Kingdom of Souls

Kingdom of Souls

Author: Rena Barron

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: 2019-09-03

Total Pages: 471

ISBN-13: 0062870971

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A girl with no gifts must bargain for the power to fight her own mother’s dark schemes—even if the price is her life. Crackling with dark magic, unspeakable betrayal, and daring twists you won’t see coming, this explosive YA fantasy debut is a can’t-miss, high-stakes epic perfect for fans of Legendborn, Strange the Dreamer, and Children of Blood and Bone. “Magnetic and addictive. This book is black girl magic at its finest.”—New York Times bestselling author Dhonielle Clayton Heir to two lines of powerful witchdoctors, Arrah yearns for magic of her own. Yet she fails at bone magic, fails to call upon her ancestors, and fails to live up to her family’s legacy. Under the disapproving eye of her mother, the Kingdom’s most powerful priestess and seer, she fears she may never be good enough. But when the Kingdom’s children begin to disappear, Arrah is desperate enough to turn to a forbidden, dangerous ritual. If she has no magic of her own, she’ll have to buy it—by trading away years of her own life. Arrah’s borrowed power reveals a nightmarish betrayal, and on its heels, a rising tide of darkness that threatens to consume her and all those she loves. She must race to unravel a twisted and deadly scheme… before the fight costs more than she can afford. Set in a richly imagined world inspired by whispered tales of voodoo and folk magic, Rena Barron’s captivating debut is the beginning of a thrilling saga about a girl caught between gods, monsters, and the gift and the curse of power. “Masterful.” —SLJ (starred review)


Patriarchy Blues

Patriarchy Blues

Author: Frederick Joseph

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: 2022-05-17

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 0063138336

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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "[A] scorching treatise on toxic masculinity. Joseph’s critiques of “the patriarchy... both overt and ingrained” are razor-sharp, but it’s the clear-eyed reckoning of his own place within it that tethers the soul of his book." —Publishers Weekly "Joseph has learned a great deal from bell hooks here, and I think she would be proud because Patriarchy Blues is such a moving, inspiring, rigorous vision for living.” —Robert Jones, Jr., New York Times bestselling author of The Prophets In this personal and poignant collection, the author of the New York Times bestseller The Black Friend examines the culture of masculinity through the lens of a Black man. What does it mean to be a man today? How does the pervasive yet elusive idea of “toxic masculinity” actually reflect men’s experiences—particularly those of color—and how they navigate the world? In this thought-provoking collection of essays, poems, and short reflections, Frederick Joseph contemplates these questions and more as he explores issues of masculinity and patriarchy from both a personal and cultural standpoint. From fatherhood, and “manning up” to abuse and therapy, he fearlessly and thoughtfully tackles the complex realities of men’s lives today and their significance for society, lending his insights as a Black man. Written in Joseph’s unique voice, with an intelligence and raw honesty that demonstrates both his vulnerability and compassion, Patriarchy Blues forces us to consider the joys, pains, and destructive nature of manhood and the stereotypes it engenders.


The Girl Before

The Girl Before

Author: Rena Olsen

Publisher: National Geographic Books

Published: 2016-08-09

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 1101982357

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In this powerful psychological suspense debut, when a woman’s life is shattered, she is faced with a devastating question: What if everything she thought was normal and good and true...wasn’t? Clara Lawson is torn from her life in an instant. Without warning, her home is invaded by armed men, and she finds herself separated from her beloved husband and daughters. The last thing her husband yells to her is to say nothing. In chapters that alternate between past and present, the novel slowly unpeels the layers of Clara’s fractured life. We see her growing up, raised with her sisters by the stern Mama and Papa G, becoming a poised and educated young woman, falling desperately in love with the forbidden son of her adoptive parents. We see her now, sequestered in an institution, questioned by men and women who call her a different name—Diana—and who accuse her husband of unspeakable crimes. As recollections of her past collide with new revelations, Clara must question everything she thought she knew, to come to terms with the truth of her history and to summon the strength to navigate her future.


Reaper of Souls

Reaper of Souls

Author: Rena Barron

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: 2021-02-16

Total Pages: 397

ISBN-13: 0062871005

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A prince repelled by magic. A king bent on revenge. A witchdoctor who does not walk alone. Brimming with dark magic, high stakes, and serpentine twists, the second book in Rena Barron’s thrilling YA fantasy saga is perfect for fans of Laini Taylor, Sabaa Tahir, and Tomi Adeyemi. After so many years yearning for the gift of magic, Arrah has the one thing she’s always wanted—but it came at too steep a price. Now the last surviving witchdoctor, she’s been left to pick up the shattered pieces of a family that betrayed her, a kingdom plunged into chaos, and a love that can never be. While Arrah returns to the tribal lands to search for survivors of the demons’ attack, her beloved Rudjek hunts down the remnants of the demon army—and uncovers a plot that would destroy what’s left of their world. The Demon King wants Arrah, and if she and Rudjek can’t unravel his schemes, he will destroy everything, and everyone, standing in his way. Set in a richly imagined world inspired by whispered tales of voodoo and folk magic, the Kingdom of Souls trilogy has been optioned for film by Michael B. Jordan and his Warner Bros. production company, Outlier Society. “I couldn’t get enough of Kingdom of Souls. Wonderfully written, and full of dark magic and danger, it was a story I couldn’t wait to escape into. Highly recommended!”—Kendare Blake, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Three Dark Crowns series


Rena's Cowboy

Rena's Cowboy

Author: Agnes Alexander

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2013-04-01

Total Pages: 360

ISBN-13: 1611604915

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While touring a present day Arizona cavern, Atlanta police officer, Rena Dumont gets lost and is trapped by a cave-in. When she regains consciousness, she finds herself on Jack Haywood's ranch in the year 1876. Though Jake is the epitome of everything Rena thinks a real man should be, she knows she has to fight her growing feelings for him and try to return to her time. Jake Haywood is fighting to save his ranch from a bank takeover and the encroachment of the neighboring rancher. Now he finds he must cope with a sassy strange woman who can shoot as well as any man and talk as tough as he can. Though he's confused by Rena, he has a hard time ignoring the attraction he feels every time he looks at her.


Rena's Promise

Rena's Promise

Author: Rena Kornreich Gelissen

Publisher: Beacon Press

Published: 2015-03-17

Total Pages: 289

ISBN-13: 0807093130

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An expanded edition of the powerful memoir about two sisters' determination to survive during the Holocaust featuring new and never before revealed information about the first transport of women to Auschwitz In March 1942, Rena Kornreich and 997 other young women were rounded up and forced onto the first Jewish transport of women to Auschwitz. Soon after, Rena was reunited with her sister Danka at the camp, beginning a story of love and courage that would last three years and forty-one days. From smuggling bread for their friends to narrowly escaping the ever-present threats that loomed at every turn, the compelling events in Rena’s Promise remind us that humanity and hope can survive inordinate brutality.


With You Always

With You Always

Author: Rena Olsen

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2018-08-07

Total Pages: 354

ISBN-13: 1101982403

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From the author of The Girl Before comes a tense and incisive work of psychological suspense that examines how easy it is to fall into the wrong relationship...and how impossible it can be to leave. In the wake of a painful breakup and struggling to prove herself at work, Julia feels adrift. When Bryce blows into her life, he seems like the perfect anchor. Handsome, charming, secure, and confident, Bryce brings out the best in Julia, sweeping her off her feet with attention and affection while grounding her with his certainty and faith. Together they embark on a path guided by the principles of his family and their church, each step a paving stone leading to happily ever after. But this is no fairy tale. Step by step, one small concession leading to another, Julia is slowly isolated from her job, her friends, and her family, until she comes to find that her dream come true is a cage. Then one day everything changes...and Julia is faced with no choice but to find a way out.


My Survival: A Girl on Schindler's List

My Survival: A Girl on Schindler's List

Author: Joshua M. Greene

Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

Published: 2019-12-26

Total Pages: 85

ISBN-13: 1338593803

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The astonishing true story of a girl who survived the Holocaust thanks to Oskar Schindler, of Schindler's List fame. Rena Finder was only eleven when the Nazis forced her and her family -- along with all the other Jewish families -- into the ghetto in Krakow, Poland. Rena worked as a slave laborer with scarcely any food and watched as friends and family were sent away. Then Rena and her mother ended up working for Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who employed Jewish prisoners in his factory and kept them fed and healthy. But Rena's nightmares were not over. She and her mother were deported to the concentration camp Auschwitz. With great cunning, it was Schindler who set out to help them escape. Here in her own words is Rena's gripping story of survival, perseverance, tragedy, and hope. Including pictures from Rena's personal collection and from the time period, this unforgettable memoir introduces young readers to an astounding and necessary piece of history.


Maya and the Return of the Godlings

Maya and the Return of the Godlings

Author: Rena Barron

Publisher: HMH Books For Young Readers

Published: 2021-09

Total Pages: 317

ISBN-13: 035810632X

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In this highly anticipated sequel, Maya and the godlings must return to the sinister world of The Dark to retrieve the one thing keeping the veil between the worlds from crumbling: her father's soul. Perfect for fans of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky and Willa of the Wood. The threat from The Dark is far from over. Twelve-year-old Maya knows this. After crossing the veil between the two worlds, saving her father, and narrowly escaping the sinister clutches of the Lord of Shadows, tensions between the human world and The Dark are higher than ever. And even worse, Maya's orisha powers as a godling are out of control. Now a guardian in training, Maya spends her days patching up veils with her father and cleaning up near-disasters like baby wormholes that her erratic powers create. But when Maya and her friends discover that something went terribly wrong during their journey to bring her father back to the human world, they are forced to return to The Dark and restore what they left behind, the one thing keeping the veil from falling: her father's soul. The Lord of Shadows is mobilizing his forces for an all-out war against the human world. And this time, Maya and her friends will need all the help they can get. Even if that means teaming up with their greatest enemies, the darkbringers.


The Coach's Guide for Women Professors

The Coach's Guide for Women Professors

Author: Rena Seltzer

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2023-07-03

Total Pages: 174

ISBN-13: 1000980847

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If you find yourself thinking or saying any of the following, this is a book you need to pick up.I know or suspect that I am underpaid, but I hate negotiating. I do everything else first and then write in the time left over.I’m not sure exactly what the promotion requirements are in my department.Since earning tenure, my service load has increased and my research is suffering. I don’t get enough time with my family.This is a practical guide for women in academe – whether adjuncts, professors or administrators – who often encounter barriers and hostility, especially women of color, and generally carry a heavier load of service, as well as household and care responsibilities, than their male colleagues. Rena Seltzer, a respected life coach and trainer who has worked with women professors and academic leaders for many years, offers succinct advice on how you can prioritize the multiplicity of demands on your life, negotiate better, create support networks, and move your career forward. Using telling but disguised vignettes of the experiences of women she has mentored, Rena Seltzer offers insights and strategies for managing the situations that all women face – such as challenges to their authority – while also paying attention to how they often play out differently for Latinas, Black and Asian women. She covers issues that arise from early career to senior administrator positions. This is a book you can read cover to cover or dip into as you encounter concerns about time management; your authority and influence; work/life balance; problems with teaching; leadership; negotiating better; finding time to write; developing your networks and social support; or navigating tenure and promotion and your career beyond.