Spellstruck: A Novel

Martha Waters

From beloved author Martha Waters, a lightly magical, enemies-to-lovers rom-com about the owner of a speakeasy supplying magical drinks and an enforcer of the ban on magic who must team up when potions begin to go awry, proving that chemistry isn’t just for cocktails.In an alternate version of 1920s London, vestiges of England’s magical past exist, but the use of magic has been outlawed, leading families still with powers to operate illegal speakeasies for a public still hungry for magic. Vesper Holloway runs her family club, where a dash of spell powder or an enchanted cocktail can add a little extra intrigue to the evening. But one night a man drinking a Flotation Fizz that should allow him to levitate a few inches finds himself bumping his head on the ceiling. Word among the magical elite is that such accidents have been happening more frequently, and the club owners are worried that the danger will spread. Enter Maxwell Ashbridge, a onetime friend of Vesper’s brother, who has joined the government agency tasked with enforcing the ban, and who has a personal vendetta against the magical elite. But he does not have a vendetta against Vesper; in fact, he finds her rather enticing. He promises her immunity for her club, if she teams up with him to help gain entry to other establishments and find out who is responsible for the contaminated magic threatening her family business. But their investigation does little to quell the chemistry they share. As accidents continue and the fight to repeal the ban gains ground in Parliament, Vesper and Max will have to decide—is the magic between them worth fighting for?

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Close Reading for the Twenty-First Century (Skills for Scholars)

Dan Sinykin

A user’s guide to the fundamental practice of literary studies, providing context, examples, and practical exercises Close reading—making an argument based in close attention to a text—is the foundation of literary studies. This book offers a guide to close reading, treating it as a skill that can be taught and practiced. It first explains what close reading is, what it does, and how it has been used across theoretical schools ranging from affect studies to Black studies to queer theory to Marxism. It then presents a series of master classes in the practice, with original contributions by scholars from a range of different institutions. Finally, it provides practical materials, worksheets, and suggested activities for instructors to use in the classroom. The tone throughout is encouraging and accessible, inviting readers of all backgrounds to hone their craft.The book divides the practice of close reading into five steps, coining a term for each scene setting, noticing, local claiming, regional argumentation, and global theorizing. It traces the roots of close reading, showing how it has spread far beyond its origins in practical criticism and New Criticism. In twenty-one short chapters, contemporary scholars discuss close readings by such prominent literary critics as Erich Auerbach and Helen Vendler, describing how their arguments work and how to achieve similar results. An essential resource for instructors and students at the undergraduate level and beyond, this book shows how understanding close reading can make us better readers, thinkers, and writers.

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Wild Card

Elsie Silver

Sebastian Rousseau is a grumpy, hot as hell fire pilot who is too damn good with his hands. It’s the perfect combination. But unfortunately for me, he’s also my ex-boyfriend’s dad. A chance meeting brought us together and a missed connection has kept us apart. One year later, a stroke of fate has us living under the same roof—which makes everything between us downright messy. Because even after all this time, he’s still the man I think about when I fall asleep. The one I can’t get over no matter how hard I try. He’s working on mending a fragile relationship with his son and we both know acting on these urges would be the ultimate betrayal. But I see the heat in his eyes. That look of need that never fails to send a shiver down my spine. The mutual longing is borderline unbearable and the simmering heat between us is downright palpable. We both know there are rules when it comes to situations like this. But then again…following the rules never has been my strong suit.

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Authentic: The Myth of Bringing Your Full Self to Work

Jodi-Ann Burey

From the creator of a viral TED talk comes a bold call to rethink authenticity at work Workplace dynamics in recent years have been a dizzying storm of broken promises. Companies that once encouraged employees to “come as you are” and bring your full, authentic self to work are now shutting down initiatives, part of an ongoing cycle of trading on our identities when it’s convenient and profitable. Those calls for authenticity were never honest and are actually harmful. Jodi-Ann Burey, writer and critic known for her TED talk “The Myth of Bringing Your Full, Authentic Self to Work,” delves into the dangers of disclosure in environments that aren’t built for our well-being. With insights from pop culture, academic research, and interviews with other professionals of color, Burey argues that we can do better than shallow ploys for representation. Our physical and emotional health are at risk, and too much is sacrificed—for ourselves and for collective progress—when our full potential is blocked by racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and ableism. Authentic is a powerful reckoning—and now is the time to reclaim our agency. Even at work.

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The Monsters We Defy

Leslye Penelope

A woman able to communicate with spirits must assemble a ragtag crew to pull off a daring heist to save her community in this timely and dazzling historical fantasy that weaves together African American folk magic, history, and romance. In the summer of 1925, along Washington, DC’s “Black Broadway”, a malevolent entity has begun preying on Negro residents. Twenty-three-year-old Clara Johnson is determined to discover what’s going on in her community. Using her natural ability to talk with spirits, she begins to investigate, but a powerful spirit tasks her with a difficult quest: steal an ancient, magical ring from the finger of a wealthy socialite. When Clara meets Israel Lee, a supernaturally enhanced jazz musician also vying for the ring, the two decide to work together. They put together an unlikely team including a former circus freak, a pickpocketing Pullman Porter, and an aging vaudeville actor to pull off an impossible heist. But a dangerous spirit interferes at every turn and conflict in the spirit world is leaking out into the human world. With different agendas, even if Clara and Israel pull off the heist, only one of them can truly win.

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Hamlet

William Shakespeare

A timeless masterpiece of tragedy and psychological depth, Hamlet by William Shakespeare explores themes of revenge, betrayal, morality, madness, and the complexities of human nature. Set in the royal court of Denmark, the story follows Prince Hamlet as he confronts grief, deception, and a haunting call for justice after the death of his father. Shakespeare’s powerful language and profound insight into the human condition have made Hamlet one of the most influential works in world literature.

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Pedagogy of the Oppressed

Paulo Freire

First published in Portuguese in 1968, Pedagogy of the Oppressed was translated and published in English in 1970. The methodology of the late Paulo Freire has helped to empower countless impoverished and illiterate people throughout the world. Freire's work has taken on especial urgency in the United States and Western Europe, where the creation of a permanent underclass among the underprivileged and minorities in cities and urban centers is increasingly accepted as the norm. With a substantive new introduction on Freire's life and the remarkable impact of this book by writer and Freire confidant and authority Donaldo Macedo, this anniversary edition of Pedagogy of the Oppressed will inspire a new generation of educators, students, and general readers for years to come.

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Compulsively Yours

Allison Raskin

The Proposal meets The Unhoneymooners in Allison Raskin’s charming new rom com. With her signature warmth and frank conversation about romance and mental health, COMPULSIVELY YOURS offers a fresh spin on fake dating and friends to lovers tropes, set on a gorgeous beach in Mexico. Libi Newman doesn’t date. Relationship and Harm OCD make it tough for Libi to date without doubts, so she prefers to flit between hook-ups instead, knowing that she can’t sabotage a relationship if it’s not serious. It’s not ideal, but grieving her mother’s recent passing, Libi can only deal with so many emotions at once. That’s what OCD support group is for anyway. Nate Keller has harbored a crush on Libi since she joined the group. While he’s there to discuss his Contamination OCD, he can’t help but be fascinated by Libi's history…and her adorably chatty nature. But they’re just friends, and Nate’s okay with that. Really. When Libi's summoned to the Newman family timeshare in Mexico for her grandparents’ anniversary, it’s not all margaritas and suntans. Not only has her father started dating a new woman, her least-favorite cousin also has a boyfriend to introduce to the family—shockingly, it’s Libi’s ex, who she might still be in love with… Not wanting her to stomach the reunion alone, Nate tags along for emotional support. What begins as an innocent promise of friends helping each other quickly turns into a fake-dating scheme. And Nate’s playing the fake boyfriend role too well. As the lies stack up, Libi has to keep up with her own ping-ponging emotions: are the romantic sunset strolls coloring her perspective… or is she actually wanting to date Nate for real?

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