This week’s post is sponsored by Scott Alderman in honor of his new novel, Pier 45!
“Pier 45 is a powerful, moving, important novel. A blend of The Basketball Diaries, Angels in America, and Requiem for a Dream, Scott Alderman has written a brutal, honest story that is not without humor and hope. 10/10.” —Richard Thomas, Bram Stoker, Shirley Jackson, and Thriller Award finalist
“An impactful, unforgettable read” —Independent Book Review
When a drag queen rescues a brutalized teenage hustler in 1981 New York City, it ignites a decade-long saga of prostitution, heroin, AIDS, murder, and supernatural reckoning—told by a child of Holocaust survivors who carries the dead on his tattooed arm and is learning that just surviving isn’t always enough.
“Scott Alderman gives us an intimate rendering of young life in desperate times, telling his story with compassion, dark humor, and wild imagination.” —Vivian Heller, author of Analysis and Exile: Boyhood, Loss and the Lessons of Anna Freud
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Young Adult
Showstopper by Tom Ramsay
Larger-than-life Olly is back at the UK’s most prestigious competition for teen performers to prove he has what it takes to be a leading man. After being sabotaged last year, he is determined to stand out ahead of his drama school auditions.
Nervous newbie Tarun was nominated after stepping in from the chorus to a leading role. This is his week to explore if his secret hobby could be something more serious. But imposter-syndrome is real, and his dad’s derisive comments threaten to derail him.
When the two boys are paired together, Olly can’t comprehend being with someone who doesn’t get his niche musical references, whilst Tarun thinks Olly is “way too much”. But they soon discover they’ve more in common than the opening number might reveal. Amidst the drama of rehearsals, could two boys be falling in love?
Continue reading New Releases: October 6, 2026