culture but his life-long search for spiritual truth and enlightenment has been overlooked. From Bowie's first musical encounters as a choirboy, this book traces his spiritual obsessions over the years. From the Kabbalah-influenced tracks of Station to Station to Ziggy Stardust's messiah complex and the Christian inspiration behind Heroes, Ormerod sheds new light on the spiritual traditions behind Bowie's genius.