Mental Fiction

A teen girl hiding the scars of a past relationship finds home and healing in the words of strong Black writers. A beautiful sophomore novel from a critically acclaimed author and poet that explores how words have the power to shape and uplift our world even in the midst of pain. "A true...

In the moving and compelling debut novel from Benjamin Zephaniah, a young man's life is completely changed when his face is badly scarred in a car accident. Martin seems to have it all. He's cool, funny and he's the undisputed leader of the Gang of Three, who roam their East London estate during the holidays looking for fun. But one night after the Gang leave a late-night rap club, Martin accepts a ride from Pete, a Raider's Posse gang member. Too late, he realises that the car is stolen and that the police are after them.

Lexi has always wanted to know more about the mother who passed away when she was only a child. But her dad will barely talk about her. Is it so wrong to want to learn about the mom she never got to know? When Lexi’s grandma dies and secretly leaves her a worn blue chest that belonged to Lexi’s mother, Lexi is ecstatic to find a treasure trove of keepsakes. Her mom held on to letters, pamphlets, flyers, and news articles all from the same beautiful summertime getaway—Mackinac Island—plus a cryptic postcard that hints at a forbidden romance.

Most people fear Death. But Samarra feels safest by his side. Grief is drowning Samarra’s mind. Her sister’s death was too sudden, too senseless. No one will even speak of the night she died, leaving Samarra silenced and alone as her sanity begins to fracture. That’s when she meets Death...

“This is not your grandma’s fairy tale… Brilliant.” —The Washington Post “The Force of Such Beauty grips with the strength of an Olympian and holds it with the endurance of a marathoner … [to] an ending that actually caught my breath, not once, but twice in quick succession...

Unconscious bias affects us all. From the smallest assumption to the most sweeping generalization, the way we think about others can unknowingly influence our behaviour and shape our culture. Acting as your mentor and guide, this book will take you through the most common forms of prejudice, including gender, race, size, age and sexuality. It also explores the psychology behind our biases and provides actionable tips and simple exercises to help you combat implicit judgements.

Feel like your mind never shuts off even when nothing is actually wrong? Are you carrying emotional responsibility that isn’t yours, yet you don’t know how to put it down? Have you tried “thinking your way out” of anxiety, only to feel more trapped than before? You wake up already tense. Your mind is scanning for problems before your feet touch the floor. You replay conversations, anticipate worst-case scenarios, manage other people’s emotions, and plan ten steps ahead, just in case. On the outside, you look capable. Responsible. “Together.

Joshua Goldmann is the perfect student, perfect friend, perfect son—but the pressure of acting perfect all the time gets to him. One night, he finds himself standing on the edge of an abandoned bridge, when a stranger talks him down. The two begin a friendship that eventually deepens into something more, but as Josh deals with his personal and family issues, his new relationship is put at risk.

Often, those who live through trauma come away with feelings of shame, guilt, anger, and despair. These are common, even normal, responses in the immediate aftermath. Left unaddressed, though, those feelings may develop into substance abuse problems, eating disorders, depression, or anxiety. Learning how to move on, to pick up and live life again, takes effort and guidance. Botwin guides listeners through the stories of others who have gone on to live fulfilling, happy lives, and provides tips and tools for healing and moving on.

When Diane, a psychologist, falls in love with Charles, a charming and brilliant psychiatrist, there is laughter and flowers?and also darkness. After moving through infertility treatments and the trials of the adoption process as a united front, the couple is ultimately successful in creating a family. As time goes on, however, Charles becomes increasingly critical and controlling, and Diane begins to feel barraged and battered. When she is diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer, Charles is initially there for her, but his attentiveness quickly vanishes and is replaced by withdrawal, anger, and unfathomable sadism.

The Forgotten Girls The body of an unidentified woman has been discovered in a remote forest. A large, unique scar on one side of her face should make the identification easy, but nobody has reported her missing. Louise Rick, the new commander of the Missing Persons Department, waits four long...

Emerson Lowe and popular ice-hockey player Jake McCallister have been best friends since third grade, but as their friendship starts to morph into something more, a terrible event occurs that heralds the end of innocence for both of them. Within a week, Jake's living on the other side of the country and Emerson is left alone to pick up the pieces of her life in a small town determined to paint her as a liar.

18-year-old Saoirse can't wait to leave school. But just before the final exams, her ex-boyfriend dies by suicide. Everyone blames Saoirse – even Saoirse herself, who cheated on him with his best friend. Shunned by her schoolmates, she suffers unbearable levels of anxiety, which her useless counsellor does nothing to alleviate. On prom night, everything becomes too much, and Saoirse makes a decision that lands her in a psychiatric hospital.

When 15-year-old Jules Mathis comes home from school to find a strange girl sitting in her kitchen, her psychiatrist mother reveals that Mae is one of her patients at the hospital and will be staying with their family for a few days. But soon Mae is wearing Jules' clothes, sleeping in her bedroom, edging her out of her position on the school paper, and flirting with Jules' crush. And Mae has no intention of leaving. Then things get weird.

Anise can't wait to spend the summer before her senior year surfing and hanging out on the beach with friends. Santa Cruz is more than her home - it's her heart. But when her aunt is in a serious car accident, Anise must say goodbye to California to go help care for her three young cousins in Nebraska - the last place Anise wants to be. As much as she loves her family, it's hard to put her past behind her when she's living in the childhood house of the mother who abandoned her.

A girl suffering from paralyzing night terrors finds a missing poster hanging from the door of her apartment building. On that poster is a photograph of a frighteningly familiar face. It's her. Only, she's never seen this photo before and something about its grin scares her. How its eyes seem to follow her no matter where she finds herself in the room.

In this searing indictment of the juvenile justice system, one teen in detention weighs what she is willing to endure for forgiveness. All it took was one night and one bad decision for fifteen-year-old Violetta Chen-Samuels’ life to go off the rails. After driving drunk and causing the...

A razor-sharp thriller packed with dark secrets and explosive twists, it “raises the stakes at every turn (Kirkus) and is “full of atmospheric thrills” (Paste). When a girl goes missing and a body is found, everyone is a suspect. "Sharp, atmospheric, and wildly fast-paced"—Jessica...

For couples who don't want monogamy to equal monotony, Alison Tyler's Never Have the Same Sex Twice offers the perfect antidote to marital doldrums. Tyler lets us in on her secret: The trust that a long-term couple builds is the foundation for uninhibited, imaginative sex. She blends expert advice on avoiding the "same old same old" with excerpts from her favorite erotic stories illustrating her extensive repertoire of sexual techniques and fantasies designed to liven up the bedroom.

Ansel Largent is a respected Chicago attorney; ferocious in the courtroom but a winner with the jury. Happy at home with wife Libby, a stroke victim. Happy at the office with Melinda, a married woman with a special interest in him. When everything unravels in one night, Ansel’s life is put under the microscope, and his plastic character brings his sanity into question. Thaddeus Murfee is hired to defend his most complicated trial yet, but when all the chips are down, even he is struck speechless at the outcome.