AN INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER To save a world in turmoil, a would-be prince teams up with a magically gifted courtesan but the most dangerous game may be trusting each other in this spicy, swoony fantasy romance from the USA Today bestselling author of Change of Heart. The stunning first edition hardcover of Something Wicked features a steamy jacket with glossy effects as well as specially designed sprayed edges! "Intricate, sensual, and filled with all the best elements romantasy has to offer." India Holton, author of The Ornithologist s Field Guide to Love The Uprising has overthrown Avon's monarchial rulers, and a decree has been issued. Candidates for the first presidential election will be selected by the completion of a special task: to kill the former monarch of their home province. Callum, the son of the recently dethroned king, is determined to be in the running. But coming to terms with patricide will require the help of Lady Caterine, a Gifted courtesan at La Puissance, Avon s premiere sex club. Lady Caterine has always had the magical ability to manipulate the emotions of anyone who experiences an orgasm in her presence. If Callum can only open up to Cate, he will be able to commit the newly fated murder without suffering the guilt and take his place as the rightful candidate from his province. But Callum has a deep-seated mistrust of the Gifted. And the last thing he expects is to be confronted with an undeniable connection with Cate that neither of them understands or wants. With the fate of the country at stake, Callum and Cate search for ways to bare themselves to each other, and discover a darker force building within La Puissance, one that might ruin the future of Avon forever. To stop Avon from falling to ashes, they must sacrifice everything they have . . . even if it requires betraying each other.

An acclaimed rock and roll journalist evokes the legacy of The Rolling Stones--iconic, granitic, commercially unstoppable as a collective; and fascinating, contradictory, and occasionally disturbing as individuals. As Lesley-Ann Jones writes, the Rolling Stones are "still roaming the globe like rusty tanks without a war to go to. Jumping, jacking, flashing, posturing, these septuagenarian caricatures with faces that might have been microwaved but coming on like eternal thirty-year-olds." On 12th July 1962, the Rollin' Stones performed their first-ever gig at London's Marquee jazz club. Down the line, a 'g' was added, a spark was lit and their destiny was sealed. No going back. These five white British kids set out to play the music of black America. They honed a style that bled bluesy undertones into dark insinuations of women, sex, and drugs. Denounced as 'corruptors of youth' and 'messengers of the devil, ' they created some of the most thrilling music ever recorded. Now their sound and attitude seem louder and more influential than ever. Elvis is dead and the Beatles are over, but Jagger and Richards bestride the world. The Stones may be gathering moss, but on they roll. Yet how did the ultimate anti-establishment misfits become the global brand we know today? Who were the casualties, and what are the forgotten legacies? Can the artist ever be truly divisible from the art? Lesley-Ann Jones's new history tracks this contradictory, disturbing, granitic and unstoppable band through hope, glory and exile, into the juggernaut years and beyond into rock's ongoing reckoning ... where the Stones seem more at odds than ever with the values and heritage against which they have always rebelled. Good, bad, and often ugly, here are the Rolling Stones as never seen before.

SCARLETT: Pole dancing at the most exclusive 'Gentlemen's Club' in the country is lucrative, though the men are anything but gentle. They're all desperate to take the only significant possession I have-my virginity. I've spent five years hiding in plain sight, burying my head in my books, courtesy of a scholarship at Dublin's most prestigious college. But now, for the first time in my life, I feel seen. Wanted. Desired. And I've awakened a need I never knew I had. Enter James Beckett, a billionaire bachelor with a reputation as famous as his family's whiskey empire, and he wants me to be his fake girlfriend until he conquers the next part of his empire. He'll even tutor me through my final exams... and anything else I require tuition in... Our arrangement will either secure my future, or shatter my world... JAMES: Yet another sex scandal means I'm heartbeat away from being fired as CEO from my own family's whiskey distillery, unless I can prove to my father and The Board that I've shed my playboy reputation. The last thing I want is a showpiece society wife. Especially when I'm obsessed with The Luxor Lounge's newest pole dancer. At only twenty-three, Scarlett radiates an innocence that drives me wild. Turns out, my little dancer is a virgin. Fooling around with my fake girlfriend was always part of my plan. Falling for her wasn't. She's everything I crave, but everything my father forbids. Even if I can convince him that Scarlett is the one for me, she's been keeping a secret. One that could wreck me... Age Gap Forbidden Romance Fake relationship Billionaire Possessive hero V FMC Touch her and d*e vibes Blush-inducing steam No third act break up Standalone with interlinking characters from a wider series

Visions Of Atlantis nehmen wieder Fahrt auf. Mit im Gepäck das neue Studioalbum "Pirates II Armada". In unserer sehr umfangreich Titelstory sprachen wir mit der Band über die sehr interessanten Hintergründe zum neuen Album. Darüber hinaus haben wir Interviews mit dem Cover-Designer Blake Armstrong und mit Produzent Lukas Knoebl (Orchestrierung) geführt. Erfahrt außerdem alles über die weitere Leidenschaft von Sängerin Clementine: die Malerei. Dazu gibt es noch einen exklusiven Song auf unserem Sampler. Bei Lord Of The Lost steht mit "Live at W:O:A" ein bombastisches Live-Release an. Die schwedischen Horror Metaller von Mister Misery melden sich mit einem selbstbetitelten Album zurück. Unser Highlight der Ausgabe sind Soulbound, die uns mit "obsYdian" ordentlich überrascht haben. Sonic Seducer feiert sein 30jähriges Jubiläum und das machen wir mit vielen Specials und einer mit 132 Seiten (!) prallgefüllten Ausgabe mit zwei exklusiven Stickern "Death Is My Only Friend" und "Motten-Club" Das und noch viel mehr erwartet Dich in unserer Juli/August-Ausgabe, in welcher Du u.a. auch Stories mit Nightwish, In Extremo, Powerwolf, Tanzwut, Combichrist, Cigarettes After Sex, Mister Misery, Solar Fake und vieles mehr finden kannst. Visions Of Atlantis Wo Geschichtskenntnis mit der Liebe zum Symphonic Metal zusammenfindet, kommt unweigerlich eine weitere Frau ins Spiel: Clémentine Delauney, die das Schlachtschiff von Visions Of Atlantis gemeinsam mit Michele Guaitoli über die sieben Weltmeere lenkt. An Bord das neue Studioalbum "Pirates II Armada". Alles, was Ihr darüber wissen müsst, erfahrt Ihr in unserer großen Titelstory bei der auch Blake Armstrong, der für das Cover verantwortlich ist und Lukas Knöbl, der sich um die Orchestrierung gekümmert hat, zu Wort kommen. Außerdem sprachen wir mit Clementine über ihre weitere Leidenschaft, die Malerei, und haben mit "Tonight I’m Alive (Sonic Seducer Mix) einen exklusiven Song für Dich auf dem beiliegenden Sampler. 30 Jahre Sonic Seducer Jubiläums-Special Sonic Seducer feiert sein 30jähriges Jubiläum und das machen wir mit einer besonders umfangreichen Ausgabe (132 Seiten!) und einem großen mehrteiligen Jubiläums-Special. Darin erwartet Dich eine informative Entstehungsgeschichte des Magazins, ein spannendes Interview zwischen Sonic-Seducer-Chefredakteur, Gründer und Verleger Thomas Vogel und dem ehemaligen, ersten Redaktionsleiter Thomas Clausen. Außerdem drehten wir das Spiel diesmal um und stellten unseren Redakteuren einige Fragen für unsere Redaktions-Polls. Last but not least: Dich erwarten auf mehr als 10 Seiten die Top 30 der besten Sängerinnen und Sänger, die unsere Szene maßgeblich geprägt haben. Darüber hinaus erhälst du zwei exklusive Sonic Seducer Jubiläums-Stickern: "Death Is My Only Friend" und "Motten-Club" passend zu unseren neue Merchandise-Linien. Lord Of The Lost Bei Lord Of The Lost steht das neue Live-Release "Live at W:O:A" auf dem Programm, das als Live-CD/DVD/BD Anfang August via Napalm Records veröffentlicht wird. Ihr Auftritt auf dem Wacken 2023 war ein ganz besonderer Gig, denn sie spielten als "Deadliner" direkt nach dem Headliner Iron Maiden auf der Mainstage vor Zehntausenden Fans und sogar Blümchen war mit von der Partie. Was uns Chris Harms alles darüber verraten hat, erfährst Du hier bei uns. Mister Misery Die schwedische Horror-Metal-Band Mister Misery hatte 2019 wahrlich einen Traumstart. Ihr Debütalbum "Unalive" wurde von Kritikern und Fans gleichermaßen gefeiert - Titelstory im Sonic Seducer inklusive -, der Nachfolger "A Brighter Side Of Death" war nicht minder erfolgreich. Nun sind sie mit ihrem selbstbetitelten, dritten Longplayer zurück und bündeln all ihre Stärken auf einem Album. Soulbound Vier Jahre nach dem letzten Album zeigt die Melodic-Industrial-MetalCore-Band aus Niedersachsen, dass umso mehr mit ihnen zu rechnen ist: Ein riff-lastiges Album mit Elektro-Elementen ist entstanden, das beim Hören viel Spaß macht. Erneut produziert von Chris Harms

INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER REESE S BOOK CLUB PICK FROM THE AUTHOR OF BIG LITTLE LIES, THE RUNAWAY PHENOMENON THAT INSPIRED THE MEGAHIT HBO SERIES In this highly anticipated sequel, Liane Moriarty examines the complexities of modern women s lives, shining light on family dynamics and long-hidden truths with wit and compassion. Whether you ve read Big Little Lies or not, this is the perfect novel for longtime fans and new readers alike. Equal parts juicy, gripping, and impossible to put down . . . I loved diving back into the lives of these unforgettable characters. ­ Freida McFadden, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Housemaid The last time we saw the women of Big Little Lies Madeline, Celeste, Jane, Renata, and Bonnie their children were five years old. If someone wasn t invited to a birthday party, feelings were hurt. But ten years have passed and the kids are in high school, navigating all of the drama that accompanies teendom (goodbye playdates, hello drugs, sex, and alcohol). When the high school principal receives a threatening package in the mail, word quickly spreads throughout the community and parents are in an uproar. But Madeline, Celeste, Jane, Renata, and Bonnie have other things to worry about. Celeste s mother-in-law, Mary Louise, is behaving oddly is it old-age forgetfulness and bluntness or something more sinister? Madeline is facing perhaps the biggest challenge of her life, Jane is at a dangerous fork in her marriage, Bonnie has realized there s only so much solace in yoga. And Renata? Renata is living her best life revenge is sweet. When a stranger begins lurking around the school asking supposedly innocent questions, this tightly connected group of women must finally face the full repercussions of the big little truths they have and haven t shared with their kids. Because the stakes are now much higher than not being invited to an ice-skating party and the ice has never been thinner for any of them.

China is a country in the midst of dizzying change, its cities gleaming with modernity while its traditions cling stubbornly to the edges of daily life. For LGBT individuals, this tension is not abstract-it's lived. Their stories are rarely told in mainstream narratives, yet they pulse beneath the surface of China's global rise: a queer underground thriving in digital spaces, pride events erupting despite state reticence, families torn between love and societal expectation. This book is an attempt to map that hidden terrain-not as a spectacle, but as a mirror reflecting the contradictions of a nation redefining itself.I began this project with a simple question: How do LGBT people survive, and even thrive, in a society that officially ignores their existence yet cannot fully erase them? The answers are messy. In Shanghai's glittering clubs, young lesbians dance freely, but many still return home to parents who view their sexuality as a family shame. Online, activists use memes and coded language to outmaneuver censors, building communities that feel radical precisely because they're forced to invent their own language. Meanwhile, rural queer individuals face isolation so profound it seems to exist in a different century.What emerges is a portrait of resilience. This is not a story of victimhood, though suffering is real. It's about creativity-the ways people carve out joy in the margins, from underground support groups to same-sex couples raising children in defiance of the law. It's about the slow, uneven march of progress: a court case here, a viral hashtag there, each a brick in a wall that might someday crumble.But this is also a warning. As China's global influence grows, the world cannot afford to overlook the struggles of its LGBT citizens. Their fight for dignity is intertwined with broader questions of human rights, censorship, and the cost of modernity. This book does not offer easy answers. Instead, it invites readers to sit with the complexity-to see, as I have, that even in the shadows, light persists.

Discover the dark and sensual universe of MacKayla Lane, Jericho Barrons, and Dani "Mega" O'Malley! In this blockbuster paranormal series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Marie Moning, the struggle between humans and Fae is tearing apart the world as we know it. And now the first seven thrillingly sexy Fever novels are together in one must-have ebook bundle: DARKFEVER BLOODFEVER FAEFEVER DREAMFEVER SHADOWFEVER ICED BURNED When MacKayla Lane's sister is murdered, she leaves a single clue to her death-a cryptic message on Mac's cell phone. Journeying to Ireland in search of answers, Mac is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to master a power she had no idea she possessed-a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae. As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister's death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysterious Jericho, while at the same time, the ruthless V'lane-an immortal Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women-closes in on her. As the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac's true mission becomes clear: find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someone else claims the all-powerful Dark Book-because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control of both worlds in their hands. Praise for the Fever series "Give yourself a treat and read outside the box."-#1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris, on Darkfever "Delectably dark and scary . . . spiced with a subtle yet delightfully sharp sense of humor."-Chicago Tribune, on Bloodfever "Shocks await Mac in Dublin's vast Dark Zone."-Publishers Weekly, on Faefever "Undeniably great urban fantasy."-Vampire Book Club, on Dreamfever "A turbulent, emotionally devastating and truly unforgettable ride! Enormous kudos!"-RT Book Reviews (Top Pick and Gold Medal), on Shadowfever "Engaging, hilarious, amazing."-USA Today, on Iced "A masterwork by an incomparable writer, Burned is brilliant, sexy, and dangerous. I adore Moning! No one does it better."-#1 New York Times bestselling author Sylvia Day

A National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 Honoree NBCC John Leonard First Book Prize Finalist Aspen Words Literary Prize Finalist Named a Best Book of the Year by Vogue, NPR, Elle, Esquire, Buzzfeed, San Francisco Chronicle, Cosmopolitan, The Huffington Post, The A.V. Club, The Root, Harper's Bazaar, Paste, Bustle, Kirkus Reviews, Electric Literature, LitHub, New York Post, Los Angeles Review of Books, and Bust "The debut novel of the year." -Vogue "Like so many stories of the black diaspora, What We Lose is an examination of haunting." -Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker "Raw and ravishing, this novel pulses with vulnerability and shimmering anger." -Nicole Dennis-Benn, O, the Oprah Magazine "Stunning. . . . Powerfully moving and beautifully wrought, What We Lose reflects on family, love, loss, race, womanhood, and the places we feel home." -Buzzfeed "Remember this name: Zinzi Clemmons. Long may she thrill us with exquisite works like What We Lose. . . . The book is a remarkable journey." -Essence From an author of rare, haunting power, a stunning novel about a young African-American woman coming of age-a deeply felt meditation on race, sex, family, and country Raised in Pennsylvania, Thandi views the world of her mother's childhood in Johannesburg as both impossibly distant and ever present. She is an outsider wherever she goes, caught between being black and white, American and not. She tries to connect these dislocated pieces of her life, and as her mother succumbs to cancer, Thandi searches for an anchor-someone, or something, to love. In arresting and unsettling prose, we watch Thandi's life unfold, from losing her mother and learning to live without the person who has most profoundly shaped her existence, to her own encounters with romance and unexpected motherhood. Through exquisite and emotional vignettes, Clemmons creates a stunning portrayal of what it means to choose to live, after loss. An elegiac distillation, at once intellectual and visceral, of a young woman's understanding of absence and identity that spans continents and decades, What We Lose heralds the arrival of a virtuosic new voice in fiction.

Sink into the joyously weird and wonderful next chapter of Don and Rosie, in Graeme Simsion's unmissable sequel to the bestselling The Rosie Project! 'Touching and entertaining' Mail on Sunday ___________ Forty-one-year-old geneticist Don Tillman had never had a second date before he met Rosie. Now, living in New York City, they have survived ten months and ten days of marriage, even if Don has had to sacrifice standardised meals and embrace unscheduled sex. But then Rosie drops the mother of all bombshells. And Don must prepare for the biggest challenge of his previously ordered life - at the same time as dodging deportation, prosecution and professional disgrace. Is Don Tillman ready to become the man he always dreamed of being? Or will he revert to his old ways and risk losing Rosie for ever? Want to find out what Rosie and Don do next? Continue the journey with The Rosie Result OUT NOW - the hilarious and heart-warming conclusion to the trilogy! ____________ 'All three of the Rosie novels made me laugh out loud. Ultimately the story is about getting inside the mind and heart of someone a lot of people see as odd, and discovering that he isn't really that different from anybody else' Bill Gates, 2020 Summer Books 'A wholly absorbing, vivid read that leaves you pining to be reunited with its characters every time you put it down - if you're able to' Independent 'Offers plenty more laugh-out-loud moments' Guardian 'Quirky and sweetly funny, you will want to join the Don Tillman fan club all over again' Sun on Sunday 'Genuinely heartwarming, truly endearing, plenty of LOLs. You may end up a blubbing wreck' Heat 'There is much to love in this comedy of errors' Sunday Express 'The hilarious follow-up to The Rosie Project, one of the best novels I've read in ages. A sweet, entertaining, and thought-provoking book' Bill Gates

INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK FROM THE AUTHOR OF BIG LITTLE LIES, THE RUNAWAY PHENOMENON THAT INSPIRED THE MEGAHIT HBO SERIES In this highly anticipated sequel, Liane Moriarty examines the complexities of modern women’s lives, shining light on family dynamics and long-hidden truths with wit and compassion. Whether you’ve read Big Little Lies or not, this is the perfect novel for longtime fans and new readers alike. “Equal parts juicy, gripping, and impossible to put down . . . I loved diving back into the lives of these unforgettable characters.”­—Freida McFadden, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Housemaid The last time we saw the women of Big Little Lies—Madeline; Celeste, Jane, Renata, and Bonnie—their children were five years old. If someone wasn’t invited to a birthday party, feelings were hurt. But ten years have passed and the kids are in high school, navigating all of the drama that accompanies teendom (goodbye playdates, hello drugs, sex, and alcohol). When the high school principal receives a threatening package in the mail, word quickly spreads throughout the community and parents are in an uproar. But Madeline, Celeste, Jane, Renata, and Bonnie have other things to worry about. Celeste’s mother-in-law, Mary Louise, is behaving oddly—is it old-age forgetfulness and bluntness or something more sinister? Madeline is facing perhaps the biggest challenge of her life, Jane is at a dangerous fork in her marriage, Bonnie has realized there’s only so much solace in yoga. And Renata? Renata is living her best life—revenge is sweet. When a stranger begins lurking around the school asking supposedly innocent questions, this tightly connected group of women must finally face the full repercussions of the big little truths they have and haven’t shared with their kids. Because the stakes are now much higher than not being invited to an ice-skating party—and the ice has never been thinner for any of them.

Love, Lies and Lemon Cake is a hilarious, bittersweet comedy about taking your life back before it's too late. Faye Dobson has lost her sparkle. Living on film star fantasies and vague memories of a marriage that once was, she can't help feeling that life is passing her by. She dreams of being whisked to Paris for dinner, making three wishes at the Trevi fountain and having sex under the stars. But the wrinkles are multiplying, her husband's passion is for plumbing, and the nearest she'll get to Rome is a take-away pizza. So when Faye meets Dan the gorgeous Australian surfer guy working in the local deli she can't help but wonder what it would be like to see the world. He is blonde, tanned, ten years younger and bakes the most amazing lemon cake. Unlike her husband Dan actually listens to Faye, his smile makes her feel fizzy inside, and when he smiles... Oh. My. God. But is Faye being silly? What would Dan see in someone like her? Even if he did have feelings for her, could she give up everything to be with him? What people are saying about Sue Watson… 'Laugh-out-loud funny, this book is exceptionally good.' Chick Lit Club 'a talented chick lit author with fresh and unique voice and going on my list of all time faves.' This Chick Reads 'Love, Lies and Lemon Cake is a deliciously hilarious book that will have you laughing out loud and rooting for the new Faye! From vajazzled lady parts to fake bake, orange self-tanners, Sue Watson's humour is brilliant and spot on! This is the perfect book for summer! Don't walk, but run out and get this book. You will be glad that you did!' Book Mama blog 'Sue's writing is witty and heartfelt in just the right amounts.' One More Page 'Sue has an absolutely amazing way of making you feel the emotions of her characters, and making you step into their shoes.' Kim the Bookworm

INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER REESE S BOOK CLUB PICK FROM THE AUTHOR OF BIG LITTLE LIES, THE RUNAWAY PHENOMENON THAT INSPIRED THE MEGAHIT HBO SERIES In this highly anticipated sequel, Liane Moriarty examines the complexities of modern women s lives, shining light on family dynamics and long-hidden truths with wit and compassion. Whether you ve read Big Little Lies or not, this is the perfect novel for longtime fans and new readers alike. Equal parts juicy, gripping, and impossible to put down . . . I loved diving back into the lives of these unforgettable characters. ­ Freida McFadden, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Housemaid The last time we saw the women of Big Little Lies Madeline, Celeste, Jane, Renata, and Bonnie their children were five years old. If someone wasn t invited to a birthday party, feelings were hurt. But ten years have passed and the kids are in high school, navigating all of the drama that accompanies teendom (goodbye playdates, hello drugs, sex, and alcohol). When the high school principal receives a threatening package in the mail, word quickly spreads throughout the community and parents are in an uproar. But Madeline, Celeste, Jane, Renata, and Bonnie have other things to worry about. Celeste s mother-in-law, Mary Louise, is behaving oddly is it old-age forgetfulness and bluntness or something more sinister? Madeline is facing perhaps the biggest challenge of her life, Jane is at a dangerous fork in her marriage, Bonnie has realized there s only so much solace in yoga. And Renata? Renata is living her best life revenge is sweet. When a stranger begins lurking around the school asking supposedly innocent questions, this tightly connected group of women must finally face the full repercussions of the big little truths they have and haven t shared with their kids. Because the stakes are now much higher than not being invited to an ice-skating party and the ice has never been thinner for any of them.

Sink into the joyously weird and wonderful next chapter of Don and Rosie, in Graeme Simsion's unmissable sequel to the bestselling The Rosie Project! 'Touching and entertaining' Mail on Sunday ___________ Forty-one-year-old geneticist Don Tillman had never had a second date before he met Rosie. Now, living in New York City, they have survived ten months and ten days of marriage, even if Don has had to sacrifice standardised meals and embrace unscheduled sex. But then Rosie drops the mother of all bombshells. And Don must prepare for the biggest challenge of his previously ordered life - at the same time as dodging deportation, prosecution and professional disgrace. Is Don Tillman ready to become the man he always dreamed of being? Or will he revert to his old ways and risk losing Rosie for ever? Want to find out what Rosie and Don do next? Continue the journey with The Rosie Result OUT NOW - the hilarious and heart-warming conclusion to the trilogy! ____________ 'All three of the Rosie novels made me laugh out loud. Ultimately the story is about getting inside the mind and heart of someone a lot of people see as odd, and discovering that he isn't really that different from anybody else' Bill Gates, 2020 Summer Books 'A wholly absorbing, vivid read that leaves you pining to be reunited with its characters every time you put it down - if you're able to' Independent 'Offers plenty more laugh-out-loud moments' Guardian 'Quirky and sweetly funny, you will want to join the Don Tillman fan club all over again' Sun on Sunday 'Genuinely heartwarming, truly endearing, plenty of LOLs. You may end up a blubbing wreck' Heat 'There is much to love in this comedy of errors' Sunday Express 'The hilarious follow-up to The Rosie Project, one of the best novels I've read in ages. A sweet, entertaining, and thought-provoking book' Bill Gates

China is a country in the midst of dizzying change, its cities gleaming with modernity while its traditions cling stubbornly to the edges of daily life. For LGBT individuals, this tension is not abstract-it's lived. Their stories are rarely told in mainstream narratives, yet they pulse beneath the surface of China's global rise: a queer underground thriving in digital spaces, pride events erupting despite state reticence, families torn between love and societal expectation. This book is an attempt to map that hidden terrain-not as a spectacle, but as a mirror reflecting the contradictions of a nation redefining itself.I began this project with a simple question: How do LGBT people survive, and even thrive, in a society that officially ignores their existence yet cannot fully erase them? The answers are messy. In Shanghai's glittering clubs, young lesbians dance freely, but many still return home to parents who view their sexuality as a family shame. Online, activists use memes and coded language to outmaneuver censors, building communities that feel radical precisely because they're forced to invent their own language. Meanwhile, rural queer individuals face isolation so profound it seems to exist in a different century.What emerges is a portrait of resilience. This is not a story of victimhood, though suffering is real. It's about creativity-the ways people carve out joy in the margins, from underground support groups to same-sex couples raising children in defiance of the law. It's about the slow, uneven march of progress: a court case here, a viral hashtag there, each a brick in a wall that might someday crumble.But this is also a warning. As China's global influence grows, the world cannot afford to overlook the struggles of its LGBT citizens. Their fight for dignity is intertwined with broader questions of human rights, censorship, and the cost of modernity. This book does not offer easy answers. Instead, it invites readers to sit with the complexity-to see, as I have, that even in the shadows, light persists.

NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD WINNER NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY: The New York Times * NPR * Vogue * Gay Times * Artforum * "Gay Bar is an absolute tour de force." -Maggie Nelson "Atherton Lin has a five-octave, Mariah Carey-esque range for discussing gay sex." -New York Times Book Review As gay bars continue to close at an alarming rate, a writer looks back to find out what's being lost in this indispensable, intimate, and stylish celebration of queer history. Strobing lights and dark rooms; throbbing house and drag queens on counters; first kisses, last call: the gay bar has long been a place of solidarity and sexual expression-whatever your scene, whoever you're seeking. But in urban centers around the world, they are closing, a cultural demolition that has Jeremy Atherton Lin wondering: What was the gay bar? How have they shaped him? And could this spell the end of gay identity as we know it? In Gay Bar, the author embarks upon a transatlantic tour of the hangouts that marked his life, with each club, pub, and dive revealing itself to be a palimpsest of queer history. In prose as exuberant as a hit of poppers and dazzling as a disco ball, he time-travels from Hollywood nights in the 1970s to a warren of cruising tunnels built beneath London in the 1770s; from chichi bars in the aftermath of AIDS to today's fluid queer spaces; through glory holes, into Crisco-slicked dungeons and down San Francisco alleys. He charts police raids and riots, posing and passing out-and a chance encounter one restless night that would change his life forever. The journey that emerges is a stylish and nuanced inquiry into the connection between place and identity-a tale of liberation, but one that invites us to go beyond the simplified Stonewall mythology and enter lesser-known battlefields in the struggle to carve out a territory. Elegiac, randy, and sparkling with wry wit, Gay Bar is at once a serious critical inquiry, a love story and an epic night out to remember.

'Intimate. Wounded. Sensational. I didn't just read The Absence. I devoured it' - RUPERT THOMSON As a member of Big in Japan, The Slits and, most famously, Siouxsie and The Banshees and The Creatures, 'Budgie' was an era-defining drummer in the much-mythologized post punk scene of the late 1970s and early 1980s. But before he was Budgie, Peter Clarke was a boy growing up in working class St Helens in the 1960s. The loss of his mom at a young age created the absence that haunts the pages of this book. As a teenager disenchanted with art school in Liverpool, Peter became Budgie and befriended the likes of Jayne Casey, Pete Burns and other luminaries of the legendary Eric's Club before taking off for London and the big city heat of punk. Budgie's unique technique and musical sensitivity endeared him to the all-female group The Slits, who asked him to play on their debut album Cut. Subsequent touring with former members of the Sex Pistols and others from the post punk aristocracy firmly established Budgie's reputation for innovation. But the beating heart of this at times painfully honest account of a life often sabotaged is, of course, his long-term position as Siouxsie and The Banshees' drummer and co-writer alongside his ex-wife Siouxsie Sioux. Their creative partnership produced some of the most seductive and celebrated pop music of the decade. Eventually, their personal relationship started to fall apart, with inevitable consequences for both bands. The Absence is bravely unflinching in its dissection of how and why this happened, and powerfully moving in its account of the angels that emerged to heal both these wounds and those of a mother's lost love. A man and musician whose creativity and singular style came to define the goth-pop 1980s, Budgie's life is both fabulously glamorous and a cautionary tale. For the first time the story of the era's most exalted and mysterious bands has been told by one who survived inside the belly of the beast.

INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK • FROM THE AUTHOR OF BIG LITTLE LIES, THE RUNAWAY PHENOMENON THAT INSPIRED THE MEGAHIT HBO SERIES In this highly anticipated sequel, Liane Moriarty examines the complexities of modern women’s lives, shining light on family dynamics and long-hidden truths with wit and compassion. Whether you’ve read Big Little Lies or not, this is the perfect novel for longtime fans and new readers alike. “Equal parts juicy, gripping, and impossible to put down . . . I loved diving back into the lives of these unforgettable characters.”­—Freida McFadden, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Housemaid The last time we saw the women of Big Little Lies—Madeline; Celeste, Jane, Renata, and Bonnie—their children were five years old. If someone wasn’t invited to a birthday party, feelings were hurt. But ten years have passed and the kids are in high school, navigating all of the drama that accompanies teendom (goodbye playdates, hello drugs, sex, and alcohol). When the high school principal receives a threatening package in the mail, word quickly spreads throughout the community and parents are in an uproar. But Madeline, Celeste, Jane, Renata, and Bonnie have other things to worry about. Celeste’s mother-in-law, Mary Louise, is behaving oddly—is it old-age forgetfulness and bluntness or something more sinister? Madeline is facing perhaps the biggest challenge of her life, Jane is at a dangerous fork in her marriage, Bonnie has realized there’s only so much solace in yoga. And Renata? Renata is living her best life—revenge is sweet. When a stranger begins lurking around the school asking supposedly innocent questions, this tightly connected group of women must finally face the full repercussions of the big little truths they have and haven’t shared with their kids. Because the stakes are now much higher than not being invited to an ice-skating party—and the ice has never been thinner for any of them.

"[A] fiendish, gorgeously written descent into hell. . .This is the noir novel for our times." -The New York Times This epic crime novel tells a story of Los Angeles power brokers and those at the edge-and a single shattering incident that threatens to bring it all crashing down. Los Angeles, right now. America with its back up against the wall. This Frankenstein's monster of crimes and lurid dreams sewn together into something like a city. A city ready to explode: A Hollywood pedophile is arrested, and is ready to tear down the city to get his freedom. A young woman goes missing-and men in black rubber gloves who look like cops clean out her apartment in the middle of the night. And the serial killer known as the LA Ripper is on the loose, leaving tragic/graphic/brutal crime scenes in his wake. Three people trying to keep their heads above the dirty water will find themselves coming together to unite these strands into one enormous, unspeakable crime ... Jake Deal is a gonzo live-streaming nightcrawler, beaming the city's chaos straight to his audience of blood-hungry subscribers, giving them the view from the top of the mushroom cloud-until a job he can't refuse drags him back into his old life of Hollywood glamour, drugs, sex and sleaze. Armed with cameras and hidden mics, he'll infiltrate private clubs, gather high-class dirt-and stumble onto a conspiracy woven into the center of LA's most powerful men, who call themselves "The Kids in the Candy Store." Doug Gibson is a street lawyer, who fights for his clients against the army of cops, prosecutors and judges-he is the knife they bring to the gunfight. But when he's hired by a Hollywood pedophile ready to sell out his friends for a chance for freedom, he'll take on a fight bigger than he could have imagined. And when his client "commits suicide" in prison, Gibson will have to stop being a weapon-and become a warrior. Kara Delgado works for an underground private concierge company-a make-a-wish foundation for the terminally rich. She scores drugs, makes connections, and plans multi-million dollar sex parties.She has learned the secret truth of this world: there are no rules, only prices. Her best friend Phoebe has gone missing, and Kara's the only person who knows that Phoebe's place was wiped clean of evidence by men in black rubber gloves. But when she begins to unravel the mystery of what happened to Phoebe, and its connection to the killer known as the LA Ripper, it will drag her into the dark heart of the city. As Jake, Doug and Kara all investigate these crimes, they'll encounter ketamine-addled sitcom stars, bloody riots, homeless gangsters, a killer cop on death row, secret vaults in Beverly Hills, tech-bro orgies, medical cannibals, true crime junkies, private security wet-work teams, reality shows, street takeovers, car chases, coyotes, a sadistic Tarzan, and a three day, fifty million dollar wedding, before everything is revealed and they must each make their choice about how to fight back in this violent world before the bloody, blazing conclusion.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER The lives of three women-transgender and cisgender-collide after an unexpected pregnancy forces them to confront their deepest desires in "one of the most celebrated novels of the year" (Time) "Reading this novel is like holding a live wire in your hand."-Vulture One of the New York Times's 100 Best Books of the 21st Century A Kirkus Reviews Best Fiction Book of the Century Named one of the Best Books of the Year by more than twenty publications, including The New York Times Book Review, Entertainment Weekly, NPR, Time, Vogue, Esquire, Vulture, and Autostraddle PEN/Hemingway Award Winner Finalist for the Lambda Literary Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the Gotham Book Prize Longlisted for The Women's Prize Roxane Gay's Audacious Book Club Pick New York Times Editors' Choice Reese almost had it all: a loving relationship with Amy, an apartment in New York City, a job she didn't hate. She had scraped together what previous generations of trans women could only dream of: a life of mundane, bourgeois comforts. The only thing missing was a child. But then her girlfriend, Amy, detransitioned and became Ames, and everything fell apart. Now Reese is caught in a self-destructive pattern: avoiding her loneliness by sleeping with married men. Ames isn't happy either. He thought detransitioning to live as a man would make life easier, but that decision cost him his relationship with Reese-and losing her meant losing his only family. Even though their romance is over, he longs to find a way back to her. When Ames's boss and lover, Katrina, reveals that she's pregnant with his baby-and that she's not sure whether she wants to keep it-Ames wonders if this is the chance he's been waiting for. Could the three of them form some kind of unconventional family-and raise the baby together? This provocative debut is about what happens at the emotional, messy, vulnerable corners of womanhood that platitudes and good intentions can't reach. Torrey Peters brilliantly and fearlessly navigates the most dangerous taboos around gender, sex, and relationships, gifting us a thrillingly original, witty, and deeply moving novel.

Das purpurne Hemdchen: Ihrer Angst hat Sina einen Namen gegeben und flirtenden Männern gegenüber bezeichnet sie sich als frigide, um sie abzuschrecken. Nur der ebenso souveräne wie heiße Fotograf Sam erkennt die Panik unter ihrer Maske der Selbstsicherheit. "Frigidität? Das ist meine Lieblingsherausforderung", lautet seine Antwort auf ihre Abfuhr. Sein messerscharfer Blick, gepaart mit den vor Vergnügen zuckenden Mundwinkeln, lassen die Schmetterlinge in ihrem Bauch Achterbahn fahren. Er verführt sie zu heißem Sex, doch mehr lässt Sina nicht zu. Sie ist sich sicher, wenn Sam ihre Vergangenheit kennt, wird er sie verachten, denn purpurne Reizwäsche reicht nicht, um glücklich zu werden ... Fessele mich, führe mich, liebe mich: Karina ist Abteilungsleiterin in einem großen Konzern. Sie hat es schwer, sich gegen ihre missgünstigen Kollegen durchzusetzen und ist sehr misstrauisch. Als der charmante und attraktive Thomas ihre Nähe sucht, kann sie sich nicht vorstellen, dass sich ein Traummann wie er in eine gewöhnliche Frau wie sie verlieben könnte. Aber das tut er, und er führt Karina in die für sie neue und faszinierende Welt des BDSM ein. Thomas ist dominant und sadistisch veranlagt. Er erkennt in Karina den passenden Gegenpol zu seinen Neigungen und verliebt sich in sie. Mit viel Fingerspitzengefühl und Sensibilität begleitet er sie auf ihrem ganz persönlichen Weg zur Erfüllung ihrer devoten Fantasien. Fesseln und Marmelade: Als ihr alter Nachbar stirbt, hofft die Lübecker Unternehmerin Lilian, dass sein heruntergekommener Hof endlich abgerissen wird. Leider geht ihr Wunsch nicht in Erfüllung, denn es stellt sich der Erbe vor - optisch ein typischer Zuhältertyp aus dem Hamburger Rotlichtmilieu. So unerträglich lästig sie ihren neuen Nachbarn findet, ihr Unterbewusstsein sagt das komplette Gegenteil. Theo "Tiger" Sturm hat als Türsteher angefangen und es durch harte Arbeit geschafft, zum Mitbesitzer eines angesagten Nachtclubs mit BDSM-Keller zu werden. Als er den Hof seines Großvaters, den er nie kennengelernt hat, erbt, will er sich dort eine grüne Oase der Ruhe schaffen. Doch dann steht seine neue Nachbarin vor ihm. Sie ist arrogant, zickig und lässt ihn spüren, dass sie ihn für den Dreck unter ihrem Schuhabsatz hält. Theo beschließt, der Dame ein wenig auf die Nerven zu gehen. Womit Theo nicht gerechnet hat, ist, wie schnell und leidenschaftlich die Funken zwischen ihm und Lilian sprühen ... Rohrstock zur Teatime: Leonard ist der Geschäftsführer des "Dark Paradise", einem BDSM-Resort an der englischen Küste bei Scarborough. Als der Besitzer stirbt und seine Tochter Laura das Resort erbt, muss Leonard befürchten, dass es geschlossen wird. Um das zu verhindern, fährt er nach London um mit Laura zu reden, doch die stellt sich stur wie ein alter Esel. Laura arbeitet als Kellnerin in einem Londoner Café. Von ihrem Erzeuger weiß sie nur, dass er ein Zuhälter ist, der einen Sexclub betreibt, in dem Frauen ausgebeutet werden. Als er stirbt, ist sie die Erbin des Clubs, darf allerdings laut Testament erst verkaufen, nachdem sie einige Wochen lang darin gewohnt hat. Empört lehnt sie das Erbe ab. Doch als ihr gewalttätiger Verlobter Colin sie verprügelt, ist das "Dark Paradise" der einzige Ort, an dem sie sich vor ihm verstecken kann. Dumm nur, dass Leonard sie dort mit seinen dunklen Versprechungen immer mehr durcheinanderbringt und nie geahnte Bedürfnisse weckt ... Sweet Christmas: Ihre erste große Liebe hat ausgerechnet an Weihnachten mit ihr Schluss gemacht. Und nun kommt Boris nach zehn Jahren zurück in die Stadt, um seine Eltern über die Feiertage zu besuchen. Rache ist süß, denkt Lulu, und plant ein Weihnachtsfest für ihn, Fünf Romane von Sara-Maria Lukas im Sammelband zum Sonderpreis.