Clearance

By: Amy Friedl (Author), Drew Clark (Illustrator), 2024, Paperback

Strong Girls Travel is a book series showcasing a young girl's adventures in America's National Parks. Each book finds her learning something new about herself, her world, and her part in it all.

In AJ's Birthday at Congaree, AJ's "Epic Birthday Extravaganza Weekend" turns into a bicker-fest with her best friend and birthday twin, Max. One wants a late-night bonfire; the other wants a movie marathon. And neither of them can agree on a birthday dessert! Shouldn't each girl get what she wants on her own birthday?

Follow AJ and Max as they realize that just like the messy and beautiful floodplain at Congaree National Park, sometimes life has both give and take. And great moments can be found in what we teach and in what we learn.

The guy who broke my heart is back and teaching at my school. I’m really trying not to give an F.

A long time ago, in a suburban high school not so far away, a closeted nerd (me) and a closeted soccer star (Hutch) fell in love and planned to make their public debut at prom. Until Hutch bailed at the last minute, leaving me with a broken heart and unworn tuxedo. Tale as old as time, right?

I spent the past ten years working to forget Hutch, returning to our old high school to teach and make new memories that could erase ones of him. I thought Hutch was ancient history, off living his professional athlete life. But he’s suddenly back in Sourwood, coaching soccer at South Rock High, and sexy as ever. Just when I’d gotten over him, we’re now colleagues.

As Hutch leads the soccer team to victory once again, and we find ourselves trading stolen glances in the halls, it feels like a reboot of our high school bad romance. Especially after a late night encounter where I find myself climbing him like the rope in gym class. Oops.

Hutch wants to give us another try, but what if history is doomed to repeat itself?

Little People, BIG DREAMS Trailblazing Treasury - Meet six trailblazing women from history with this beautiful treasury from the Little People, BIG DREAMS series: Dolly Parton, the singer-songwriter and businesswoman who grew up in poverty, but never forgot where she came from and uses her wealth to give back to people, children, and animals in need.

Greta Thunberg, who protested against climate change and created the global movement, “School Strike for Climate.” Amelia Earhart, whose strong will and self-belief helped her overcome prejudice and technical problems to become the first female flier to fly solo across the Atlantic ocean.

Harriet Tubman, the Underground Railroad conductor who led hundreds of enslaved African Americans to freedom with great bravery and courage and 'never lost a single passenger'. Marie Curie, whose love of learning helped her to revolutionize the fight against cancer with her discovery of radium and polonium. Rosa Parks, who refused to give up her seat to a white man on a segregated bus, sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott and eventually leading to the end of segregation on public transport. Featuring pioneering females who paved the way for future generations, this gorgeous book of real-life stories features six very special art prints.

By: Patricia Evans (Author), 2024, Paperback

When bodies start washing up on the shore in Salem Harbor, Massachusetts, an elite task force of FBI agents, profilers, and detectives join forces in a remote log cabin to decode the clues and stop the killer from targeting another victim.

Agent Tala Marshall overcame a childhood of deep generational wounds to become the country’s best criminal profiler. Now she faces her most challenging case yet, racing against the clock to profile the elusive killer before they strike again. She must partner with Wilder Mason, a local detective convinced that the murders are connected to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, and Tala builds a connection to the task force that helps her come to terms with her tumultuous past. But Wilder wants more and is determined to find the key to both the case and Tala’s guarded heart.

Can they find the undercurrent that connects Salem’s past and present before another victim washes to shore?

By: Shawna Kenney

 A history of harDCore Punk in the Nation's Capital 1988-1998

By Les Payne and Tamara Payne, 2021, Paperback

An epic, award-winning biography of Malcolm X that draws on hundreds of hours of personal interviews and rewrites much of the known narrative.

Les Payne, the renowned Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative journalist, embarked in 1990 on a nearly thirty-year-long quest to create an unprecedented portrait of Malcolm X, one that would separate fact from fiction. The result is this historic, National Book Award–winning biography, which interweaves previously unknown details of Malcolm X’s life―from harrowing Depression-era vignettes to a moment-by-moment retelling of the 1965 assassination―into an extraordinary account that contextualizes Malcolm X’s life against the wider currents of American history. Bookended by essays from Tamara Payne, Payne’s daughter and primary researcher, who heroically completed the biography after her father’s death in 2018, The Dead Are Arising affirms the centrality of Malcolm X to the African American freedom struggle. 16 pages of illustrations

By: Chloe O. Davis (Author), 2024, Hardcover

This young readers adaptation of The Queens’ English is a nonfiction illustrated reference guide to the LGBTQIA+ community’s contributions to the English language.

This playful, richly illustrated visual dictionary is the perfect book for anyone who has ever wondered about the origin of phrases like “boi,” “drag,” or “demisexual,” the history of the word “queer,” and the wonderfully diverse, wide-ranging histories that have contributed to LGBTQIA+ culture and vocabulary.

Drawing from traditions as divergent as the ancient poet Sappho to the underground ball scene of the 1980s, from the Stonewall Riots to RuPaul’s Drag Race, this glossary is a colorful compendium—and a celebration of every king, queen, butch, femme, trans, folx, and enby who has shaped the history, identity, and limitless imagination of queerness.

By: Jas Hammonds (Author), 2024, Hardcover

From Jas Hammonds, award-winning author of We Deserve Monuments, comes a gripping read about a queer teen risking it all to pledge an underground sorority with her best friends the summer before college―perfect for fans of Euphoria and Girl in Pieces.

It’s the summer before college and eighteen-year-old Blake Brenner and her girlfriend, Ella, have one goal: join the mysterious and exclusive Serena Society. The sorority promises status and lifelong connections to a network of powerful, trailblazing women of color. Ella’s acceptance is a sure thing―she’s the daughter of a Serena alum. Blake, however, has a lot more to prove.

As a former loner from a working-class background, Blake lacks Ella’s pedigree and confidence. Luckily, she finds courage at the bottom of a liquor bottle. When she drinks, she’s bold, funny, and unstoppable―and the Serenas love it. But as pledging intensifies, so does Blake’s drinking, until it’s seeping into every corner of her life. Ella assures Blake that she’s fine; partying hard is what it takes to make the cut . . .

But success has never felt so much like drowning. With her future hanging in the balance and her past dragging her down, Blake must decide how far she’s willing to go to achieve her glittering dreams of success―and how much of herself she’s willing to lose in the process.

By: Saxon James (Author), 2023, Paperback

Keller

Banging my son's bestie was a total accident that will never, ever happen again. I'm sure of it.

While he might be gorgeous and caught me in a weak moment, when it comes right down to it, my son has been my entire life for the last twenty-six years. I don't know how to be anything other than his dad.

But with Molly heading off to Seattle, he leaves me with a parting gift: Will.

His best friend.

And my new roommate.

Still, I'm determined to focus on my plan of finding someone to settle down with and to start living for me.

Then Molly hits me with another gift: he's asked Will to help find me the perfect partner.

Will

Molly leaving me to run away across the country made one thing very obvious. I crave stability. I crave a life where I get to control what happens to me, without the constant threat of having to move home to my homophobic family.

All I need to focus on is work and making enough money for the downpayment on my own place.

Except now I'm living in the spare bedroom of the man I've been in love with for years.

The same bedroom where we had one very messy, very quick, accidental frot sesh.

Now I'm cooking for him every night, and we're working out together every morning. It's all feeling very domestic and my heart can't separate reality from the fantasies in my head.

I know I'm going to get hurt.

It's only a matter of time.

But when it comes to Keller, it's impossible for me to walk away.

By: Alex Alberto (Author), 2024, Paperback

In a series of genre-blending essays, Entwined tells the story of Alex Alberto’s decade-long polyamorous journey towards a new kind of family.

In these essays, Alex attempts to build two committed relationships at once when no one involved has done it before; develops a powerful bond with the woman their partner loves; sits through a tense Thanksgiving Dinner with religious in-laws; questions the need for rules and hierarchy in their relationships; experiences the intensity of a triad; wrestles with the fragility baked into the nuclear family after their father’s stroke; and explores their queerness and gender identity in English, in New York, while struggling to reconcile their newfound self in their native French-Canadian language and culture.

By: Laurie Greene (Author), 2020, Paperback

The Miss America pageant has been held in Atlantic City for the past hundred years, helping to promote the city as a tourist destination. But just a few streets away, the city hosts a smaller event that, in its own way, is equally vital to the local community: the Miss’d America drag pageant.
 
Drag Queens and Beauty Queens presents a vivid ethnography of the Miss’d America pageant and the gay neighborhood from which it emerged in the early 1990s as a moment of campy celebration in the midst of the AIDS crisis. It examines how the pageant strengthened community bonds and activism, as well as how it has changed now that Rupaul’s Drag Race has brought many of its practices into the cultural mainstream. Comparing the Miss’d America pageant with its glitzy cisgender big sister, anthropologist Laurie Greene discovers how the two pageants have influenced each other in unexpected ways. 
 
Drag Queens and Beauty Queens deepens our understanding of how femininity is performed at pageants, exploring the various ways that both the Miss’d America and Miss America pageants have negotiated between embracing and critiquing traditional gender roles. Ultimately, it celebrates the rich tradition of drag performance and the community it engenders.

By: Michael Barakiva (Author), 2019, Hardcover

From the author of One Man Guy, Hold My Hand is a funny, smart, relatable take on the joy and challenges of teenage love, the boundaries of forgiveness, and what it really means to be honest.

Alek Khederian thinks about his life B.E. and A.E.: Before Ethan and After Ethan. Before Ethan, Alek was just an average Armenian-American kid with a mess of curly dark hair, grades not nearly good enough for his parents, and no idea of who he was or what he wanted. After he got together with Ethan, Alek was a new man. Stylish. Confident. (And even if he wasn’t quite marching in LGBTQ parades), Gay and Out and Proud.

With their six-month anniversary coming up, Alek and Ethan want to do something special to celebrate. Like, really special. Like, the most special thing two people in love can do with one another. But Alek’s not sure he’s ready for that. And then he learns something about Ethan that may not just change their relationship, but end it.

Alek can't bear the thought of finding out who he'd be P.E.: Post-Ethan. But he also can't forgive or forget what Ethan did. Luckily, his best friend Becky and madcap Armenian family are there to help him figure out whether it’s time to just let Ethan go, or reach out and hold his hand.

By Tiffany Jewell, 2021 Paperback

Within these pages, there is space to learn and grow through more than 50 activities centered around identity, history, disruption, self-care, privilege, art, expression, and much more. Write, draw, color, and create to understand how you are growing into your anti-racist self and dive further into the work.

By: Cicely Moore (Author), Saira Riaz (Illustrator), 2024, Hardcover

Step into the enchanting world of "Masc Magic Girl," a compelling anthology featuring the empowering stories of 20 extraordinary women who embrace their masculine-presenting identities with courage and authenticity. This collection weaves a tapestry of resilience, love, and the transformative power of self-discovery.

Within these pages, each narrative unfolds as a testament to the strength found in breaking free from societal expectations. From personal triumphs to navigating the complexities of love, each story is a celebration of the unique journey that comes with embracing one's true self. "Masc Magic Girl" is not just a book; it's a source of inspiration for those seeking empowerment and connection.

Meet these remarkable women who have forged their paths with determination, challenging stereotypes and leaving an indelible mark on the world. The stories within "Masc Magic Girl" resonate with universal themes, inviting readers to reflect on their own experiences and find solace in the shared struggles and triumphs of these magical individuals.

This anthology is a testament to the beauty of diversity, the strength found in authenticity, and the transformative magic that comes with living life unapologetically. Order your copy of "Masc Magic Girl" today and be captivated by these 20 inspiring stories that will undoubtedly leave you spellbound, urging you to embrace your own unique magic with pride and authenticity.

By: Linden A. Lewis (Author), 2022, Paperback (The First Sister trilogy Book 2)

Book 2 of 3: The First Sister Trilogy

Linden A. Lewis returns with this next installment of The First Sister Trilogy, perfect for fans of Red Rising, The Handmaid’s Tale, and The Expanse.

Astrid has reclaimed her name and her voice, and now seeks to bring down the Sisterhood from within. Throwing herself into the lioness’ den, Astrid must confront and challenge the Aunts who run the Gean religious institution, but she quickly discovers that the business of politics is far deadlier than she ever expected.

Meanwhile, on an outlaw colony station deep in space, Hiro val Akira seeks to bring a dangerous ally into the rebellion. Whispers of a digital woman fuel Hiro’s search, but they are not the only person looking for this link to the mysterious race of Synthetics.

Lito sol Lucious continues to grow into his role as a lead revolutionary and is tasked with rescuing an Aster operative from deep within an Icarii prison. With danger around every corner, Lito, his partner Ofiera, and the newly freed operative must flee in order to keep dangerous secrets out of enemy hands.

Back on Venus, Lito’s sister Lucinia must carry on after her brother’s disappearance and accusation of treason by Icarii authorities. Despite being under the thumb of Souji val Akira, Lucinia manages to keep her nose clean…that is until an Aster revolutionary shows up with news about her brother’s fate, and an opportunity to join the fight.

This captivating, spellbinding second installment to The First Sister series picks up right where The First Sister left off and is a must-read for science fiction fans everywhere.