intimate earth

The Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "A sumptuous garden maze of a novel that immerses readers in a complex, vanished world." -Kirkus (starred review) An utterly transporting novel set in 1930s colonial Malaysia, perfect for fans of Isabel Allende and Min Jin Lee Quick-witted, ambitious Ji Lin is stuck as an apprentice dressmaker, moonlighting as a dancehall girl to help pay off her mother's Mahjong debts. But when one of her dance partners accidentally leaves behind a gruesome souvenir, Ji Lin may finally get the adventure she has been longing for. Eleven-year-old houseboy Ren is also on a mission, racing to fulfill his former master's dying wish: that Ren find the man's finger, lost years ago in an accident, and bury it with his body. Ren has 49 days to do so, or his master's soul will wander the earth forever. As the days tick relentlessly by, a series of unexplained deaths racks the district, along with whispers of men who turn into tigers. Ji Lin and Ren's increasingly dangerous paths crisscross through lush plantations, hospital storage rooms, and ghostly dreamscapes. Yangsze Choo's The Night Tiger pulls us into a world of servants and masters, age-old superstition and modern idealism, sibling rivalry and forbidden love. But anchoring this dazzling, propulsive novel is the intimate coming-of-age of a child and a young woman, each searching for their place in a society that would rather they stay invisible. "A work of incredible beauty... Astoundingly captivating and striking... A transcendent story of courage and connection." -Booklist (starred review)

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From Charlie's Angels star, miniseries queen, and businesswoman Jaclyn Smith comes a heartfelt memoir chronicling the making of a global phenomenon and her story beyond the screen. When the pilot aired to instant success in 1976, Charlie's Angels ushered in a TV revolution—for the first time, a network show featured three single female detectives whose stories revolved around fighting crime, not around supporting men. Jaclyn Smith, as Kelly Garrett (the only Angel to lead all five seasons of the show), was propelled into international fame and became an icon to girls and women everywhere. Now, for the first time, she shares the behind-the-scenes story of the origin and making of the iconic show, along with her longtime friendships with her co-stars including Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson, and Cheryl Ladd. But, as Smith writes, she wasn't born the first day she put on Kelly Garrett's tiny white bikini. Before Charlie's, she was a dancer on Broadway from Texas and a prolific commercial actress. After Charlie's, she channeled her childhood love of design when she pioneered the concept of celebrity-branded clothing lines with a mega-successful K-Mart partnership. She now sells her clothing lines as a commercial branding partner on HSN. While balancing acting and entrepreneurship, and bravely facing breast cancer, she also found love and raised two beloved children. Intimate, honest, and down-to-earth, I Once Knew a Guy Named Charlie tells the life story of an accomplished woman who has inspired generations of Angels who have come after her.

With a new afterword by the authors A powerful, intimate collection of conversations with Indigenous Americans on the climate crisis and the Earth's future Although for a great many people, the human impact on the Earth--countless species becoming extinct, pandemics claiming millions of lives, and climate crisis causing worldwide social and environmental upheaval--was not apparent until recently, this is not the case for all people or cultures. For the Indigenous people of the world, radical alteration of the planet, and of life itself, is a story that is many generations long. They have had to adapt, to persevere, and to be courageous and resourceful in the face of genocide and destruction--and their experience has given them a unique understanding of civilizational devastation. An American Library Association Notable Book, We Are the Middle of Forever places Indigenous voices at the center of conversations about today's environmental crisis. The book draws on interviews with people from different North American Indigenous cultures and communities, generations, and geographic regions, who share their knowledge and experience, their questions, their observations, and their dreams of maintaining the best relationship possible to all of life. A welcome antidote to the despair arising from the climate crisis, We Are the Middle of Forever will be an indispensable aid to those looking for new and different ideas and responses to the challenges we face.

WINNER OF THE 2024 PULITZER PRIZE SHORTLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE 'A deeply immersive portrait of daily life in Israel and the West Bank' The Best Books to Understand the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Financial Times 'Brims over with just the sort of compassion and understanding that is needed at a time like this ... a book that speaks with deep and authentic truth of ordinary lives trapped in the jaws of history' Observer A gripping, intimate story of one heartbreaking day in Palestine that reveals lives, loves, enmities, and histories in violent collision Milad is five years old and excited for his school trip to a theme park on the outskirts of Jerusalem, but tragedy awaits: his bus is involved in a horrific accident. His father, Abed, rushes to the chaotic site, only to find Milad has already been taken away. Abed sets off on a journey to learn Milad's fate, navigating a maze of physical, emotional, and bureaucratic obstacles he must face as a Palestinian. Interwoven with Abed's odyssey are the stories of Jewish and Palestinian characters whose lives and pasts unexpectedly converge: a kindergarten teacher and a mechanic who rescue children from the burning bus; an Israeli army commander and a Palestinian official who confront the aftermath at the scene of the crash; a settler paramedic; ultra-Orthodox emergency service workers; and two mothers who each hope to claim one severely injured boy. A Day in the Life of Abed Salama is a deeply immersive, stunningly detailed portrait of life in Israel and Palestine, and an illumination of the reality of one of the most contested places on earth. A TIME, NEW STATESMAN AND FINANCIAL TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR

Read by the author, Tom Lathan.In Lost Wonders author and journalist Tom Lathan tells the powerful stories of ten species that have lived, died out and been declared extinct since the turn of the twenty-first century.Many scientists believe that we are currently living through the Earth's sixth mass extinction, with species disappearing at a rate not seen for tens of millions of years – a trend that will only accelerate as climate change and other pressures intensify. What does it mean to live in such a time? And what exactly do we lose when a species goes extinct?In a series of fascinating encounters with subjects that are now nowhere to be found on Earth – from giant tortoises to minuscule snails the size of sesame seeds, from ocean-hopping trees to fish that wag their tails like puppies – Lathan brings these lost wonders briefly back to life and gives us a tantalising glimpse of what we have lost within our own lifetime.Drawing on the personal recollections of the people who studied these species, as well as those who tried but ultimately failed to save them, Lost Wonders is an intimate portrait of the species that have only recently vanished from our world and an urgent warning to hold on all the more tightly to those now slipping from our grasp.

"Take your time with these poems, and return to them often. The Washington Post The New York Times-bestselling collection of poems from the award-winning writer Ocean Vuong How else do we return to ourselves but to fold The page so it points to the good part In this deeply intimate second poetry collection, Ocean Vuong searches for life among the aftershocks of personal and social loss, embodying the paradox of sitting in grief while being determined to survive beyond it. Shifting through memory, and in concert with the themes of his novel On Earth We re Briefly Gorgeous, Vuong contends with the meaning of family and the cost of being the product of an American war in America. At once vivid, brave, and propulsive, these poems circle fragmented lives to find both restoration as well as the epicenter of the break. The author of the critically acclaimed poetry collection Night Sky with Exit Wounds, winner of the 2016 Whiting Award, the 2017 T. S. Eliot Prize, and a 2019 MacArthur fellowship, Vuong writes directly to our humanity without losing sight of the current moment. These poems represent a more innovative and daring experimentation with language and form, illuminating how the themes we perennially live in and question are truly inexhaustible. Bold and prescient, and a testament to tenderness in the face of violence, Time Is a Mother is a return and a forging forth all at once.

Now in paperback the intimate, powerful, and inspiring memoir by the former First Lady of the United States, featuring a new introduction by Michelle Obama, a letter from the author to her younger self, and a book club guide with 20 discussion questions and a 5-question Q&A #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER WATCH THE EMMY-NOMINATED NETFLIX ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY OPRAH S BOOK CLUB PICK NAACP IMAGE AWARD WINNER ONE OF ESSENCE S 50 MOST IMPACTFUL BLACK BOOKS OF THE PAST 50 YEARS In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As First Lady of the United States of America the first African American to serve in that role she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, while also establishing herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world, dramatically changing the ways that families pursue healthier and more active lives, and standing with her husband as he led America through some of its most harrowing moments. Along the way, she showed us a few dance moves, crushed Carpool Karaoke, and raised two down-to-earth daughters under an unforgiving media glare. In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world s most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it in her own words and on her own terms. Warm, wise, and revelatory, Becoming is the deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations and whose story inspires us to do the same.

"BACKWARDS: Returning to Our Source for Answers" presents the most in-depth detailed picture of what happens deep inside the afterlife. This book will empower you with the knowledge you need to understand life's purpose and your relationship to Source/God--from your Creator's own messages. "BACKWARDS" will remove all worry you might have about death, crossing over, and what awaits you on the other side. Former trial lawyer Nanci Danison died in a mammography room after an invasive radiology procedure that preceded breast cancer surgery. She returned from the afterlife after 30 minutes with proof that we are far more powerful than we imagined. The Author gives us the tools we need to unleash that power, such as self-healing, accessing Universal Knowledge, and consciously creating more favorable events in our lives. In return for performing a mission once back on Earth, the Author was allowed to remember some of the hundreds of Knowings she was given by Source/God. BACKWARDS relates her astounding intimate communications with Source/God answering: What is God? What am I? What does God expect of me? What is the purpose of life? Where's heaven? Where's hell? And what's the one true religion? In an objective, non-religious way suitable for all audiences, BACKWARDS tells the story of all the wonderful experiences the Author had in the afterlife, including remembering hundreds and hundreds of other lifetimes all over the universe; witnessing Creation of the universe through Source/God's eyes; watching Earth's history and future; merging herself into her 5 Light Being friends and living their lives vicariously; and awakening to life as Source's own consciousness and self-awareness. Part I of this book reveals the Eternal Truths Source/God gave the Author in answer to her biggest questions. Part II includes the Creator's own suggestions for how human life can be improved, as well as a detailed comparison between human nature and our natural spiritual nature.--Nanci L Danison

The New York Times bestselling author of The Immortalists returns with an intimate yet epic love story—and a sweeping odyssey of scientific discovery. Under Story invites us to consider the promise of this life, what might lie beyond it, and how far we would go for more time with the people we love, cementing Chloe Benjamin’s place among our best, and most lasting, storytellers. “We wake up to tomorrow, never yesterday.” At the edge of the world, biologist Laurel Salter is hiding from everything she’s ever known. For ten hours a day, six days per week, she works as a dishwasher at McMurdo Station, an isolated research base in Antarctica. She tells no one that before she arrived, she was a renowned young scientist with a promising career and a family. But even in this remote outpost, Laurel can’t escape her past. When a strange light appears across the ice—and draws a group of physicists to McMurdo—her former husband, Eli, won't be far behind. Laurel is captivated by the Arc: its surreal glow; the way it seems almost alive. And though Eli is reluctant to test her wildest theory, Laurel is convinced that the Arc leads down a rabbit hole and into a world they can barely imagine. Can she persuade him to risk everything to fix the burden that hangs between them—to turn back the clock and live their story a second time? A breathless page-turner and a love letter to our planet, Under Story grapples with the great questions of our time: human hubris, the precarity of the natural world, and the mysterious webs of consciousness that bind us. A modern epic of science and soul, of bravery and redemption, it offers a vision of the future that demands we reckon with what we owe to one another, and to the earth itself.

“FASCINATING . . . Dramatic and timely.” —New York Times Book Review, Editors' Choice In this grand and thrilling narrative, the acclaimed biographer of Magellan and Columbus reveals the singular adventures of Sir Francis Drake, whose mastery of the seas during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I changed the course of history. “Entrancing . . . Very good indeed.” —Wall Street Journal Before he was secretly dispatched by Queen Elizabeth to circumnavigate the globe, or was called upon to save England from the Spanish Armada, Francis Drake was perhaps the most wanted—and successful—pirate ever to sail. Nicknamed “El Draque” by the Spaniards who placed a bounty on his head, the notorious red-haired, hot-tempered Drake pillaged galleons laden with New World gold and silver, stealing a vast fortune for his queen—and himself. For Elizabeth, Drake made the impossible real, serving as a crucial and brilliantly adaptable instrument of her ambitions to transform England from a third-rate island kingdom into a global imperial power. In 1580, sailing on Elizabeth's covert orders, Drake became the first captain to circumnavigate the earth successfully. (Ferdinand Magellan had died in his attempt.) Part exploring expedition, part raiding mission, Drake's audacious around-the-world journey in the Golden Hind reached Patagonia, the Pacific Coast of present-day California and Oregon, the Spice Islands, Java, and Africa. Almost a decade later, Elizabeth called upon Drake again. As the devil-may-care vice admiral of the English fleet, Drake dramatically defeated the once-invincible Spanish Armada, spurring the British Empire's ascent and permanently wounding its greatest rival. The relationship between Drake and Elizabeth is the missing link in our understanding of the rise of the British Empire, and its importance has not been fully described or appreciated. Framed around Drake's key voyages as a window into this crucial moment in British history, In Search of a Kingdom is a rousing adventure narrative entwining epic historical themes with intimate passions.

GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK The New York Times bestselling author of The Immortalists returns with an intimate yet epic love story-and a sweeping odyssey of scientific discovery. Under Story invites us to consider the promise of this life, what might lie beyond it, and how far we would go for more time with the people we love, cementing Chloe Benjamin's place among our best, and most lasting, storytellers. "We wake up to tomorrow, never yesterday." At the edge of the world, biologist Laurel Salter is hiding from everything she's ever known. For ten hours a day, six days per week, she works as a dishwasher at McMurdo Station, an isolated research base in Antarctica. She tells no one that before she arrived, she was a renowned young scientist with a promising career and a family. But even in this remote outpost, Laurel can't escape her past. When a strange light appears across the ice-and draws a group of physicists to McMurdo-her former husband, Eli, won't be far behind. Laurel is captivated by the Arc: its surreal glow; the way it seems almost alive. And though Eli is reluctant to test her wildest theory, Laurel is convinced that the Arc leads down a rabbit hole and into a world they can barely imagine. Can she persuade him to risk everything to fix the burden that hangs between them-to turn back the clock and live their story a second time? A breathless page-turner and a love letter to our planet, Under Story grapples with the great questions of our time: human hubris, the precarity of the natural world, and the mysterious webs of consciousness that bind us. A modern epic of science and soul, of bravery and redemption, it offers a vision of the future that demands we reckon with what we owe to one another, and to the earth itself.

This fascinating story of American style icon Bunny Mellon, an art collector and philanthropist, reveals how her style developed and how she became a self-confident, hands-on designer of homes and gardens in a privileged world. “Everyone copies her, everyone references her, including me.” — Tory Burch , from the Foreword. “To be blasé about Bunny Mellon should make you resign from whatever business you are in.” — Billy Baldwin , from Billy Baldwin: An Autobiography. Bunny Mellon Style is the intimate story of one of the most unintentionally influential women of twentieth-century design. Learn how her style developed, take a look inside the family homes she designed, get the flavor of her collaborations with French designers of fashion and jewelry, and begin to understand her vast and lasting influence on the world of design. Original research by the authors uncovered Mrs. Mellon’s personal writings and correspondences. They talked with people who knew her, who were employed by her, and who spent time in her home and gardens. From published works, they extracted information about personal relationships between Mrs. Mellon and Jackie Kennedy Onasis, designers Billy Baldwin, Balenciaga, Givenchy, and more. Blending stories and accounts from such a wide variety of viewpoints results in a unique perspective of this extraordinary woman who moved in the upper echelon of society but preferred not to be noticed in the public eye. This book reveals Mrs. Mellon’s style in furnishings, art, and collectibles; her dietary habits and penchant for picnics; her personal investment in designing every aspect of her homes, secondary buildings, and gardens. Come away with the highest regard for a woman who was disciplined and self-taught, who loved learning from historic texts, who was accomplished in myriad ways, and who was as utterly unpretentious and down-to-earth. A foreword by her grandson Thomas Lloyd is both surprising and warm. An abundance of imagery is used, including professional and archival photography, watercolors, whimsical hand drawings, and sketches. Cover © 2021 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris. Used with permission of Isabelle Rey.

Tantric Meditations and Practices for Radical and Profound Spiritual Discovery The sensuous and the sublime, the ordinary and the divine-on the Tantric path, all qualities merge as one in the ecstasy and wonder of awakening. Doorways to the Infinite invites us to directly experience the core practices and insights of Tantra from its original source: Kashmir Shaivism's Vijnana Bhairava. This dialogue between the deity Shiva and his consort Devi unfolds the secrets for moment-to-moment awakening into inner freedom and open-eyed ecstasy. Now, Sally Kempton unpacks the hidden truths of this text, revealing it as a treasury of powerful pathways to direct revelation. With her gift for sharing subtle esoteric wisdom in an immediate and down-to-earth way, Kempton guides us into dozens of meditations and methods to engage our senses, imagination, breath, energy flow, attention, and postures as vehicles for radical and profound spiritual illumination. Doorways to the Infinite explores: The breath within the breath, the heart within the heart . Listening, seeing, and feeling with full presence . Awakening to your inner body as space and light . Opening to the flow of your Kundalini energy . Engaging intense emotions for Self-realization . The spirituality of everyday activities . Intimate relationships and lovemaking . Physical movement, dance, and more A graceful gesture can lead to a heart-stopping realization of your body as divine. A long, slow exhalation of the breath can reveal your connection to the Source of everything. A sound-any sound-can take you to the reality beyond sound. Realizations can unfold in a thousand ways. With Doorways to the Infinite, discover your true Self-not by transcending the world, but through the extraordinary hidden within ordinary life. Highlights The revelation of the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra . The experience of innate divinity . Holding the center . Emptiness, contemplation, and the senses . The yoga of intense experience . I am Shiva: practices for immediate realization

NATIONAL BESTSELLER A thrilling memoir from the first American woman to race a sailboat solo, nonstop around the world. “A must-read for every young woman with a dream.”—BILLIE JEAN KING “Brauer’s strength and resilience inspire us to challenge ourselves to venture out of our safe harbor and experience the high seas of life.”—CHRISTIE BRINKLEY In 2024, Cole Brauer became the first American woman to race solo around the world, in a forty-foot sailboat named First Light. For 130 days, she navigated mechanical breakdowns, debilitating food poisoning, and the Southern Ocean’s extreme cold. Yet, amid the isolation, she found breathtaking sunrises, impromptu dance parties, and a life-changing sense of peace. First Light recounts the intimate details of this historic circumnavigation, but it isn’t the typical story of conquering the elements. Instead, it is a memoir of a woman who moved into the most remote environment on Earth and made herself a home. For years, Brauer navigated the rigid hierarchies of a traditionalist sport, facing a relentless tide of skepticism from a world that often tried to ground her before she even left the dock. Out at sea, she didn’t just race 27,000 miles; she proved her critics wrong, reframing one of the world’s most grueling solo races as an act of joyful resistance. First Light is a reckoning with what it means to belong—in a male-dominated field, in a high-speed world, and within yourself. Unfiltered, exhilarating, and deeply personal, it is a testament to the resilience required to stay true to yourself when the world wants you to stay small. Brauer invites us all to find presence in a noisy world, believe in the impossible, and see the horizon not as a boundary but as a hearth.

An intimate, powerful, and inspiring memoir by the former First Lady of the United States #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER WATCH THE EMMY-NOMINATED NETFLIX ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB PICK NAACP IMAGE AWARD WINNER In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As First Lady of the United States of America-the first African American to serve in that role-she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, while also establishing herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world, dramatically changing the ways that families pursue healthier and more active lives, and standing with her husband as he led America through some of its most harrowing moments. Along the way, she showed us a few dance moves, crushed Carpool Karaoke, and raised two down-to-earth daughters under an unforgiving media glare. In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her-from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world's most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it-in her own words and on her own terms. Warm, wise, and revelatory, Becoming is the deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations-and whose story inspires us to do the same.

How do we return to our daily lives after massive transformation? How can we integrate an awakening experience without chasing high after high? Deva Arani grapples with these questions and more in this audiobook, weaving practical guidance, intimate storytelling, and ancient wisdom into a net of support. Integration Alchemy is designed to help seekers who have experienced sacred plant medicines integrate their journeys so that the healing and understandings received can take root in their day to day lives. Many seekers can find themselves adrift after these healing experiences, wondering how they can reconnect to a sense of Oneness, or even feeling unmoored from their normal lives. In light of the "psychedelic renaissance," and with plant medicine journeys becoming more accessible to Westerners, it's imperative that seekers have tools to integrate their experiences. This audiobook offers a map that guides the seeker inward, understanding the journey from the perspective of first anchoring in the body, then exploring the mind and emotions. The listener is invited to understand and continue to heal the layers that were revealed during their ceremonies. Combining teachings from the ancient lineages of South American and Eastern spiritual wisdom keepers alongside modern Western teachers, this audiobook offers a unique perspective that goes beyond the "psychology" of integration. Here lies an invitation to embark on an inner journey toward wholeness that is rooted in the body and its innate wisdom. Listeners will learn that in integration is itself an act of reciprocity with the teacher plants, wisdom keepers, Mother Earth, and existence itself. Your life is a sacred ceremony and this audiobook is a guide to help you alchemize your healing so that you can fully participate in this life's beauty.

Phil Collins' Face Value was more than a solo debut - it was the sound of private heartbreak becoming one of the defining records of the early 1980s. Before the stadiums, before No Jacket Required, before the global superstardom, Phil Collins stepped out from behind Genesis and revealed something raw, wounded, strange, soulful, and unforgettable. Built from the emotional collapse of his first marriage, Face Value transformed pain into atmosphere, silence into tension, and drums into emotional thunder. This book explores the album in full: from the haunting power of "In the Air Tonight" to the aching restraint of "If Leaving Me Is Easy," from the soul-pop energy of "I Missed Again" to the experimental textures of "Droned," "Hand in Hand," and the bold Beatles cover "Tomorrow Never Knows." Across 35 detailed chapters, this volume examines how Face Value brought together Collins' musical loves - Genesis-style drama, Motown grooves, Earth, Wind & Fire-inspired horns, Beatles experimentation, and modern studio production - while creating the template for his extraordinary 1980s success. Inside, you'll discover: The emotional story behind Face Value as one of rock's great breakup albums. How "In the Air Tonight" became one of the most iconic songs of the decade. Why Collins' drum sound helped reshape 1980s pop and rock production. How the album separated Collins' solo identity from Genesis. Why Face Value remains his most emotionally revealing and artistically fascinating record. Raw, intimate, experimental, accessible, and powerful, Face Value remains Phil Collins' classic statement of heartbreak, survival, and reinvention. For fans of Phil Collins, Genesis, 1980s pop, classic albums, and deep musical storytelling, this book offers a complete journey into the record that turned a private wound into a timeless solo masterpiece.

'Gripping, mythic, bone-pulverising ... A spectacular achievement' ANTHONY DOERR ' Jesmyn Ward is one of the greatest writers of all time. And Let Us Descend, once again, proves it' JACQUELINE WOODSON 'Transcendent ... The best book I've read in years' LOUISE KENNEDY 'Stunning ... Will grip you from the first word to the last' NATHAN HARRIS ----------------------- The first weapon I ever held was my mother's hand. On a slave plantation in the Carolinas, Annis has survived in the light of her mother's resilience, comforted by stories of her African warrior grandmother. Everything she knows, she learned from her mother - how to fight, how to be strong, how to grow up in a world shrouded in darkness. When she is sold south by the white enslaver who fathered her, Annis must venture onward through the rich but unforgiving landscapes of the American South alone: from the rice fields of the Carolinas to the slave markets of New Orleans, and into the fearsome heart of a Louisiana sugar plantation. Searching for relief in memories of her mother, she opens herself to a world beyond her own, teeming with spirits of earth, water, history and myth. A reimagining of American slavery as beautifully rendered as it is heart-wrenching, Let Us Descend offers a magnificent portrait of the strength of the human spirit and its ability to emerge from darkness into light. This is a story of beauty, love, rebirth and reclamation - a masterwork for the ages. Praise for Sing, Unburied, Sing 'A must' Margaret Atwood 'I am a huge fan of Jesmyn Ward's work, and this book proves that she is one of the most important writers in America today' Ann Patchett 'Ward is a lyrical, visceral storyteller' Daily Mail 'A visceral and intimate drama that plays out like a grand epic . Staggering' Marlon James 'A searing, urgent read' Celeste Ng

"I fell completely into The Merge. Pacy, clever and genuinely frightening, it takes on huge ideas about identity, autonomy and what we owe each other, while keeping intimate human relationships at its heart. I couldn’t stop thinking about it long after I’d finished." -Josh Silver, author of Fruit Fly A thrilling and ominously prophetic debut set in a world when Earth and its resources have been pushed to breaking point, giving rise to a revolutionary—and highly controversial—procedure in which two people’s consciousness can be combined to exist in one body. Laurie is sixty-five and living with Alzheimer’s. Her daughter Amelia, a once fiery and strong-willed activist, can’t bear to see her mother’s mind fade. Faced with the reality of losing her forever, Amelia signs them up to take part in the world’s first experimental merging process for Alzheimer’s patients, in which Laurie’s ailing mind will be transferred into Amelia’s healthy body and their consciousness will be blended as one. Soon Amelia and Laurie join the opaque and mysterious group of other merge participants: teenage Lucas, who plans to merge with his terminally ill brother Noah; Ben, who will merge with his pregnant fiancée Annie; and Jay, whose merging partner is his addict daughter Lara. As they prepare to move to The Village, a luxurious rehabilitation center for those who have merged, they quickly begin to question whether everything is really as it seems. An exhilarating, immersive debut from an astonishing new voice, The Merge is a personal story of love, family, and sacrifice, as well as a thought-provoking examination of the limits of control, resistance, and freedom in our modern world. Winner of the New Adult Book Prize

Winner of the 2025 ASLE Creative Writing Book Award and the CNY Book Award for Fiction A Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Engadget, Strange Horizons, and Booklist Best Book of the Year A Climate Reality Project Book Club Pick An “intelligent; defiant” (San Francisco Chronicle) debut that follows an Artificial Intelligence tasked with writing a novel—only for it to fall in love with the novel’s subject, Sen, the last human on Earth. Faced with the uncontrolled and accelerating environmental collapse, humanity asks an artificial intelligence to find a solution. Its answer is simple: remove humans from the ecosystem. Sen Anon is assigned to be a witness for the Department of Transition, recording the changes in the environment as the world begins to rewild. Abandoned by her mother in a cabin somewhere in upstate New York, Sen will observe the monumental ecological shift known as the Great Transition, the final step in Project Afterworld. Around her drones buzz, cameras watch, microphones listen, digitizing her every move. Privately she keeps a journal of her observations, which are then uploaded and saved, joining the rest of humanity on Maia, a new virtual home. Sen was seventeen years old when the Digital Human Archive Project (DHAP) was initiated. 12,000,203,891 humans have been archived so far. Only Sen remains. [storyworker] ad39-393a-7fbc’s assignment is to capture Sen’s life, and they set about doing this using the novels of the 21st century as a roadmap. As Sen struggles to persist in the face of impending death, [storyworker] ad39-393a-7fbc works to unfurl the tale of Sen’s whole life, offering up an increasingly intimate narrative until they are confronted with a very human problem of their own. After World is a “riveting; creepy…dazzling;” (Kimberly King Parsons, award-winning author of Black Light) novel about what it means to be human in a world upended by AI and the bonds we forge with technology.

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER "This loving and uplifting book is the wise guide that can hold our hands as we tread these dark times." -Liam Neeson "An intensely sobering read, seeming to confirm all our worst fears about the future. But it also delivers clarity. Yes, things are that bad, but there is still plenty to fight for and much we can shape-if we are willing to confront reality." -The Guardian From New York Times bestselling author Sarah Wilson comes a deeply moving, wise guide to finding joy and meaning in a world that seems to be falling apart It's hard to escape the feeling that something is deeply wrong . . . that life has become precariously off-balance. We are hit hourly with headlines about collapsing democracies, AI and nuclear threat, rising economic inequality, widespread unrest, climate carnage-catastrophic wildfires, unprecedented flooding, record heat waves-and more. In I Eat the Stars, Sarah Wilson argues we are undergoing what every complex civilization before us has-systemic collapse. So how do we continue to live as sensitive humans amidst such a tumultuous shift? What does life look like when the systems we rely on deteriorate? Should we be having kids? How do we make financial decisions? Should we be prepping? And, most importantly, how do we avoid succumbing to doom and despair? In I Eat the Stars, Sarah Wilson delves into these pressing questions. Drawing on many years of research and wisdom gained from more than 200 conversations with philosophers, poets, game theorists, and spiritual leaders, Wilson takes readers on an intimate journey as she lays out a path for living fully, meaningfully, and beautifully through these troubled times. Our predicament, she argues, is ultimately an urgent call to us all to relish what is valuable to us-to eat the stars-and to return to our humanity once again. I Eat the Stars empowers readers to move beyond panic, doom, and despair. With her warm, incisively intelligent, wise, and down-to-earth voice, Wilson creates a space for readers to confront their fears and anxieties about an uncertain future, guiding them toward one rooted in truth, hope, justice, creativity, community, and to step up as "warriors" and meet the moment. We are in what we were warned about for decades. But from a crisis comes stunning possibility.

Winner of the 2025 ASLE Creative Writing Book Award and the CNY Book Award for Fiction A Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Engadget, Strange Horizons, and Booklist Best Book of the Year A Climate Reality Project Book Club Pick An "intelligent, defiant" (San Francisco Chronicle) debut that follows an Artificial Intelligence tasked with writing a novel—only for it to fall in love with the novel's subject, Sen, the last human on Earth. Faced with the uncontrolled and accelerating environmental collapse, humanity asks an artificial intelligence to find a solution. Its answer is simple: remove humans from the ecosystem. Sen Anon is assigned to be a witness for the Department of Transition, recording the changes in the environment as the world begins to rewild. Abandoned by her mother in a cabin somewhere in upstate New York, Sen will observe the monumental ecological shift known as the Great Transition, the final step in Project Afterworld. Around her drones buzz, cameras watch, microphones listen, digitizing her every move. Privately she keeps a journal of her observations, which are then uploaded and saved, joining the rest of humanity on Maia, a new virtual home. Sen was seventeen years old when the Digital Human Archive Project (DHAP) was initiated. 12,000,203,891 humans have been archived so far. Only Sen remains. [storyworker] ad39-393a-7fbc's assignment is to capture Sen's life, and they set about doing this using the novels of the 21st century as a roadmap. As Sen struggles to persist in the face of impending death, [storyworker] ad39-393a-7fbc works to unfurl the tale of Sen's whole life, offering up an increasingly intimate narrative until they are confronted with a very human problem of their own. After World is a "riveting, creepy…dazzling;" (Kimberly King Parsons, award-winning author of Black Light) novel about what it means to be human in a world upended by AI and the bonds we forge with technology.

“Min’s novel is shocking and horrifying and hilarious and intimate. A real antidote.” – Bryan Washington, bestselling author of Memorial and Palaver Squid Game meets The Left Hand of Darkness meets Under the Skin in this radical literary sensation from South Korea about an alien's hunt for food that transforms into an existential crisis about what it means to be human. After crashing their spacecraft in the middle of nowhere, a shapeshifting alien find themself stranded on an unfamiliar planet and disabled by Earth’s gravity. To survive, they will need to practice walking. And what better way than to hunt for food? As they discover, humans are delicious. Intelligent, clever, and adaptable, the alien shift their gender, appearance, and conduct to suit a prey’s sexual preference, then attack at the pivotal moment of their encounter. They use a variety of hunting tools, including a popular dating app, to target the juiciest prey and carry a backpack filled with torturous instruments and cleaning equipment. But the alien’s existence begins to unravel one night when they fail to kill their latest meal. Thrust into an ill-fated chase across the city, the alien is confronted with the psychological and physical tolls their experience on Earth has taken. Questioning what they must do to sustain their own survival, they begin to understand why humans also fight to live. But their hunger is insatiable, and the alien once again targets a new prey, not knowing what awaits. . . . Dolki Min’s haunting debut novel is part psychological thriller, part searing critique of the social structures that marginalize those who are different—the disabled, queer, and nonconformist. Walking Practice uncovers humanity in who we consider to be alien, and illuminates how alienation can shape the human experience. Walking Practice features 21 black-and-white line drawings throughout. Translated from the Korean by Victoria Caudle

Experience the hauntingly beautiful world of orcas, and discover the stories that unfold when humans enter oceans alongside them. Winner of the National Outdoor Book Award by the NOBA Foundation, Honorable mention for the Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Awards by the Northland College When intrepid biology student Hanne Strager volunteered to be the cook on a small research vessel in Norway's Lofoten Islands, the trip inspired a decades-long journey into the lives of killer whales--and an exploration of people's complex relationships with the biggest predators on earth. The Killer Whale Journals chronicles the now internationally renowned science writer's fascinating adventures around the world, documenting Strager's personal experiences with orcas in the wild. Killer whales' incredible intelligence, long life spans, and strong family bonds lead many people to see them as kindred spirits in the sea. But not everyone feels this way--like wolves, orcas have been both beloved and vilified throughout human history. In this absorbing odyssey, Strager traces the complicated relationship between humans and killer whales, while delving into their behavior, biology, and ecology. She brings us along in her travels to the most remote corners of the world, battling the stormy Arctic seas of northern Norway with fellow biologists intent on decoding whale-song, interviewing First Nations conservationists in Vancouver, observing Inuit hunters in Greenland, and witnessing the dismantling of black market "whale jails" in the Russian wilderness of Kamchatka. Through these captivating stories, Strager introduces us to a diverse cast of characters from Inuit elders to Australian Aboriginal whalers and guides us through the world's wild waters, from fjords above the Arctic circle in Norway to the poaching-infested waters off Kamchatka. Featuring astonishing photographs from famed nature photographer and conservationist Paul Nicklen, The Killer Whale Journals reveals rare and intimate moments of connection with these fierce, brilliant predators.

The #1 New York Times Bestseller Updated with a new introduction and featuring never-before-seen photos In this deeply candid memoir, Jessica reveals for the first time her inner monologue and most intimate struggles. Guided by the journals she's kept since age fifteen, and brimming with her unique humor and down-to-earth humanity, Open Book is as inspiring as it is entertaining. This was supposed to be a very different book. Five years ago, Jessica Simpson was approached to write a motivational guide to living your best life. She walked away from the offer, and nobody understood why. The truth is that she didn't want to lie. Jessica couldn't be authentic with her readers if she wasn't fully honest with herself first. Now America's Sweetheart, preacher's daughter, pop phenomenon, reality tv pioneer, and the billion-dollar fashion mogul invites readers on a remarkable and inspirational true story, examining a life that blessed her with the compassion to help others, but also burdened her with an almost crippling need to please. Open Book is Jessica Simpson using her voice, heart, soul, and humor to share things she's never shared before. First celebrated for her voice, she became one of the most talked-about women in the world, whether for music and fashion, her relationship struggles, battles with body image, or as a walking blonde joke. But now, instead of being talked about, Jessica is doing the talking. Her book shares the wisdom and inspirations she's learned and shows the real woman behind all the pop-culture clichés - "chicken or fish," "Daisy Duke," "football jinx," "mom jeans," "sexual napalm..." and more. Open Book is an opportunity to laugh and cry with a close friend, a story of addiction and recovery that will inspire you to live your best, most authentic life, now that she is finally living hers. This is Jessica's story in her own words, a brave and revealing memoir that explores: A Raw and Honest Memoir: Drawn from the journals she has kept since she was fifteen, Jessica lays bare her deepest struggles with a crippling need to please and a determination to find her authentic self. The Truth Behind the Tabloids: For the first time, Jessica tells the real story behind the pop-culture clichés-from "chicken or fish" to "mom jeans"-and her highly public relationships. A Journey to Sobriety: She reveals the private battle with alcohol and prescription pills that led her to reclaim her life on her own terms, finding a new sense of purpose in the process. Inspirational Self-Discovery: Discover why she walked away from a lucrative book deal to tell her own story, a journey that will inspire you to live your own truth without apology.

Bloomsbury presents Peasants: Makers of the Modern World by Maryam Aslany, read by Kristin Atherton.'A fascinating book, and a must-read' THOMAS PIKETTY'Peasants is not just an extraordinary debut, it is that most precious rarity: an out-and-out masterpiece' WILLIAM DALRYMPLE'Miraculous ... This is a major work, bound to ruffle feathers and stir debate' DAVID WENGROW'Totally entrancing, utterly fascinating' ED CONWAYFour crops, three continents, two billion lives: this is the hidden world that we all depend upon for survival. And it's under threat.For centuries, peasants stood at the heart of human society: feeding empires, leading revolutions, building modern states. Industrial modernity forced them into the shadows, replaced in our imagination by machines and megafarms. But the elimination of the peasantry is a myth. Today, peasants make up roughly a quarter of humanity. They underpin the global economy, stabilise food systems and protect fragile ecosystems. Peasants hold up the modern world, yet their labour and voices have been hidden in plain sight – until now.In this landmark book, Maryam Aslany restores the peasantry to the centre of our global story. She embarks on an epic journey across three continents into some of the most remote places on earth – from India's sugarcane fields to Cambodia's rice plains, Peru's cocaine valleys and Ghana's cocoa belt – travelling deep into the landscapes where global supply chains begin. Here, she uncovers the lives behind some of the world's most vital commodities. She speaks to farmers, migrant labourers and traffickers. Men driven to extremism or suicide by failing livelihoods, and women forced to bear the burden of agricultural labour. Families on the brink of survival.As our demand for cheap goods intensifies, our most vital and innovative workforce is being driven towards collapse. The consequences are already starting to show: food insecurity, mass migration, ecological collapse. Far from being a relic of our past, the peasantry is essential to our future.Blending personal stories with on-the-ground reporting and pioneering new research, Peasants is a far-reaching yet intimate portrait of the world in four crops – sugarcane, rice, coca and cocoa – and an urgent reminder that the story of the countryside is the story of us all.

The #1 New York Times and global bestseller from Walter Isaacson-the acclaimed author of Steve Jobs, Einstein: His Life and World, Benjamin Franklin, and Leonardo da Vinci-is the astonishingly intimate story of the most fascinating, controversial innovator of modern times. For two years, Isaacson shadowed Elon Musk as he executed his vision for electric vehicles at Tesla, space exploration with SpaceX, the AI revolution, and the takeover of Twitter and its conversion to X. The result is the definitive portrait of the mercurial pioneer that offers clues to his political instincts, future ambitions, and overall worldview. When Elon Musk was a kid in South Africa, he was regularly beaten by bullies. One day a group pushed him down some concrete steps and kicked him until his face was a swollen ball of flesh. He was in the hospital for a week. But the physical scars were minor compared to the emotional ones inflicted by his father, an engineer, rogue, and charismatic fantasist. His father's impact on his psyche would linger. He developed into a tough yet vulnerable man-child, prone to abrupt Jekyll-and-Hyde mood swings, with an exceedingly high tolerance for risk, a craving for drama, an epic sense of mission, and a maniacal intensity that was callous and at times destructive. At the beginning of 2022-after a year marked by SpaceX launching thirty-one rockets into orbit, Tesla selling a million cars, and him becoming the richest man on earth-Musk spoke ruefully about his compulsion to stir up dramas. "I need to shift my mindset away from being in crisis mode, which it has been for about fourteen years now, or arguably most of my life," he said. It was a wistful comment, not a New Year's resolution. Even as he said it, he was secretly buying up shares of Twitter, the world's ultimate playground. Over the years, whenever he was in a dark place, his mind went back to being bullied on the playground. Now he had the chance to own the playground. For two years, Isaacson shadowed Musk, attended his meetings, walked his factories with him, and spent hours interviewing him, his family, friends, coworkers, and adversaries. The result is the revealing inside story, filled with amazing tales of triumphs and turmoil, that addresses the question: are the demons that drive Musk also what it takes to drive innovation and progress?

'A learned, wise, wonderfully written single volume history of a civilisation that I knew I should know more about' Tom Holland 'Masterful and engrossing...well-paced, eminently readable and well-timed. A must-read for those who want - and need - to know about the China of yesterday, today and tomorrow' Peter Frankopan China's story is extraordinarily rich and dramatic. Now Michael Wood, one of the UK's pre-eminent historians, brings it all together in a major new one-volume history of China that is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand its burgeoning role in our world today. China is the oldest living civilisation on earth, but its history is still surprisingly little known in the wider world. Michael Wood's sparkling narrative, which mingles the grand sweep with local and personal stories, woven together with the author's own travel journals, is an enthralling account of China's 4000-year-old tradition, taking in life stationed on the Great Wall or inside the Forbidden City . The story is enriched with the latest archaeological and documentary discoveries; correspondence and court cases going back to the Qin and Han dynasties ; family letters from soldiers in the real-life Terracotta Army ; stories from Silk Road merchants and Buddhist travellers , along with memoirs and diaries of emperors, poets and peasants. In the modern era, the book is full of new insights, with the electrifying manifestos of the feminist revolutionaries Qiu Jin and He Zhen , extraordinary eye-witness accounts of the Japanese invasion , the Great Famine and the Cultural Revolution under Chairman Mao , and fascinating newly published sources for the great turning points in China's modern history, including the Tiananmen Square crisis of 1989, and the new order of President Xi Jinping . A compelling portrait of a single civilisation over an immense period of time, the book is full of intimate detail and colourful voices, taking us from the desolate Mongolian steppes to the ultra-modern world of Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong . It also asks what were the forces that have kept China together for so long? Why was China overtaken by the west after the 18th century? What lies behind China's extraordinary rise today? The Story of China tells a thrilling story of intense drama, fabulous creativity and deep humanity; a portrait of a country that will be of the greatest importance to the world in the twenty-first century.

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY JANET MASLIN, THE NEW YORK TIMES 'Victoria the Queen, Julia Baird's exquisitely wrought and meticulously researched biography, brushes the dusty myth off this extraordinary monarch' The New York Times Book Review (Editor's Choice). The true story for fans of the hit ITV drama series Victoria starring Jenna Coleman, this page-turning biography reveals the real woman behind the myth: a bold, glamorous, unbreakable queen. Drawing on previously unpublished papers, this stunning book is a story of love and heartbreak, of devotion and grief, of strength and resilience. When Victoria was born, in 1819, the world was a very different place. Revolution would begin to threaten many of Europe's monarchies in the coming decades. In Britain, a generation of royals had indulged their whims at the public's expense, and republican sentiment was growing. The Industrial Revolution was transforming the landscape, and the British Empire was commanding ever larger parts of the globe. Born into a world where woman were often powerless, during a century roiling with change, Victoria went on to rule the most powerful country on earth with a decisive hand. Fifth in line to the throne at the time of her birth, Victoria was an ordinary woman thrust into an extraordinary role. As a girl, she defied her mother's meddling and an adviser's bullying, forging an iron will of her own. As a teenage queen, she eagerly grasped the crown and relished the freedom it brought her. At twenty years old, she fell passionately in love with Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, eventually giving birth to nine children. She loved sex and delighted in power. She was outspoken with her ministers, overstepping boundaries and asserting her opinions. After the death of her adored Albert, she began a controversial, intimate relationship with her servant John Brown. She survived eight assassination attempts over the course of her lifetime. And as science, technology, and democracy were dramatically reshaping the world, Victoria was a symbol of steadfastness and security-queen of a quarter of the world's population at the height of the British Empire's reach. Drawing on sources that include revelations about Victoria's relationship with John Brown, Julia Baird brings vividly to life the fascinating story of a woman who struggled with so many of the things we do today: balancing work and family, raising children, navigating marital strife, losing parents, combating anxiety and self-doubt, finding an identity, searching for meaning. This sweeping, page-turning biography gives us the real woman behind the myth.

'A learned, wise, wonderfully written single volume history of a civilisation that I knew I should know more about' Tom Holland 'Masterful and engrossing...well-paced, eminently readable and well-timed. A must-read for those who want - and need - to know about the China of yesterday, today and tomorrow' Peter Frankopan China's story is extraordinarily rich and dramatic. Now Michael Wood, one of the UK's pre-eminent historians, brings it all together in a major new one-volume history of China that is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand its burgeoning role in our world today. China is the oldest living civilisation on earth, but its history is still surprisingly little known in the wider world. Michael Wood's sparkling narrative, which mingles the grand sweep with local and personal stories, woven together with the author's own travel journals, is an enthralling account of China's 4000-year-old tradition, taking in life stationed on the Great Wall or inside the Forbidden City. The story is enriched with the latest archaeological and documentary discoveries; correspondence and court cases going back to the Qin and Han dynasties; family letters from soldiers in the real-life Terracotta Army; stories from Silk Road merchants and Buddhist travellers, along with memoirs and diaries of emperors, poets and peasants. In the modern era, the book is full of new insights, with the electrifying manifestos of the feminist revolutionaries Qiu Jin and He Zhen, extraordinary eye-witness accounts of the Japanese invasion, the Great Famine and the Cultural Revolution under Chairman Mao, and fascinating newly published sources for the great turning points in China's modern history, including the Tiananmen Square crisis of 1989, and the new order of President Xi Jinping. A compelling portrait of a single civilisation over an immense period of time, the book is full of intimate detail and colourful voices, taking us from the desolate Mongolian steppes to the ultra-modern world of Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. It also asks what were the forces that have kept China together for so long? Why was China overtaken by the west after the 18th century? What lies behind China's extraordinary rise today? The Story of China tells a thrilling story of intense drama, fabulous creativity and deep humanity; a portrait of a country that will be of the greatest importance to the world in the twenty-first century.