Fiction

 

The True Story of Raja the Gullible
Rabih Alameddine
In a tiny Beirut apartment, 63-year-old Raja and his mother live side by side. A beloved high school philosophy teacher and 'the neighbourhood homosexual', Raja relishes books, meditative walks, order, and solitude. Zalfa, his octogenarian mother, views her son's desire for privacy as a personal affront. She demands to know every detail of Raja's work life and love life, boundaries be damned. When Raja receives an invite to an all-expenses-paid writing residency in America, the timing couldn't be better. It arrives on the heels of a series of personal and national disasters that have left Raja longing for peace and quiet away from his mother and the heartache of Lebanon. But what at first seems a stroke of good fortune soon leads Raja to recount and relive the very disasters and past betrayals he wishes to forget.

Hardback ISBN: 9781472160515 

 

 

We are Green and Trembling
Gabriela Cabezon Camara
Deep in the wilds of the New World, Antonio de Erauso begins to write a letter to his aunt, the prioress of the Basque convent he escaped as a young girl. Since fleeing a dead-end life as a nun, he's become Antonio and undertaken monumental adventures: he has been a mule driver, shopkeeper, soldier, cabin boy, and conquistador; he has wielded his sword and slashed with his dagger. Now, caring for two Guaraní girls he rescued from enslavement, and hounded by the army he deserted, this protean protagonist contemplates one more metamorphosis, which just might save the new world from extinction

Paperback ISBN: 9781529936209 

 

 

Chosen Family
Madeleine Gray
Nell has accepted, at age 12, that hers will likely be a friendless existence. She does not care for boys, or makeup, or competing to see who can eat the least - so has no hope of success at tweenage girl social climbing. But then, a new girl arrives at school. Eve has short hair like a boy's, a wicked sense of humour and an unshakable confidence that she will one day find her place in the world. The moment they meet, Nell changes her mind about the friend thing. From their childhood to their 20s and 30s, Eve and Nell will love each other and hurt each other - through teenage feuds and the chlorine-scented savagery of all-girls' schools; through long, drunken nights in scruffy share houses; through the highs and lows of coparenting a child together without being romantically involved. But always, despite a mire of unspoken feelings and sexual confusion, they will choose each other. Again, and again. As friends, as lovers, as family.

Hardback ISBN: 9781399636957 

 

 

Sweetbitter Song
Rosie Hewlett
One fateful night in Sparta, a young slave girl encounters a mysterious, grey-eyed princess. Melantho and Penelope, though from different worlds, are instantly connected. But betrayal soon tears them apart. Years later, on Ithaca's rocky shores, Melantho is sent to serve Princess Penelope and her new husband, Prince Odysseus. Hardened by slavery, Melantho vows to stay distant from Penelope. Yet, the undeniable pull between them proves stronger than ever. As war ignites Greece, Odysseus and Ithaca's men are called away and, in their absence, Melantho finds a new world opening up before her - one where women rule, where family can be found, and where love is finally given the space to bloom. But all wars eventually end and as Troy falls, Penelope and Melantho must face the King's return and decide how far they will go to protect what matters most to them.

Hardback ISBN: 9781787637313

 

 

Havisham
Elle Machray
Charlotte Havisham has a secret. She's been underestimated for too long: by her former fiancé, Compeyson; by her family; and by society. But now her true heart's desire is within reach for the first time. And she will stop at nothing to get it. This is the story of Miss Havisham as you've never heard it before. And she will exceed all expectations. Hardback ISBN: 9780008560393 

 

 

Ordinary Saints
Niamh Ni Mhaoileoin
Can you imagine it? I'd say to them. Can you imagine me there in the front row in Saint Peter's Square? The lesbian sister of a literal saint. Brought up in a devout household in Ireland, Jay is now living in London with her girlfriend, determined to live day to day and not think too much about either the future or the past. But when she learns that her beloved older brother, who died in a terrible accident, may be made into a Catholic saint, she realises she must at last confront her family, her childhood and herself. Inspired by the author's own devout upbringing, 'Ordinary Saints' is a brilliant debut novel from a fresh, exciting new voice which asks - who gets to decide how we are remembered - and who we will become?

Paperback ISBN: 9781786584250  e-book e-audio

 

 

Twenty Years Together
Tom Rob Smith
Danny and Luis have been a couple for decades. Piece by piece, they've built a life together. They've created a home. The only thing they didn't have was a marriage. When they met, it was illegal. But the law finally changes, and Danny decides to propose - on a Scottish hilltop, to the love of his life. Luis loves Danny, but does he love marriage? And, as the past begins to catch up to them both, everything they have worked for begins to fall apart. Can their love survive the ultimate test?

Hardback ISBN: 9781471133145

 

 

Non-Fiction

365 Reasons to be Proud
Pride started out as a form of political resistance, advocating for the rights of LGBTQIA+ people, but now it's a celebration of queer life and sexuality. We need Pride both to celebrate queer identity and culture, and also to show how resilient the queer community is. Whether you're thinking about how to come out, have just taken that brave first step, or have been an out-and-proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community for some time, this collection of 365 inspirational quotes and snippets of rainbow-powered wisdom is the perfect book to celebrate you, the people you love and your place in a sometimes challenging world. 306.76

Hardback ISBN: 9780600639978 

 

 

Do Ask, Do Tell
Stu Oakley and Lotte Jeffs
A glorious, rollercoaster ride through LGBTQ+ life, love and culture. Join writers Lotte Jeffs and Stu Oakley - your intrepid queer explorers - as they seek to answer all the questions you've ever had about LGBTQ+ life. 306.76  

Paperback ISBN: 9781035042098

 

 

Tonight the Music Seems So Loud
Sathnam Sanghera
He wrote one of the biggest hits of our age in 'about an hour' in his childhood bedroom. He would go on to collaborate with some of the greatest musicians of all time, from Aretha Franklin to Stevie Wonder. He was a pop star who bleached his hair blonde, wore tiny shorts and, at the same time, critiqued his own image mercilessly. He lived through the AIDS crisis and one of the most homophobic periods of British history and yet when he finally came out, he did so boldly and unapologetically. Wham! were the first Western pop group to play in Communist China and he repeatedly broke boundaries in music too. Ten years after his death, George Michael is still everywhere. This title is a portrait of one of Britain's most beloved musicians and an account of a strange and turbulent period of British history.

Haradback ISBN: 9781035063871