Blue Boy

Atwelve-year-old Indian American boy believes he is the reincarnation of Krishna and plans to unveil his true identity at the school talent show. Meet Kiran Sharma: lover of music, dance, and all things sensual; son of immigrants, social outcast, spiritual seeker. A boy who doesn’t quite understand his lot—until he realizes he’s a god . . . As an only son, Kiran has obligations—to excel in his studies, to honor the deities, to find a nice Indian girl, and, above all, to make his mother and father proud—standard stuff for a boy of his background. If only Kiran had anything in common with the other Indian kids besides the color of his skin. They reject him at every turn, and his cretinous public schoolmates are no better. Cincinnati in the early 1990s isn’t exactly a hotbed of cultural diversity, and Kiran’s not-so-well-kept secrets don’t endear him to any group. Playing with dolls, choosing ballet over basketball, taking the annual talent show way too seriously…the very things that make Kiran who he is also make him the star of his own personal freak show . . . Surrounded by examples of upstanding Indian Americans—in his own home, in his temple, at the weekly parties given by his parents’ friends—Kiran nevertheless finds it impossible to get the knack of “normalcy.” And then one fateful day, a revelation: perhaps his desires aren’t too earthly, but too divine. Perhaps the solution to the mystery of his existence has been before him since birth. For Kiran Sharma, a long, strange trip is about to begin—a journey so sublime, so ridiculous, so painfully beautiful, that it can only lead to the truth . . . Praise for Blue Boy “Compassionate, moving, funny, and wise, Blue Boy is one of the best debut novels I have read in years.” &mda

Tired of being in a land where everything is blue, Blue and his cow, Polly, travel in search of other hues and eventually find a way to share their own color with the world around them.

THE FIFTH DI HELEN GRACE THRILLER BY BESTSELLING AUTHOR M J ARLIDGE 'Helen Grace is one of the greatest heroes to come along in years' JEFFERY DEAVER ***** There are some fates worse than death . . . Called to a Southampton nightclub, Detective Inspector Helen Grace cuts the duct tape from the asphyxiated victim and discovers she knows him. A man from the double life she has concealed from her superiors, Helen is determined to find his murderer - while keeping their relationship hidden at all costs. When a new victim is found, Helen works around the clock to stop her life unravelling. She'll do anything to solve this case - but dare she reveal her own darkest secrets and lose everything? And would even that be enough to stop this killer? PRAISE FOR M.J. ARLIDGE: 'The new Jo Nesbo' JUDY FINNIGAN 'Fast paced and nailbitingly tense ... gripping' SUN 'DI Helen Grace is a genuinely fresh heroine ... MJ Arlidge weaves together a tapestry that chills to the bone' Daily Mail 'Chilling stuff' Fabulist 'A chilling read' My Weekly 'A grisly, gripping thriller' Sunday Mirror 'Gruesomely realistic, intriguing and relentless. Arlidge's fledgling army of fans is about to grow' Sunday Sport 'Eeny Meeny debuts one of the best new series detectives, Helen Grace. Determined, tough and damaged, she must unravel a terrifying riddle of a killer kidnapping victims in pairs. Mesmerizing!' Lisa Gardner 'Expertly pulled off. It has a devious premise. DI Helen Grace is fiendishly awesome. It's scary as all hell. And it has a full cast of realistically drawn, interesting characters that make the thing read like a bullet' Will Lavender 'A fast-paced, twisting police procedural and thriller that's sure to become another bestseller' Huffington Post

In a time of isolation and scarcity, a regressive regime rules with absolute power, turning neighbour against neighbour, and crushing dissidence with deadly force. A microcosm of this monstrous time: the tiny Pacific Northwest town of Gilder. In a house on the fringes of the decimated hamlet, Kasper—fifteen, intellectually disabled, limited ability to speak—has miraculously survived the slaying of his family. But alone, he is a fleeting miracle. Alone, he is on borrowed time. Alone, his yellow headphones, brown blanket and beloved copy of The Gingerbread Man are scant consolation. Alone, he is destined to die within the folds of the blue hammock hanging from his bedroom ceiling. Kasper is not alone. Tao—failed service dog turned family pet—has also survived the attack. And with the discovery of Boy, Tao understands he has a duty: guide the last living member of his pack out of the house and through the ravaged streets of Gilder to safety. The destination? The one refuge he can conceive of in a world gone mad. Boy in the Blue Hammock is an epic tale of loss and loyalty, of dissent and destruction, of assumption and ableism. With a unique premise, powerful narrative and evocative prose, the novel might be the best kept literary secret of 2022.

The reception of Thomas Gainsborough’s Blue Boy from its origins to its appearances in contemporary visual culture reveals how its popularity was achieved and maintained by diverse audiences and in varied venues. Performative manifestations resulted in contradictory characterizations of the painted youth as an aristocrat or a "regular fellow," as masculine or feminine, or as heterosexual or gay. In private and public spaces where viewers saw the actual painting and where living and rendered replicas circulated, Gainsborough’s painting was often the centerpiece where dominant and subordinate classes met, gender identities were enacted, and sexuality was implicitly or overtly expressed.

When his parents die in a war, a boy from another planet rejects any form of kindness, seeks companionship from weapons, and searches for a friend who will never die.

2017 PubWest Book Design Bronze Award Winner for Art Book This book offers a celebration of one of America’s most important collections of European art, housed in The Huntington, among the world’s great cultural, research, and educational centers. Gainsborough’s Blue Boy is just one of the masterpieces contained in the Huntington Galleries—the first public collection of Old Master painting, sculpture, and decorative arts in Southern California, and among the most important collections of British Grand Manner portraits anywhere. Over one hundred of the most impressive works housed at The Huntington, including paintings, sculptures, decorative arts, and works on paper, are published together for the first time in this handsome catalog. Breathtaking in their range, these works are presented in a dynamic format that juxtaposes medium, style, and cultural origin. The result is a visually stunning selection of European masterpieces that will serve as both a guide to The Huntington's collection and an enlightening compendium for anyone interested in European art.

In a series of personal essays, prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson's All Boys Aren't Blue explores his childhood, adolescence, and college years in New Jersey and Virginia. A New York Times Bestseller! Good Morning America, NBC Nightly News, Today Show, and MSNBC feature stories From the memories of getting his teeth kicked out by bullies at age five, to flea marketing with his loving grandmother, to his first sexual relationships, this young-adult memoir weaves together the trials and triumphs faced by Black queer boys. Both a primer for teens eager to be allies as well as a reassuring testimony for young queer men of color, All Boys Aren't Blue covers topics such as gender identity, toxic masculinity, brotherhood, family, structural marginalization, consent, and Black joy. Johnson's emotionally frank style of writing will appeal directly to young adults. Velshi Banned Book Club Indie Bestseller Teen Vogue Recommended Read Buzzfeed Recommended Read People Magazine Best Book of the Summer A New York Library Best Book of 2020 A Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2020 ... and more!