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We Just Keep Running the Line: Black Southern Women and the Poultry Processing Industry
The poultry processing industry in El Dorado, Arkansas, was an economic powerhouse in the latter half of the twentieth century. It was the largest employer in the interconnected region of South Arkansas and North Louisiana surrounding El Dorado, and the fates of many related companies and farms depended on its continued financial success. We Just Keep Running the Line is the story of the rise of the poultry processing industry in El Dorado and the labor force--composed primarily of black women--upon which it came to rely.
At a time when agricultural jobs were in decline and Louisiana stood at the forefront of rising anti-welfare sentiment, much of the work available in the area went to men, driving women into less attractive, labor-intensive jobs. LaGuana Gray argues that the justification for placing African American women in the lowest-paying and most dangerous of these jobs, like poultry processing, derives from longstanding mischaracterizations of black women by those in power. In evaluating the perception of black women as "less" than white women--less feminine, less moral, less deserving of social assistance, and less invested in their families' and communities' well-being--Gray illuminates the often-exploitative nature of southern labor, the growth of the agribusiness model of food production, and the role of women of color in such food industries. Using collected oral histories to allow marginalized women of color to tell their own stories and to contest and reshape narratives commonly used against them, We Just Keep Running the Line explores the physical and psychological toll this work took on black women, analyzing their survival strategies and their fight to retain their humanity in an exploitative industry. -
Racebook: A Personal History of the Internet
From the author of Hugo and NAACP Image Award finalist Riot Baby, an original memoir in essays that interrogates how identities are shaped and informed in online spaces and how the relationship between race and the Internet has changed in his three decades online
When Tochi Onyebuchi realized that his acclaimed science fiction and fantasy storytelling career had been centrally preoccupied with race, it prompted him to consider his responsibilities as a Black writer in the Internet age. Excavating the Internet of the late 1990s and early 2000s, Racebook explores how the writer and public intellectual Onyebuchi is today, was formed in that crucible.
Beginning with the current moment when everything, including personal identity, is a matter of dispute, and tracing his online persona in reverse chronological order back to Web 1.0's promises of greater equality and a bright digital future, Onyebuchi deftly examines the evolution of internet culture and the ways that culture has shifted in the ensuing decades. From the ever-changing nature of personal writing and free expression, to gaming, manga, fandom, and virtual reality--Onyebuchi examines the internet alongside works of literature both classic and new, and asks if our vision for what is possible has really broadened. And given the inequities Black people are still subject to, on and off the page, does the Internet only amplify our failures of imagination?
A new, compelling investigation of race through the lens of the modern Internet age, and a profound intellectual journey in pursuit of community online, Onyebuchi argues for a liberation of the individual behind the code, ultimately asking "Is this a race book or is it not? Is it either-or? Can it be both-and? Can I?"
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Riding the White Bull: The Making of a Navy SEAL
In this vivid memoir, a young man's search for meaning takes him from college in the 1950s to the edge of everything-riding a wild bull in a rodeo, hitchhiking across America, battling forest fires, commanding a destroyer under a mercurial captain, and enduring the punishing trials of UDT-SEAL training. Along the way, he finds adventure, absurdity, and moments of unexpected grace. Gritty, funny, and unsentimental, the book offers a rare insider's look at the formative years of the Navy's most elite warriors and a generation that refused to live safely.
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Adventures of Emma Jean's Jeans
This picture book follows the adventures of a little girl's favorite pair of jeans through the many obstacles of her home with the goal of making it to the washing machine unnoticed. The story's premise is based on what my mother told me as a kid about my own clothes that I would want to wear repeatedly. She would tell me that if I did not take them to the laundry room, they would walk there themselves.
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Shriek I Do Remember: Winning The Race Of Life And Other Stories
When Brian Sluga was on his junior college cross-country team, he felt unbeatable. The team had a shot at making the national meet, but Brian was confronted by an opponent he never saw coming. Cancer.
With faith and fearlessness, Brian navigated the web of doctors, tests, setbacks, and victories, reshaping his goals and priorities to become a survivor.
The Shriek I Do Remember is Brian's intimate recounting of the people and circumstances that came into his life during those formative years. It is a story of hope and inspiration to all who have faced health challenges and other adversities.
Brian speaks with honesty and candor about memories that will bring readers along with him as he struggled, but ultimately prevailed.
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Overtake: A Rivals to Lovers F1 Romance
A sexy Rivals to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Formula One romance from Amazon Top 50 bestselling author SJ Sylvis
Rome Pierce is Formula One's golden boy-reckless, ruthless, and wrapped in an ego as polished as his race suit. Arrogance isn't just a trait; it's his personal trademark.
As the daughter of Vanstone Racing's chairman, I've spent my life loathing everything about him-and the family name he carries. The rivalry between our teams runs deeper than lap times and podiums. It's personal.
So when my father steps back for health reasons and hands me a front-line role, I don't hesitate to prove to the world that I'm more than just the pretty Halston daughter in the paddock.
I plan to beat Rome Pierce fair and square.
Except the promotion comes with a catch I never saw coming.
Rome Pierce isn't driving for his father anymore.
He's driving for mine.
Now I'm the crew chief for the one man I swore I'd never work with-the rival who knows exactly how to get under my skin. Every race is a power struggle. Every briefing feels like a war. And somewhere between late nights in the garage and two hundred mile an hour battles on the circuit, the thin line between hatred and heat starts to blur.
I think Rome Pierce came here to overtake my team.
I just never expected him to also alter the course of my heart.
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Longest Man-Made Beach In The World: Biloxi Stories
Set against the bright sand, murky waters, and barrier islands of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, this "strong, vivid" (--Kirkus Reviews) short story collection honors working-class lives shaped by loss, longing, and desperation. A mother and son search for a missing father in the seedy bars and strip clubs of Dixie Mafia-era Biloxi Beach. A grieving brother seeks solace in the post-Katrina ruins of a once-glamorous hotel. A ceremony honoring Biloxi's civil rights wade-ins troubles a White woman's conscience. An immigrant oyster cannery worker faces an impossible decision. Unsentimental yet radically compassionate, this "exceptional debut" (Mary Miller, author of Biloxi: A Novel and Always Happy Hour: Stories) establishes Amelia Franz as a powerful new voice in contemporary Southern fiction.
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What Brings Us: to a fuller version of ourselves
What Brings Us explores twelve universal experiences that shape every one of us. From love and grief to communication and forgiveness, from friendships and romantic relationships to raising children, navigating emotions, understanding time and truth, making choices, and tending to our health-these are the passages we all encounter as life unfolds.
This book serves as a neutral and nudging companion through each of those moments. By inviting readers into reflection and deeper self-awareness, it helps uncover the answers that already live within, offering clarity, comfort, and a richer understanding of ourselves and the people we cherish.
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On the Calculation of Volume (Book V)
It's been a while since Tara Selter was all alone in her repeating November day. It's been even longer since she was one half of a unit called T&T Selter, an antiquarian book dealership she ran with her beloved husband Thomas. Her hazy days of confusion are behind her, and so are her desperate and doomed attempts to reattach herself to linear time. Tara has begun to settle into a new life, with new habits, and new people, and so have the many other time-trapped individuals who have joined her along the way. And yet we can't help but wonder whether she and her fellow travelers will ever find their way out of a trap so inexplicable and profound--and will they even still want to? In Balle's hands the time loop becomes a parable of loss, longing, marital loneliness, and our own mortality. With gradual, breathtaking power, Balle deftly explores a series of existential and philosophical questions, and grapples with the form of the novel itself, charging full steam ahead in reinventing and reinvigorating its possibilities. And now we've arrived at the thrilling fifth book of Solvej Balle's septology. "It's a sensation." (The New York Times Magazine). -
Sold outDifferent Kind of Power: A Memoir
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - From the former prime minister of New Zealand, then the world's youngest female head of government and just the second to give birth in office, comes a deeply personal memoir chronicling her extraordinary rise and offering inspiration to a new generation of leaders. "A clear and compelling case for compassion . . . an implicit repudiation of the strongman style of leadership that has taken hold around the world."--The Washington Post What if we could redefine leadership? What if kindness came first? Jacinda Ardern grew up the daughter of a police officer in small-town New Zealand, but as the 40th Prime Minister of her country, she commanded global respect for her empathetic leadership that put people first. This is the remarkable story of how a Mormon girl plagued by self-doubt made political history and changed our assumptions of what a global leader can be. When Jacinda Ardern became Prime Minister at age thirty-seven, the world took notice. But it was her compassionate yet powerful response to the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks, resulting in swift and sweeping gun control laws, that demonstrated her remarkable leadership. She guided her country through unprecedented challenges--a volcanic eruption, a major biosecurity breach, and a global pandemic--while advancing visionary new policies to address climate change, reduce child poverty, and secure historic international trade deals. She did all this while juggling first-time motherhood in the public eye. Ardern exemplifies a new kind of leadership--proving that leaders can be caring, empathetic, and effective. She has become a global icon, and now she is ready to share her story, from the struggles to the surprises, including for the first time the full details of her decision to step down during her sixth year as Prime Minister. Through her personal experiences and reflections, Jacinda is a model for anyone who has ever doubted themselves, or has aspired to lead with compassion, conviction, and courage. A Different Kind of Power is more than a political memoir; it's an insight into how it feels to lead, ultimately asking: What if you, too, are capable of more than you ever imagined?Sold out -
How to Resist ICE in Your Neighborhood and Town
There is no single organization that is coordinating, organizing, or supporting ICE resistance. This guide is compiled by Bad Penny in Greensboro, NC, and it is based on guidance from a number of sources that are acting independently. This guide does not speak for those organizations, and the press is not affiliated with them.
The Trump administration is attempting in various ways to provoke violence and endanger those who live in the United States. It alleges that ICE resistance is part of a national network of coordinated protestors, and that those connected to that network are domestic terrorists. It claims that it can break into private businesses to conduct arrests. It claims it can go door-to-door to conduct immigration round-ups. It claims monitoring ICE is an illegal obstruction of law enforcement. Agents of this administration pepper spray and push non-violent legal observers in order to escalate tension and provide a premise for further erosion of the civil rights of assembly and protest.
The techniques for resisting ICE that are described in this guide are currently considered legal. The Trump administration frequently alleges without evidence that those who monitor its activities or oppose its aims are operating outside of the law. Before engaging in any type of resistance to this administration, determine whether that resistance falls within your own acceptable level of risk.
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House on Breaker's Ridge
Some houses keep their secrets.Breaker's Ridge does not.The Trelawneys thought a summer by the sea in their newly inherited mansion would be uneventful-dusty rooms, long hallways, and the ordinary noise of nine children under one roof. But behind one ballroom mirror waits a door that should never have been opened.A secret passageway leads them into winding tunnels where journals speak of forgotten experiments, and walls seem to close in the farther they go. What begins as curiosity soon becomes a race to escape the dark before their lantern burns out.The House on Breaker's Ridge is a middle-grade mystery adventure where family, imagination, and courage are tested inside a seaside mansion filled with secret passageways and buried history. For readers aged 8-13, it offers the thrill of hidden doors, the pull of long-lost secrets, and the danger of a house that isn't as it seems. -
Sold outSundowner's Dance
"With a bittersweet ending that explores the joys and fears of old age, this story, much like the work of Nick Cutter and Grady Hendrix, is a pitch-perfect blend of horror and heart." --Library Journal, starred The Sundowner's Dance was named one of the Best Books of 2025 by Library Journal and Ingram. Jerry Campbell just wants to be left alone. Grief-stricken over the death of his wife Abigail, the elderly widower and recent retiree is desperate for a change of scenery. When his realtor suggests a new home in Fairview Acres, a retirement community in the Poconos, Jerry figures it will be a nice place to spend the rest of his days in solitude. Until he moves in. Weird neighbors. Nightly block parties. Strange noises across his rooftop at all hours. Worst of all is Arthur Peterson, chairman of the Fairview Acres Community Association, who seems obsessed with coaxing Jerry into participating in these neighborhood activities. At first, Jerry shrugs off the incidents and eccentricities, telling himself he doesn't want to be the guy who complains about everything--but that all changes one evening when Katherine Dunnally appears on his doorstep with an ominous warning: "You need to leave. The worms...they dance at nightfall..." His neighbors all say Katherine suffers from a form of dementia called Sundowner's Syndrome, but as the weeks progress and the strangeness mounts, Jerry begins to suspect there is something else going on in his neighborhood. Something that has to do with the huge stone in the community park... Heartfelt and unsettling, Todd Keisling's latest novel, The Sundowner's Dance, propels readers through a terrifying exploration of grief, dementia, and perhaps the greatest horror of all: growing old.Sold out -
Unveiling
"A novel that's equal parts 'White Lotus' and 'Get Out'"--New York Times
From the award-winning author of We Ride Upon Sticks and When I'm Gone, Look for Me in the East, a genre-bending novel of literary horror set in Antarctica that explores abandonment, guilt, and survival in the shadow of America's racial legacy
Striker isn't entirely sure she should be on this luxury Antarctic cruise. A Black film scout, her mission is to photograph potential locations for a big-budget movie about Ernest Shackleton's doomed expedition. Along the way, she finds private if cautious amusement in the behavior of both the native wildlife and the group of wealthy, mostly white tourists who have chosen to spend Christmas on the Weddell Sea.
But when a kayaking excursion goes horribly wrong, Striker and a group of survivors become stranded on a remote island along the Antarctic Peninsula, a desolate setting complete with boiling geothermal vents and vicious birds. Soon the hostile environment will show each survivor their true face, and as the polar ice thaws in the unseasonable warmth, the group's secrets, prejudices, and inner demons will also emerge, including revelations from Striker's past that could irrevocably shatter her world.
With her signature lyricism and humor, Quan Barry offers neither comfort nor closure as she questions the limits of the human bonds that connect us to one another, affirming there are no such things as haunted places, only haunted people. Gripping, lucid, and imaginative, The Unveiling is an astonishing ghost story about the masks we wear and the truths we hide even from ourselves.
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Unabridged: The Thrill of (and Threat To) the Modern Dictionary
Named a Best Book of 2025 by Smithsonian and Washington Independent Review of Books
"[A] spirited examination of the state of language."--New York Times
From the author of the New York Times bestseller Word Freak, a vibrant, lively, and illuminating journey through the exotic world of Merriam-Webster, dictionaries, and language, at a time of rapid-fire change in the way we create, consume, define, and use words
Words are the currency of culture--and never more than today. From selfie to doomscrolling to rizz, our hyper-connected digital world coins and spreads new words with lightning speed and locks them into mainstream consciousness with unprecedented influence. Journalist and bestselling author Stefan Fatsis embedded as a lexicographer-in-training at America's most famous dictionary publisher, Merriam-Webster, to learn how words get into the dictionary, where they come from, who decides what they mean, and how we write and think about them. As he recounts in Unabridged, he discovered the history and fascinating subculture of the dictionary and of those who curate and revere "one of the most basic features of our collective humanity."
Fatsis reveals the little-known story of how the brothers George and Charles Merriam acquired Noah Webster's original American dictionary and reshaped the business of language forever. Merriam-Webster became America's most successful and enduring compendium of words, withstanding intense competition and cultural controversies--only to be threatened by the power of Google and artificial intelligence today.
Delving into Merriam's legendary archives and parsing its arcane rules, Fatsis learns the painstaking precision required for writing good definitions. He examines how the dictionary has handled the most explosive slurs and the revolutionary change in pronouns. He votes on the annual Word of the Year, travels to the legendary Oxford English Dictionary, and visits the world's greatest private dictionary collection in a Greenwich Village apartment stuffed with more than 20,000 books. Fatsis demonstrates how words are weaponized in our polarized political culture--from liberal to woke to DEI--and, in a time of insurrections and pandemics, how they can be a literal matter of life and death. Along the way, he manages to write a few definitions that crack the code and are enshrined in the pixelated dictionary.
"I fell in love with the dictionary on my eleventh birthday," Fatsis writes about the full-color college lexicon he received on that day. "The dictionary projects permanence, but the language is Jell-O, slippery and mutable and forever collapsing on itself." Unabridged takes readers to the heart of an industry in flux, celebrating as it does the sheer thrill and wonder of words.