Showing results by narrator "Priya Ayyar" in All Categories

From William C. Morris Finalist Nafiza Azad comes a thrilling feminist fantasy about a group of teenage girls endowed with special powers who must band together to save the life of the boy whose magic saved them all.

Guardian spirits. Divine presences. Demonic powers. Ghosts. The concept of "genius loci" is indeed an ancient one, found in nearly every human mythology. Genius Loci is a huge anthology of 31 all-new fantasy and science fiction stories drawing on the rich tradition of place-as-person. Within this audiobook, the authors present stories of sentient deserts, beneficent forests, lonely shrubs, and protective planetary spirits, as edited by Jaym Gates.

Jameela Pervaiz wants to be an award-winning journalist like her late grandfather and is thrilled to be selected as feature editor of her school newspaper, a huge honor for a seventh-grader. Unfortunately, the editor in chief keeps shooting down her article ideas. When she’s assigned to write about the new boy in school, whom everyone is buzzing about because of his British accent, Jameela wonders how she’ll make his story gripping enough to enter into a national media contest. Then Jameela, along with her three sisters, is devastated when her father accepts a job offer overseas.

In 16 remarkable stories, Chaya Bhuvaneswar spotlights diverse women of color - cunning, bold, and resolute - facing sexual harassment and racial violence, and occasionally inflicting that violence on each other.

Ever since the 2016 election, pundits have been saying our country has never been more divided - that if progressives want to reclaim power, we need to be "pragmatic", reach across the aisle, and look past identity politics. But what if we're getting the story all wrong? In The Marginalized Majority, Onnesha Roychoudhuri makes the galvanizing case that our voices are already the majority - and that our plurality of identities is not only our greatest strength, but is also at the indisputable core of successful progressive change throughout history.

The United States has two separate banking systems today - one serving the well-to-do and another exploiting everyone else. How the Other Half Banks contributes to the growing conversation on American inequality by highlighting one of its prime causes: unequal credit. Mehrsa Baradaran examines how a significant portion of the population, deserted by banks, is forced to wander through a Wild West of payday lenders and check-cashing services to cover emergency expenses and pay for necessities - all thanks to deregulation that began in the 1970s.

Mumbai has emptied under the threat of imminent nuclear annihilation; gangs of marauding Hindu and Muslim thugs rove the desolate streets; yet Sarita can think of only one thing: buying the last pomegranate that remains in perhaps the entire city. She is convinced that the fruit holds the key to reuniting her with her physicist husband, Karun, who has been mysteriously missing for more than a fortnight. Searching for his own lover in the midst of this turmoil is Jaz - cocky, handsome, and glib.

As the only Indian American kid in her small town, Lekha Divekar feels like she has two versions of herself: Home Lekha, who loves watching Bollywood movies and eating Indian food, and School Lekha, who pins her hair over her bindi birthmark and avoids confrontation at all costs, especially when someone teases her for being Indian. When a girl Lekha’s age moves in across the street, Lekha is excited to hear that her name is Avantika and she’s Desi, too! Finally, there will be someone else around who gets it.

The United States is recognized as the most religiously diverse country in the world, and yet its laws and customs, which many have come to see as normal features of American life, actually keep the constitutional ideal of “religious freedom for all” from becoming a reality. Christian beliefs, norms, and practices infuse our society; they are embedded in our institutions, creating the structures and expectations that define the idea of “Americanness.”

Fifteen-year-old Simran "Simi" Sangha comes from a long line of Indian vichole - matchmakers - with a rich history for helping parents find good matches for their grown children. When Simi accidentally sets up her cousin and a soon-to-be lawyer, her family is thrilled that she has the "gift." But Simi is an artist, and she doesn't want to have anything to do with relationships, helicopter parents, and family drama. That is, until she realizes this might be just the thing to improve her and her best friend Noah's social status.

Karina Chopra would have never imagined becoming friends with the boy next door - after all, they've avoided each other for years and she assumes Chris is just like the boys he hangs out with, who she labels a pack of hyenas. Then Karina's grandfather starts tutoring Chris, and she discovers he's actually a nice, funny kid. But one afternoon something unimaginable happens - the three of them are assaulted by a stranger who targets Indian-American Karina and her grandfather because of how they look. Her grandfather is gravely injured and Karina and Chris vow not to let hate win.

Reha feels torn between two worlds: school, where she’s the only Indian American student, and home, with her family’s traditions and holidays. But Reha’s parents don’t understand why she’s conflicted - they only notice when Reha doesn’t meet their strict expectations. Reha feels disconnected from her mother, or Amma, although their names are linked - Reha means “star” and Punam means “moon” - but they are a universe apart. Then Reha finds out that her Amma is sick.

Ellis loves popcorn. No, she really loves popcorn. It's serious. So when her school and her dads ban all snack foods - including popcorn - Ellis won't listen. But when she tries to quietly sneak her favorite salty snack, one kernel refuses to pop. Loudly. Soon, the kernel has sprouted a face, arms, and legs! He's alive, his name is Popcorn Bob, and he is not in a good mood. He is hangry. Will Ellis be able to keep Bob a secret until she can get rid of him? (And after a few days with him, will she still want to?)

Rishi's grandma arrives from India today, and he longs to cook curry alongside his Dad using the delicious flavors from his family's spice box. But this spice box is more than just fragrant spices in shades of gold and ruby. This spice box holds memories that are passed down from one generation to the next, as each found their place in this wide world.

As rhythmic as the swish of a loom, and as vibrant as a skein of brightly dyed wool, this lyrical book shares the history and practice of weaving through the centuries and around the world, as imagined by a young weaver learning her craft. At once a celebration of a time-honored art and a meditation on the ways we are interconnected, Woven of the World gathers the threads of weaving—as a technical skill, as a cultural tradition, and as a metaphor for how our lives are knit together—into a radiantly intertwined whole.

News stations across the country are reporting mysterious messages that Earth has been receiving from a planet - Alma - claiming to be its creator. If they’re being interpreted correctly, in seven days Alma will hit the kill switch on their “colony” Earth. True or not, for teenagers Jesse Hewitt, Cate Collins, and Adeem Khan, the prospect of this ticking time bomb will change their lives forever. With only a week to face their truths and right their wrongs, Jesse, Cate, and Adeem’s paths collide as their worlds are pulled apart.