Illness Fiction

Many readers still claim this haunting, atmospheric novel of Michael Ondaatje's as their first love—a novel as sensual and erotic today as ever it was. At the turn of the century, the Storyville district of New Orleans had some 2000 prostitutes, 70 professional gamblers, and 30 piano players. But it had only one man who played the cornet like Buddy Bolden—he who cut hair by day at N. Joseph's Shaving Parlor, and at night played jazz, unleashing an unforgettable wildness and passion in crowded rooms.

Prologue to an Epitaph is an exciting, moving account in which the author relays a compelling narrative from four different viewpoints - the diametrically opposing perspectives of a neonatal intensive care unit nurse, the teen mother, her younger brother, and the preemie herself.

Hawk, a First Nations teen from northern Alberta, is a cross-country runner who aims to win gold in an upcoming competition between all the schools in Fort McMurray. But when Hawk discovers he has leukemia, his identity as a star athlete is stripped away, along with his muscles and energy. When he finds an osprey, "a fish hawk," mired in a pond of toxic residue from the oil sands industry, he sees his life-or-death struggle echoed by the young bird.

Ross Maloy just wants to fit in. But after he is diagnosed with a rare eye cancer in Year Seven, he suddenly becomes the "cancer kid" of his school. Now he has to deal with weird hats, a squinty eye and - hardest of all - disappearing friends, social media bullies, and the threat of losing his eyesight...or worse. Based on Rob Harrell's real-life experiences, this is a heartbreaking and hilarious story of survival, and of finding the music, magic, and laughter in all of life's weirdness.

The Discovery of Flight is a novel in two voices about the relationship between two sisters, the older of whom is disabled by cerebral palsy and only able to communicate with assistive technology (she can control her computer by moving her eyes). It interweaves the fantasy novel 16-year-old Libby is writing for Sophie’s 13th birthday and Sophie’s diary, in which she discusses the deteriorating condition of her older sister.

Cymbeline Igloo is bored. Bored of home learning, bored of lockdown, bored of not being able to do anything. And to make things even worse, his mum accidentally gave away his favourite football shirt. But then Mrs Stebbings, the beloved school cook, is taken into hospital, and suddenly coronavirus seems much closer to home. When Cym starts a project all about Mrs Stebbings’ childhood in World War II, he can’t know that it’s the beginning of something incredible and even dangerous.

Skin Deep explores beauty, ageing, imperfection, health and illness, all of which are closely related to skin, and interrogates whiteness, both historically, structurally and through current notions of white fragility and victimhood. Phillipa McGuinness has interviewed plastic surgeons, dermatologists, burn survivors, beauticians, melanoma sufferers, people who suffer from body dysmorphias, victims and perpetrators of racism and all kinds of people who are and are not comfortable in their own skin to write a book where science meets art and culture, history and politics.

In the 1950s, mental illness was in the closet, a condition rarely discussed beyond immediate family members. A young mother struggles with bipolar disorder, abusing alcohol and prescription drugs before seeking psychiatric help. Their solution: mind-altering shock and insulin treatments. Her husband, fighting to keep the love of his life, focuses on her recovery, working two jobs to cover the costs of a decade-long cycle of depression.

It is 1944 in war-battered London. Freya and Shona are identical twins, close despite their different characters. Freya is a newly qualified doctor treating the injured in an East End hospital, while Shona has been recruited by the SOE. The sisters are so physically alike that they can fool people into thinking that one is the other. It's a game they've played since childhood. But when Shona persuades her twin to swap roles to meet her Polish lover, he is angered at being tricked.

For almost four decades, Bartholomew Neil has done nothing but live with his mom. When she begins calling him Richard - for reasons unknown - and then dies, Bartholomew is woefully unprepared.”

Kann man hier bitte schön mal in Ruhe pubertieren?! Karlis Familie ist eine echte Vollkatastrophe: Seine Mutter isst Unmengen an Haferkeksen, während sie lauter nutzlose Sachen erfindet, die sowieso nie funktionieren, sein Vater sitzt im Rollstuhl, möchte aber unbedingt an einem Rennen teilnehmen, was nur oberpeinlich enden kann, und seine Patentante ist sich nicht sicher, ob sie ein Mann oder eine Frau ist.

An epidemic strikes the United States, plunging the country into chaos. New York Times medical reporter Denise Grady uses this scenario, taken from the pages of a U.S. government report, as the starting point for a journey into the gripping world of emerging diseases. Grady explores the realities of health care in the developing world, and its potential effects on our own welfare. This is a fascinating look at the health dangers we face in a global society

Kids of Appetite by David Arnold is a tragicomedy of first love and devastating loss for fans of Rainbow Rowell and Jennifer Niven. In the Hackensack Police Department, Vic Benucci and his friend, Mad, are explaining how they found themselves wrapped up in a grisly murder. But in order to tell that story, they have to go way back.... It all started when Vic's dad died. Vic's dad was his best friend, and even now, two years later, he can't bring himself to touch the Untouchable Urn of Oblivion that sits in his front hall.

Xander Maze loves lists, and his grandmother is #1 on his list of People I Love Most in the World. But now that Nanna has stage 4 cancer, can a new list of 100 Remarkable Feats really save her? Particularly when his list contains difficult things like #2 Make a Friend and #3 Make a Best Friend—plus #10 Kiss a Girl (preferably Ally Collins, the girl of Xander's dreams).

Debut author Justin A. Reynolds delivers a hilarious and heartfelt novel about the choices we make, the people we choose, and the moments that make a life worth reliving. Perfect for fans of Nicola Yoon and John Green. When Jack and Kate meet at a party, bonding until sunrise over their mutual love of Froot Loops and their favorite flicks, Jack knows he's falling - hard. Soon she's meeting his best friends, Jillian and Franny, and Kate wins them over as easily as she did Jack.

A smart, funny, sex-positive YA perfect for fans of Nicola Yoon and Rainbow Rowell, this is a heartwarming look at the particular challenges of adolescence, written as only a teen could. Simone is HIV-positive - and positive HIV won't define her. She also knows that celibacy is - technically - the best way to stay safe. Enter Miles Austin: intelligent, funny and way too sexy for Simone to resist. But her classmates don't know that she's HIV-positive - and what is the truth worth in the hands of the wrong person?

Branca está enferma de hepatite. Desde hai nove días está na cama e ten que gardar repouso absoluto durante cinco ou seis semanas. Unha eternidade! Encima ten que pasar o seu aniversario así, e é un aniversario importante: trece anos. Ese día regálanlle un álbum de fotos e súa nai proponlle que o complete para non se aburrir. E así, pouquiño a pouco, Branca vai lembrando distintos episodios da súa vida que nos permiten ir coñecendo como é e como foi esta rapariga de trece anos.

Social worker Kit Goddard is convinced that Sandbeach Child Services have let an injured 17-year-old boy down, just like they'd done to her brother 10 years earlier. Since the referral came in, it had been passed between departments, her own manager Georgia and colleague Tim brushing it off as a low-risk, low-priority case. But Kit can't shake the feeling that something isn't quite right. Scanning the referral, she notices that the house 17-year-old Dylan Meredith lives in with his 'weird' mother had been described as decrepit.

With a sense of fun and whimsy, this book honestly explores the pain, frustration, and occasional joy of the all-too-common struggle of infertility. It is relatable and cathartic to those who are going through, or have gone through, the process. And it is accessible to their friends and family who haven't but want to understand.

Mia has had a heart condition her whole life. She’s not afraid of dying but something has always stopped her from her biggest fear: tracking down her biological mother in Spain...until now. Before her next surgery, Mia wants to meet the woman who gave her away once and for all. Kyle has always been the life of the party...that was until the car accident that killed his best friend. Since then he’s been reeling with guilt and willing to do just about anything to escape his reality. After a twist of fate, Mia and Kyle meet and make the decision to travel to Spain together in search of answers.