Collection: Adult

More than two decades of letters from one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century--the author of The Metamorphosis and The Trial--to the people in his life, from his years as a student in Prague in the early 1900s to his final months in the sanatorium near Vienna where he died in 1924.

Sometimes surprisingly humorous, sometimes wrenchingly sad, these letters, collected after Kafka's death by his friend and literary executor Max Brod, include charming notes to school friends; fascinating accounts to Brod about his work in its various stages of publication; correspondence with his publisher, Kurt Wolff, about manuscripts in progress, suggested book titles, type design, and late royalty statements; revealing exchanges with other young writers of the day, including Martin Buber and Felix Weltsch, on life, literature, and girls; and heartbreaking reports to his parents, sisters, and friends on the declining state of his health in the last months of his life.

Legendary editor Judith Jones, the woman behind some of the most important authors of the 20th century--including Julia Child, Anne Frank, Edna Lewis, John Updike, and Sylvia Plath--finally gets her due in this intimate biography.

When twenty-five-year-old Judith Jones began working as a secretary at Doubleday's Paris office in 1949, she spent most of her time wading through manuscripts in the slush pile and passing on projects--until one day, a book caught her eye. She read it in one sitting, then begged her boss to consider publishing it. A year later, Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl became a bestseller. It was the start of a culture-defining career in publishing.

During her more than fifty years as an editor at Knopf, Jones nurtured the careers of literary icons such as Sylvia Plath, Anne Tyler, and John Updike, and helped launched new genres and trends in literature. At the forefront of the cookbook revolution, she published the who's who of food writing: Edna Lewis, M.F.K. Fisher, Claudia Roden, Madhur Jaffrey, James Beard, and, most famously, Julia Child. Through her quiet and tenacious work behind the scenes, Jones helped turn these authors into household names, changing cultural mores and expectations along the way.

Judith's work spanned decades of America's most dramatic cultural change--from the end of World War II through the Cold War, from the civil rights movement to the fight for women's equality--and the books she published acted as tools of quiet resistance. Now, her astonishing career is explored for the first time. Based on exclusive interviews, never-before-seen personal papers, and years of research, The Editor tells the riveting behind-the-scenes narrative of how stories are made, finally bringing to light the audacious life of one of our most influential tastemakers.

In 1900s Kentucky, Saul Sullivan leaves his bride behind to seek work, and his brother steps in, with violent consequences.

"A wondrous, hopeful, heart-breaking witness to one of the darkest journeys imaginable... This will be one of those rare books that people re-read, think about, and encourage others to read." --Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D, author, with Oprah Winfrey, of What Happened to You

"I love this book. I absolutely could not put it down. It is beautifully written and cuts to the very heart of life and love: The story of Havi's short, beautiful life and early death from Tay-Sachs is harrowing, heartbreaking, uplifting, profound and sometimes funny. Havi will charm the socks off you."--Anne Lamott

Life is unfolding as planned for Myra Sack and her husband Matt until their beautiful year-old daughter Havi is diagnosed with Tay-Sachs, a fatal neurodegenerative disease, and given only a year to live. Myra and Matt decide to celebrate Havi's short life and vow to show her as much of the world as they can, surrounded by friends and family who relocate to be in Havi's orbit. Tapping their Judaism, they transform Friday night Shabbats into birthday parties--"Shabbirthdays"--to replace the birthdays Havi will never have.

Although imagined as a queer subcultural practice, drag seems to be everywhere we look: from AI filters on TikTok to brunchtime entertainment, from state legislations to political rallies. Yet as drag enters the mainstream--largely due to the intense, global popularity of reality TV competition RuPaul's Drag Race--some kinds of gender-based performance fall out of the purview of what we (could) call drag.

Decolonize Drag details the ways that gender is used as a form of colonial governance to eliminate various types of expression, and tracks how contemporary drag, including that on Drag Race, both replicates and disrupts these institutional hierarchies. This book focuses on several gender performers that resist and laugh at colonial projects through their aesthetic practices. It also features the voice of Khubchandani's drag alter ego, judgmental South Asian aunty LaWhore Vagistan. From the firsthand perspective of a drag artist, LaWhore describes encounters with depoliticized versions of drag that leave her disappointed and perplexed, and prompts Khubchandani for context and analysis.

Their dynamic sets the tone for the book, investigating how drag--and gender more broadly--has been privatized and delimited so that it's only available to certain people. Decolonize Drag argues for more abundance in and access to fashioning gender, and considers how drag changes meaning and efficacy as it shifts across geographies.

Eleanor Eastwick is out of tricks. This alleged wallflower is hiding a secret, beyond

the fact that her family is skint broke. If she wants to ensure the survival of her aged grandmother and younger siblings, she'll need to leverage the only thing they have left - their good name - and land herself a rich husband. There's only one problem she can see with her plan: she has no bloody idea what she's doing.

Enlisting the help of the wickedly rakish Marquis of Basingstone, Eleanor embarks on a crash course in how to attract the monstrous Gentry, high society courtship, and lessons in lovemaking . . . academically, of course. It never occurs to her that her tutor may, in fact, be a perfect match. By the time her heart begins to make her aware of its preference for the sharp-tongued, winged Marquis, the Monsters Ball is upon her and she needs to put her plan into action.

Lord Silas Stride, the Marquis of Basingstone is an unrepentant rake of the highest order. He has no intention of giving away his heart. It would be cruel to chain another to the fate of a half-life such as his - only coming awake at twilight, living as a silent spectator to the daytime world. He'd not punish a wife in such a fashion; could not bear to allow his progeny to exist in a world where he resided only part of the time . . . far easier to embrace the life of a confirmed bachelor, and keep his heart as stony as the rest of him.

But Silas did not count on one Eleanor Eastwick. He recognized her the moment he saw her, seeking his disreputable counsel. She had shone like a star when he knew her years earlier, and she did once again in his study, leaving him unable to deny his assistance. He could not possibly risk his heart on a delicate flower of the daytime, but a lady who was used to a life after dark . . . Silas Stride had no intention of taking a wife,

but once Eleanor has left for the Monsters Ball, he cannot help but claim his own invitation, and his bride.

Two opposites decide to test their chemistry with one steamy night together. But will once be enough?

Nova Porter isn't looking for love, and she certainly has no explanation for her attraction to buttoned-up, three-piece-suit-wearing investment banker Charlie Milford. Maybe it's his charm? Or maybe it's his determination to help her fledgling business however he can. Either way, she's distracted every time he's around. With her new tattoo studio set to open in her hometown of Inglewild, she doesn't have time for frivolous flirtations.

In an effort to get Charlie out of her system once and for all, Nova offers a proposition. One night. No strings. They'll kick their uncomfortable attraction to the curb and return to their respective responsibilities. But their explosive night together scatters their expectations like fallen leaves. And with Charlie in town as the temporary head of Lovelight Farms, Nova can't quite avoid him.

And Charlie? Well, Charlie knows a good investment when he sees one. He's hoping he can convince Nova he's worth some of her time.

After being commissioned to find a rare book, Librarian Irene and her assistant, Kai, head to Prohibition-era New York and are thrust into the middle of a political fight with dragons, mobsters, and Fae in this novel in the Invisible Library series.

In a 1920s-esque New York, Prohibition is in force; fedoras, flapper dresses, and tommy guns are in fashion: and intrigue is afoot. Intrepid Librarians Irene and Kai find themselves caught in the middle of a dragon political contest. It seems a young Librarian has become tangled in this conflict, and if they can't extricate him, there could be serious repercussions for the mysterious Library. And, as the balance of power across mighty factions hangs in the balance, this could even trigger war.

Irene and Kai are locked in a race against time (and dragons) to procure a rare book. They'll face gangsters, blackmail, and the Library's own Internal Affairs department. And if it doesn't end well, it could have dire consequences on Irene's job. And, incidentally, on her life...

From weekend homes to get-away cabins in the mountains, by the sea, or in the woods, this architecture embodies our longing for lounging in nature.

For the first time in the history of humankind, more people live in cities than in the country. Yet, at the same time, more and more city dwellers are yearning for rural farms, mountain cabins, or seaside homes. These kinds of refuges offer modern men and women a promise of what urban centers usually cannot provide: quiet, relaxation, being out of reach, getting back to basics, feeling human again.

Rock the Shack is a survey of such contemporary refuges from around the world--from basic to luxury. The book features a compelling range of sparingly to intricately furnished cabins, cottages, second homes, tree houses, transformations, shelters, and cocoons. The look of the included structures from the outside is just as important as the view from inside. What these diverse projects have in common is an exceptional spirit that melds the uniqueness of a geographic location with the individual character of the building's owner and architect.

Learn to identify wildflowers in Colorado with this handy field guide, organized by color.

With this famous field guide by professional nature photographer Don Mammoser and award-winning author and naturalist Stan Tekiela, you can make wildflower identification simple, informative, and productive. There's no need to look through dozens of photos of wildflowers that don't grow in Colorado. Learn about 200 of the most common and important species found in the state. They're organized by color and then by size for ease of use. Fact-filled information contains the particulars that you want to know, while full-page photographs provide the visual detail needed for accurate identification.

Book Features

• 200 species: Only Colorado wildflowers!
• Simple color guide: See a purple flower? Go to the purple section
• Fact-filled information and stunning professional photographs
• Icons that make visual identification quick and easy
• Nature Notes, including naturalist tidbits and facts

This new edition includes updated photographs, expanded information, and even more expert naturalist insights. Grab Wildflowers of Colorado Field Guide for your next outing--to help you positively identify the wildflowers that you see.

Fully revised and updated, the fourth edition of this bestselling guide offers essential advice from two pediatrician-moms. It covers everything new parents need to know, from feeding and dressing, to diapering and bathing, and from crying and sleep to travel and activities. Updates include: a section on baby blues and postpartum depression; added information on breastfeeding, pumping and insurance benefits; new safety information on SIDS and car seats; and updates throughout, bringing all advice up to date with the latest AAP guidelines. This parent-tested, pediatrician-approved advice will help new parents feel comfortable those first few days and weeks at home and serve as a reference for the whole first year.

New York Times Bestseller

"An exceptional thriller. It left my nerves jangling for hours after I finished the last page." -Dennis Lehane, New York Times bestselling author of Shutter Island

"Imagine drifting off every night knowing that your memories will be wiped away by morning. That's the fate of Christine Lucas, whose bewildering internal world is rendered with chilling intimacy in this debut literary thriller. . . . You'll stay up late reading until you know." -- People (4 stars)

Memories define us. So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep? Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love-all forgotten overnight. And the one person you trust may be telling you only half the story. Welcome to Christine's life. Every morning, she awakens beside a stranger in an unfamiliar bed. She sees a middle-aged face in the bathroom mirror that she does not recognize. And every morning, the man patiently explains that he is Ben, her husband, that she is forty-seven-years-old, and that an accident long ago damaged her ability to remember.

In place of memories Christine has a handful of pictures, a whiteboard in the kitchen, and a journal, hidden in a closet. She knows about the journal because Dr. Ed Nash, a neurologist who claims to be treating her without Ben's knowledge, reminds her about it each day. Inside its pages, the damaged woman has begun meticulously recording her daily events--sessions with Dr. Nash, snippets of information that Ben shares, flashes of her former self that briefly, miraculously appear.

But as the pages accumulate, inconsistencies begin to emerge, raising disturbing questions that Christine is determined to find answers to. And the more she pieces together the shards of her broken life, the closer she gets to the truth . . . and the more terrifying and deadly it is.

The founders of Antoinette Poisson take readers inside their historic townhouse on the Atlantic coast to discover a style and art of entertaining rooted in French tradition and elegance.

Maison Lescop--the historic residence of an eighteenth-century French importer for the Indian trading company in Port-Louis, Brittany--seemed predestined to become the new home and restoration project for the creative duo behind Antoinette Poisson, a Parisian design team dedicated to reviving the savoir faire of domino paper for home decoration and furnishings. The art historians became enchanted by the poetic beauty of this artisanal craft--derived from an Indian block print technique--when they uncovered original hand-painted eighteenth-century domino wallpaper while restoring a mansion in central France.

Enchanted by the repeat-pattern domino prints, which range from florals and fauna to geometric and ikat, they have appointed their new home with the charming decorative touches that are their signature--handmade lampshades, wallpaper lined armoires, paper-mâché marriage boxes, assorted table settings, and luxurious textiles.

Celebrating the rhythm of life in France, they bring readers on adventures--shopping at the local market, antiquing, mushroom hunting, sheep's cheese making, paper making, and textile dying--and share classic seasonal French meals inspired by antique cookbooks, served-up on hand-dyed indigo tablecloths or on nautical striped throws for a seaside picnic. They also include creative insight from their style icon friends, like American decoupage artist John Derian and French musician Clara Luciani.

WINNER! Best Musical - 2015 Tony(R) Awards!
WINNER! Best Score (Jeanine Tesori & Lisa Kron) - 2015 Tony(R) Awards!
WINNER! Best Book of a Musical (Lisa Kron) - 2015 Tony(R) Awards!
WINNER! BEST MUSICAL - New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, Obie Award, Lucille Lortel Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, Off-Broadway Alliance Award
FINALIST! The Pulitzer Prize for Drama

When her father dies unexpectedly, graphic novelist Alison dives deep into her past to tell the story of the volatile, brilliant, one-of-a-kind man whose temperament and secrets defined her family and her life. Moving between past and present, Alison relives her unique childhood playing at the family's Bechdel Funeral Home, her growing understanding of her own sexuality, and the looming, unanswerable questions about her father's hidden desires. Fun Home is a refreshingly honest, wholly original musical about seeing your parents through grown-up eyes.

A propulsive, extraordinary novel about a mother and her daughters' harrowing escape to Taiwan as the Communist revolution sweeps through China, by debut author Eve J. Chung, based on her family story

Daughters are the Ang family's curse.

In 1948, civil war ravages the Chinese countryside, but in rural Shandong, the wealthy, landowning Angs are more concerned with their lack of an heir. Hai is the eldest of four girls and spends her days looking after her sisters. Headstrong Di, who is just a year younger, learns to hide in plain sight, and their mother--abused by the family for failing to birth a boy--finds her own small acts of rebellion in the kitchen. As the Communist army closes in on their town, the rest of the prosperous household flees, leaving behind the girls and their mother because they view them as useless mouths to feed.

Without an Ang male to punish, the land-seizing cadres choose Hai, as the eldest child, to stand trial for her family's crimes. She barely survives their brutality. Realizing the worst is yet to come, the women plan their escape. Starving and penniless but resourceful, they forge travel permits and embark on a thousand-mile journey to confront the family that abandoned them.

From the countryside to the bustling city of Qingdao, and onward to British Hong Kong and eventually Taiwan, they witness the changing tide of a nation and the plight of multitudes caught in the wake of revolution. But with the loss of their home and the life they've known also comes new freedom--to take hold of their fate, to shake free of the bonds of their gender, and to claim their own story.

Told in assured, evocative prose, with impeccably drawn characters, Daughters of Shandong is a hopeful, powerful story about the resilience of women in war; the enduring love between mothers, daughters, and sisters; and the sacrifices made to lift up future generations.

Three wildly different sisters reunite for a destination wedding at an English castle in this heartfelt and rollicking novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Jetsetters.

Once upon a time, the Peacock sisters were little girls who combed each other's tangled hair. But decades of secrets have led them to separate lives--and to telling lies, to themselves and to one another.

Sylvie is getting married. Again. A librarian and widow who soothes her grief by escaping into books (and shelving them perfectly), Sylvie has caught the attention of an unlikely match: Simon Rampling, a mysterious, wealthy man from Northern England. Sylvie allows herself to imagine a life beside him--one filled with the written word, kindness, and companionship. She's ready to love again . . . or is she?

Cleo is the golden child. A successful criminal defense lawyer with the perfect boyfriend, she is immediately suspicious of Simon. Is he really who he says he is? Cleo heads to Mumberton Castle with a case of investigative files, telling herself she will expose Simon and save her sister from more heartbreak . . . but who is she really trying to save?

Emma is living a lie. She can't afford this fancy trip--and she definitely can't tell her husband and sons why. She once dreamed of a line of her own perfumes. Fragrances allowed her to speak in silence. Now, that tendency for silence only worsens her situation. Will she emerge with her dignity and family intact?

When their toxic mother shows up, the sisters assume the roles they fell into to survive their childhood . . . but they just might find the courage to make new choices.

Set over a spectacularly dramatic weekend, in the grand halls of a sprawling castle estate--amid floor-to-ceiling libraries, falconry lessons, and medieval meals--Lovers and Liars is the unforgettable story of a family's ability to forgive and to find joy in one another once again.