![]() ![]() The Eloko enchant, delight and enthrall all those who meet them. ![]() This is a group of creatures whose power lies in the harmonious melodies they sing. In this young-adult tale of magic and social media madness, Naema also belongs to an elite magical race called the Eloko. ![]() Her status, devoted boyfriend and tight group of friends are the envy of LOVE, a blog akin to Instagram, where Naema reigns supreme. Blessed with gorgeous looks, a magical gift of melody and a legion of social media followers that would make any influencer who's worth their salt jealous, Naema has it all. Special emphasis must be placed on the word "gifted" here. One could say that Naema would have realized singer-songwriter Nina Simone's wildest dreams - she is the very epitome of "Young, Gifted and Black." Morrow's latest novel, A Chorus Rises, the sequel to A Song Below Water. What happens when the spotlight dims? When you go from social media superstar to pariah? Such is the tale of teenage influencer Naema Bradshaw, the heroine of Bethany C. ![]()
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![]() ![]() Sprinkled throughout the book are passages from the songs that helped keep Linden going throughout her journey.Īlong the way, she provides a fascinating look at the training and culture of professional running. She offers a look at the grueling conditions that distance runners face as they prepare for such races, from injuries to unbearable weather conditions. Her memoir alternates between vivid descriptions of running the famed point-to-point Boston Marathon route in 2018 and her upbringing as a runner. “My typical meticulous checklist was down to one item: survive,” she writes. Linden starts her book describing an all-familiar place for anyone who’s completed or attempted a marathon: the dreaded 22-mile mark when many runners hit the “wall” of the race, where their training is tested by the exhaustion of running that many miles. ![]() ![]() Preparing for running those 26.2 miles is also absolute torture for anyone who tries it.ĭes Linden captures that sentiment perfectly in her memoir, “Choosing To Run,” as she chronicles the winding road that led to her winning the Boston Marathon in 2018 - the first American woman to do so in 33 years. ![]() Running a marathon is a remarkable achievement for any runner, no matter the skill level or pace. “Choosing To Run,” by Des Linden (Dutton) ![]() ![]() ![]() Except at the "climax" of the book when her voice is used by an oracle, maybe, it's a little unclear. Not present at the actual pivotal events of the conflict, oh no, but available to hear about them second and third hand. Her role in the book is to simply be present in the city where a revolution (if you can call it that) takes place. She has a great deal of ambition and motivation but never acts on any of it. The main flaw of this book is the main character, whose name I can't remember even though I finished listening to the program yesterday. ![]() The character is an oracle so her failure to ever do anything is explained as part of her nature, which doesn't make it any less boring. ![]() This book is mostly world building, which normally I like, except nothing much happens in this world until the last third or so of the narrative, when all the conflict gets fortuitously solved by a string of unrealistic events with which our main character has precious little to do. The previous book was far too short, this one makes up for the lack by dragging on without really going anywhere (failing to go anywhere might be the actual theme of the story). ![]() ![]() a literate, accessible introduction to Islam.” -The New York Times “Grippingly narrated and thoughtfully examined. Timely and persuasive, No god but God is an elegantly written account that explains this magnificent yet misunderstood faith. He also provides an update on the contemporary Muslim women’s movement, a discussion of the controversy over veiling in Europe, an in-depth history of Jihadism, and a look at how Muslims living in North America and Europe are changing the face of Islam. Aslan explores what the popular demonstrations pushing for democracy in the Middle East mean for the future of Islam in the region, how the Internet and social media have affected Islam’s evolution, and how the war on terror has altered the geopolitical balance of power in the Middle East. This updated edition addresses the events of the past decade, analyzing how they have influenced Islam’s position in modern culture. In No god but God, internationally acclaimed scholar Reza Aslan explains Islam-the origins and evolution of the faith-in all its beauty and complexity. A fascinating, accessible introduction to Islam from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Zealot and host of BelieverįINALIST FOR THE GUARDIAN FIRST BOOK AWARD ![]() ![]() Based on the interviews, it seemed that neither team wanted him, which he knew he couldn’t share. ![]() Now late in the day he was hungry, tired, and a little anxious. Both appointments, though stressful, were over before lunch. He’d flown out that morning to meet with the Rangers and the Sabres NHL hockey teams. Jordan Ryan hustled through the Buffalo Niagara International Airport, heading to the terminal where he’d catch his flight back home to Nashville, Tennessee. So here’s to the best fans a girl could get, my beautiful puck bunnies. I never expected to have such amazing people behind me, and because of you I am living my dreams. Thank you so much for being there for me, for believing in me and encouraging me to do what I love to do. ![]() LOVESWEPT and colophon are trademarks of Random House, Inc. ![]() Published in the United States by Loveswept, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York. Names, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.Įxcerpt from Empty Net by Toni Aleo copyright © 2012 by Toni Aleo. ![]() Falling for the Backup is a work of fiction. ![]() ![]() ![]() She idolizes her brother yet resents him for not knowing what happened to her and for not protecting her. This causes a lot of complex emotions within Eden. It would destroy her parents and brother who love him like a brother and son. Who would believe mousy Eden over him? He's a popular, well loved guy. This was Eden’s journey, told in four parts from the time of the rape – when she was a “good girl”, a quiet girl, a geek girl – starting out at high school, through the three years after the rape.Įden is raped by her brother’s best friend, a good friend of the family, in her own home, and doesn’t tell anyone out of fear. Of course, no two assaults are the same and there isn’t only one way to react or recover. It cut so close to home and the experiences of several friends of mine who were sexually assaulted that I had to stop reading several times because it felt so real. Source: Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review Told in four parts-freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior year. Nothing makes sense anymore, and she knows she’s supposed to tell someone what happened but she can’t. What she thought she knew to be true, is now lies. ![]() What Eden once loved-who she once loved-she now hates. But the night her brother’s best friend rapes her, Eden’s world capsizes. Starting high school didn’t change who she was. ![]() ![]() ![]() The only person Cordelia can trust is Astrid Donal, a flapper who seems to have it all: money, looks, and the love of Cordelia's brother, Charlie. It's a life anyone would kill for.and someone will. ![]() Overnight, she enters a world more thrilling and glamorous than she ever could have imagined - and more dangerous. All Letty wants is to see her name in lights, but she quickly discovers Manhattan is filled with pretty girls who will do anything to be a star.Ĭordelia is searching for the father she's never known, a man as infamous for his wild parties as he is for his shadowy schemes. Letty Larkspur and Cordelia Grey escaped their small Midwestern town for New York's glittering metropolis. ![]() New York is ruled by the Bright Young Things: Flappers and socialites seeking thrills and chasing dreams in the anything-goes era of the Roaring Twenties. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() The MTA’s decision to scale back its use of Twitter comes as many institutional users of the platform wrestle with changes Musk has made in an effort to make the service profitable, including asking users to pay for checkmarks on their accounts that formerly served as a form of identity verification. Twitter responded only with an automated reply. They provide times for the subway and commuter rail system, respectively.Ī request for comment was sent to Twitter’s communications office. They also pointed to a desire to push customers toward existing in-house products that provide the same information about service disruptions, such as a pair of apps known as MYmta and TrainTime. On Friday, the Bay Area Rapid Transit System announced its alerts were temporarily unavailable due to technological issues, though a spokesperson said they hoped to have the issue fixed soon.īeyond the pricing, MTA officials offered other reasons for leaving Twitter, including the added vitriol and the move away from a chronological timeline. Those that don’t agree to pay, Twitter warned, will begin to see their service “deprecate,” a process that some agencies say is already underway.Ī spokesperson for Chicago Transit Authority confirmed they were considering ending alerts, citing what they described as Twitter’s “diminished” effectiveness for real-time transit information. ![]() ![]() ![]() The switchboard had had quite a few such calls since, a year before, James Bond’s death on a mission to Japan had been announced in the press. The girl at the switchboard at the Ministry of Defence flicked the switch to HOLD and said to her neighbour, “It’s another nut who says he’s James Bond. On that cold, clear morning in November he was to see the careful cogwheels in motion. One thing that James Bond, for instance, didn’t know was the machinery at Headquarters for dealing with the public, whether friendly or otherwise-drunks, lunatics, bona fide applications to join the Service, and enemy agents with plans for penetration or even assassination. The latter is responsible for keeping the Top Secret record known as The War Book so that, in the event of the death of both of them, the whole story, apart from what is available to individual Sections and Stations, would be available to their successors. and his Chief of Staff know absolutely everything there is to know. The Secret Service holds much that is kept secret even from very senior officers in the organization. ![]() ![]() ![]() Please share his books on your social media accounts and/or buy a book… or two! For those of you so inclined, I am sure prayer would be welcomed. You just have to look at the love left on his Facebook wall to see that he’s gained a special spot in more hearts than mine… and he is an awesome writer with incredible life experience from which to draw his novels! If anyone I know deserves the help, he does. He has given generously to charity work over many years and has also taken a child into his home to care for. Rags is one of the few proper gentlemen left! He has the heart of a lion and has become very special to me in the months I have known him. Obviously, he is offline, so I am asking all of you to help out by sharing / tweeting about Rags’ books and/or buy some to help him with the medical costs his family are undoubtably inundated with. He is in his early seventies and has a long road to recovery ahead. This post is an appeal to help Rags Daniels, a fellow Author who has suffered a stroke. The greatest gift blogging and social networking has given me is the people I have met, some of whom are very dear to my heart. ![]() |