A celebration of the adventurous spirit of childhood, this irresistible rhyming tale follows Wren, a wild and wonderful girl who leads you through her day. Children will relate to Wren's desire for balance, speed, mud, and small critters. The delightful illustrations give you a peek into Wren's vibrant and free world.
Seventeen-year-old Lauren is a closet poet trying to keep her messy family together. She juggles responsibility for her two younger sisters and her bipolar mother. When her allegedly now sober father wants back into their lives to reconnect, everything spins out of control and Lauren’s writing is her only escape. Just a Girl in the Whirl is about family, forgiveness and being bold enough to create your own life, your own way. Praise for Just a Girl in the Whirl A beautifully crafted coming-of-age story that captures the challenges of adolescence amidst the responsibilities of surrogate parenthood.—Mary Lanni
National Book Critics Circle Award Winner. “With dazzling clarity, [Chocano’s] commentary exposes the subliminal sexism on our pages and screens.”—O, The Oprah Magazine As a kid in the 1970s and 80s, Carina Chocano was confused by the mixed messages all around her that told her who she could be—and who she couldn’t. She grappled with sexed up sidekicks, princesses waiting to be saved, and morally infallible angels who seemed to have no opinions of their own. It wasn’t until she spent five years as a movie critic, and was laid off just after her daughter was born, however, that she really came to understand how the stories the culture tells us about what it means to be a girl limit our lives and shape our destinies. In You Play the Girl, Chocano blends formative personal stories with insightful and emotionally powerful analysis. Moving from Bugs Bunny to Playboy Bunnies, from Flashdance to Frozen, from the progressive ’70s through the backlash ’80s, the glib ’90s, and the pornified aughts—and at stops in between—she explains how growing up in the shadow of “the girl” taught her to think about herself and the world and what it means to raise a daughter in the face of these contorted reflections. In the tradition of Roxane Gay, Rebecca Solnit, and Susan Sontag, Chocano brilliantly shows that our identities are more fluid than we think, and certainly more complex than anything we see on any kind of screen. “If Hollywood’s treatment of women leaves you wanting, you’ll find good, heady company in You Play the Girl.”—Elle
'It's Saturday and everything is different. No, I didn't go to the market this morning and I didn't have my usual coffee on Westerstraat. And no, I wasn't getting ready for a new semester at college. Next Monday, January 31st, I have to admit myself at the hospital for my first chemotherapy session. For the next two months, I'm expected each week for a fresh shot of vincristine, etoposide, ifosfamide and loads more exciting abracadabra.' Sophie is twenty-one when she is diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of cancer. A striking, fun-loving student, her world is reduced overnight to the sterile confines of a hospital. But within these walls Sophie discovers a whole new world of white coats, gossiping nurses, and sexy doctors; of shared rooms, hair loss, and eyebrow pencils. As wigs become a crucial part of Sophie's new life, she reclaims a sense of self-expression. Each of Sophie's nine wigs makes her feel stronger and gives her a distinct personality, and that is why each has its own name: Stella, Sue, Daisy, Blondie, Platina, Uma, Pam, Lydia, and Bebé. There's a bit of Sophie in all of them, and they reveal as much as they hide. Sophie is determined to be much more than a cancer patient. With refreshing candor and a keen eye for the absurd, Sophie van der Stap's The Girl With Nine Wigs makes you smile when you least expect it.
ONE OF TEEN VOGUE'S "25 BOOKS BY BLACK AUTHORS THEY CAN'T WAIT TO READ THIS YEAR" ONE OF BETCHES' "22 BOOKS YOU NEED TO READ THIS YEAR" "As a fan of Grey’s Anatomy (and Chicago Med!), I couldn’t put down On Rotation, and you won’t be able to, either. Shirlene Obuobi makes you feel as if you’re actually right there with the lovable Angie, and I personally couldn’t get enough." —Meg Cabot, New York Times bestselling author For fans of Grey’s Anatomy and Seven Days in June, this dazzling debut novel by Shirlene Obuobi explores that time in your life when you must decide what you want, how to get it, & who you are, all while navigating love, friendship, and the realization that the path you’re traveling is going to be a bumpy ride. Ghanaian-American Angela Appiah has checked off all the boxes for the “Perfect Immigrant Daughter.” Enroll in an elite medical school Snag a suitable lawyer/doctor/engineer boyfriend Surround self with a gaggle of successful and/or loyal friends But then it quickly all falls apart: her boyfriend dumps her, she bombs the most important exam of her medical career, and her best friend pulls away. And her parents, whose approval seems to hinge on how closely she follows the path they chose, are a lot less proud of their daughter. It’s a quarter life crisis of epic proportions. Angie, who has always faced her problems by working “twice as hard to get half as far,” is at a loss. Suddenly, she begins to question everything: her career choice, her friendships, even why she's attracted to men who don't love her as much as she loves them. And just when things couldn’t get more complicated, enter Ricky Gutierrez— brilliant, thoughtful, sexy, and most importantly, seems to see Angie for who she is instead of what she can represent. Unfortunately, he’s also got “wasteman” practically tattooed across his forehead, and Angie’s done chasing mirages of men. Or so she thinks. For someone who’s always been in control, Angie realizes that there’s one thing she can’t plan on: matters of her heart.
From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Bridesmaids and The Time of Our Lives. Abby has been on health kicks before. They involve having one muffin for breakfast, instead of two. But since starting a business, her fitness has taken even more of a back seat than her long-neglected love life. Yet, when Abby meets the cute captain of the local running club, she is mysteriously compelled to exercise. The only downside is the discovery that handsome, motorbike-riding architect Tom, with whom she’s already clashed – literally - is also a member. She’s no runner. He’s no pushover. Together, could they ever find their stride? The Sunday Times bestselling enemies to lovers, laugh-out-loud romcom - the perfect spring read.
Ruth is coddled by her immigrant mother, who uses food to soothe and control. Francesca believes her heavy frame shames her Park Avenue society mother and, to provoke her, consumes everything in sight. Opal longs to be included in her glamorous mother's dinner dates, until a disturbing encounter changes her desires. And Setsu, a promising violinist, staves off conflict with her jealous brother by allowing him to take the choicest morsels from her plate. College brings the four young women together as suitemates, where their stories and appetites collide.
This title is part of American Studies Now and available as an e-book first. Visit ucpress.edu/go/americanstudiesnow to learn more. In the last decade, public discussions of transgender issues have increased exponentially. However, with this increased visibility has come not just power, but regulation, both in favor of and against trans people. What was once regarded as an unusual or even unfortunate disorder has become an accepted articulation of gendered embodiment as well as a new site for political activism and political recognition. What happened in the last few decades to prompt such an extensive rethinking of our understanding of gendered embodiment? How did a stigmatized identity become so central to U.S. and European articulations of self? And how have people responded to the new definitions and understanding of sex and the gendered body? In Trans*, Jack Halberstam explores these recent shifts in the meaning of the gendered body and representation, and explores the possibilities of a nongendered, gender-optional, or gender-queer future.
Meet Tilda Whirl- a sparkly, spunky girl whose feelings spin and swirl. But, does Tilda show her emotions or hide them away? Does she share her thoughts or just smile and play? Is Tilda weird or really strange? Should she be herself or try to change? Discover how Tilda shows us all, that despite up-and-down moods, we're lovable just the way we are