A fantastically funny, bittersweet story of second guesses and second chances. Rob Garland is getting married in two months. Oddly, however, this is the least of his problems. More vexing than the seating arrangements, the choice of wedding stationery - more even that the savagely obscene expense of everything - is the fact that Rob should be dead: and he knows it. Faced with an ultimatum from his girlfriend to either sort himself out, or call the wedding (and the whole relationship) off, he sets about trying to come to terms with how it is that, somehow, he's still inexplicably breathing. After pouring his heart out to the listeners on his late-night radio jazz show, he soon finds himself teamed up with others who really ought not to be alive, but who - for random, meaningless and, frankly, stupid reasons - unaccountably are. And that's when things become yet more worrying: because it turns out that their search to understand why they've each remained oddly alive might very well end up killing them all. Love, death, religious beliefs, existential angst - Love and Other Near-Death Experiences is a jack-knifing comedy about those things which should be no laughing matter.

Poetry. LGBTQIA Studies. Lonely Christopher's debut poetry collection was a controversial cris de coeur that attracted scorn and praise on its initial release for an unsparing portrayal of a young alcoholic gay writer struggling to find meaning in the loss of his mother to cancer. Inspired by Rimbaud's derangement of the senses, Christopher embraces an enfant terrible persona, unafraid of raw emotions, scrawling intense and devastating lyrics that push verse to its breaking point. In a combination of experimental and confessional modes, using a complex array of styles, personal bereavement is trapped between penury and hatred of capitalism. This notorious volume has been acclaimed as a contemporary classic of the queer avant-garde.

This delightfully disastrous queer YA rom-com is a perfect read for fans of Jenny Han, Morgan Matson, and Sandhya Menon. When Nozomi Nagai pictured the ideal summer romance, a fake one wasn’t what she had in mind. That was before she met the perfect girl. Willow is gorgeous, glamorous, and…heartbroken? And when she enlists Nozomi to pose as her new girlfriend to make her ex jealous, Nozomi is a willing volunteer. Because Nozomi has a master plan of her own: one to show Willow she’s better than a stand-in, and turn their fauxmance into something real. But as the lies pile up, it’s not long before Nozomi’s schemes take a turn toward disaster…and maybe a chance at love she didn’t plan for.

What if you were fated to NEVER fall in love?

The first openly nonbinary contestant on America’s favorite cooking show falls for their clumsy competitor in this delicious romantic comedy debut that USA Today hailed as “an essential read.” Recently divorced and on the verge of bankruptcy, Dahlia Woodson is ready to reinvent herself on the popular reality competition show Chef’s Special. Too bad the first memorable move she makes is falling flat on her face, sending fish tacos flying—not quite the fresh start she was hoping for. Still, she's focused on winning, until she meets someone she might want a future with more than she needs the prize money. After announcing their pronouns on national television, London Parker has enough on their mind without worrying about the klutzy competitor stationed in front of them. They’re there to prove the trolls—including a fellow contestant and their dad—wrong, and falling in love was never part of the plan. As London and Dahlia get closer, reality starts to fall away. Goodbye, guilt about divorce, anxiety about uncertain futures, and stress from transphobia. Hello, hilarious shenanigans on set, wedding crashing, and spontaneous dips into the Pacific. But as the finale draws near, Dahlia and London’s steamy relationship starts to feel the heat both in and outside the kitchen—and they must figure out if they have the right ingredients for a happily ever after. Booklist's Best Romance Debuts of the Year Women's Health's Best Romance Novels of the Year Bookpage's Best Romance Novels of the Year

Lord Jasper Sweet, the often overlooked third son of a duke, is used to disappointment, and learned to rely on no one but himself. Forced to endure a summer at his family's estate, he’s planning a little party to pass the time and refill his empty pockets. But his nephew’s and their prickly governess, Sophie Radcliffe, remain at the estate too, and he’s expecting vast disapproval. He never imagined he’d need the governess’ help—and not just because someone left an infant screaming on his bed. Sophie prefers to keep a distance from her employer’s rakish brother because it’s clear he doesn’t like her. But with one glimpse of the shoddy way he’s running his secret, scandalous house party—and the child screaming on his bed—it’s clear he needs her expertise for both. Sophie never meant to trust another rake with her reputation or the secrets of her past, but Jasper has snuck under her defenses and could steal her heart—if he ever saw her as more than a means to a scandalous end. Love and Other Disasters is a steamy regency romance novel Scandalous Brides series: Wicked with Him Desperately Seeking Seduction Love and Other Disasters

In this two-volume work, hundreds of alphabetically arranged entries survey contemporary lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and queer American literature and its social contexts. Comprehensive in scope and accessible to students and general readers, Encyclopedia of Contemporary LGBTQ Literature of the United States explores contemporary American LGBTQ literature and its social, political, cultural, and historical contexts. Included are several hundred alphabetically arranged entries written by expert contributors. Students of literature and popular culture will appreciate the encyclopedia's insightful survey and discussion of LGBTQ authors and their works, while students of history and social issues will value the encyclopedia's use of literature to explore LGBTQ American society. Each entry is written by an expert contributor and lists additional sources of information. To further enhance study and understanding, the encyclopedia closes with a selected general bibliography of print and electronic resources for student research.