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Sea Change: A Novel
By Gina Chung. 2023
A NEW YORK TIMES MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF THE SPRING• An enchanting novel about Ro, a woman tossed overboard by…
heartbreak and loss, who has to find her way back to stable shores with the help of a giant Pacific octopus at the mall aquarium where she works.&“Immersively beautiful.... A kaleidoscope of originality." —Weike Wang, acclaimed author of Joan is OkayRo is stuck. She's just entered her thirties, she's estranged from her mother, and her boyfriend has just left her to join a mission to Mars. Her days are spent dragging herself to her menial job at the aquarium, and her nights are spent drinking sharktinis (Mountain Dew and copious amounts of gin, plus a hint of jalapeño). With her best friend pulling away to focus on her upcoming wedding, Ro's only companion is Dolores, a giant Pacific octopus who also happens to be Ro's last remaining link to her father, a marine biologist who disappeared while on an expedition when Ro was a teenager.When Dolores is sold to a wealthy investor intent on moving her to a private aquarium, Ro finds herself on the precipice of self-destruction. Wading through memories of her youth, Ro realizes she can either lose herself in the undertow of reminiscence, or finally come to terms with her childhood trauma, recommit to those around her, and find her place in an ever-changing world.
Imago (Lilith's Brood Ser. #3)
By Octavia E. Butler. 1989
From the award-winning author of Parable of the Sower:After the near-extinction of humanity, a new kind of alien-human hybrid must…
come to terms with their identity -- before their powers destroy what is left of humankind. Since a nuclear war decimated the human population, the remaining humans began to rebuild their future by interbreeding with an alien race -- the Oankali -- who saved them from near-certain extinction. The Oankalis' greatest skill lies in the species' ability to constantly adapt and evolve, a process that is guided by their third sex, the ooloi, who are able to read and mutate genetic code.Now, for the first time in the humans' relationship with the Oankali, a human mother has given birth to an ooloi child: Jodahs. Throughout his childhood, Jodahs seemed to be a male human-alien hybrid. But when he reaches adolescence, Jodahs develops the ooloi abilities to shapeshift, manipulate DNA, cure and create disease, and more. Frightened and isolated, Jodahs must either come to terms with this new identity, learn to control new powers, and unite what's left of humankind -- or become the biggest threat to their survival.
Mind of My Mind
By Octavia E. Butler. 1977
A young woman harnesses her newfound power to challenge the ruthless man who controls her, in this brilliant and provocative…
novel from the award-winning author of Parable of the Sower.Mary is a treacherous experiment. Her creator, an immortal named Doro, has molded the human race for generations, seeking out those with unusual talents like telepathy and breeding them into a new subrace of humans who obey his every command. The result is Mary: a young black woman living on the rough outskirts of Los Angeles in the 1970s, who has no idea how much power she will soon wield. Doro knows he must handle Mary carefully or risk her ending like his previous experiments: dead, either by her own hand or Doro's. What he doesn't suspect is that Mary's maturing telepathic abilities may soon rival his own power. By linking telepaths with a viral pattern, she will create the potential to break free of his control once and for all-and shift the course of humanity.
Dawn (Lilith's Brood Ser. #1)
By Octavia E. Butler. 1987
One woman is called upon to rebuild the future of humankind after a nuclear war, in this revelatory post-apocalyptic tale…
from the award-winning author of Parable of the Sower. When Lilith lyapo wakes from a centuries-long sleep, she finds herself aboard the vast spaceship of the Oankali. She discovers that the Oankali—a seemingly benevolent alien race—intervened in the fate of the humanity hundreds of years ago, saving everyone who survived a nuclear war from a dying, ruined Earth and then putting them into a deep sleep. After learning all they could about Earth and its beings, the Oankali healed the planet, cured cancer, increased human strength, and they now want Lilith to lead her people back to Earth—but salvation comes at a price.Hopeful and thought-provoking, this post-apocalyptic narrative deftly explores gender and race through the eyes of characters struggling to adapt during a pivotal time of crisis and change.
Parable of the Talents
By Octavia E. Butler. 1998
Originally published in 1998, this shockingly prescient novel's timely message of hope and resistance in the face of fanaticism is…
more relevant than ever.In 2032, Lauren Olamina has survived the destruction of her home and family, and realized her vision of a peaceful community in northern California based on her newly founded faith, Earthseed. The fledgling community provides refuge for outcasts facing persecution after the election of an ultra-conservative president who vows to "make America great again." In an increasingly divided and dangerous nation, Lauren's subversive colony--a minority religious faction led by a young black woman--becomes a target for President Jarret's reign of terror and oppression.Years later, Asha Vere reads the journals of a mother she never knew, Lauren Olamina. As she searches for answers about her own past, she also struggles to reconcile with the legacy of a mother caught between her duty to her chosen family and her calling to lead humankind into a better future.
Parable of the Sower: A Novel (Earthseed Ser. #1)
By Octavia E. Butler. 1993
This acclaimed post-apocalyptic novel of hope and terror from an award-winning author "pairs well with 1984 or The Handmaid's Tale"…
and includes a foreword by N. K. Jemisin (John Green, New York Times). When global climate change and economic crises lead to social chaos in the early 2020s, California becomes full of dangers, from pervasive water shortage to masses of vagabonds who will do anything to live to see another day. Fifteen-year-old Lauren Olamina lives inside a gated community with her preacher father, family, and neighbors, sheltered from the surrounding anarchy. In a society where any vulnerability is a risk, she suffers from hyperempathy, a debilitating sensitivity to others' emotions. Precocious and clear-eyed, Lauren must make her voice heard in order to protect her loved ones from the imminent disasters her small community stubbornly ignores. But what begins as a fight for survival soon leads to something much more: the birth of a new faith . . . and a startling vision of human destiny.
Wild Seed (Patternist Ser. #1)
By Octavia E. Butler. 1980
In an "epic, game-changing, moving and brilliant" story of love and hate, two immortals chase each other across continents and…
centuries, binding their fates together -- and changing the destiny of the human race (Viola Davis).Doro knows no higher authority than himself. An ancient spirit with boundless powers, he possesses humans, killing without remorse as he jumps from body to body to sustain his own life. With a lonely eternity ahead of him, Doro breeds supernaturally gifted humans into empires that obey his every desire. He fears no one -- until he meets Anyanwu.Anyanwu is an entity like Doro and yet different. She can heal with a bite and transform her own body, mending injuries and reversing aging. She uses her powers to cure her neighbors and birth entire tribes, surrounding herself with kindred who both fear and respect her. No one poses a true threat to Anyanwu -- until she meets Doro. The moment Doro meets Anyanwu, he covets her; and from the villages of 17th-century Nigeria to 19th-century United States, their courtship becomes a power struggle that echoes through generations, irrevocably changing what it means to be human.
"A stunning portrait of a woman blossoming into her full power…this is Alka Joshi's best book yet!&” —Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling…
author of The Diamond EyeFrom the author of Reese's Book Club Pick The Henna Artist, the final chapter in Alka Joshi&’s New York Times bestselling Jaipur trilogy takes readers to 1970s Paris, where Radha&’s budding career as a perfumer must compete with the demands of her family and the secrets of her past.Paris, 1974. Radha is now living in Paris with her husband, Pierre, and their two daughters. She still grieves for the baby boy she gave up years ago, when she was only a child herself, but she loves being a mother to her daughters, and she&’s finally found her passion—the treasure trove of scents.She has an exciting and challenging position working for a master perfumer, helping to design completely new fragrances for clients and building her career one scent at a time. She only wishes Pierre could understand her need to work. She feels his frustration, but she can&’t give up this thing that drives her.Tasked with her first major project, Radha travels to India, where she enlists the help of her sister, Lakshmi, and the courtesans of Agra—women who use the power of fragrance to seduce, tease and entice. She&’s on the cusp of a breakthrough when she finds out the son she never told her husband about is heading to Paris to find her—upending her carefully managed world and threatening to destroy a vulnerable marriage.The Jaipur TrilogyBook 1: The Henna ArtistBook 2: The Secret Keeper of JaipurBook 3: The Perfumist of Paris
Mary Can!
By Mary J. Blige. 2023
From multi-award-winning singer, artist, actress, and icon Mary J. Blige comes a fun and inspirational story that teaches young readers…
they can be anything, and they are enough.Most of the time, people say “no” or “you can’t” because they dream too small.Young Mary has been told that there are many things she can’t do. Like stay up past bedtime, or be an astronaut or become president. But what she really wants is to sing, and she isn’t about to let anyone tell her she can’t do it!A powerful motivating tale about a confident and ambitious girl who doesn’t feed into negativity, this debut children’s book from legendary artist Mary J. Blige proves that anyone can make their dreams come true by believing in themselves. It's a great conversation starter for overcoming discouragement from others.Brought to life with imaginative illustrations by Ezra Jack Keats Award-winning illustrator Ashleigh Corrin, Mary Can! is perfect for go-getters who aren’t afraid to be a YES in a world full of NOs.
Her Best Kept Secret: A One Night, Forbidden Romance
By Naima Simone. 2023
Take one event planner, add a former motorcycle racer and multiply by one scorching night in bed and you get…coworkers?!…
USA TODAY bestselling author Naima Simone's spicy romance proves desire can&’t be ignored. Nore Daniels has sworn off love…only her powerful new client drives her to delicious distraction! After the crushing end of her engagement, event planner Nore Daniels is through with love. Except her plan to throw herself into work ends with landing in the bed of sexy former motorcycle racer and CEO Joaquin Iverson. Now he wants Nore to work for him—and it&’s a business arrangement that may require a decidedly personal touch… Their chemistry is undeniably off the charts—but when it comes to trust, both Nore and Joaquin have been burned before. And when Nore discovers that he&’s the brother of her ex-fiancé, it might send both their worlds spinning out of control…From Harlequin Desire: Passionate and provocative stories featuring rich, powerful heroes and scandalous family sagas.
Queens (Carl Weber's Five Families of New York)
By C. N. Phillips. 2023
In this fourth installment of the Five Families Of New York, we will see just how far a person will…
go to keep things together when their life is crumbling. With death nipping at his neck like cold in the winter, Lorenzo &“Zo&” Alverez is faced with the inevitable fate of stepping into his late father&’s shoes. With enemies coming at him from all sides, Zo doesn&’t know who he can trust. But when the light at the end of the tunnel comes in the form of family, he discovers secrets about his father that he never knew. These secrets threaten to pull him away from the other powerful families in New York and people that would risk their lives for his. When the time comes to decide where his loyalty will lie, he is unaware that the price for that choice is the heads of the people he loves the most.
Love, Honor, Betray (A Lexington, Alabama Novel #3)
By Mary Monroe. 2023
Award-winning New York Times bestselling author Mary Monroe delivers the latest thrillingly scandal-filled novel in her Depression-era saga of a…
church-going lady and her oh-so-upstanding husband racing to cover up their many sins—and gambling on one scheme too many . . . With mysterious serial murders putting peaceful Lexington, Alabama, on edge, Jessie and Hubert Wiggins&’ steadfast calm and devotion to each other reassures everyone that faith will see them through. But Jessie and Hubert have paid a terrible hidden cost to maintain their devout facade and respectable standing. Nothing can allay the guilt they feel—or stop the growing distrust between them . . . Hubert thought he and his secret lover, Leroy, could continue seeing each other on the down-low in peace. But when Leroy&’s ex-wife moves back in with him, a heartbroken Hubert is driven to distraction trying to keep Jessie in the dark—and quell his mounting jealousy. And his need for satisfaction is driving Hubert to reckless extremes—and desperate risks . . . Jessie believes the struggles between her and Hubert will all be worth it if she can connive him to finallyconsummate their marriage—no matter what she has to do. But his erratic behavior and her frustration soon has her trying yet another new lover, who is as charming as he is unreliable—and unexpectedly dangerous . . . Now with their secrets out of control—and the police perilously near—Jessie and Hubert discover who might be behind the deaths plaguing their town. But can they risk a pursuit that could expose their own web of lies? When their only choice pits them and their suspicions against each other, their next move will either bury their deceptions deep for good—or reveal the one truth they can&’t escape . . .Mary Monroe is the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of 25 novels and six novellas. She is a three-time AALBC bestseller and winner of the AAMBC Maya Angelou Lifetime Achievement Award, the PEN/Oakland Josephine Miles Award, and the J. California Cooper Memorial Award. The daughter of Alabama sharecroppers, she taught herself how to write before going on to become the first and only member of her family to finish high school. She lives in Oakland, California, and loves to hear from her readers via e-mail at Authorauthor5409@aol.com. Visit Mary&’s website at Marymonroe.org.
Hamra and the Jungle of Memories
By Hanna Alkaf. 2023
A Malaysian spin on Little Red Riding Hood from the critically acclaimed author of The Girl and the Ghost, Hanna…
Alkaf.Courage is the strongest magic there is.On Hamra's thirteenth birthday, she receives nothing but endless nagging and yet another errand to run in the Langkawi jungle that looms behind her home.No one has remembered her special day.And so, stifled and angry, Hamra ignores something she shouldn’t: the rules of the jungle.Always ask permission before you enter. Hamra walks boldly in.Never take what isn’t yours. Hamra finds the most perfect jambu and picks it.Of course, rules exist for a reason, and soon an enormous weretiger is stalking her dreams, demanding payment for her crimes—and Hamra embarks on a quest deep into the jungle to set things right.For fans of Ikegna and A Tale Dark and Grimm comes a story of a brave heroine, a beguiling villain, fantastical worlds, magical adventures, and a journey that will remind you that hope, friendship, and love endures all.
Ada's Room: A Novel
By Sharon Dodua Otoo. 2023
A kaleidoscopic novel spanning generations and continents, that reveals the connections between four women in their struggle for survival.A woman…
in 15th century West Africa named Ada buries her child and confronts a Portuguese enslaver. A woman in Victorian England named Ada Lovelace, a mathematical genius and computer programming pioneer, tries to hide her affair with Charles Dickens from her husband. A woman named Ada, imprisoned in a concentration camp at Mittelbau-Dora in 1945, will survive one more day in enforced prostitution. Connected by an unknown but sentient spirit, and a bracelet of fertility beads that each Ada encounters at a pivotal moment in her life, these women share a name and a purpose.As their interwoven narratives converge on a modern day Ada, a young Ghanaian woman who finds herself pregnant, alone, in Berlin, searching for a home before her baby arrives, their shared spirit will find a way to help her break the vicious cycle of injustice.This novel is a feat of imagination and breaks down simplistic notions of history as a straight line; one woman&’s experience matters to another&’s 400 years later, on a different continent. In this deeply moving, at times mordantly funny, ultimately hopeful book, there is a connection between all those fighting for love, for family, for justice, for a home.
A Brief History of Living Forever: A Novel
By Jaroslav Kalfar. 2023
In this &“ingenious, funny, and chilling&” novel (Publishers Weekly, starred review) from the author of Spaceman of Bohemia, two long-lost…
siblings risk everything to save their mother from oblivion in an authoritarian near-future America obsessed with digital consciousness and eternal life—a story that &“packs a walloping punch&” (Esquire). When Adéla discovers she has a terminal illness, she leaves behind her native Czech village for a chance at reuniting in America with Tereza, the daughter she gave up at birth, decades earlier. But the country Adéla experienced as a young woman, when she eloped with a filmmaker and starred in his cult sci-fi movie, has changed entirely. In 2030, America is ruled by an authoritarian government increasingly closed off to the rest of the world. Tereza, the star researcher for VITA, a biotech company hellbent on discovering the key to immortality, is overjoyed to meet her mother, with whom she forms an instant, profound connection. But when their time together is cut short by shocking events, Tereza must uncover VITA&’s alarming activity in the wastelands of what was once Florida, and persuade the Czech brother she&’s never met to join her in this odds-defying adventure. Narrated from the beyond by Adéla&’s restless spirit, A Brief History of Living Forever is a high-wire act of storytelling from a writer &“booming with vitality and originality,&” whose &“voice is distinct enough to leave tread marks&” (New York Times). By turns insightful, moving, and funny, the novel not only confirms Jaroslav Kalfař&’s boundless powers of invention but also exults in the love between a mother and her daughter, which neither space nor time can sever.&“Kalfař is a wise, rapturous, and original writer . . . Eloquent, heart-stunning, and rich in awe-inspiring prose.&” —San Francisco Chronicle &“Relentlessly inventive . . . His writing has the same hyperactivity and fidgety contempt for generic boundaries as that of the young Safran Foer.&” —The Guardian
The Human Origins of Beatrice Porter and Other Essential Ghosts: A Novel
By Soraya Palmer. 2023
&“Mothers never die. Children love to resurrect us in they stories.&”Folktales and spirits animate this lively and unforgettable coming-of-age tale…
of two Jamaican-Trinidadian sisters in Brooklyn grappling with their mother&’s illness, their father's infidelity, and the truth of their family's pastSisters Zora and Sasha Porter are drifting apart. Bearing witness to their father&’s violence and their mother&’s worsening illness, an unsettled Zora escapes into her journal, dreaming of being a writer, while Sasha discovers sex and chest binding, spending more time with her new girlfriend than at home.But the sisters, like their parents, must come together to answer to something more ancient and powerful than they know—and reckon with a family secret buried in the past. A tale told from the perspective of a mischievous narrator, featuring the Rolling Calf who haunts butchers, Mama Dglo who lives in the ocean, a vain tiger, and an outsmarted snake, The Human Origins of Beatrice Porter and Other Essential Ghosts is set in a world as alive and unpredictable as Helen Oyeyemi&’s.Telling of the love between sisters who don&’t always see eye to eye, this extraordinary debut novel is a celebration of the power of stories, asking, What happens to us when our stories are erased? Do we disappear? Or do we come back haunting?
Chlorine: A Novel
By Jade Song. 2023
In the vein of The Pisces and The Vegetarian, Chlorine is a debut novel that blurs the line between a literary coming-of-age narrative and a…
dark unsettling horror tale, told from an adult perspective on the trials and tribulations of growing up in a society that puts pressure on young women and their bodies… a powerful, relevant novel of immigration, sapphic longing, and fierce, defiant becoming.Ren Yu is a swimmer. Her daily life starts and ends with the pool. Her teammates are her only friends. Her coach, her guiding light. If she swims well enough, she will be scouted, get a scholarship, go to a good school. Her parents will love her. Her coach will be kind to her. She will have a good life.But these are human concerns. These are the concerns of those confined to land, those with legs. Ren grew up on stories of creatures of the deep, of the oceans and the rivers. Ones that called sailors to their doom. Ones that dragged them down and drowned them. Ones that feasted on their flesh. Ones of the creature that she’s always longed to become: mermaid.Ren aches to be in the water. She dreams of the scent of chlorine—the feel of it on her skin. And she will do anything she can to make a life for herself where she can be free. No matter the pain. No matter what anyone else thinks. No matter how much blood she has to spill.
The New Earth
By Jess Row. 2023
A globe-spanning epic novel about a fractured New York family reckoning with the harms of the past and confronting humanity’s…
uncertain future, from award-winning author Jess Row For fifteen years, the Wilcoxes have been a family in name only. Though never the picture of happiness, they once seemed like a typical white Jewish clan from the Upper West Side. But in the early 2000s, two events ruptured the relationships between them. First, Naomi revealed to her children that her biological father was actually Black. In the aftermath, college-age daughter Bering left home to become a radical peace activist in Palestine’s West Bank, where she was killed by an Israeli Army sniper.Now, in 2018, Winter Wilcox is getting married, and her only demand is that her mother, father, and brother emerge from their self-imposed isolations and gather once more. After decades of neglecting personal and political wounds, each remaining family member must face their fractured history and decide if they can ever reconcile.Assembling a vast chorus of voices and ideas from across the globe, Jess Row “explodes the saga from within—blows the roof off, so to speak, to let in politics, race, theory, and the narrative self-awareness that the form had seemed hell-bent on ignoring” (Jonathan Lethem). The New Earth is a commanding investigation of our deep and impossible desire to undo the injustices we have both inflicted and been forced to endure.
The Day is Waiting
By Linda Zuckerman. 1980
Don Freeman, the creator of Corduroy, was one of the most beloved and popular author/illustrators of picture books for children.…
After Freeman&’s death in 1978, colleagues and his wife decided to use his never before published artwork and make a commemorative book using his wonderful illustrations. Paired with Linda Z. Knab&’s thoughtful rhyming text, The Day Is Waiting takes readers on a tour of our big, wide world and reminds us that no matter how far we roam, we always have home to come back to. This classic tale is imbued with Freeman&’s gentle humor, spontaneity, and his appreciation of the variety and complexity of human experiences, creating a book that children will enjoy reading again and again.
Under the Baobab Tree
By Julie Stiegemeyer. 2012
The baobab tree story, which I wrote (the church version) is actually based upon a true story, told by Limakatso…
Nare, a Lutheran pastor who is currently serving a congregation in Louisiana. When he was growing up in his native Africa, he gathered for Sunday school under the baobab tree. Here he learned the Biblical stories of Noah and the ark, Jonah and the big fish, and the parables of Jesus. His Sunday school experiences inspired my story, Under the Baobab Tree.