Showing results by narrator "Soneela Nankani" in All Categories

Julia Esdaile is hired to restore the historic gardens at Havenworth Manor—the grounds of which are now an abandoned snarl of bramble and weeds—to their original splendor. For the enigmatic lady of the manor, ninety-two-year-old Margaret Clarke, the reason for the restoration is the deeply private story of a promise made a lifetime ago, and a vow to keep it before she dies.

Tophet County's Midnight Carnival has it all: a mesmerizing (literally) Phæras Wheel, the racy delights of Sphinxter's All-Archonic Peep Show, and the lip-smacking lure of "things which never should have been fried." It's the perfect prelude to the witch's romantic night with her boyfriend, Chad . . . until a creepy fortune teller makes dire predictions with an enchanted deck of Garbage Pail Kids cards, an otherworldly pyromaniac sets the moon on fire, and a shipload of pasta-faced beasties from Lovecraft's backlist lands on the Dunwich Park softball field.

Jaxon could never have imagined the adventure that would start with an old witch called Ma and three baby dragons shipped to Brooklyn. Ever since he returned the dragons to the magical realm of Palmara, Jax has searched for a way for humans and magical creatures to live in harmony. But despite his efforts, an ancient monster has been released. The Scourge has defeated the powerful Guardian of Palmara and set its sights on the human realm.

In the village of Yiwei, a fallen wasp nest unfurls into a beautifully accurate map. In a field in Louisiana, birdwatchers forge an indelible connection over a shared glimpse of a Vermilion Flycatcher, and fall. In Nineveh, a judge who prides himself on impartiality finds himself questioned by a mysterious god. On a nameless shore, a small monster searches for refuge and finds unexpected courage.

When Nina Soni hears that her grandmother and cousin are going to visit from India, she can’t wait to be the perfect hostess. She’s got all sorts of lists and plans and she’s prepared to be very mature; she’ll even move into Kavita’s room and let Dadi and Montu have hers. It will be fun to introduce Dadi and Montu to her life and friends, and Nina is determined to control every detail to ensure a successful visit. Not surprisingly, things don’t go exactly as she planned.

You might be the kind of person who stands up to online trolls. Or who marches to protest injustice. Perhaps you are #DisabledAndCute and dancing around your living room, alive and proud. Or perhaps you are the trans mentor that you wish you had when you were younger. Maybe you call out false allies or stand up to loved ones. Maybe you speak your truth and drop the mic, or maybe you take it with you when you leave. This anthology features fictional stories—in poems, prose, and art—that reflect a slice of the varied and limitless ways that listeners like you resist every day.

Roshan Chaya is out for justice. Abandoned by her parents at birth and adopted by the kingdom of Jwala's most notorious bandit before his brutal murder, she is now leader of the Shadow Clan, a gang of farmers-turned-bandits impoverished by the provincial governor’s atrocities and corruption. Roshan’s goal: to avenge her adoptive father and earn back rights and dignity for her people.

Halloween brings out Nina Soni's competitive spirit. Her friend Jay has a great costume planned, so—of course—Nina has to come up with an even better idea. A bunch of old boxes in the basement inspires her to create an impressively scary haunted house, for which she can charge admission. So what could possibly go wrong for the Halloween Queen?

In Shajarpur, everyone is always happy. The weather is always perfect. But newcomer Savi, a lonely teenager, doesn’t know what happiness means anymore. If she were to make a list of things that were the absolute worst, moving to Shajarpur would be right on top. Well, right after missing her father, who just died of a heart attack. As Savi grapples with loss in a strange new town, she discovers something startling. Not only can she communicate with her father’s plants—all forty-two of them—she can talk to the giant ficus tree behind her school.

A long weekend with lots of snow sounds like a recipe for super-special fun to Nina, especially with new friends Priya and Nayan visiting. They’ve just moved to Wisconsin from Florida, so Nina is prepared to introduce them to lots of winter activities: snowball fights, snow angels—and maybe even a snow fort! And then Nina notices a strange car at her neighbors’ house while they’re out of town. Clearly, it’s time to be a Snow Spy and identify MP (Mystery Person).

When an international warning siren accidentally goes off, convincing everyone that a meteor shower may just be the end of life as they know it, six couples—friends, exes, crushes and rivals—must take shelter. Inhibitions are abandoned, confessions are made and love blossoms, but what happens when the world doesn’t end?

It’s Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, and Nina, Kavita, and Jay are all going to create gardens with Mom, a landscape architect. Naturally that’s not enough for Nina, who quickly develops big ideas for an impressive business selling the vegetables she plans to grow. But her plans don’t include managing the problems that inevitably arise, including rabbits, slugs, mosquitos, and more.

Nina Soni is a problem solver—and her latest problem is her little sister Kavita, who is a real embarrassment. Not only does Kavita sing too much, she often gets the lyrics wrong or, even worse, makes up ridiculous songs. What Nina needs is a project—a plan to fix her sister. But one project isn’t really enough, especially during a long rainy school break. Nina is restless. A pile of dirt in the neighbor’s yard is a temptation she can’t resist—a project for Nina, a distraction for Kavita, and something to do to pass the time.

Caring for someone with dementia can be a challenging, heartbreaking experience … but it can also be rewarding, fulfilling and meaningful. Most dementia caregivers find that the first, and sometimes most difficult step, is accepting the diagnosis and adjusting to a new normal. In Day to Day: Living With Dementia, Angela Lunde, M.A., an expert in dementia care at Mayo Clinic, helps you take that first step and chart your path toward living well, even in the face of dementia.

Former means once-upon-a-time. Nina tried as hard as she could to keep track of everything, but somehow she still forgot about her school project. And her friend Jay is mad at her. With little sister Kavita’s birthday party right around the corner, and her longtime friendship with Jay on the rocks, there’s a lot going on.

For most kids, catching fireflies is a fun summer activity. For twelve-year-old Serwa Boateng, it's a matter of life and death. That's because Serwa knows that some fireflies are really adze, shapeshifting vampires from the forests of Southeastern Ghana. Adze prey on the blood of innocents, possessing their minds and turning them into hulking monsters, and for generations, slayers like Serwa and her parents have protected an unknowing public from their threats.

Nadia Abbasi’s marriage is falling apart. It starts with a gifted Roomba, but when she stumbles upon questionable photos in her husband's office, everything makes sense—the late-night texting, the sudden interest in fitness, the new clothes. Aman—the kind, thoughtful man she married—is having an affair. Determined to find out what went wrong, Nadia enlists the help of Zeba, the sister she hasn’t seen or spoken to since their mom’s funeral. As the two sisters fight to reconcile their past, Nadia realizes her relationship with Aman is not the only one that needs mending.

With empathy and scientific savvy, pain expert Dr. Saloni Sharma offers a personalized and innovative five-step pain relief program built on what she calls “microboosts,” little steps that add up to big results. More than just a road map to less pain, this is a guide to the greater joy, health, and well-being that every person deserves.

Maya dreams of working in magazines. But as the daughter of garlic farmers, her path is set: it’s off to Cow Camp instead. But when she ends up in the New York City area and realizes her cousin's girlfriend works at Maya's favorite magazine—Fierce—an opportunity falls in her lap to intern. It's her dream job, and she can't pass it up, even if means disappointing her family and lying to her parents. The only problem? Maya hasn't accepted an internship. She's accepted a full-time job, as a staff writer, and everyone at Fierce thinks she's 26.

First, math genius and gamer-nerd Samaya gets dumped by her boyfriend. Then he sabotages her job and hooks up with her frenemy. What could be worse? Clearly, her golden-boy ex is winning the breakup. The only way Samaya can get some rebound cred is to find someone new. Even if she has to fake it.