Unlikeable


Book Description

Unlikeable is the stunning, powerful exposé of Hillary Clinton and her floundering race for the White House. With unprecedented access to longtime associates of the Clintons and the Obamas, investigative reporter Edward Klein meticulously recreates conversations and details of Hillary Clinton's behind-the-scenes plotting in Chappaqua and Whitehaven. Klein, the former editor in chief of New York Times Magazine and a contributing editor to Vanity Fair, draws a deeply troubling portrait of Hillary Rodham Clinton, a highly unlikeable presidential candidate and a woman more associated with scandal than with accomplishments, with lying than with truth, with arrogance than with compassion.




Unlikeable Female Characters


Book Description

"A fresh feminist appraisal of the pop culture canon." —Publishers Weekly How bitches, trainwrecks, shrews, and crazy women have taken over pop culture and liberated women from having to be nice. Female characters throughout history have been burdened by the moral trap that is likeability. Any woman who dares to reveal her messy side has been treated as a cautionary tale. Today, unlikeable female characters are everywhere in film, TV, and wider pop culture. For the first time ever, they are being accepted by audiences and even showered with industry awards. We are finally accepting that women are—gasp—fully fledged human beings. How did we get to this point? Unlikeable Female Characters traces the evolution of highly memorable female characters, examining what exactly makes them popular, how audiences have reacted to them, and the ways in which pop culture is finally allowing us to celebrate the complexities of being a woman. Anna Bogutskaya, film programmer, broadcaster, and co-founder of the horror film collective and podcast The Final Girls, takes us on a journey through popular film, TV, and music, looking at the nuances of womanhood on and off-screen to reveal whether pop culture—and society—is finally ready to embrace complicated women. Praise for Unlikeable Female Characters: "Fascinating, insightful, and kick-ass." —Emma Jane Unsworth, internationally bestselling author of Grown Ups and Animals "Beautifully written." —Chelsea G. Summers, author of A Certain Hunger "Part-cultural exposé, part-Taylor Swift album." —Clarisse Loughrey, Chief Film Critic at The Independent "Brilliant masterpiece breaking down the tired tropes of TV and beyond." —Aparna Shewakramani, author of She's Unlikeable and star of Indian Matchmaking




The Unlikeable Demon Hunter: A Devilishly Funny Urban Fantasy


Book Description

Featuring a snarky heroine, kickass action, and spicy romance, this hilarious urban fantasy series starter sucker-punches you in the heart when you're not looking. The mission: kill demons. The catch: infuriatingly sexy minder. The challenge: don't get the two confused. Nava Katz traded a lost dream for an impressively cynical attitude. The one thing she does care about? Her hard-working twin brother. Then she interrupts his induction ceremony into a secret supernatural society, accidentally torches his life-long ambition, and steals his destiny. Wait—whaaaat? She expects to be chastised, not thrown into a trial by fire, battling demons to keep humanity safe while she’s learning to master her powers and facing her worst nightmare: a purpose. To add insult to literal injury, it turns out that evil fiends are a delight compared to the all-male hunters, who shockingly, are not cool with a woman in their ranks. They assign her to their most ruthless slayer: Rohan, a man whose inner demons earn nods of respect from actual ones. He’s pursuing his own high-stakes mission, with no interest in babysitting some chick that everyone expects to die soon. But Nava excels in defying people’s expectations, and besides, spite is a powerful motivator. So, she hatches a plan to bring her brother into the fold alongside her. Sure, it involves defeating a vengeful demon out for blood, but you can’t make an omelet without breaking a few bones. The Brotherhood wants her gone. The demons want her dead. First gig as a Chosen One and she's already nailing it. If you like KF Breene, Annabel Chase, and CN Crawford, you won’t be able to put down this laugh-out-loud, deliciously addictive series! Fall into bed with a demon hunter and read all night! “Don’t buy it if your offended by bad language, immoral behavior, lose ethics, sassy attitude, hot guys ... cuz it does it all - and its GREAT!!!”




She's Unlikeable


Book Description

Aparna Shewakramani of Indian Matchmaking fame knows who she is and what she wants—and she is not afraid to ask for it When Aparna Shewakramani appeared on Netflix's hit series, Indian Matchmaking, it soon became clear that Aparna knew what she wanted. But all stories are told through certain lenses—and her story is no exception. Being on a reality show made Aparna feel like a character. Her decisiveness and sense of self-worth led viewers to see her as a very specific archetype: The villain. The woman you love to hate. The unlikeable woman. It turned around, though, with a single message of support: Be Like Aparna. Soon supporters were in the tens of thousands. Women are tired of seeing other women being vilified simply because they have a voice. In this book, you will learn about the real Aparna Shewakramani. She bares it all—the good, the bad, and the it-depends-on-how-you-look-at-it. There is her mother's bravery in leaving her marriage, Aparna's diagnosis of an autoimmune disease, and her confession that she too is susceptible to the deep-rooted need to be pretty and likeable. But it is also the story of her entrepreneurial spirit and her success. It is about lessons learned and the strength to be your own woman. This is a journey to prevent Aparna-the-person from being erased by Aparna-the-character.




A Danger to Herself and Others


Book Description

"A compelling and beautifully told story." —Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces From New York Times bestselling author Alyssa Sheinmel comes a dark psychological contemporary about a teenage girl who is institutionalized after an accident at her summer program, perfect for fans of We Were Liars and I'll Give You the Sun. Hannah knows there's been a mistake. She doesn't need to be institutionalized. What happened to her roommate at that summer program was an accident. As soon as the doctors and judge figure out that she isn't a danger to herself or others, she can go home to start her senior year. Those college applications aren't going to write themselves. Until then, she's determined to win over the staff and earn some privileges so she doesn't lose her mind to boredom. Then Lucy arrives. Lucy has her own baggage, and she's the perfect project to keep Hannah's focus off all she is missing at home. But Lucy may be the one person who can get Hannah to confront the secrets she's avoiding—and the dangerous games that landed her in confinement in the first place. Packed with intrigue and suspense, A Danger to Herself and Others is a good choice for readers who loved Suicide Notes for Beautiful Girls by Lynn Weingarten and Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen McManus A great pick for anyone who wants: emotional novels books about mental illness suspenseful reads Also by Alyssa Sheinmel: What Kind of Girl The Castle School (for Troubled Girls) Praise for A Danger to Herself and Others: "A thrilling page-turner."—School Library Journal, *STARRED REVIEW* "A tense and terrific read."—Natalie D. Richards, author of One Was Lost and Six Months Later "A great story full of mystery, heartbreak, and hope."— Jennifer Shaw Wolf, author of Dead Girls Don't Lie and Breaking Beautiful "Intense, compelling, and wholly original."—Kerry Kletter, author of The First Time She Drowned "This compelling character study begins like a thriller—the mystery of what happened to her friend Agnes draws considerable suspense... it becomes a nuanced exploration of mental illness."—Booklist "A respectful, authentic rendering of mental illness and treatment."—Kirkus




Animal


Book Description

From Lisa Taddeo, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller and global phenomenon Three Women, comes an “intoxicating” (Entertainment Weekly), “fearless” (Los Angeles Times), and “explosive” (People) novel about “what happens when women are pushed beyond the brink, and what comes after the reckoning” (Esquire). Joan has spent a lifetime enduring the cruelties of men. But when one of them commits a shocking act of violence in front of her, she flees New York City in search of Alice, the only person alive who can help her make sense of her past. In the sweltering hills above Los Angeles, Joan unravels the horrific event she witnessed as a child—that has haunted her every waking moment—while forging the power to finally strike back. Animal is a depiction of female rage at its rawest, and a visceral exploration of the fallout from a male-dominated society.




Social Creature


Book Description

One of the Best Books of the Year: Janet Maslin, The New York Times Vulture NPR "Social Creature is a wicked original with echoes of the greats (Patricia Highsmith, Gillian Flynn)." —Janet Maslin, The New York Times For readers of Gillian Flynn and Donna Tartt, a dark, propulsive and addictive debut thriller, splashed with all the glitz and glitter of New York City. They go through both bottles of champagne right there on the High Line, with nothing but the stars over them... They drink and Lavinia tells Louise about all the places they will go together, when they finish their stories, when they are both great writers-to Paris and to Rome and to Trieste... Lavinia will never go. She is going to die soon. Louise has nothing. Lavinia has everything. After a chance encounter, the two spiral into an intimate, intense, and possibly toxic friendship. A Talented Mr. Ripley for the digital age, this seductive story takes a classic tale of obsession and makes it irresistibly new.




The Problem with the Other Side


Book Description

A searing YA debut that follows the joys, complexities, and heartbreaks of an interracial romance between high school sophomores that blossoms during a volatile school election Uly would rather watch old Westerns with his new girlfriend, Sallie, than get involved in his school's politics—why focus on the “bad” and “ugly” when his days with Sallie are so good? His older sister Regina feels differently. She is fed up with the way white school-body presidential candidate Leona Walls talks about Black students. Regina decides to run against Leona . . . and convinces Uly to be her campaign manager. Sallie has no interest in managing her sister's campaign, but how could she say no? After their parents' death, Leona is practically her only family. Even after Leona is accused of running a racist campaign that targets the school's students of color—including Sallie's boyfriend, Uly—Sallie wants to give her sister the benefit of the doubt. But how long can she ignore the ugly truth behind Leona's actions? Together and apart, Uly and Sallie must navigate sibling loyalty and romantic love as the campaign spirals toward a devastating conclusion. CW: Acts of racism and bigotry, racist language, and gun violence are portrayed in this novel.




A Better Bad Idea


Book Description

Laurie Devore's new YA novel is a searing look at a forgotten girl who has no good choices left, but one better bad idea . . . Evelyn Peters is desperate. Desperate for a way out of McNair Falls, the dying southern town that’s held her captive since the day she was born. Desperate to protect her little sister from her mother’s terrifying and abusive boyfriend. And desperate to connect with anyone, even fallen golden boy Ashton Harper, longtime boyfriend of the girl Evelyn can never stop thinking about — beautiful, volatile, tragically dead Reid Brewer. Until a single night sends Evelyn and Ashton on a collision course that starts something neither of them can stop. With one struck match, their whole world goes up in flames. The only thing left to do is run—but leaving McNair Falls isn’t as easy as just putting distance between here and there and some secrets refuse to stay left behind. A reckoning is coming . . . and not everyone is getting out alive.




Rules for Visiting


Book Description

“An elegant and deeply moving meditation on friendship, family, and life on earth. Rules for Visiting is a wonderful novel.” —Emily St. John Mandel, author of Sea of Tranquility, The Glass Hotel, and Station Eleven The national bestseller and an Indie Next List pick Name a Best Book of the Year by O Magazine • Good Housekeeping • Real Simple • Vulture • Chicago Tribune Named a Best Book of the Summer by The Today Show • Good Morning America • Wall Street Journal • San Francisco Chronicle • Southern Living Shortlisted for the 2020 Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize Long-listed for the 2020 Tournament of Books Dry, witty, and unapologetic, May Attaway loves literature and her work as a botanist for the university in her hometown. More at home with plants than people, May begins to suspect she isn’t very good at friendship and wonders if it’s possible to improve with practice. Granted some leave from her job, she sets out on a journey to spend time with four long-neglected friends. Smart, funny, and full of compassion, Rules for Visiting is the story of a search for friendship in the digital age, a singular look at the way we stay in touch. While May travels, she studies her friends’ lives and begins to confront the pain of her own. With simplicity and honesty, Jessica Francis Kane has crafted an exquisite story about a woman trying to find a new way to be in the world. This nourishing book, with its beautiful contemplation of travel, trees, family, and friendship, is the perfect antidote to our chaotic times.