Reverberations of Elizabeth Strout's tales from Crosby, Maine, echo in Ryle's charming series of linked stories about loneliness and belonging in a small town. (Washington Post)With humor and grace, Ryle depicts a quirky cast of characters and their post-pandemic hopes, fears, gripes, and longings in this engaging collection of linked stories. One foggy morning, an email appears in inboxes across the small town of Lanier, Indiana. "Invitation to Participate: Sexual...

An accessible guide for learning about gender identity for those questioning their own genders, generally curious about gender, or interested in better understanding someone else's identity.If you've ever questioned the logic of basing an entire identity around what you have between your legs, it's time to embark on a daring escape outside of the binary box. Written in a choose-your-own path style, you'll explore over one hundred different scenarios that embrace ne...

A second collection of critically acclaimed stories that affirm the bond among humans and animalsThe relationships among human and non-human animals have captivated writers since the beginning of time—and the ways in which these relationships have evolved (and sometimes have not) continue to inspire writers of contemporary short fiction around the world.This carefully curated collection of stories explores the ways in which we live among—and often in conflict with—our non-h...

Amanda Harkins is fed up. The Madison boys' basketball team has been getting all the attention and money for way too long. The boys barely even won a game last season while the girls' team almost made it to State. But here she is again, fighting to practice in the good gym with the girls' team, even though they signed up for it and the boys did not.Amanda and her friends-Maddie and Dot-decide it's time to take action. Amanda's an aspiring activist and this is one wrong it's past ti...

A thought-provoking journey into the complicated history of gender, sexuality, race, and social justice through the world of sports.Have you ever wondered why most cheerleaders are girls? Or why some athletes, like Caster Semenya, have to prove they’re women while there’s no testing for men? And why do athletes like Megan Rapinoe and Colin Kaepernick use sports as a platform for social justice, and should they?These questions and more are examined in Throw Like a Girl, Chee...

The dead of nightThe Old West town of Lily, Arizona, is home to the Gilded Lily, a former theater…and bawdy house. These days, it offers theatrical productions geared to tourists, but the recent discovery of a skull, a real skull, among the props and costumes shakes everyone up.So, who do you call? The Krewe of Hunters, a special FBI unit of paranormal investigators. In this case, it's agent Jane Everett. Jane's also a talented artist who creates images of...

WINNER OF THE 2021 VICTORIAN PRIZE FOR LITERATUREWINNER OF THE 2021 VICTORIAN PREMIER’S LITERARY AWARDS PRIZE FOR FICTIONA SLATE AND SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEARWINNER OF THE 2021 ARTHUR C. CLARKE AWARDOut on the road, no one speaks, everything talks.Hard-drinking, foul-mouthed, and allergic to bullshit, Jean is not your usual grandma. She’s never been good at getting on with other humans, apart from ...

Award-winning mystery writer Gail Bowen’s first three masterful mysteries featuring amateur sleuth Joanne Kilbourn are now collected in a single volume. In Deadly Appearances, a successful politician sips his water before a speech at a picnic on a sweltering August afternoon and, within seconds, he is dead; in Murder at the Mendel, Joanne’s childhood friend may have a far more complicated, far more sordid, and far more deadly past than Joanne knows about; and in The W...

The acclaimed author reflects on romance and disillusionment in childhood, young adulthood, and her marriage through a series of autobiographical essays."Smart, funny, and moving. . . . A gifted and gutsy writer. . . . This is what a first collection of stories should be." — The Boston GlobeCousins, mothers, sisters, dolls, dogs, best friends: these are the fixed points in Jo Ann Beard's universe, the constants that...

The Hall of Horrors is open. Step into the nightmare! Mickey is put in charge of his vacationing neighbors' cat, Bella. His best friend Amanda comes along to help out. All they have to do is make sure Bella has enough to eat and doesn't destroy the furniture. Seems simple enough. But Bella escapes from the house and is hit by a car. Mickey feels awful. What is he going to do? Amanda has an idea to replace the cat with a look-alike from the local pet store, Cat Heaven. They find a cat that ...

" B Is for Beer isn't meant for children . . . But kids at heart, and anyone bemused by Robbins' previous novels, will guzzle down Robbins' latest brew." — The Denver PostA children's book about beer? Yes, believe it or not—but B Is for Beer is also a book for adults, and bear in mind that it's the work of maverick bestselling novelist Tom Robbins, inter-nationally known for his ability to both seriously illuminate and comically entertain....