An interesting mix of titles here in this newsletter. A Gothic Fantasy, a Family Relationship story, an uplifting Life Guide and a Memoir by Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby.

Gallant / V E Schwab

Everything casts a shadow. Even the world we live in. And as with every shadow, there is a place where it must touch. A seam, where the shadow meets its source. – EpicReads

A Gothic, paranormal fantasy. A family mystery, an Orphan’s call to return to a family estate, Gallant, she never knew existed then a cold reception when she arrives. Mystery, half formed ghouls, madness. A world that touches this world. Olivia is non-verbal which adds to the atmosphere and with only a few other characters, the dialogue is mostly internal. There is a ruined wall in the garden which she is told she must stay on the right side of, and she must never go out after dusk. I wonder if this is what she does?

The how & the why / Cynthia Hand

This one is a fictional adoption story, focussing particularly on the Mother-Daughter relationship. Cassandra has always known she was adopted, has an extremely loving strong relationship with her adopted family but has always been curious about her parents. Starting with a bundle of old letters written to her by her birth mother, she begins her journey to discover who she is and where she comes from. It is a story told with love and compassion

Queer Up / Alexis Court

In this empowering and uplifting book, award-winning podcaster Alexis Caught sets out to help queer and curious teenagers explore their LGBTQ+ identity and understanding. Alongside the author's personal experiences are first-hand stories from notable LGBTQ+ figures, providing an inclusive account of what it means to grow up queer. With chapters on questioning, coming out, friends and family, love, sex, shame, pride and allyship, this insightful, thoughtful, and reassuring book is essential reading for any questioning teen and their allies looking to support them.- Walker Books

Here's a link to the author’s award-winning Podcast show Qmmunity - exploring Queer culture, history and identity.

https://www.qmmunitypodcast.com/

Ten steps to Nanette : a memoir situation / Hannah Gadsby

'There is nothing stronger than a broken woman who has rebuilt herself.' Hannah Gadsby, Nanette

Multi-award winning Hannah Gadsby transformed comedy with her show Nanette, even as she declared that she was quitting stand-up. Now, she takes us through the defining moments in her life that led to the creation of Nanette and her powerful decision to tell the truth - no matter the cost. Gadsby's unique stand-up special Nanette was a viral success that left audiences captivated by her blistering honesty and her ability to create both tension and laughter in a single moment. But while her worldwide fame might have looked like an overnight sensation, her path from open mic to the global stage was hard-fought and anything but linear.

Ten Steps to Nanette traces Gadsby's growth as a queer person from Tasmania - where homosexuality was illegal until 1997 - to her ever-evolving relationship with comedy, to her struggle with adult diagnoses of autism and ADHD, and finally to the backbone of Nanette - the renouncement of self-deprecation, the rejection of misogyny, and the moral significance of truth-telling. Equal parts harrowing and hilarious, Ten Steps to Nanette continues Gadsby's tradition of confounding expectations and norms, properly introducing us to one of the most explosive, formative voices of our time. – Atlantic Books

Here is a trailer link to her Netflix show Nanette. She is rather wonderful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aE29fiatQ0

And you can access the library website here at any time to see what else is new, search for items, reading lists and links to Research and Academic databases.