Nobel laureate and Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Beloved Toni Morrison investigates Black characters in the American literary canon and the way they shaped the nation’s collective unconscious.

In a dazzling series of lectures from her tenure as a professor at Princeton University, Toni Morrison interrogates America’s most famous works and authors, drawing a direct line from the Black bodies that built the nation to the Black characters that many of the country’s canonical white writers imagined in their work. Morrison sees these fictions as a form of creation and projection, arguing that they helped manufacture American racialidentity—these “Africanist” presences are “the shadow that makes light possible,” as Morrison writes, and the reflections of their authors’ own deepest fears, insecurities, and longings.

With profound erudition and wit, Morrison breaks wide open the American conception of race with energetic, enlivening readings of the nation’s canon, revealing that our liberation from these diminishing notions comes through language. “How,” Morrison wonders, “could one speak of profit, of economy, of labor, or progress, of suffragism, or Christianity, of the frontier, of the formation of new states, the acquisition of new lands . . . of practically anything a new nation concerns itself with—without having as a referent, at the heart of the discourse or defining its edges, the presence of Africans and/or their descendants?”

To read these lectures, collected here for the first time, is to encounter Morrison, not just the writer but also the teacher, in the most penetrating and subversive way yet. With a foreword by her son Ford Morrison and an introduction by her Princeton comparative literature colleague Claudia Brodsky, Language as Liberation is a revelatory collection that promises to redefine the American canon.

From the wildly popular and innovative creator of @MakeBigTalk, a practical and comprehensive guide to forming deeper connections to combat loneliness and strengthen existing relationships

Our world is increasingly connected—yet so many people feel alone and without purpose. Big Talk offers a powerful antidote. With simple tools and inspiring real-life stories, Kalina Silverman shares how you can go beyond small talk and unlock hidden emotional depths in everyday interactions—whether with a stranger, a friend, a coworker, a community member, a family member, a partner, or even yourself.

What began as one young woman’s mission to fight loneliness has since grown into a global movement, featured in major media and used in schools, workplaces, governments, and communities around the world.

In this book, Silverman distills more than a decade of insights from “making Big Talk” into easy-to-apply questions, prompts, and techniques that will help you:

• overcome social anxiety and start more meaningful conversations;
• deepen relationships and build new ones that last;
• foster empathy, trust, and belonging in your community;
• create spaces where truth, vulnerability, and real connection can thrive; and make everyday moments, from date nights, to workplace chats, to vacations, to neighborly exchanges, more meaningful and memorable.

Concise, practical, and full of heart, Big Talk is for anyone who’s tired of small talk and ready to have conversations that matter.

A woman who runs a cat rescue in 1920s Montréal turns to a grouchy but charming magician to help save her shelter in this heartwarming cozy fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of the Emily Wilde series.

“Absolutely magnificent! Full of cats and magic, this is the kind of book you want to instantly reread. I loved every character, every cat, and every moment with all my heart!”—Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop

Agnes Aubert leads a meticulously organized life, and she likes it that way. As the proudly type-A manager of a cat rescue charity, she has devoted her life to finding forever homes for stray cats.

Now it’s the shelter that needs a new home. And the only landlord who will rent a space to a cat rescue is a mysterious man called Havelock—who also happens to be the world’s most infamous magician, running an illegal magic shop out of his basement. Havelock is cantankerous and eccentric, but not not handsome, and no, Agnes absolutely does not feel anything but disdain for him. After all, rumors swirl about his shadowy past—including whispers that his dark magic once almost brought about the apocalypse.

Then one day a glamorous magician comes looking for Havelock, putting the magic shop—and the cat shelter—in jeopardy. To save the shelter, Agnes will have to team up with the magician who nearly ended the world . . . and may now be trying to steal her heart.

Havelock is everything Agnes thinks she doesn’t need in her life: chaos, mischief, and a little too much adventure. But as she gets to know him, she discovers that he’s more than the dark magician of legend, and that she may be ready for a little intrigue—and romance—in her life. After all, second chances aren’t just for rescue cats. . . .

Part alien invasion story, part buddy comedy, and part workplace satire, After The Fall by Edward Ashton, author of Mickey7 (inspiration for the film Mickey 17), asks an important question: would humans really make great pets?

Humans must be silent. Humans must be obedient. Humans must be good.

All his life, John has tried to live by those rules. Most days, it’s not too difficult. A hundred and twenty years after The Fall, and a hundred years after the grays swept in to pick the last dregs of humanity out of the wreckage of a ruined world, John has found himself bonded to Martok Barden nee Black Hand, one of the "good" grays. Sure, Martok is broke, homeless, and borderline manic, but he’s always treated John like an actual person, and sometimes like a friend. It’s a better deal than most humans get.

But when Martok puts John’s bond up as collateral against an abandoned house in the woods that he hopes to turn into a wilderness retreat for wealthy grays, John learns that there are limits to Martok’s friendship. Soon he finds himself caught between an underworld boss who thinks Martok is something that he very much is not, a girl who was raised by feral humans and has nothing but contempt for pets like John, and Martok himself, whose delusions of grandeur seem to be finally catching up with him. 

Also, not for nothing, something in the woods has been killing people.

John has sixty days before Martok’s loan comes due to unravel the mystery of how humans wound up holding the wrong end of the domestication stick and find a way to turn Martok’s half-baked plans into profit enough to buy back his life, all while avoiding getting butchered by feral humans or having his head crushed by an angry gray. Easy peasy, right?

"After a brutal year battling what should have been a terminal cancer diagnosis, mystery author Joe Penvale and his twin sister Meredith decide to celebrate this new beginning with a holiday on the famed Orient Express. Joining them in Carriage 16 are a medically retired French police detective, a female British detective inspector, a travel blogger and her husband, two true crime podcasters who are seeking an interview with Joe, a widowed duchess, two little old ladies from Lower Slaughter in pursuit of a thief they know is aboard, and an obnoxious man in a green plaid suit. Joe and Meredith's elusive neighbor in 16G keeps to his cabin the first night after an early dinner--and the next morning his cabin is found soaked in blood, with no sign of his body anywhere"--

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Two rivals torn apart by a dark memory reunite on a deadly hunt--and in an irresistibly twisted fairy tale--in the next steamy standalone fantasy romance from New York Times bestselling sensation Kerri Maniscalco.

A wicked prince determined to save his kingdom.

Gabriel Axton--infamous as the Prince of Gluttony, the self-proclaimed rake of rakes--has always lived for indulgence: in delicious food, in tantalizing women, and most of all, in the thrill of the hunt, where his love of danger can take over. But when his favorite adventure takes a deadly turn, he realizes something is very wrong in his demon court. With the clock ticking, he must turn to the only one who might uncover the truth: a journalist he has spent a decade avoiding...

A reporter hell-bent on finding the truth.

Adriana Saint Lucent has been on the hunt for years--if she could just report something damning enough about that no-good scoundrel Gabriel Axton, she knows others would finally see the demon as she does. But she never expected to turn up a rumor too terrifying to be believed: could the ice dragons to the north be growing restless? Drawn into the secrets of the Underworld, Adriana's investigation leads her into the place she dreads most...Axton's infamous court. 

A dangerous rivalry--and deliciously twisted fairy tale.

To stop darkness from falling over their kingdom, Axton and Adriana will have to unite against an escalating danger. But with each holding tight to their own secrets, can they find the truth before it's too late? And what will they do with an equally troubling rumor: that they might not actually hate one another, after all?

Make time for the things that really matter in life. Find balance and happiness in your daily life, the Scandinavian way, with The Scandinavian Guide to Happiness!

There's a reason Finland, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and Sweden consistently rank as the top 5 happiest countries on earth! Find out the secrets to their happiness and fulfillment in The Scandinavian Guide to Happiness, which shares centuries of Nordic wisdom, including:

• Lykke: Happiness is all around you (Denmark)
• Lagom: Just the right amount not too much, not too little (Sweden)
• Fika: Taking daily coffee breaks and other comforting rituals (Sweden)
• Hygge: Coziness brings comfort, courage, and happiness (Denmark)
• Sisu: Everyday courage, grit, and determination & acting rationally in the face of adversity

These basic principles will help you see how to have a happy life without buying anything, changing yourself, or making any other crazy drastic changes! Topics include simplicity, happiness, health & wellness, relationships, nature-inspired living, and more. Full of inspiring, encouraging ideas and charming illustrations! this thoughtful Scandinavian guide is sure to put a happy glow in your life.

From Norway to America, they must strive for resilience amid unpromising new beginnings.

On the ship to America, Norwegian immigrant Amalia Gunderson makes a solemn promise to a dying mother, vowing to watch over her five-year-old daughter, Ruth. Together, Amalia and Ruth trek to Iowa to claim the farm and former boardinghouse that Ruth has inherited, despite opposition from a difficult cousin. Struggling with an empty house and scarce resources, Amalia resolves to return the boardinghouse to its former purpose, aided by the kindness of strangers and the resilient spirit of her young charge. 

As Amalia and Ruth fight for their new home, a trail of orphans shows up on their doorstep, and Amalia makes a promising friend in Absalom Karlsson, the magistrate's son. With each challenge they face, Amalia and Ruth find hope in believing that faith and determination can overcome even the most daunting of trials.

This Christian historical romance from Lauraine Snelling transports readers to frontier America, exploring themes of new beginnings, resilience, and faith. For fans of Janette Oke and Tracie Peterson.

"A perfect detective for our time and for all time."--Stephen Fry

"One of the most iconic British fictional detectives of the 21st century . . . a delight."--Daily Mail

Detective Sergeant George Cross returns to solve the case of a mangled body on a construction site and uncover a life of illicit drugs in the second book in Tim Sullivan's internationally bestselling series

DS George Cross has unique and unmatchable talents. He uses a combination of logic, determination and exacting precision to get answers where others have failed for families who have long given up hope. So when a ravaged body is found in a local demolition site, it's up to Cross to piece together the truth from whatever fragments he can find.

From the faint tan lines and strange scars on the victim's forearms, Cross meticulously unravels the young man's life, delving into the world of amateur cycling, an illicit supply of performance enhancing drugs, jealousy, ambition and a family tearing itself apart.

Cross's relentless pursuit of the truth and eccentric methods earn him few friends. But just as the police seem to be nearing a conclusion, he doubles back. Could it be the biggest mistake of his career?

Backchannel intel points Joe DeMarco in the direction of a possible double agent in the latest pulse-pounding thriller from Edgar and Barry Award finalist Mike Lawson starring his beloved Washington DC troubleshooter.

In the middle of the night, on a winding road in a suburb outside of Washington D.C., a homeless veteran is killed in a hit-and-run--a tragedy that barely catches the attention of the media and police.

Days later, John Mahoney, the former Speaker of the House, is confronted by Diane Lake, an ex-CIA agent turned political researcher with a knack for digging up unsavory intelligence on some of D.C.'s biggest players. Diane is there with a gift for Mahoney: the news that Lydia Chang, the wife of one of his biggest rivals, might be working undercover as a Chinese agent.

Knowing it's too early to get the FBI involved, Mahoney does the only thing left to do. He calls in Joe DeMarco.

DeMarco might not have the title of political researcher, but he's no stranger to digging up dirt either. As DeMarco starts his investigation, he soon learns there's a lot more going on than Mahoney suspected, and instead of answers, all he finds are more questions. Who's the mysterious man Lydia Chang has been meeting in the park? Does Diane Lake have an ulterior motive? And why does everything point back to a random hit-and-run?