Writing at first anonymously and later under the pen name Pierre Loti, French author Julien Viaud (1850-1923) produced a series of fictions that sympathetically portrayed male same-sex desire and its accompanying societal conflicts. Due to the constraints of the time, Viaud had to develop various strategies for discussing his subject covertly; his success in doing so is demonstrated by the great critical and commercial success he enjoyed during his lifetime, which included his election to the French Academy at age forty-one. Richard Berrong presents a gay reading of the novels and novellas of Julien Viaud, chronologically tracing his development of a distinct homosexual identity and the strategies that he employed to discuss it in a way that would not be obvious to the general public. In so doing, Berrong asserts that Viaud's development of a homosexual identity undermined and realigned dominant constructions of masculinity, presented the need for gay community, and elaborated the role of literature for gay men. The first book-length gay reading of Viaud's corpus, this work will make an important contribution not only to the study of Viaud, but also to the study of gay and lesbian history, culture, and literature.

Simona Bell, the lovely daughter of Lord Belgrave, has been invited by her friend, Karoline von Honentaal to stay with her family in Berlin. Simona finds that Karoline's father, the Baron, owns an amazing collection of art which interests her greatly.Alone for a moment, she finds her way into the Baron's private Sanctuary, where she admires an unusual Sedan Chair. Hearing voices and frightened she might be discovered, she slips into the Sedan Chair and closes the door.The Baron and another man enter the room and Simona overhears them discussing an Englishman called Watson, who has been working on a new naval gun with the Marquis of Midhurst. Watson has been kidnapped by the Germans, who are desperate to learn the secrets of the gun. The Baron is persuaded to invite the Marquis to stay with him in Berlin and agrees to ask a beautiful Countess to seduce his secrets from the Marquis.Simona leaves the Sedan Chair undetected and is anxious to warn the Marquis. When he arrives she finds a way to tell him all she has overheard, and he is extremely grateful for her help.How the Marquis enlists her in his daring quest to free Watson, how they arrange to spirit him out of Germany and Simona finds the love she has been seeking is told in this exciting and spellbinding book by BARBARA CARTLAND.

"No other study of the American novel has such fascinating and on the whole right things to say." Washington Post

The place of the Middle East in European heterosexual fantasy is well documented in the works of Edward Said and others, yet few have considered the male Anglo-European (and, later, American) writers, artists, travelers, and thinkers compelled to represent what, to their eyes, seemed to be an abundance of erotic relations between men in the Islamicate world. Whether feared or desired, the mere possibility of sexual contact with or between men in the Middle East has covertly underwritten much of the appeal and practice of the enterprise of Orientalism, frequently repeating yet just as often upending its assumed meanings. Traces of this undertow abound in European and Middle Eastern fiction, diaries, travel literature, erotica, ethnography, painting, photography, film, and digital media. Joseph Allen Boone explores these vast representations, linking European art to Middle Eastern sources largely unfamiliar to Western audiences and, in some cases, reproduced in this volume for the first time.

Love comes when you least expect it... Tressa Buckland likes her quiet life in Port Lowdy, with its cobbled streets and colourful terraced houses overlooking the sea. Her job at the local paper allows her to pursue her art in her free time, with no one but her tabby cat Ginger Pickles to mind her in Mermaid Terrace. But then the owner of the paper is called away on an emergency, and it's up to Tressa to run the paper for six months. Her first task: find a new part-time journalist. Dan Byrne is the angriest man in Ireland – or so the readers of his very successful column, 'Dan takes on the world', think. But after a story goes south and he loses his job in Dublin, Dan has no choice but to start afresh. When an opportunity comes up in sleepy Cornwall, Dan and his Golden Retriever Ritchie set off for a new adventure. For Tressa, Dan's arrival to Port Lowdy changes everything. Tressa tries not to look too deeply at her own life, but Dan sees a story to uncover in absolutely everyone – even her. The two of them couldn't be more different... yet, if they can find a way to work together, they may just breathe new life and joy into this sleepy seaside village. Finding Love at Mermaid Terrace is a heartwarming new village romance about the power of love and kindness, from the bestselling author of Starting Over at Acorn Cottage. Readers love Kate Forster! 'This beautifully descriptive and touching story about love and hope is fabulous sunshine reading.' Closer 'A lovely get-away-from-it-all read.' Red 'LOVED this book. From the cover you might assume it's a light read but this was so much more. Such meaningful characters surrounding a story of life, love, and starting over. Definitely a keeper!' NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars 'This is a keeper and I wish I could give it 10 stars.' NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars 'An uplifting, delightful story, this one is emotional, it'll have you laughing and crying, but the overall theme for me was hope, self forgiveness and love, you will be smiling at the end.' NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars 'I didn't want the story to come to an end, because it was just so lovely. This is the perfect antidote to the world outside right now.' NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars

Blood Will Tell: The Strange Story of a Son of Ham by Benjamin Rush Davenport: Dive into a narrative that examines race, identity, and societal attitudes with Benjamin Rush Davenport's "Blood Will Tell: The Strange Story of a Son of Ham." Through this story, readers are confronted with thought-provoking themes that challenge conventional notions of race. Key Aspects of the Book "Blood Will Tell: The Strange Story of a Son of Ham by Benjamin Rush Davenport": Exploration of Race: "Blood Will Tell" delves into themes of race, identity, and prejudice, prompting readers to consider the societal constructs that shape perceptions. Character Perspective: The narrative offers insights into the experiences and challenges faced by the protagonist, shedding light on the complexities of his identity. Social Commentary: Davenport's storytelling serves as a commentary on race relations and the influence of hereditary traits on societal attitudes. Benjamin Rush Davenport was an American author and lawyer known for his contributions to literature. Through Blood Will Tell: The Strange Story of a Son of Ham, Davenport presents readers with a narrative that engages with critical questions about race and society.