Recommended Reads Books (List)

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"Estela, Undrowning" by René Peña-Govea

Estela, Undrowning

René Peña-Govea

Description

In her raw and resonant debut novel, René Peña-Govea seamlessly interweaves prose and poetry to uplift the power of language, the courage to fight injustice, and the complex beauty of finding your people--perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo's The Poet X and Carolina Ixta's Shut Up, This is Serious.

Estela Morales is one of the only Latinas who tested into San Francisco's most exclusive public high school. In her senior year, Estela just wants to keep her head down, eke out a passing grade from her racist Spanish teacher, and get into her dream college.

But after placing second in the Latiné Heritage Poetry Contest behind a non-Latino student, Estela is thrust into citywide debates about merit, identity, and diversity.

Things only get messier when her family is threatened with eviction. As Estela's friends organize against bigotry and her landlady increases the pressure, Estela is suffocating and finds release only in poetry and in a breathless new romance. When tensions finally reach their breaking point, Estela must find a way to undrown the community she loves--and herself.

 

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"Charmed and Dangerous" by Shelly Page

Charmed and Dangerous

Shelly Page

Description

“An absolutely delightful romp that you need in your life.” —C. B. Lee, New York Times bestselling author of Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe 

A teen mystic will do anything to solve a series of love-related magical mishaps plaguing her high school, including fake dating her boss's daughter, in this charming sapphic romance.

Magic lingers in the cozy town of Fair Glen, Illinois, and it’s up to the agents at the Bureau of Mystical Affairs to keep it in check. Monroe Bennett, a junior recruit at the Bureau, is ready to ace her first assignment: tracking down the source of a rogue love charm.

Protecting her charmed classmates, including the Bureau Director’s daughter Iris James, is top priority. But when Iris asks Monroe to fake date her to make her ex jealous, things get complicated. 

Monroe believes in duty, not romance. Yet the more time she spends with Iris, the harder it is to ignore the very real sparks flying between them. Can Monroe protect herself from love long enough to solve this case, or will her growing feelings get in the way?

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"One Word, Six Letters" by Adib Khorram

One Word, Six Letters

Adib Khorram

Description

Two teen boys grapple with identity and accountability and set off a ripple effect within their community after a school assembly is disrupted by a shouted slur.

★"[A] searing, deeply felt dual-POV novel," —Publishers Weekly, starred review

Freshmen Dayton and Farshid couldn’t be more different—or so it seems.

When Dayton takes a dare and shouts the f-slur at a visiting author during a school event, it sets off a chain reaction that forces both boys to face parts of themselves they’d rather ignore.

Dayton, grappling with the fallout of his actions, faces rejection from his friends, disappointment from his parents, and a growing awareness of the harm he’s caused. Meanwhile, Farshid is left to untangle his own feelings—about himself and about the quiet struggle of coming to terms with his queerness in a world steeped in heteronormativity.

As their lives unexpectedly intersect, Dayton and Farshid must reckon with what kind of men they want to become and whether they have the courage to defy toxic masculinity and societal expectations.

Timely, raw, and deeply thought-provoking, this novel is perfect for fans of Jason Reynolds and Nic Stone.

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"Estela, Undrowning" by René Peña-Govea

Estela, Undrowning

René Peña-Govea

Description

In her raw and resonant debut novel, René Peña-Govea seamlessly interweaves prose and poetry to uplift the power of language, the courage to fight injustice, and the complex beauty of finding your people--perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo's The Poet X and Carolina Ixta's Shut Up, This is Serious.

Estela Morales is one of the only Latinas who tested into San Francisco's most exclusive public high school. In her senior year, Estela just wants to keep her head down, eke out a passing grade from her racist Spanish teacher, and get into her dream college.

But after placing second in the Latiné Heritage Poetry Contest behind a non-Latino student, Estela is thrust into citywide debates about merit, identity, and diversity.

Things only get messier when her family is threatened with eviction. As Estela's friends organize against bigotry and her landlady increases the pressure, Estela is suffocating and finds release only in poetry and in a breathless new romance. When tensions finally reach their breaking point, Estela must find a way to undrown the community she loves--and herself.

 

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"One Word, Six Letters" by Adib Khorram

One Word, Six Letters

Adib Khorram

Description

Two teen boys grapple with identity and accountability and set off a ripple effect within their community after a school assembly is disrupted by a shouted slur.

★"[A] searing, deeply felt dual-POV novel," —Publishers Weekly, starred review

Freshmen Dayton and Farshid couldn’t be more different—or so it seems.

When Dayton takes a dare and shouts the f-slur at a visiting author during a school event, it sets off a chain reaction that forces both boys to face parts of themselves they’d rather ignore.

Dayton, grappling with the fallout of his actions, faces rejection from his friends, disappointment from his parents, and a growing awareness of the harm he’s caused. Meanwhile, Farshid is left to untangle his own feelings—about himself and about the quiet struggle of coming to terms with his queerness in a world steeped in heteronormativity.

As their lives unexpectedly intersect, Dayton and Farshid must reckon with what kind of men they want to become and whether they have the courage to defy toxic masculinity and societal expectations.

Timely, raw, and deeply thought-provoking, this novel is perfect for fans of Jason Reynolds and Nic Stone.

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"A Stage Set for Villains" by Shannon J. Spann

A Stage Set for Villains

Shannon J. Spann

Description

INSTANT #1 NYT BESTSELLER
STARRED Publishers Weekly Review
STARRED Kirkus Reviews
STARRED School Library Journal Review

The gods are dead. All that’s left are the Players...

The performers of the Playhouse are as worshipped as they are feared, their enchanting shows bending hearts, minds, and even reality itself. Vicious, godlike, lethal. Eighteen-year-old Riven Hesper knows the dangers better than anyone, after her own encounter with a Player resulted in a curse that is slowly killing her.

When the Playhouse announces the spectacle of a lifetime—a chance for one mortal to steal a Player’s immortality—Riven sees her last chance to live. Desperate for answers, she infiltrates the competition. There, she finds Jude, the Playhouse’s brilliant, merciless Lead Player, whose charm is as dangerous as his Craft, and strikes a deadly bargain to save her life.

But with time running out and the Playhouse’s secrets unraveling into a disturbing picture, Riven faces a grim possibility: she might not be the hero of her story after all. In fact, she may be the villain.

Because the Playhouse doesn’t just tell stories. It rewrites them.

And Riven’s might end in blood.

Caraval meets One Dark Window in this lush and dark romantasy.

***Don’t miss out on the stunning DELUXE LIMITED EDITION while supplies last. This breathtaking collectible is only available on a limited first print run in the US and Canada only, a must-have for any book lover.

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"Akira Failing in Love, Vol. 1" by Shinta Harekawa

Akira Failing in Love, Vol. 1

Shinta Harekawa

Description

A chaotic comedy of high school courtship between an awkward girl and a dorky boy too dense to realize they are already in love with each other.

Akira returns to the countryside for high school with a foolproof scheme to win the heart of her childhood crush, Hajime. Too bad they’re both fools in love!

Highlights of Akira’s carefully orchestrated strategy to court Hajime include covering his eyes with her hands, tricking him into saying her name, and making his heart race. But she might have better luck impressing him with her academic and athletic prowess. Or not. Because he’s too dense to figure out she likes him. And she’s too dense to figure out he likes her back!

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"The Curse of the Mummy" by Candace Fleming

The Curse of the Mummy

Candace Fleming

Description

Award-winning and critically acclaimed author Candace Fleming presents the edge-of-your-seat true story of the search for Tutankhamun's tomb, the Western public's belief that the dig was cursed, and the battle for ownership of the treasures within.

 

Scholastic Focus is the premier home of thoroughly researched, beautifully written, and thoughtfully designed works of narrative nonfiction aimed at middle-grade and young adult readers. These books help readers learn about the world in which they live and develop their critical thinking skills so that they may become dynamic citizens who are able to analyze and understand our past, participate in essential discussions about our present, and work to grow and build our future.

During the reign of the New Kingdom of Egypt, the boy pharaoh Tutankhamun ruled and died tragically young. In order to send him on his way into the afterlife, his tomb was filled with every treasure he would need after death. And then, it was lost to time, buried in the sands of the Valley of the Kings.

His tomb was also said to be cursed.

Centuries later, as Egypt-mania gripped Europe, two Brits -- a rich earl with a habit for gambling and a disreputable, determined archeologist -- worked for years to rediscover and open Tutankhamun's tomb. But once it was uncovered, would ancient powers take their revenge for disturbing and even looting the pharaoh's resting place? What else could explain the mysterious illnesses, accidents, and deaths that began once it was found?

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Book cover reading "A Year of Granny Squares" by Kylie Moleta, featuring a grid of crocheted granny squares with varying patterns and colors

A Year of Granny Squares

Kylie Moleta

Description

Featuring clear instructions, detailed stitch diagrams, and stunning photography, this volume ensures that you have all the tools you need to embark on your crochet adventure with confidence. Expand your skills, learn new techniques, and watch your crochet expertise grow throughout the year.

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Book cover reading "Creative Basket Weaving" by  Sylvie Bégot, featuring images of woven baskets

Creative Basket Weaving

Sylvie Bégot

Description

So many interesting basketry designs can be made from plant leaves and bark that you can find in nature or purchase from suppliers. Learn how to harvest these materials and use the basic materials and weaving techniques to make projects ranging from traditional baskets to wall hangings to a shoulder bag, pencil cup, Christmas decorations, and much more.

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Book cover reading "Beginner's Guide to Making Mosaics" by Delphine Lescuyer, featuring images of mosaic pieces

Beginner's Guide to Making Mosaics

Delphine Lescuyer

Description

Transform items in your home into beautiful works of art! Eye-catching and a lot of fun to do, mosaics will help you transform almost any space into a stunning work of art. You can spruce up your home, both indoors and outdoors, with colorful accents and unique mosaic designs. Beginner's Guide to Making Mosaics is your introductory guide to mosaic tiles for crafts that covers everything from window sills, walls, and coffee tables to flower pots, picture frames, trays, and more decorative pieces. The 16 easy projects come with supply lists, step-by-step instructions, high-quality photography, and helpful tips. Also included is everything you need to know about the materials, tools, and techniques you'll use to make your own colorful works of art with mosaics. 

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Book cover reading "How to Embroider Texture and Pattern" by Melissa Galbraith, featuring several embroidery pieces depicting natural scenery

How to Embroider Texture and Pattern

Melissa Galbraith

Description

Embroider the beauty of nature. A complete guide to adding studding textures, colors, patterns, and other eye-catching details to your hand-stitched projects, this must-have book is a beautiful, skill-building resource for embroidery enthusiasts of any skill level! You'll experiment with printed fabrics and unique stitches in this exciting new approach to embroidery. Featuring studding hoop projects inspired by landscapes--from the mountain ranges of Washington and the desert arches of Utah to the hidden beach coves of Mexico and the tropical waterfalls of Hawaii--these designs will help you take your embroidery skills to the next level and capture the art, patterns, and textures of nature, one stitch at a time!

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Book cover reading 'Sewing Machines Made Simple' by Jessica Shaw, featuring a woman standing behind a sewing machine surrounded by sewing supplies

Sewing Machine Made Simple

Jessica Shaw

Description

From setting up your machine and exploring different stitches to learning how to hem and create beautiful projects, Jessica Shaw has all the know-how you need to master your sewing machine. Jessica’s approachable instructions make it easy to learn new skills, like crafting simple repairs to worn-out clothing, adding embellishments, and tips for sewing on different fabric types. Beginner projects are included. 

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Book cover reading 'Wool Sculpting' by Louise Lambert, featuring images of four felted projects

Wool Sculpting: Needle Felting for Beginners

Louise Lambert

Description

Needle felting is an increasingly popular craft because it can be used to create almost anything! This book has everything you need to know to make your very own three-dimensional needle felted sculptures. Featuring 10 step-by-step projects to get you started, ranging from toadstools and teacups to puffins and mice, learn how to create your very own sculptures.

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Book cover reading 'Easy Crochet for Beginners' by Nicki Trench, featuring a large, crocheted bag containing supplies

Easy Crochet for Beginners

Nicki Trench

Description

Nicki Trench, one of the leading figures in the revival and promotion of home crafts, has designed a series of patterns that will guide you from the initial crochet stitches to producing beautiful projects incorporating a wide range of techniques. Includes 35 easy-to-follow patterns that will teach you how to crochet as you go along.

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Book cover reading 'The Complete Photo Guide to Cardmaking' by Judi Watanabe, featuring several decorative cards and stamps

The Complete Photo Guide to Cardmaking

Judi Watanabe

Description

Handmade cards are gifts, creative expressions, keepsakes, and relationship builders. This volume contains information on a variety of paper-crafting techniques, including a comprehensive description of paper types available, folding options and techniques, coloring and image transfer methods, and adding embellishments. More than 80 projects are included. 

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Book cover reading 'The Sewing Book' by Alison Smith, featuring an illustration of a spool of thread, tapestry needle, and buttons against a light blue background

The Sewing Book

Alison Smith

Description

Written by a passionate stitcher and teacher eager to produce a one-stop sewing bible for her students, this book leaves no hem unturned. This comprehensive reference volume contains guidance on tools, stitches, techniques, and patterns, all of which are sharply photographed, carefully annotated, and clearly explained. It also contains 25 home décor and clothing projects. 

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Book cover reading 'My Scrapbook Journal' by Alina Fischer, featuring a scrapbook page

My Scrapbook Journal

Alina Fischer

Description

Sometimes referred to as a smash or junk journal, scrapbooking can be used to create collages of your favorite themes, record moments or ideas, or keep a lasting record of memorabilia. Discover all the inside tricks and tips of scrapbooking in this volume. Packed with inspirations and practical know-how, you'll soon be hooked on this hobby that expresses your creativity and relaxes your mind and body at the same time.

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Book cover reading 'A Beginner's Guide to Modern Calligraphy and Brush Pen Lettering' by Maki Shimano, featuring an assortment of calligraphy fonts against a cream background

A Beginner's Guide to Modern Calligraphy and Brush Pen Lettering

Maki Shimano

Description

This step-by-step guide by an experienced calligraphy teacher allows you to develop your skills progressively. Master calligrapher Maki Shimano shows you all the techniques and provides hundreds of colorful examples to inspire you. She also provides dozens of ideas for decorative motifs such as wreaths, balloons, birthday cakes, and more!

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Book cover reading 'Embroidery with Buttons' by Rosemary Drysdale, featuring four images of embroidery projects with buttons

Embroidery with Buttons

Rosemary Drysdale

Description

Embroidery is an ancient craft that has been enjoyed and practiced for centuries, providing crafters with a relaxing and mindful activity to create beautiful works of art using needlepoint and fabric. In this book, embroidery expert Rosemary Drysdale adds a new twist with a delightful collection of projects which use buttons in an innovative and creative way.

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Book cover reading "Herbs in Every Season" by Bevin Cohen, featuring images of sunflowers and herbs

Herbs in Every Season

Bevin Cohen

Description

Herbs in Every Season offers gardeners, herbalists, cooks, and homesteaders a new way of looking at herbs throughout the year. Herbalists will learn how an herb's growth habits inform its medicinal capabilities, and gardeners will gain insight on herbs as integral culinary plants for the kitchen garden, pollinator plants for perennial borders, and key ingredients for a home apothecary. ​With detailed plant profiles, Bevin Cohen encourages a year-round perspective on growing and using herbs in tandem with the seasons. He assures any newcomer that herbs are not only easy to grow, but also forgiving. Readers will take delight in: 

·Simple, homegrown recipes and preservation techniques for tonics, teas, meals, and treats

·Herbal remedies and useful DIY applications for common ailments such as sunburns and mosquito bites

·Deep insight on how the life cycle of an herb contributes to its medicinal and culinary properties

·How a seasonal herbal approach can provide a much-needed process of cyclical re-connection to the earth

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Book cover reading "In Praise of the Earth" by Byung-Chul Han, featuring a pink sketch of flowers against a deep purple background

In Praise of the Earth

Byung-Chul Han

Description

The earth is not a dead, mute landscape but an eloquent, living being. Sometimes it just takes a spade, a packet of seeds, and a pair of sturdy boots to realize it.

The philosopher Byung-Chul Han spent three springs, summers, autumns, and winters in his secret garden in Berlin, devoting himself to daily gardening in all weathers. For Han, gardening is a form of silent meditation, a lingering in stillness. It gives you a different sense of time. Every plant has its own time that is specific to it, and the garden is a space in which these multiple temporalities overlap and cut across one another. The longer he worked in the garden, the more respect he developed for the earth and for its enchanting beauty.

Gardening taught him what care for others means. Each organism has its own consciousness of time passing; each organism lives in its own micro-universe. Step by step, Han receded from himself and the world, moving closer and closer to an exuberant, divine nature which we are increasingly in danger of losing.

Through this rich meditation on plants, soil, gardening, and time, Han unfolds a way of relating to and tending the earth that is in sharp contrast to the brutal, incessant exploitation of our planet that we see all around us today.

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Book cover reading "Essential Guide to Perennial Gardening" by American Horticultural Society, featuring images of flowers

Essential Guide to Perennial Gardening

American Horticultural Society

Description

The second book in the American Horticultural Society’s series of growing guides, Essential Guide to Perennial Gardening is a comprehensive and modern guide to cultivating and caring for perennial plants, including many perennials native to North America. Whether you grow in full sun or a shady corner, in a small space or a large landscape, the insight and guidance offered by the experts at AHS ensure you’ll have a thriving, bloom-filled garden. Included inside: 

  • Strategies for designing the perennial garden of your dreams or incorporating perennials into an existing garden 
  • Advice on selecting the best perennials for your climate and design style
  • Techniques for fostering a robust and adaptable garden that requires lower maintenance 
  • Eco-friendly approaches to managing pests and diseases 
  • Information on routine perennial plant-care tasks such as dividing, pruning, pinching, staking, and fertilizing
  • Insight on garden maintenance methods that do not negatively impact pollinators and other wildlife
  • Over 150 perennial plant profiles with photographs and specific care advice 


This complete and contemporary manual contains all the information you need to grow perennials successfully in the face of today’s many gardening challenges, including weather extremes, invasive pests, water-use restrictions, and other such trials. Its modern approach to perennial gardening focuses on treating the garden as an ecosystem that depends less on human interference and more on natural resiliency.

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Book cover reading "Grass Isn't Greener" by Danae Wolfe, featuring images of flowers and grass

Grass Isn't Greener

Danae Wolfe

Description

Rooted in twenty practical steps that anyone can take starting today, Grass Isn't Greener demonstrates how small changes in your yard or garden can create lasting impact for the planet: from leaving your leaves to selecting eco-friendly holiday decorations; from eliminating light pollution to attracting wildlife; from saving seeds to devoting even a small patch of lawn to native plants. With easy-to-follow advice and real-life examples, conservation educator Danae Wolfe will help you appreciate the new life you've attracted to your yard. A companion for new homeowners, renters, and gardeners, Grass Isn't Greener is a resource for anyone looking for little ways to make a big difference--and to have fun doing it.

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Book cover reading "Complete Guide to Growing and Cultivating Herbs and Spices" by Linda Gray, featuring images of various herbs

Complete Guide to Growing and Cultivating Herbs and Spices

Linda Gray

Description

Inside this home gardening book, author Linda Gray steers you through every step of planning indoor and outdoor gardens, from propagating and growing to using and preserving herbs and spices. This isn't a one-size-fits-all guide! It's a comprehensive resource to discover what fits your unique space and climate. You'll discover plant-specific advice to target the best possible additions to your garden, including strategies for selecting which herbs and spices to grow, prepping your space at home, and designing to maximize your space. Each plant profile explains the specific challenges and advantages of each plant and how to select the best for your climate, along with growing, planting, and harvesting advice, as well as how to use each herb and spice in food.

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Book cover reading "Sisters in Science" by Olivia Campbell, featuring two women in dresses against a black background

Sisters in Science

Olivia Campbell

Description

In the 1930s, Germany was a hotbed of scientific thought. But after the Nazis took power, Jewish and female citizens were forced out of their academic positions. Hedwig Kohn, Lise Meitner, Hertha Sponer and Hildegard Stücklen were eminent in their fields, but they had no choice but to flee due to their Jewish ancestry or anti-Nazi sentiments.

Their harrowing journey out of Germany became a life-and-death situation that required Herculean efforts of friends and other prominent scientists. Lise fled to Sweden, where she made a groundbreaking discovery in nuclear physics, and the others fled to the United States, where they brought advanced physics to American universities. No matter their destination, each woman revolutionized the field of physics when all odds were stacked against them, galvanizing young women to do the same.

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Book cover reading "Fearless and Free" by Josephine Baker, featuring a sepia image of a woman

Fearless and Free

Josephine Baker

Description

After stealing the spotlight as a teenaged Broadway performer during the height of the Harlem Renaissance, Josephine then took Paris by storm, dazzling audiences across the Roaring Twenties. In her famous banana skirt, she enraptured royalty and countless fans—Ernest Hemingway and Pablo Picasso among them. She strolled the streets of Paris with her pet cheetah wearing a diamond collar. With her signature flapper bob and enthralling dance moves, she was one of the most recognizable women in the world.

When World War II broke out, Josephine became a decorated spy for the French Résistance. Her celebrity worked as her cover, as she hid spies in her entourage and secret messages in her costumes as she traveled. She later joined the Civil Rights movement in the US, boycotting segregated concert venues, and speaking at the March on Washington alongside Martin Luther King Jr. 

First published in France in 1949, her memoir will now finally be published in English. At last we can hear Josephine in her own voice: charming, passionate, and brave. Her words are thrilling and intimate, like she’s talking with her friends over after-show drinks in her dressing room. Through her own telling, we come to know a woman who danced to the top of the world and left her unforgettable mark on it.

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Book cover reading "Language as Liberation" by Toni Morrison, featuring white lettering and a bright blue background

Language as Liberation

Toni Morrison

Description

In a dazzling series of lectures from her tenure as a professor at Princeton University, Toni Morrison interrogates America’s most famous works and authors, drawing a direct line from the Black bodies that built the nation to the Black characters that many of the country’s canonical white writers imagined in their work. Morrison sees these fictions as a form of creation and projection, arguing that they helped manufacture American racial identity—these “Africanist” presences are “the shadow that makes light possible,” as Morrison writes, and the reflections of their authors’ own deepest fears, insecurities, and longings.

With profound erudition and wit, Morrison breaks wide open the American conception of race with energetic, enlivening readings of the nation’s canon, revealing that our liberation from these diminishing notions comes through language. “How,” Morrison wonders, “could one speak of profit, of economy, of labor, or progress, of suffragism, or Christianity, of the frontier, of the formation of new states, the acquisition of new lands . . . of practically anything a new nation concerns itself with—without having as a referent, at the heart of the discourse or defining its edges, the presence of Africans and/or their descendants?”

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Book cover reading "Amazons, Abolitionists, and Activists" by Mikki Kendall, featuring an illustration of a woman flexing her arm

Amazons, Abolitionists, and Activists

Mikki Kendall

Description

The ongoing struggle for women’s rights has spanned human history, touched nearly every culture on Earth, and encompassed a wide range of issues, such as the right to vote, work, get an education, own property, exercise bodily autonomy, and beyond. Amazons, Abolitionists, and Activists is a fun and fascinating graphic novel–style primer that covers the key figures and events that have advanced women’s rights from antiquity to the modern era. In addition, this compelling book illuminates the stories of notable women throughout history—from queens and freedom fighters to warriors and spies—and the progressive movements led by women that have shaped history, including abolition, suffrage, labor, civil rights, LGBTQ liberation, reproductive rights, and more. 

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Book cover reading "Ella" by Diane Richards, featuring an illustration of a woman with a microphone

Ella

Diane Richards

Description

When fifteen-year-old Ella Fitzgerald's mother dies at the height of the Depression in 1932, the teenager goes to work for the mob to support herself and her family. When the law finally catches up, the "ungovernable" adolescent is incarcerated in the New York Training School for Girls in upstate New York--a wicked prison infamous for its harsh treatment of inmates, especially Black ones. Determined to be free, Ella escapes and makes her way back to Harlem, where she is forced to dance for pennies on the street.

Looking for a break into show business, Ella draws straws to appear at the Apollo Theater's Amateur Night on November 21, 1934. Rather than perform a dance routine directly after "The World Famous Edwards Sisters" number, the homeless Ella, wearing men's galoshes a size too big, risks everything when she decides to sing Judy instead. Four years later, at barely twenty-one, Ella Fitzgerald has become the bestselling female vocalist in America.

Compelling and rich in historical detail, Ella is a remarkable debut novel about an extraordinary woman.

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Book cover reading "In a League of Her Own" by Kaia Alderson, featuring a woman in a blue coat overlooking a baseball field

In a League of Her Own

Kaia Alderson

Description

1930s, New York City: An ambitious Harlem woman's husband upends her social climbing when he buys a Negro Leagues baseball team and appoints her as the team's business manager. Overnight, Effa Manley goes from 125th Street's civil rights champion to an interloper in the boys' club that is professional baseball.

Navigating her way through gentlemen's agreement contracts, the very public flirtatious antics of superstar Satchel Paige, and a sports world that would much rather see this woman back in her "place" at home, Effa ultimately whips her team, the Newark Eagles, into the Negro Leagues Champions of 1946. But how long will she get to enjoy the fruits of her success before Major League Baseball tears it all apart.

Based on the incredible life of Effa Manley, an unforgettable and inspiring story about a woman with a dream who wound up with a baseball team.

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"When We Were Brilliant" by Lynn Cullen

When We Were Brilliant

Lynn Cullen

Description

In 1952, Norma Jeane Baker follows documentary photographer Eve Arnold into a powder room on the night they first meet. She has a proposition for her. Norma Jeane created Marilyn Monroe to be photographed, and she wants Eve to do it. Eve is better than anyone she’s seen at revealing a person’s inner truth. Together they can help each other. Together, she says, they can make something brilliant.

Skeptical of this cipher of a young woman, Eve demurs. She’s looking for more serious subjects than this ambitious starlet. But she keeps getting drawn back into Marilyn’s orbit, and the women come to recognize something in each other—something fundamental. Nothing will get in the way of what they want, and when Marilyn’s star takes off to teetering heights, neither will ever be the same.

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Book cover reading "With Love from Harlem" by ReShonda Tate, featuring a yellow vintage car under a marquee

With Love from Harlem

ReShonda Tate

Description

Harlem, 1943. At just twenty-three, Hazel Scott is a woman on fire. A jazz prodigy, a glamorous film star, and a fierce advocate for civil rights, she's breaking barriers and refusing to play by the rules. Then Adam Clayton Powell Jr. walks into her life. Harlem's most electrifying preacher-turned-politician, Adam is as bold and unyielding as Hazel--charismatic, powerful...and married.

This kicks off a decades-long relationship that propels them into the center of a political and cultural revolution. As Hazel's star rises, Adam takes the national stage in Congress and the couple becomes the toast of the country. But when their affair turns into a marriage, behind the glamorous façade is a battlefield of ego, ambition, and sacrifice. Forced to choose between her music and her family, Hazel must decide what she's willing to lose--and what she refuses to give up.

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Bok cover reading "Ace, Marvel, Spy" by Jenni L. Walsh, featuring a female tennis player

Ace, Marvel, Spy

Jenni L. Walsh

Description

At seventeen, Alice Marble has no formal tennis skills and no coach. What she does have is an ability to hit the ball as hard as she can and a strong desire to prove herself. With steadfast determination and one sacrifice after another, Alice plays her heart out on the courts of the rich and famous, at national tournaments, and--the greatest of them all--at Wimbledon, rising to be one of the top-ranked players in the world.

But then her world falls apart.

With the outbreak of war with Germany, Alice's tennis career and life come to a screeching halt, and for the first time, she is forced to confront who she is without tennis. As she seeks to understand her new place in the world and how she can aid in the war efforts, a telegram arrives with devastating news from overseas. Heartbroken and lost, she feels like she can only watch as the war wreaks havoc in every area of her life.

Until an unexpected invitation arrives.

Alice is given the chance to fight back when the US Army sends her a request: Under the guise of playing in tennis exhibition games in Switzerland, she would be a spy for them. Alice aches for nothing more than to avenge what the war has taken from her and to prove herself against this new opponent. But what awaits her might be her greatest challenge yet.

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"Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 1" by Kanehito Yamada

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 1

Kanehito Yamada

Description

The adventure is over but life goes on for an elf mage just beginning to learn what living is all about.

Elf mage Frieren and her courageous fellow adventurers have defeated the Demon King and brought peace to the land. But Frieren will long outlive the rest of her former party. How will she come to understand what life means to the people around her?

Decades after their victory, the funeral of one her friends confronts Frieren with her own near immortality. Frieren sets out to fulfill the last wishes of her comrades and finds herself beginning a new adventure…

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"Vixen NYC Volume One" by Jasmine Walls

Vixen NYC Volume One

Jasmine Walls

Description

Turns out that the 'magical powers' are actually a thing, and Mari is next up to wield them. Freshman year is gonna be a doozy.

Before starting college, Mari Jiwe's relatives gift her an ancestral totem, once fabled to give its wearer the powers of the animal kingdom. Mari just chalks its 'magical powers' up to superstition.

After arriving in New York City, though, she definitely notices something strange about her new home. Especially the animals. While Mari battles staying awake in class and feral subway rats, dark plans emerge from the corners of the vast metropolis. Girls who look just like her start going missing and Mari can't shake the feeling that she's next.

As for the totem? Turns out that the 'magical powers' are actually a thing, and Mari is next up to wield them. Freshman year is gonna be a doozy.

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"Ichi the Witch, Vol. 1" by Osamu Nishi

Ichi the Witch, Vol. 1

Osamu Nishi

Description

In a world where only women can be witches, one unsuspecting boy acquires their power.

Magic is alive and well in the world, inside beings known as Majiks. By completing a Majik’s trial, a Witch can gain its power. However, only women can become Witches or use magical items. All that changes one day when a young man named Ichi turns the world on its head by defeating an infamous Majik and gaining its magical powers!

Ichi is a reclusive hunter who knows nothing of Witches and Majiks, but he does have a particular obsession for hunting anything that exudes bloodlust. When that instinct leads him to interfere in a battle between the great Witch Desscaras and the horrifying King Majik Uroro, against all odds, he acquires the destructive magic of Uroro, making him the only male Witch in the entire world! And not even Desscaras herself is prepared for the absolute headache that wild child Ichi is about to give her.

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"Your Letter" by Hyeon A Cho

Your Letter

Hyeon A Cho

Description

Sori Lee is hoping for a fresh start at her new school--which is easier said than done when every single thing reminds her of why she transferred. As luck would have it, an anonymous letter taped to the bottom of her desk provides a perfect distraction. Little does Sori know that she's about to embark on the scavenger hunt of a lifetime! What starts off as simple curiosity becomes a healing journey as Sori discovers just how far a small act of kindness can go.

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"Falling in Love with a Traveling Cat: Mofusand's 1st Illustration Book!" by JUNO

Falling in Love with a Traveling Cat: Mofusand's 1st Illustration Book!

JUNO

Description

"Where would you like to travel? The aquarium, the amusement park, the great outdoors, the hot springs… Make a plan and pack your little bag! The cute kitties of Mofusand have conquered Japan and now, they're taking a trip! Incredible illustrator Juno brings the lives and travels of these cats to life in Falling In Love with a Traveling Cat!"

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The title "Coach" appears in black capital letters; the characters from the four previous books in the series are seated on the letters, and the title character stands beside the "H."

Coach

Jason Reynolds

Description

Three starred reviews!

In this “beautifully executed victory lap” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) to Jason Reynolds’s award-winning and New York Times bestselling Track series, meet Coach as a boy striving to come into his own as a track star while facing upheaval at home.

Before Coach was the man who gave caring yet firm-handed guidance to Ghost, Lu, Patina, and Sunny on the Defenders track team, he was little Otie Brody, who was obsessed with Mr. 9.99 (a.k.a. Carl Lewis) and Marty McFly from Back to the Future. Like Mr. 9.99—and his own dad—Otie is a sprinter. Sprint free or die is practically his motto. 

Then his dad, who is always away on business trips, comes home with a pair of Jordans. JORDANS. Fine as fine can be. Otie puts them on and feels like he can leap to the moon…maybe even leap like Mr. 9.99 when he won the Olympic gold medal in the long jump. But one morning he wakes up to find his brand-new secret weapon kicks are missing—right off his feet! And Otie just might have a fuzzy memory of his dad easing them off as Otie was sleeping, but that can’t be right, can it?

Unless all the reasons for his dad’s “gone’s” are very different from what he’s been told… Because now, not only are the Jordans missing, but so is his father.

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"The Sun and the Starmaker" by Rachel Griffin

The Sun and the Starmaker

Rachel Griffin

Description

There once was a village so far north that most considered it the top of the world... and in that village, the Sun fell in love with her Starmaker. From the New York Times bestselling author of The Nature of Witches comes a whimsical and sweeping romantic fantasy.

Nestled deep in the snowy mountains of the Lost Range, the village of Reverie is a small miracle. Beyond the reach of the Sun, Reverie is dependent upon the magic of the mysterious Starmaker: every morning, he trudges across a vast glacier and pulls in sunlight over the peaks, providing the village with the light it needs to survive.

Aurora Finch grew up on tales of the Starmaker's magic, never imagining she'd one day meet him. But on the morning of her wedding, a fateful encounter in the frostbitten woods changes everything. The Starmaker senses a powerful magic within her and demands she come study under his guidance. With her newfound abilities tied to the survival of the village, Aurora is swept away to his ice-covered castle and far from everything she's ever known.

The Starmaker is as cold and distant as the mountain itself, leaving Aurora to explore his enchanted castle alone. Yet the more she discovers about the sorcerer, the stronger their attraction grows, pulling her closer to the secrets he refuses to share. But a deadly frost approaches and Aurora must uncover what the Starmaker is hiding before she is left in an endless winter that even the Sun cannot touch.

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White and yellow letters spell out the title "Paradise Coast," while a dark sky in the background highlights the outlines of teens (that appear in shades of red) in the foreground.

Paradise Coast

Suzanne Young

Description

Rival groups of local and wealthy teens in a small Everglades town confront the secrets that rise from the waters in the wake of a hurricane in this sizzling and suspenseful thriller from New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Young—perfect for fans of Outer Banks and The White Lotus.

Some secrets won’t stay buried. Not even in the Everglades.

Deep in the Everglades, there was once a luxurious and legendary hotel enjoyed by the wealthy elite. Until one mysterious night when a fire tore through the building, killing a young socialite and casting blame on a local dock worker. Soon after, the hotel vanished, swallowed up by the wetlands like it never existed at all. 

Until now.

When a powerful hurricane unearths the ruins of the long-forgotten hotel, the past is dragged back to the surface as clues to the devasting truth about the night of the fire are revealed. 

It’s the truth that die-hard local Noa and her friends have been chasing for years in the hopes of clearing their ancestor’s name and pushing back against the rich families trying to force them out. With the help of Jamie, the rebellious son of a wealthy businessman, Noa and her crew begin a desperate fight for the justice they deserve. 

It won’t be easy. Because the wealthy control just about everything on Paradise Coast—including the truth. And they will do whatever it takes, even kill, to make sure the past stays buried.

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"Limelight" by Andrew Keenan-Bolger

Limelight

Andrew Keenan-Bolger

Description

Fame meets Rent in this powerful YA debut about a boy who must reconcile with his identity and insecurity as he steps into the spotlight, from Broadway star Andrew Keenan-Bolger.

The only thing standing between Danny and his dreams is…everything.

For fifteen years, Danny Victorio has kept his head down, kept his mouth shut, and kept everyone out. But an audition for Manhattan’s most prestigious arts school offers him a chance to escape Staten Island—and his crumbling family—for good.

If he doesn’t screw everything up.

At LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts, Danny is thrust into a world of fierce talent and even fiercer ambition. As he navigates overwhelming expectations, the ghosts of his past, and, for the first time, real friendship, Danny can’t shake the question: Where do I belong…if I belong at all? 

Set against the gritty, vibrant backdrop of 1996 New York City—where peep-show palaces were giving way to Disney stores, “Club Kids” ruled the nightlife scene, and a new musical called Rent was driving teens to sleep on the seediest sidewalks of Times Square in hopes of a ticket—Limelight is a story about discovering your voice, finding your family, and figuring out who, and where, you’re really meant to be.

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"Red Star Rebels" by Amie Kaufman

Red Star Rebels

Amie Kaufman

Description

8 HOURS TO STOP AN EXPLOSION...8 HOURS TO FALL IN LOVE.
From the New York Times bestselling co-author of Illuminae and Aurora Rising comes a high-stakes, high-chemistry, sci-fi romp about a stowaway girl and the richest boy in the galaxy, racing the clock to outwit a gang of mercenaries.

It’s 2067, and the Graves family has transformed Mars from a lifeless rock into a chaotic patch of settlements. You can buy a one-way ticket to a new life--if you're rich.

Enter Hunter Graves, the handsome, ambitious grandson of the man who settled Mars. With spectacularly bad timing, Hunter arrives at the United Nations base just as an emergency evacuation sends everyone scurrying for safety. Except he’s left behind. Uh-oh. 

Also stranded: Cleo, a sharp-tonged stowaway with no intention of dying today, and even less patience for overconfident trust fund boys. But the enemy of your enemy might just help you survive, so here we are.

It turns out the evacuation is just a cover for the mercenaries who come next, and the plan to blow up the base--and every trace of their crime--in eight hours.

Now, Hunter and Cleo have one shot to stop the explosion, escape alive, and deal with the inconvenient fact that they're falling for each other.

The clock is ticking.

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"A Year with the Seals" by Alix Morris

A Year with the Seals

Alix Morris

Description

It might be their large, strangely human eyes or their dog-like playfulness, but seals have long captured people's interest and affection, making them the perfect candidate for an environmental cause, as well as the subject of decades of study. Alix Morris spends a year with these magnetic creatures and brings them to life on the page, season by season, as she learns about their intelligence, their relationships with each other, their ecosystems, and the changing climate.

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Book cover reading "My Life with Sea Turtles" by Christine Figgener, featuring a sea turtle swimming underwater

My Life with Sea Turtles

Christine Figgener

Description

In 2015, a team of researchers carefully removed a plastic straw from a sea turtle's nostril off the coast of Costa Rica. The disturbing incident, which was captured on video, went viral, leading to corporate straw bans around the world. In this evocative book, reminiscent of Jane Goodall's memoir In the Shadow of Man, the marine biologist behind the camera, Christine Figgener, recounts her own life spent studying and protecting sea turtles.

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Book cover reading "Super Natural" by Alex Riley, featuring a polar bear on a patch of ice with birds flying overhead and fish swimming underwater below

Super Natural

Alex Riley

Description

From scorching deserts to frozen seabeds, from the highest peaks of the Himalaya to the hadal depths of the oceans, there are habitats on this Earth that appear hostile to life--yet where, nevertheless, life flourishes. In North American forests, wood frogs awaken each spring from solid blocks of ice. Under the Saharan sun, shielded by silvery hairs, desert ants sprint through the midday heat that is lethal to any other animal. At the bottom of ice-covered lakes, painted turtles pass months without breathing oxygen. Transporting readers to far-flung environments we could never call home, in Super Natural, award-winning science writer Alex Riley paints an awe-inspiring portrait of life's remarkable resilience even under the harshest circumstances.

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Book cover reading "Deep Water" by James Bradley, featuring a multi-colored assortment of coral in dark blue water

Deep Water

James Bradley

Description

Seventy-one percent of the earth's surface is ocean. These waters created, shaped, and continue to sustain not just human life, but all life on Planet Earth, and perhaps beyond it. They serve as the stage for our cultural history--driving human development from evolution through exploration, colonialism, and the modern era of global leisure and trade. They are also the harbingers of the future--much of life on Earth cannot survive if sea levels are too low or too high, temperatures too cold or too warm. Our oceans are vast spaces of immense wonder and beauty, and our relationship to them is innate and awe inspired.

Deep Water is both a lyrically written personal meditation and an intriguing wide-ranging reported epic that reckons with our complex connection to the seas.

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Book cover reading The Brilliant Abyss" by Helen Scales, featuring an abstract illustration of a squid underwater

The Brilliant Abyss

Helen Scales

Description

A golden era of deep-sea discovery is underway. Revolutionary studies in the deep are rewriting the very notion of life on Earth and the rules of what is possible. In the process, the abyss is being revealed as perhaps the most amazing part of our planet, with a topography even more varied and extreme than its Earthbound counterpart. Teeming with unsuspected life, an extraordinary interconnected ecosystem deep below the waves has a huge effect on our daily lives, influencing climate and weather systems, with the potential for much more--good or bad depending on how it is exploited. 

Eloquently and passionately, Helen Scales brings to life the majesty and mystery of an alien realm that nonetheless sustains us, while urgently making clear the price we could pay if it is further disrupted. 

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Book cover reading "The World Beneath" by Richard Smith, featuring a deep-dwelling fish in shades of blue and purple against a black background

The World Beneath

Richard Smith

Description

In this richly informative volume, brimming with new discoveries and more than three hundred colorful images of jaw-dropping fish and coral reefs, you'll swim in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans; you'll be dazzled in the Coral Triangle and amazed in Triton Bay. Up close you'll meet the Cenderawasih fairy wrasse, with its fluorescent yellow streak; the polka-dot longnose filefish; and the multicolored seadragon. There are scarlet-colored corals, baby-blue sponges, daffodil crinoids, and all sorts of mystifying creatures that change color at the drop of a hat. The whale shark is almost larger than life and the author's beloved pygmy seahorse, unless photographed, is almost too tiny to see. 

This edition of The World Beneath has new text from award-winning author Dr. Richard Smith that covers recent developments and discoveries affecting the rapidly changing landscape of the world's coral reefs, a wealth of new images from recent dives around the world, and a thorough index.

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Book cover reading "Secrets of the Octopus" by Sy Montgomery, featuring an octopus against a white background

Secrets of the Octopus

Sy Montgomery

Description

The companion to the popular National Geographic Disney+ special Secrets of the Octopus, narrated by Paul Rudd, this beautifully illustrated book explores the underwater world of the octopus-a creature that resembles an alien lifeform, but whose behavior has earned it a reputation as one of the most intelligent animals on the planet.

This journey into the world of the octopus will reveal how the large and capable brain of these creatures occupies their whole body-not just their heads-and they can actually adjust their genetic makeup to respond to the demands of the environment. It will allow readers to watch them change shape and color in order to camouflage themselves more effectively than any other species. And it will divulge how octopus mothers give their all in order to bring forth a new generation.

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Book cover reading "Voices in the Ocean" by Susan Casey, featuring a dolphin underwater

Voices in the Ocean

Susan Casey

Description

Susan Casey’s journey takes her from a community in Hawaii known as “Dolphinville,” where the animals are seen as the key to spiritual enlightenment, to the dark side of the human-cetacean relationship at marine parks and dolphin-hunting grounds in Japan and the Solomon Islands, to the island of Crete, where the Minoan civilization lived in harmony with dolphins, providing a millennia-old example of a more enlightened coexistence with the natural world.

Along the way, Casey recounts the history of dolphin research and introduces us to the leading marine scientists and activists who have made it their life’s work to increase humans’ understanding and appreciation of the wonder of dolphins.

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Book cover reading "The Secret History of Sharks" by John Long, featuring a shark's dorsal fin visible above water

The Secret History of Sharks

John Long

Description

Sharks have been fighting for their lives for 500 million years and today are under dire threat. They are the longest-surviving vertebrate on Earth, outlasting multiple mass extinction events that decimated life on the planet. But how did they thrive for so long? By developing superpower-like abilities that allowed them to ascend to the top of the oceanic food chain.

John Long, who for decades has been on the cutting edge of shark research, weaves a thrilling story of sharks’ unparalleled reign. The Secret History of Sharks showcases the global search to discover sharks’ largely unknown evolution, led by Long and dozens of other extraordinary scientists. They embark on digs to all seven continents, investigating layers of rock and using cutting-edge technology to reveal never-before-found fossils and the clues to sharks’ singular story. 

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Book cover reading "Sing Like Fish" by Amorina Kingdon, featuring an illustration of fish underwater

Sing Like Fish

Amorina Kingdon

Description

For centuries, humans ignored sound in the “silent world” of the ocean, assuming that what we couldn’t perceive, didn’t exist. But we couldn’t have been more wrong. Marine scientists now have the technology to record and study the complex interplay of the myriad sounds in the sea. Finally, we can trace how sounds travel with the currents, bounce from the seafloor and surface, bend with the temperature and even saltiness; how sounds help marine life survive; and how human noise can transform entire marine ecosystems. 

In Sing Like Fish, award-winning science journalist Amorina Kingdon synthesizes historical discoveries with the latest scientific research in a clear and compelling portrait of this sonic undersea world. From plainfin midshipman fish, whose swim-bladder drumming is loud enough to keep houseboat-dwellers awake, to the syntax of whalesong; from the deafening crackle of snapping shrimp, to the seismic resonance of underwater earthquakes and volcanoes; sound plays a vital role in feeding, mating, parenting, navigating, and warning—even in animals that we never suspected of acoustic ability. 

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"Driven to Ride" by Mike Schultz and Matt Higgins

Driven to Ride

Mike Schultz

Description

When "Monster" Mike Schultz won snowboarding gold in Pyeongchang, South Korea, it was the culmination of a decade of reinvention, in every sense of the word.

Ten years earlier he'd lain bleeding on the side of a mountain after a devastating snowmobile accident. Now he stood tall on the Paralympic podium, supported by a prosthetic knee and foot of his own creation.

Driven to Ride chronicles Schultz's improbable journey following a lifesaving amputation. From a place of debilitating pain and depression, he tapped into the same sense of adventure that had once taken him to the top of competitive snowmobile racing and followed it to the pinnacle of an entirely new sport: adaptive snowboarding.

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"Norwich" by Karen Crouse

Norwich

Karen Crouse

Description

Norwich, a charming Vermont town of roughly three thousand residents, has sent an athlete to almost every Winter Olympics for the past thirty years—and three times that athlete has returned with a medal.

How does Norwich do it? To answer this question, New York Times reporter Karen Crouse moved to Vermont, immersing herself in the lives of Norwich Olympians past and present. There, amidst the organic farms and clapboard colonial buildings, she discovered a culture that’s the opposite of the hypercompetitive schoolyard of today’s tiger moms and eagle dads. In Norwich, kids aren’t cut from teams. They don’t specialize in a single sport, and they even root for their rivals. What’s more, their hands-off parents encourage them to simply enjoy themselves. Making it to the Olympics is seen not as the pinnacle of an athlete’s career but as a fun stop on the way to achieving other, longer-lasting dreams. Norwich, Crouse realized, wasn’t just raising better athletes than the rest of America; it was raising happier, healthier kids.

Full of inspiring stories of Olympians who excelled on and off the sports field—and had a blast doing so—Norwich is the book for every parent who wants to raise kids to be levelheaded, fulfilled, and successful.

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"Nazi Games" by David Clay Large

Nazi Games

David Clay Large

Description

The torch relay―that staple of Olympic pageantry―first opened the summer games in 1936 in Berlin. Proposed by the Nazi Propaganda Ministry, the relay was to carry the symbolism of a new Germany across its route through southeastern and central Europe. Soon after the Wehrmacht would march in jackboots over the same terrain.

The Olympic festival was a crucial part of the Nazi regime's mobilization of power. Nazi Games offers a superb blend of history and sport. The narrative includes a stirring account of the international effort to boycott the games, derailed finally by the American Olympic Committee and the determination of its head, Avery Brundage, to participate. Nazi Games also recounts the dazzling athletic feats of these Olympics, including Jesse Owens's four gold-medal performances and the marathon victory of Korean runner Kitei Son, the Rising Sun of imperial Japan on his bib.

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"The Fall Line" by Nathaniel Vinton

The Fall Line

Nathaniel Vinton

Description

Harnessing nature’s most powerful forces, elite downhillers descend icy, rugged slopes at speeds cresting 90 miles per hour. For decades, American skiers struggled to match their European counterparts, and until this century the US Ski Team could not claim a lasting foothold on the roof of the Alps, where the sport’s legends are born.

Then came a fledgling class of American racers that disrupted the Alpine racing world order. Led by Bode Miller and Lindsey Vonn, Julia Mancuso and Ted Ligety, this band of iconoclasts made a place for their country on some of the world’s most prestigious race courses. Even as new technology amplified the sport’s inherent danger, the US Ski Team learned how to win, and they changed downhill racing forever.

The Fall Line is the story of how it all came together, a deeply reported reconstruction of ski racing’s most dramatic season. Drawing on more than a decade of research and candid interviews with some of the sport’s most elusive figures, award-winning journalist Nathaniel Vinton reveals the untold story of how skiers like Vonn and Miller, and their peers and rivals, fought for supremacy at the Olympic Winter Games.

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"Three Kings" by Todd Balf

Three Kings

Todd Balf

Description

Even today, it's considered one of the most thrilling races in Olympic history. The hundred-meter sprint final at the 1924 Paris Games, featuring three of the world's fastest swimmers--American legends Duke Kahanamoku and Johnny Weissmuller, and Japanese upstart Katsuo Takaishi--had the cultural impact of other milestone moments in Olympic history: Jesse Owens's podiums in Berlin and John Carlos's raised, black-gloved fist in Mexico City. Never before had an Olympic swimming final prominently featured athletes of different races, and never had it been broadcast live. Across the globe, fans held their breath.

In less than a minute, an Olympic record would be shattered, and the three men would be scrutinized like few athletes before them. For the millions worldwide for whom swimming was a complete unknown, the trio did something few could imagine: moving faster through water than many could on land. As sportsmen, they were godlike heroes, embodying the hopes of those who called them their own, in the US and abroad. They personified strength and speed, and the glamour and innovation of the Roaring Twenties. But they also represented fraught assumptions about race and human performance. It was not only "East vs. West"--as newspapers in the 1920s described the competition with Japan--it was also brown versus white. Rich versus poor. New versus old. The race was about far more than swimming.

Three Kings traces the careers and rivalries of these men and the epochal times they lived in. The 1920s were transformative, not just socially but for sports as well. For the first time, athletes of color were given a fair (though still not equal) chance, and competition wasn't limited to the wealthy and privileged. Our modern-day conception of athleticism and competition--especially as it relates to the Olympics--traces back to this era and athletes like Kahanamoku, Weissmuller, and Takaishi, whose hard-won victories paved the way for all who followed.

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"Play It Forward" by Togethxr, Alex Morgan, and Sue Bird

Play It Forward

Togethxr

Description

Play It Forward features twenty-five inspirational stories of badass women from all corners of the sports universe, curated by TOGETHXR, a sports media company founded by legends Sue Bird, Alex Morgan, Simone Manuel, and Chloe Kim. From profiles of professional athletes and Olympians at the top of their game to everyday women putting in the work without a crowd, these are true tales of fierce competitors, dedicated teammates, and passionate advocates who are all too accustomed to hearing the word "no." Each story highlights an inspiring athlete or team who is defying expectations and rebelling against inequality in big and small ways, including:

  • Indigenous women forming a softball team in Mexico
  • Older women finding friendship and purpose through competitive swimming
  • A woman mountain-climbing her way out of oppression in Afghanistan
  • WNBA players developing a voice for social justice and influencing a pivotal election
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"Black Women Taught Us" by Jenn M. Jackson, PhD

Black Women Taught Us

Jenn M. Jackson, PhD

Description

This is my offering. My love letter to them, and to us.

Jenn M. Jackson, PhD, has been known to bring historical acuity to some of the most controversial topics in America today. Now, in their first book, Jackson applies their critical analysis to the questions that have long energized their work: Why has Black women’s freedom fighting been so overlooked throughout history, and what has our society lost because of our refusal to engage with our forestrugglers’ lessons?

A love letter to those who have been minimized and forgotten, this collection repositions Black women’s intellectual and political work at the center of today’s liberation movements.

Across eleven original essays that explore the legacy of Black women writers and leaders—from Harriet Jacobs and Ida B. Wells to the Combahee River Collective and Audre Lorde—Jackson sets the record straight about Black women’s longtime movement organizing, theorizing, and coalition building in the name of racial, gender, and sexual justice in the United States and abroad. These essays show, in both critical and deeply personal terms, how Black women have been at the center of modern liberation movements despite the erasure and misrecognition of their efforts. Jackson illustrates how Black women have frequently done the work of liberation at great risk to their lives and livelihoods.

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"Night Flyer" by Tiya Miles

Night Flyer

Tiya Miles

Description

Harriet Tubman is among the most famous Americans ever born and soon to be the face of the twenty-dollar bill. Yet often she’s a figure more out of myth than history, almost a comic-book superhero. Despite being barely five feet tall, unable to read, and suffering from a brain injury, she managed to escape from her own enslavement, return again and again to lead others north to freedom without loss of life, speak out powerfully against slavery, and then become the first American woman in history to lead a military raid, freeing some seven hundred people. You could almost say she’s America’s Robin Hood, a miraculous vision, often rightly celebrated but seldom understood.

Tiya Miles’s extraordinary Night Flyer changes all that. With her characteristic tenderness and imaginative genius, Miles explores beyond the stock historical grid to weave Tubman’s life into the fabric of her world. She probes the ecological reality of Tubman’s surroundings and examines her kinship with other enslaved women who similarly passed through a spiritual wilderness and recorded those travels in profound and moving memoirs. What emerges, uncannily, is a human being whose mysticism becomes more palpable the more we understand it—a story that offers us powerful inspiration for our own time of troubles. Harriet Tubman traversed many boundaries, inner and outer. Now, thanks to Tiya Miles, she becomes an even clearer and sharper signal from the past, one that can help us to echolocate a more just and sustainable path.

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"We Refuse" by Kellie Carter Jackson

We Refuse

Kellie Carter Jackson

Description

Black resistance to white supremacy is often reduced to a simple binary, between Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s nonviolence and Malcolm X's "by any means necessary." In We Refuse, historian Kellie Carter Jackson urges us to move past this false choice, offering an unflinching examination of the breadth of Black responses to white oppression, particularly those pioneered by Black women. 

The dismissal of "Black violence" as an illegitimate form of resistance is itself a manifestation of white supremacy, a distraction from the insidious, unrelenting violence of structural racism. Force--from work stoppages and property destruction to armed revolt--has played a pivotal part in securing freedom and justice for Black people since the days of the American and Haitian Revolutions. But violence is only one tool among many. Carter Jackson examines other, no less vital tactics that have shaped the Black struggle, from the restorative power of finding joy in the face of suffering to the quiet strength of simply walking away. 

Clear-eyed, impassioned, and ultimately hopeful, We Refuse offers a fundamental corrective to the historical record, a love letter to Black resilience, and a path toward liberation.

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"Baldwin: A Love Story" by Nicholas Boggs

Baldwin: A Love Story

Nicholas Boggs

Description

Baldwin: A Love Story, the first major biography of James Baldwin in three decades, reveals how profoundly the writer’s personal relationships shaped his life and work. Drawing on newly uncovered archival material and original research and interviews, this spellbinding book tells the overlapping stories of Baldwin’s most sustaining intimate and artistic relationships: with his mentor, the Black American painter Beauford Delaney; with his lover and muse, the Swiss painter Lucien Happersberger; and with his collaborators, the famed Turkish actor Engin Cezzar and the iconoclastic French artist Yoran Cazac, whose long-overlooked significance as Baldwin’s last great love is explored in these pages for the first time. 

Nicholas Boggs shows how Baldwin drew on all the complex forces within these relationships—geographical, cultural, political, artistic, and erotic—and alchemized them into novels, essays, and plays that speak truth to power and had an indelible impact on the civil rights movement and on Black and queer literary history. Richly immersive, Baldwin: A Love Story follows the writer’s creative journey between Harlem, Paris, Switzerland, the southern United States, Istanbul, Africa, the South of France, and beyond. In so doing, it magnifies our understanding of the public and private lives of one of the major literary figures of the twentieth century, whose contributions only continue to grow in influence.

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"Black in Blues" by Imani Perry

Black in Blues

Imani Perry

Description

Throughout history, the concept of Blackness has been remarkably intertwined with another color: blue. In daily life, it is evoked in countless ways. Blue skies and blue water offer hope for that which lies beyond the current conditions. But blue is also the color of deep melancholy and heartache, echoing Louis Armstrong's question, "What did I do to be so Black and blue?" In this book, celebrated author Imani Perry uses the world's favorite color as a springboard for a riveting emotional, cultural, and spiritual journey--an examination of race and Blackness that transcends politics or ideology.

Perry traces both blue and Blackness from their earliest roots to their many embodiments of contemporary culture, drawing deeply from her own life as well as art and history: The dyed indigo cloths of West Africa that were traded for human life in the 16thcentury. The mixture of awe and aversion in the old-fashioned characterization of dark-skinned people as "Blue Black." The fundamentally American art form of blues music, sitting at the crossroads of pain and pleasure. The blue flowers Perry plants to honor a loved one gone too soon.

Poignant, spellbinding, and utterly original, Black in Blues is a brilliant new work that could only have come from the mind of one of our greatest writers and thinkers. Attuned to the harrowing and the sublime aspects of the human experience, it is every bit as vivid, rich, and striking as blue itself.

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Book cover reading "The King Must Die" by Kemi Ashing-Giwa, featuring an illustration of a woman in a red clock with a staff against a celestial background

The King Must Die

Kemi Ashing-Giwa

Description

Fen’s world is crumbling. Newearth, a once-promising planet gifted by the all-powerful alien Makers, now suffers from failed terraforming, leaving its people on the brink of collapse. Fen has spent her life working as a mercenary bodyguard for a cunning magistrate, entangled in the politics of the empire that shattered her family. But then her fathers—her last remaining tether to hope—are executed by the ruthless Sovereign, who marks Fen for the same fate.

With nothing left to lose, Fen escapes with a single map and an old quarterstaff, embarking on a dangerous quest to seek out the last remnants of her parents’ rebellion. But the underground insurgents she finds may be even more dangerous than the Sovereign’s army. At the center of it all stands Alekhai, the Sovereign’s heir—a brutal, power-hungry force of destruction. Though he embodies everything Fen despises, his dangerous plans might be the empire’s last chance at survival…or the final push to its doom.

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Book cover reading "We Lived on the Horizon" by Erika Swyler, featuring an illustration of a desert landscape against a purple and pink sky

We Lived on the Horizon

Erika Swyler

Description

The city of Bulwark is aptly named: a walled city built to protect and preserve the people who managed to survive a series of great cataclysms, Bulwark was founded on a system where sacrifice is rewarded by the AI that runs the city. Over generations, an elite class has evolved from the descendants of those who gave up the most to found mankind’s last stronghold, called the Sainted.

Saint Enita Malovis, long accustomed to luxury, feels the end of her life and decades of work as a bio-prosthetist approaching. The lone practitioner of her art, Enita is determined to preserve her legacy and decides to create a physical being, called Nix, filled with her knowledge and experience. In the midst of her project, a fellow Sainted is brutally murdered and the city AI inexplicably erases the event from its data. Soon, Enita and Nix are drawn into the growing war that could change everything between Bulwark’s hidden underclass and the programs that impose and maintain order.

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Book cover reading "Saltcrop" by Yume Kitasei, featuring a sailboat on a calm sea against a cloudy background

Saltcrop

Yume Kitasei

Description

In Earth's not too distant future, seas consume coastal cities, highways disintegrate underwater, and mutant fish lurk in pirate-controlled depths. Skipper, a skilled sailor and the youngest of three sisters, earns money skimming and reselling plastic from the ocean to care for her ailing grandmother.

But then her eldest sister, Nora, goes missing. Nora left home a decade ago in pursuit of a cure for failing crops all over the world. When Skipper and her other sister, Carmen, receive a cryptic plea for help, they must put aside their differences and set out across the sea to find—and save—her. As they voyage through a dying world both beautiful and strange, encountering other travelers along the way, they learn more about their sister's work and the corporations that want what she discovered.

But the farther they go, the more uncertain their mission becomes: What dangerous attention did Nora attract, and how well do they really know their sister—or each other? Thus begins an epic journey spanning oceans and continents and a wistful rumination on sisterhood, friendship, and ecological disaster.

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Book cover reading "Symbiote" by Michael Nayak, featuring an abstract illustration of an iceberg with sprawling, red roots underwater

Symbiote

Michael Nayak

Description

As World War III rages, the scientists in Antarctica are thankful for the isolation – until a group of Chinese scientists arrive at the American research base. In their truck is a dead body, the first murder in Antarctica. The potential for a geopolitical firestorm is great, and, with no clear jurisdiction, the Americans don’t know what to do. But they soon realize the Chinese scientists have brought far more with them than the body…

Within seventy-two hours, thirteen others lie dead in the snow, murdered in acts of madness and superhuman strength. An extremophile parasite from the truck, triggered by severe cold, is spreading by touch. It is learning from them. Evolving. It triggers violent tendencies in the winter crew, and, more insidiously, the beginnings of a strange symbiotic telepathy.

Exhausted by suspicion and fear, with rescue impossible for months, the desperate crew members turn on each other. A small group of survivors try to resist the siren call of the growing hive mind and stay alive long enough to solve the mystery of the symbiotic microbe’s origins. But the symbiote is more than a disease – it is a biological weapon that can change the balance of power in a time of war.

The survivors cannot let anyone infected make it to the summer season, when planes will arrive to take them – and potentially the symbiote – back to civilization.

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Book cover reading "Hole in the Sky" by Daniel H. Wilson, featuring a large black hole within a blue sky

Hole in the Sky

Daniel H. Wilson

Description

On the Great Plains of Oklahoma, in the heart of the Cherokee Nation, a strange atmospheric disturbance is noticed by Jim Hardgray, a down-on-his-luck single father trying to reconnect with his teenage daughter, Tawny. At NASA's headquarters in Houston, Texas, astrophysicist Dr. Mikayla Johnson observes an interaction with the Voyager 1 spacecraft on the far side of the solar system, and she concludes that something enormous and unidentified is heading directly for Earth. And in an undisclosed bunker somewhere in the United States, an American threat forecaster known only as the Man Downstairs intercepts a cryptic communication and sends a message directly to the president and highest-ranking military brass: "First contact imminent."

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Book cover reading "The Black Orb" by Ewhan Kim, featuring an abstract illustration of a person looking toward a planetary landscape within a checkered design

The Black Orb

Ewhan Kim

Description

The object was a black orb, roughly two meters in diameter. Despite its large size, it made no sound as it moved. Although it wasn't chasing Jeong-su fast enough to catch him, it was unrelenting and persistent in its pursuit...

One evening in downtown Seoul, Jeong-su is smoking a cigarette outside when he sees something impossible: a huge black orb appears out of nowhere and sucks his neighbor inside. Jeong-su manages to get away, but the terrifying sphere can move through walls, so he's sure he won't be able to hide for long.

The orb soon begins consuming every person caught in its path, and no one knows how to stop it. Impervious to bullets and tanks, the orb splits and multiplies, chasing the hapless residents of Seoul out into the country and sparking a global crisis with widespread violence and looting. Jeong-su must rely on his wits as he makes the arduous journey in search of his elderly parents. But the strangest phases of this ever-expanding disaster are yet to come and Jeong-su will be forced to question everything he has taken for granted.

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Book cover reading "Homegrown Handgathered" by Silvan Goddin, featuring images of various foods and two people standing together outdoors

Homegrown Handgathered

Silvan Goddin

Description

Growing your own food is good for you and the planet. Backed by scientific research, Indigenous knowledge, and the authors' years of firsthand experience, Homegrown Handgathered offers field-tested techniques for beginners and experts alike to thrive off the bounty of the land with confidence. This complete manual for organic food production will show you how to select a site, plan your garden, source and start seeds, manage pests and weeds, compost, preserve your harvests, and more. 

Comprehensive growing guides for more than 15 essential crops-from beans, carrots, and corn to squashes, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes-detail favored growing conditions, processing tips, key nutrients, and more. Each crop chapter also features easy-to-follow recipes from a range of cultures that will transform your harvest into delicious, nourishing meals. From Jalapeño Cornbread and Oyster Mushroom Grits to Venison Borscht and Walnut-Shiitake Burgers, gardening never tasted so good!

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Book cover reading "Quilting for Everyone" by Amy Latta, featuring a colorful quilt hanging from a wooden rack next to a small white nightstand

Quilting for Everyone

Amy Latta

Description

Learn how to quilt the fun and easy way with Amy Latta! Using pre-cut fabrics and other beginner-friendly tips, Amy breaks down the complexities of quilting so you can enjoy every part of the process to bring your unique, handmade quilts to life. Created especially for new quilters, each chapter teaches popular quilting techniques that build on each other as you go.

Take your first quilting steps with sashing, which is simply sewing around a central fabric block. Amy then teaches, step by step, how to make famous quilting designs such as Patchwork, Flying Geese, Pinwheels, and Stars. But the best part of all? While you learn these fun techniques, you’ll be stitching up cute quilts and accessories to gift and decorate your home! Some of the beautiful creations waiting inside include:

- Playful Pinwheels Quilt
- Pine Tree Pillow Cover
- Crossbody Cell Phone Bag
- Missouri Star Lap Quilt
- Easy Nine-Patch Tote Bag
- Embellished Denim Jacket

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Book cover reading "Little Woodchucks" by Nick Offerman, featuring a man surrounded by children in a workshop

Little Woodchucks

Nick Offerman

Description

Are you a parent or an otherwise amply sized Woodchuck interested in making projects with, or for, your kids? Or are you an aspiring small Woodchuck ready to get into some quality mischief that involves a hammer, nails, and your very own pocketknife? Well, do we have a guide for you!

Offerman Woodshop is opening its avuncular doors to woodworkers of all ages in the form of twelve brand-new, family-friendly undertakings perfect for kids, from beginner offerings like a handmade box kite to more challenging structures like a garden planter. 

All projects are achievable and fun and encourage eye contact, giggles, handshakes, and other old-fashioned familial engagements, while introducing young woodworkers-to-be to the satisfaction and good clean fun of hands-on crafting.

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Book cover reading "How to Cross-Stitch" by Sian Hamilton, featuring images of several cross stitch projects against a yellow background

How to Cross-Stitch

Sian Hamilton

Description

Cross-stitch goes hand-in-hand with self-care: one of the oldest forms of embroidery, it's easy to learn and features soothing, repetitive stitches that can reduce stress, enhance relaxation, and boost your mood. Experience the benefits of this calming craft with Make Time for Yourself magazine's beginner-friendly guide, which includes a fully illustrated basics section. Dive into simple and delightful projects, ranging from a pillow with a whimsical feather motif to stitched greeting cards. These pieces will brighten your home with their fresh, fun designs, including rainbow hearts, honeybees, animals, and an entire alphabet. 

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Book cover reading "The Cook's Book" by Bri McKoy, featuring a wooden spoon and whisk against a white background

The Cook's Book

Bri McKoy

Description

More than just a collection of recipes, this volume is your ultimate kitchen companion. Filled with engaging lessons, techniques, and strategies - as well as delicious go-to recipes, food and wine pairings, and a beginner bar cart guide - this resource teaches you what you need to know to create and share great food each and every day.

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Book cover reading "The New Art of Paper Flowers" by Quynh Nguyen, featuring several paper flower crafts against a blue background

The New Art of Paper Flowers

Quynh Nguyen

Description

Delve into the enchanting art of lifelike floral design with The New Art of Paper Flowers. Whether you're a novice looking to discover a new hobby or a seasoned crafter seeking inspiration, this all-inclusive handbook will equip you to cultivate lush, long-lasting blooms using colorful crepe paper. This volume includes 30 detailed flower tutorials with step-by-step instructions.

Journey through every stage of the artistic process—from choosing materials to mastering the intricate techniques that breathe life into your arrangements. With Nguyen's detailed guidance and striking photography, let your creativity flourish as you bring more handmade beauty into your life and home.

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Book cover reading "The Knitting Companion" by Morgane Mathieu, featuring three knit swatches in varying shades of pink

The Knitting Companion

Morgane Mathieu

Description

From casting on to casting off, The Knitting Companion is your indispensable guide to mastering the art of knitting. This comprehensive mini guide is packed with clear instructions and beautiful photographs, making it perfect for both beginners and experienced knitters.

This gorgeous little book contains tips, techniques and trusted advice on everything from reading a yarn label and choosing your needles to adapting a pattern and picking up stitches. Whether you are knitting your first project or your fiftieth, this comprehensive mini guide is a treasure trove of knowledge, perfect for dipping in and out of for quick reference.

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Book cover reading "Watercolour Flowers for the Absolute Beginner" by Fiona Peart, featuring a watercolor image of a pink flower among green leaves

Watercolour Flowers for the Absolute Beginner

Fiona Peart

Description

Expert artist and teacher Fiona Peart helps you take your first steps with watercolor, showing you step-by-step how to produce modern, lively, and colorful artworks using this exciting medium. Build the essential skills you need to paint a range of gorgeous flowers, then move on to find out how to add depth, soft backgrounds, light, and texture to your artwork. Includes 20+ outlines.

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Book cover reading "The Spirit of Love" by Lauren Kate, featuring an illustration of a man and woman walking hand-in-hand along a coastline

The Spirit of Love

Lauren Kate

Description

Two loves. One soul. One choice.

Fenny’s got that boss glow. Not only did she just have the best sex of her life, but she’s finally about to direct the TV show she’s been a screenwriter on for ten years. Only one thing could floor her—finding out she’s been replaced by a hotshot director named Jude. Wait, no. Two things. Jude looks exactly like the guy who just turned her bones to jelly. Same dimples, same eyes, but he looks older and has a sadness Fenny wants to fix.

Last weekend, Fenny met Sam when he movie-style rescued her from a storm on Catalina Island. Here he is again, just … different. Can Sam and Jude be the same man? And if they are, will Fenny’s love be enough to put him back together?

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Book cover reading "Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds" by Allison Brennan, featuring a woman in a red swimsuit with a book on a pool float against a blue background with an outline of a fingerprint

Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds

Allison Brennan

Description

Mia Crawford is responsible to a fault. She has to be. Between her high-demand job and taking care of her grandmother and her cats, she has little time for anything else. What time she does have, she pours into reading. Mysteries, romances, thrillers...books filled with women who are far more impulsive than she would ever dream of being. Now, forced into taking a long-overdue vacation, she finds herself on a luxurious private island where she just might have a chance to reinvent herself--for a little while, anyway. She can explore the island. Flirt shamelessly with a cute bartender. Have a vacation fling. Live like a heroine in one of her favorite novels.

Or she can curl up with a good book on the beach. Turns out reinventing yourself is easier planned than done. But when gossipy notes written in the margins of an old book turn out to be clues to the disappearance of another guest, Mia finds herself diving headfirst into a dangerous adventure. With everyone at the resort hiding secrets of their own, she'll have to solve this real-life mystery before she becomes the next target. 

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Book cover reading "The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club" by Martha Hall Kelly, featuring a group of women with books under an umbrella on the beach

The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club

Martha Hall Kelly

Description

2016: Thirty-four-year-old Mari Starwood is still grieving after her mother’s death as she travels to the storied island of Martha’s Vineyard, off the coast of Massachusetts. She’s come all the way from California with nothing but a name on a piece of paper: Elizabeth Devereaux, the famous but reclusive Vineyard painter. When Mari makes it to Mrs. Devereaux’s stunning waterfront farm under the guise of taking a painting class with her, Mrs. Devereaux begins to tell her the story of the Smith sisters, who once lived there. As the tale unfolds, Mari is shocked to learn that her relationship to this island runs deeper than she ever thought possible.

1942: The Smith girls—nineteen-year-old aspiring writer Cadence and sixteen-year-old war-obsessed Briar—are faced with the impossible task of holding their failing family farm together during World War II as the U.S. Army arrives on Martha’s Vineyard. When Briar spots German U-boats lurking off the island’s shores, and Cadence falls into an unlikely romance with a sworn enemy, their quiet lives are officially upended. In an attempt at normalcy, Cadence and her best friend, Bess, start a book club, which grows both in members and influence as they connect with a fabulous New York publisher who could make all of Cadence’s dreams come true. But all that is put at risk by a mysterious man who washes ashore—and whispers of a spy in their midst. Who in their tight-knit island community can they trust? Could this little book club change the course of the war . . . before it’s too late?

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Book cover reading "Friends to Lovers" by Sally Blakely, featuring an illustration of a man and woman together in an ocean

Friends to Lovers

Sally Blakely

Description

Best friends Joni and Ren have been inseparable since childhood. So when Joni moves across the country for her job, the two devise a creative way to stay in touch: they'll be each other's plus-ones every year for wedding season, no matter what else is happening in their lives.

It's a tradition that works, until a line is crossed and the friendship they once thought was forever is ruined.

Now Joni is back at their families' shared summer home for her sister's wedding, and she's determined to make the week perfect, even if it means faking a friendship with Ren--and avoiding the truth of why they have to fake it in the first place. How hard can it be to pretend to be friends with the person who once knew you best?

But as sunny beach days together turn into starry nights, Joni begins to question what her life is without Ren in it. And when the wedding arrives, bringing past heartaches to the surface, she'll be forced to decide if loving Ren means letting him go, or if theirs is a love story worth fighting for.

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Book cover reading "Death on Dickens Island" by Allison Brook, featuring an illustration of a dog within a room of books and a window showing a distant island

Death on Dickens Island

Allison Brook

Description

Delia Dickens has come home to Dickens Island, a small island in the Long Island Sound, after a twelve-year stint in Manhattan. She’s looking forward to helping her father revitalize the general store that the family owns as well as curating a small book nook. Most importantly, she wants to reunite with her fifteen-year-old son. But Dickens Island isn’t the peaceful town Delia remembers–and she might be in more danger here than she ever was in the big city. 

Delia’s Aunt Reenie and Uncle Brad, both prominent community leaders, are at odds over the sale of a farm and its future use. This has created friction, not only in their marriage, but amongst the citizens of the town. When a young woman, new to the town council and friendly with Brad, is found murdered, everything escalates and reaches a new boiling point. 

With Reenie and Brad both suspects in the case and at each other’s throats, the townspeople start to take sides. When the ghost of her grandmother visits her, Delia learns how past events have impacted the present, and it is up to her to expose the farm’s sordid secrets in order to catch a murderer and restore peace to her beloved island.

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Book cover reading "Roomhate" by Penelope Ward, featuring an illustration of a man and woman looking toward a beach house

Roomhate

Penelope Ward

Description

Amelia hasn't seen her childhood best friend Justin since she broke his heart as a teenager, but when she arrives at the beach house her grandmother left to both of them, she finds Justin staying there too...and he hates her guts.

Sharing a summer house with a hot-as-hell roommate should be a dream come true, right? Not when it's Justin Banks, Amelia's former best friend and the only man she's ever loved...who now hates her.

When Amelia's grandmother died and left her half of her beach house on Aquidneck Island, there was a catch: the other half would go to the boy she helped raise. The same boy who turned into the teenager whose heart Amelia broke years ago. The same teenager who's now a man with a hard body and a hard-ass personality to match.

Amelia hasn't seen Justin in years, but neither one is willing to give up the house--which means they're living together, at least for the summer. The worst part? Justin didn't come alone.

But there's a very thin line between love and hate. And beneath Justin's sharp edges, the boy she knew is still there, and so is their connection. The problem is, now that Amelia can't have Justin, she's never wanted him more.

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Book cover reading "Trouble Island" by Sharon Short, featuring a dark, stormy island scene

Trouble Island

Sharon Short

Description

Many miles from anywhere in the middle of Lake Erie, Trouble Island serves as a stop-off for gangsters as they run between America and Canada. The remote isle is also the permanent home to two women: Aurelia Escalante, who serves as a maid to Rosita, lady of the mansion and wife to the notorious prohibition gangster, Eddie McGee. In the freezing winter of 1932, the women anticipate the arrival of Eddie and his strange coterie: his right-hand man, a doctor, a cousin, a famous actor, and a rival gangster who Rosita believes murdered their only son.

Aurelia wants nothing more than to escape Trouble Island, but she is hiding a secret of her own. She is in fact not a maid, but a gangster’s wife in hiding, as she runs from the murder she committed five years ago. Her friend Rosita took her in under this guise, but it has become clear that Rosita wants to keep Aurelia right where she is.

Shortly after the group of criminals, celebrities, and scoundrels arrive, Rosita suddenly disappears. Aurelia plans her getaway, going to the shore to retrieve her box of hidden treasures, but instead finds Rosita’s body in the water. Someone has made sure Aurelia was the one to find her. An ice storm makes unexpected landfall, cutting Trouble Island off from both mainlands, and with more than one murderer among them.

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Book cover reading "Mustique Island" by Sarah McCoy, featuring an island scene

Mustique Island

Sarah McCoy

Description

It's January 1972 but the sun is white hot when Willy May Michael's boat first kisses the dock of Mustique Island. Tucked into the southernmost curve of the Caribbean, Mustique is a private island that has become a haven for the wealthy and privileged. Its owner is the eccentric British playboy Colin Tennant, who is determined to turn this speck of white sand into a luxurious neo-colonial retreat for his rich friends and into a royal court in exile for the Queen's rebellious sister, Princess Margaret--one where Her Royal Highness can skinny dip, party, and entertain lovers away from the public eye.

Willy May, a former beauty queen from Texas--who is also no stranger to marital scandals--seeks out Mustique for its peaceful isolation. Determined to rebuild her life and her relationships with her two daughters, Hilly, a model, and Joanne, a musician, she constructs a fanciful white beach house across the island from Princess Margaret--and finds herself pulled into the island's inner circle of aristocrats, rock stars, and hangers-on.

When Willy May's daughters arrive, they discover that beneath its veneer of decadence, Mustique has a dark side, and like sand caught in the undertow, their mother-daughter story will shift and resettle in ways they never could have imagined.

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Book cover reading "Murder on Sex Island" by Jo Firestone, featuring an illustration of a bathtub among palm trees and birds against a beige background

Murder on Sex Island

Jo Firestone

Description

When a cast member goes missing from the hit reality show Sex Island, producers hire detective Luella van Horn to go undercover as a contestant and solve the case. What the producers don’t know is that the enigmatic Luella van Horn is actually a woman named Marie Jones, a divorced ex–social worker from Staten Island attempting to lead a double life as a private eye. The local press couldn’t get enough of Luella . . . until she horribly bungled her last case and a murderer went free.

Unable to resist the opportunity to be a part of her favorite trashy TV show, travel to a remote island, and embark on a journey for redemption, Marie-as-Luella takes the case. But the more she learns about Sex Island’s dark underbelly, the harder it gets to make it out alive. She encounters shady producers, sleazy directors, contestants willing to do whatever it takes to win the $100,000 grand prize—and the dead body of the show’s missing fan-favorite in her bathtub.

Will she find the killer? Will she find herself? Will she find . . . love? 

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Book cover reading "The Islanders" by Meg Mitchell Moore, featuring a woman standing on the beach looking through a pair of binoculars

The Islanders

Meg Mitchell Moore

Description

Anthony Puckett was a rising literary star. The son of an uber-famous thriller writer, Anthony’s debut novel spent two years on the bestseller list and won the adoration of critics. But something went very wrong with his second work. Now Anthony’s borrowing an old college’s friend’s crumbling beach house on Block Island in the hopes that solitude will help him get back to the person he used to be.

Joy Sousa owns and runs Block Island’s beloved whoopie pie café. She came to this quiet space eleven years ago, newly divorced and with a young daughter, and built a life for them here. To her customers and friends, Joy is a model of independence, hard-working and happy. And mostly she is. But this summer she’s thrown off balance. A food truck from a famous New York City brand is roving around the island, selling goodies—and threatening her business.

Lu Trusdale is spending the summer on her in-laws’ dime, living on Block Island with her two young sons while her surgeon husband commutes to the mainland hospital. When Lu’s second son was born, she and her husband made a deal: he’d work and she’d quit her corporate law job to stay home with the boys. But a few years ago, Lu quietly began working on a private project that has becoming increasingly demanding on her time. Torn between her work and home, she’s beginning to question that deal she made.

Over the twelve short weeks of summer, these three strangers will meet and grow close, will share secrets and bury lies. And as the promise of June turns into the chilly nights of August, the truth will come out, forcing each of them to decide what they value most, and what they are willing to give up to keep it.

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Book cover reading "The Four Engagement Rings of Sybil Rain" by Hannah Brown, featuring an illustration of a sunset over a beach with a small silhouette of a person proposing on one knee

The Four Engagement Rings of Sybil Rain

Hannah Brown

Description

Sybil can't wait to go on an all-expenses paid vacation. Well, technically the expenses were paid - last year, when she was supposed to honeymoon in Hawaii with her then-fiancé, Jamie. But the wedding didn't go as planned (or at all), and now she's using those hotel vouchers to enjoy some mai tais, med spas, and me-time.

But she nearly plunges backwards into the infinity pool when she sees Jamie there, too. He's on a work trip representing his family's firm, alongside his gorgeous, tangerine bikini-clad "colleague."

Desperate to save face in front of the ex who broke her heart at the altar, Sybil accidentally-on-purpose blurts out that she's vacationing with her boyfriend. But what starts as a harmless lie soon spirals into an ex-fiancé fiasco when Sebastian--the second of Sybil's three failed engagements--pops by, fresh off a photography gig. Seb's always up for a good time and happy to play along . . . sparking unexpected jealousy in Jamie.

From snorkeling snafus to stunning vistas to beach parties, Sybil does her best to juggle two ex-fiancés. But it's becoming clear that her past of broken promises must be reckoned with once and for all--including that first fiancé, Liam, the one she never talks about . . .

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Book cover reading "Beach House Rules" by Kristy Woodson Harvey, featuring an illustration of a person lying on a picnic blanket and under an umbrella on the beach

Beach House Rules

Kristy Woodson Harvey

Description

When Charlotte Sitterly’s husband is arrested for a white-collar crime, she and her daughter Iris are locked out of their house by the FBI and—what’s potentially even worse—thrust into the spotlight of @JuniperShoresSocialite, the town’s snarky anonymous Instagram account. Desperate and cut off from her bank accounts, Charlotte moves to a former beachfront bed-and-breakfast that’s home to a community of single mothers and draws plenty of gossip in the small coastal North Carolina town.

Charlotte and Iris find solace and are surprised by how much fun they’re having with the other families despite their circumstances. But when the women discover a secret link between them, it changes everything they thought they knew about the unconventional family they’ve created and leaves them wondering whether their coming together was a coincidence at all. Will the skeletons in the closets help Charlotte and Iris reclaim their place in the Juniper shores community—or shatter the sisterhood forever.

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Book cover reading "Across the Crying Sands" by Jane Kirkpatrick, featuring a woman standing along a coastline

Across the Crying Sands

Jane Kirkpatrick

Description

In 1888 Mary Edwards Gerritse is a witty and confident young woman who spends as much time as possible outdoors on the rugged Oregon coast where she and her husband, John, have settled. The two are a formidable pair who are working hard to prove their homesteading claim and build a family. But as Mary faces struggles of young motherhood and questions about her family of origin, she realizes that life is far from the adventure she imagined it would be.

After losing the baby she's carrying, grief threatens Mary, but she finds an unconventional way to bring joy back into her life - by taking over a treacherous postal route. As Mary becomes the first female mail carrier to traverse the cliff-hugging mountain trails and remote Crying Sands Beach, with its changing tides and sudden squalls, she recaptures the spark she lost and discovers that a life without risk is no life at all.

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Book cover reading "Wild Dark Shore" by Charlotte McConaghy, featuring a brown wave of water against a dark gray sky

Wild Dark Shore

Charlotte McConaghy

Description

A family on a remote island. A mysterious woman washed ashore. A rising storm on the horizon.

Dominic Salt and his three children are caretakers of Shearwater, a tiny island not far from Antarctica. Home to the world’s largest seed bank, Shearwater was once full of researchers, but with sea levels rising, the Salts are now its final inhabitants. Until, during the worst storm the island has ever seen, a woman mysteriously washes ashore.

Isolation has taken its toll on the Salts, but as they nurse the woman, Rowan, back to strength, it begins to feel like she might just be what they need. Rowan, long accustomed to protecting herself, starts imagining a future where she could belong to someone again. 

But Rowan isn’t telling the whole truth about why she set out for Shearwater. And when she discovers sabotaged radios and a freshly dug grave, she realizes Dominic is keeping his own secrets. As the storms on Shearwater gather force, they all must decide if they can trust each other enough to protect the precious seeds in their care before it’s too late—and if they can finally put the tragedies of the past behind them to create something new, together.

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Book cover reading "Holiday Country" by Inci Atrek, featuring an illustration of a woman swimming toward an island

Holiday Country

İnci Atrek

Description

Ada always looks forward to her summers at the family villa with her mother and grandmother in a Turkish seaside town. It’s easy to leave life in California behind when the days are filled with boat rides, games at the beach, and long swims with friends. But no matter how much Ada feels she belongs in the country where her mother grew up, deep down, her connection to the culture seems as fleeting as the seasons. It’s certainly no help that her mother has lost her own sense of self, rootless and disoriented after so many years abroad.

When an old family friend mysteriously shows up in their town, Ada can’t help imagining a different future for her mother―one that promises a return to home, to love, to happiness. But while playing matchmaker, Ada has to come to terms with her own intensifying attraction to the newcomer. Does the future she’s fighting for belong to her mother—or to her alone?

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Image for "Finding Her Edge"

Finding Her Edge

Jennifer Iacopelli

Description

SOON TO BE A NETFLIX SERIES

A swoony romantic novel following an elite ice dancer caught in a love triangle with her old partner and her new one. Perfect for readers of Lynn Painter, Rachel Lippincott, and Jenny Han!

“This story set on the ice is sure to ignite dreams and warm hearts.” —Laura Taylor Namey, New York Times bestselling author of A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow

Adriana Russo is figure skating royalty, born to gold-medalist parents and an equally talented sister. Adriana’s dream? To conquer the Junior World Championships and uphold the family legacy. But when the family’s legendary skating rink faces financial ruin, everything she’s worked for is at risk.

Training with her new partner, Brayden, sparks an idea: let the world believe their on-ice chemistry isn’t only for show. The fake-dating gains traction, and Adriana realizes maybe she actually is falling for Brayden. But then her past crashes into her present and changes everything, when Freddie, her former partnerand first crushreenters the scene. 

As the biggest competition of her life draws closer and her family’s legacy hangs in the balance, Adriana is torn between the future she’s worked so hard for with Brayden, and the one she gave up long ago with Freddie. Will she find her edge and claim her place at the top, or will her heart lead her in a different direction?

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The Great Disillusionment of Nick and Jay

Ryan Douglass

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"Douglass sets a classic on fire with an inspired recasting that strips away time and all expectations." -- Rita Williams-Garcia, New York Times bestselling author of A Sitting in St. James

From New York Times bestselling author Ryan Douglass comes a gripping and tender reimagining of The Great Gatsby about the pursuit of happiness--and love--in a society built on cruelty and secrets.

Seventeen-year-old Nick Carrington wants nothing more than to leave Greenwood, Oklahoma, behind and make a name for himself in the papers. But when tragedy strikes, dreams turn into a twisted reality. Forced to start anew in Harlem, only a letter of acceptance from the prestigious West Egg Academy is able to pull him back into the world.

But the supposedly integrated private boys' school is more of a catchy headline than a fact, with the same prejudices Nick left behind back home. And his secret but growing feelings for the founder's wickedly charismatic son, Jay Gatsby Jr.-- who dances past society's conventions with practiced ease--only add more complications.

When Nick's cutting pen exposes dangerous truths about West Egg and leads to perilous consequences, he and Jay must decide whether to spend a lifetime outrunning trouble or be the ones to light the match. Can they not only fight back but triumph Or will the powers that be win yet again

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16 Forever

Lance Rubin

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It's the morning of Carter Cohen's 16th birthday, and everything's going his way.

He's psyched and ready to get his driver's license, his little brother's not hogging the bathroom, and, man, something smells good for breakfast...

But when Carter bounds downstairs, Mom bursts into tears. It happened again. It's Carter's 16th birthday--for the sixth time. Every time he's supposed to turn 17, he loops back a year. His memory gets wiped clean, his body ages backward--the rest of the world moves on, just not him.

Maggie Spear, on the other hand, has been dreading this day ever since she and Carter started dating. When she spies him in the halls and he doesn't seem to know her at all, it's obvious that it's over between them. She can't be in a relationship with someone who is just going to forget her again and again. Since Carter doesn't remember that they're together, then it's probably better if she just pretends that they never were.

Except Carter senses that there's more to their story than Maggie's letting on, and Maggie's keeping secrets of her own--but in the process of trying to let the other go, they find themselves falling in love all over again.

With Maggie soon leaving for college and Carter's birthday quickly coming around again, will they be able to find a forever that isn't stuck at 16

Filled with tender moments, silly banter, and lots of teenage angst, 16 Forever is the latest YA page-turner from New York Times bestselling, award-winning author Lance Rubin.

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A Wild Radiance

Maria Ingrande Mora

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A searing and romantic fantasy adventure about an oligarchic state on the verge of a magical industrial revolution--perfect for fans of Arcane, Wicked, and Iron Widow!

Josephine Haven is about to find out exactly where she fits into the march of Progress. Her outbursts are infamous at the House of Industry, the school for children who can wield radiance, an electricity-like magic. She's tried to follow the rules, but her fiery nature is at odds with the core tenet of the House: Never form attachments. If she is meant to feel nothing, why are her emotions so volatile? 

No one is surprised when, upon graduation, Josephine is banished from the city to a remote Mission. In Frostbrook, she must work under standoffish Julian, the former golden boy of the House of Industry who seems determined to watch her fail. And then there's Ezra, the flirtatious stranger who's a little too curious about how the Mission operates. 

But there are bigger problems than Julian and Ezra's secrets. A deadly disease is spreading across the countryside, and in Frostbrook, not everyone is eager to embrace Progress. As Josephine questions the system that raised her--and gives in to desire she's been taught to suppress--she must decide what she's willing to sacrifice to expose not just corruption within the House, but the devastating truth about the radiance in her core.

An epic and romantic fantasy that reimagines the War of the Currents, A Wild Radiance explodes with the same queer chaotic tension, magical industrialization, and class revolution themes that made Arcane a #1 Netflix sensation.

Perfect for readers who love Queerplatonic and Poly Relationships, Anti-Capitalism, Hurt/Comfort, Sunshine/Grump/Gremlin Dynamics, Messy Exes, and Fantasy Road Trips!

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Dead Fake

Vincent Ralph

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Welcome to Bleak Haven: The town you won't (or can't!) leave... Deep fake murders have taken over the high school, but what happens when they start to become real?

Would you Swipe to Die?

When the new craze takes over Bleak Haven High, Ava Wilson refuses to join in. As the niece of an infamous murderer, it’s the last thing she needs.

The mysterious website allows people to view their own ‘death’ – an AI generated version of their final slasher-movie-moments. But, when some of her classmates’ deepfakes are replicated in real life, Ava can either catch the killer...or be the next victim.

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Maid to Skate

Suzushiro

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From brewing a perfect cup of tea to nailing the sickest kickflips on their skateboards, these maids can do it all.

In this world, maids go about their everyday lives dressed in long black dresses, frilly aprons—and skate shoes?! Whether they’re running errands or hitting the half-pipe, these maids shred the town. Like witches have their brooms, these ladies have their boards. If one thing’s certain, these maids are totally Maid to Skate.

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