By the middle of the twenty-first century, war, famine, economic collapse, and climate catastrophe had toppled the world's governments. In the 2050s, the insurrections reached the nerve center of global capitalism—New York City. This book, a collection of interviews with the people who made the revolution, was published to mark the twentieth anniversary of the New York Commune, a radically new social order forged in the ashes of capitalist collapse. Here is the insurrection in the words of the people who made it, a cast as diverse as the city itself. Nurses, sex workers, antifascist militants, and survivors of all stripes recall the collapse of life as they knew it and the emergence of a collective alternative. Their stories, delivered in deeply human fashion, together outline how ordinary people's efforts to survive in the face of crisis contain the seeds of a new world.

What if the rivals of SMASH—Karen and Ivy—stopped fighting for the spotlight and realized they belonged in it together? A decade ago, they lit up the West End. Now, Broadway is calling… and so is unfinished business. When young Leah Roughy made her West End debut as Queen Victoria, the world saw a breakout star. Lourdes Lennon, a West End vet, saw a nepotism case. But beneath the tension and barbed banter in rehearsal, they each felt something more—an undeniable connection neither was ready to name. Their chemistry crackles onstage, but offstage? It’s tension, snark, and stolen glances that say more than either of them will admit. As their careers take them in opposite directions, Leah and Lourdes stay connected across time zones, heartbreaks, and years of what-ifs. Now, a ten-year Broadway revival of Victoria offers a second chance: to return to the roles that changed their lives… and to finally ask what might have been if timing had ever been on their side. As the lights rise once again, Leah is ready to build a life with Lourdes, but her costar still isn’t sure where she fits in a world that asks her to choose between love and ambition. When the chance to build a family unexpectedly lands in their laps, they must choose. Can they find a rhythm that works both on and off stage? Love in the West End is a sweeping sapphic romance about second chances, love under the lights, and redefining what it means to build a wild life in a rigid world. Tropes: *Second Chance *Rivals to Lovers *Musical Theater *30s/40s characters *Found Family *Showmance *One That Got Away *Queer Joy *LGBTQ romance *WLW Romance

Viva Jones was great once. A top ten tennis player with a grand slam trophy to her name, she had the world at her feet. Then an overzealous lineswoman’s bad call knocked her out of the US Open, and a persistent injury crushed her career. While battling to return to the game she loves, a chance meeting with the lineswoman, Gabriela, forces Viva to rethink the past…and the present. Away from the court, Gabriela is sexy, athletic, and lives for her career as an umpire. She seems to be falling for Viva as hard and fast as Viva is for her. There’s just one problem: players and officials can’t date. A lesbian romance about breaking all the rules. 91,000 words Themes: Australia · lesbian lineswoman · lesbian tennis player

The cult Japanese bestseller about a female gourmet cook and serial killer and the journalist intent on cracking her case, inspired by a true story, and translated by Polly Barton. There are two things that I can simply not tolerate: feminists and margarine. Gourmet cook Manako Kajii sits in Tokyo Detention Centre convicted of the serial murders of lonely businessmen, who she is said to have seduced with her delicious home cooking. The case has captured the nation’s imagination but Kajii refuses to speak with the press, entertaining no visitors. That is, until journalist Rika Machida writes a letter asking for her recipe for beef stew and Kajii can’t resist writing back. Rika, the only woman in her news office, works late each night, rarely cooking more than ramen. As the visits unfold between her and the steely Kajii, they are closer to a masterclass in food than journalistic research. Rika hopes this gastronomic exchange will help her soften Kajii but it seems that she might be the one changing. With each meal she eats, something is awakening in her body, might she and Kaji have more in common than she once thought? Inspired by the real case of the convicted con woman and serial killer, "The Konkatsu Killer", Asako Yuzuki’s Butter is a vivid, unsettling exploration of misogyny, obsession, romance and the transgressive pleasures of food in Japan

“Never Can Say Goodbye is deliciously woven from threads of guidance, memory, and devotion to the sacred labor of holding space at the end of life." —Alua Arthur, author of Briefly Perfectly Human  Compelling narrative that highlights the importance of a death doula and generational traumas faced by the Black community. Embedded within the fabric of American society are deeply ingrained taboos surrounding death. For African Americans, these taboos are compounded by a complex interplay of factors that make conversations about death even more elusive. The echoes of systemic racism, unequal access to healthcare, and the enduring impact of generational traumas have created an environment where death is often seen as a subject best left untouched. In his debut book Never Can Say Goodbye, death doula, Darnell Lamont delves into the reasons behind the silence surrounding death within the Black community.narrates his personal experiences of holding space for individuals at the end of their lives. guides and comforts those navigating grief, who silently mourn. Walker shares personal stories from his role as a compassionate guide navigating the delicate space between life and death. These narratives unfold as intimate accounts of individuals, each seeking solace, closure, and the opportunity to share the stories that define them. This book is for anyone wanting to witness the healing that unfolds when someone is afforded the chance to articulate their life's journey, find closure in their own narrative, and ultimately, face the inevitable with a newfound sense of peace. Never Can Say Goodbye captures the essence of these profoundly human moments while exploring the connection between the grieving and their doula, revealing the transformative power of storytelling in the face of mortality. Walker helps you process feelings and emotions from past losses and instills wisdom on how you can hold space and provide your loved ones with the closure they deserve.

Ten strangers trapped in a television studioForty-two remote camerasFive dead bodiesOne Trust no oneWhen a casting call is announced for new reality TV show Lie or Die, Kass is tricked into auditioning by her best friend. Big Brother meets Mafia, Lie or Die pits contestants against each other as they try to discover who is a murderous agent and who is an innocent player. But when contestants start to turn up dead (the real kind, not the fake kind), Kass realises that not being eliminated and winning the game is the least of her worries. No longer a game of truth and lies, Kass and her friends are in a fight for survival. 'Reality' just got very real.