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Sing your name out loud : 15 rules for living your dream / by Derulo, Jason,1989-author.;
"In his page-turning and inspiring first book, legendary songwriter and recording artist Jason Derulo shares his 15 rules for finding success in any pursuit, and invites everyone--especially artists and creators--to start on their path to greatness. In 2009, an 18-year-old son of Haitian immigrants burst onto Billboard music charts with the instant #1 song, "Whatcha Say," which sampled a surprising hook and opened with what would prove to be one of the catchiest lines in pop music history--the artist's own name, sung out loud. Defying every possible odd, Jason Derulo cemented himself again and again, hit after hit, as one of the hardest working singers, dancers, and performers in the world and a risk-taking force of nature. This is the remarkable story of Derulo's come up, told through the valuable principles that guided and propelled him toward artistic excellence. Waking at 4am to catch buses across Miami so he could attend performing arts schools on scholarship, entering himself into local singing competitions at the mall on the weekends, and penning hundreds of songs before he ever saw the inside of a recording studio, Derulo's commitment to his dream--and dedication to seeing it come true--is the stuff of legend. But it was during his reinvention in 2020, after becoming one of the most followed creators on TikTok, that he realized his personal rules for self-mastery and success are applicable anywhere, for anyone, under any circumstance. "Now," he writes, "It's your turn." Sing Your Name Out Loud: 15 Rules for Living Your Dream takes readers into the mind of one of the most consistent, dominating, and versatile artists alive. Derulo reflects, in his own words, on the defining moments of his career thus far, most notably the wins and losses that strengthened his signature style of creative pursuit and offers his fifteen rules for turning goals into reality - where numbers mean everything, obstacles are opportunities, closed doors are meant to be opened, failure is inevitable, and good lighting is non-negotiable."--
Subjects: Biographies.; Self-help publications.; Personal narratives.; Derulo, Jason, 1989-; African American musicians; Celebrities; Rhythm and blues musicians; Self-control.; Success.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Master of me : the secret to controlling your narrative / by Palmer, Keke,author.;
Includes bibliographical references."Keke Palmer thought she knew who she was. What it means to be a good person and what it takes to be a success. It all seemed so simple, until she realized the challenges she would have to face to prove to herself who she wanted to be. From feeling alienated to having to restart her career after ten years in to becoming a single mother just months after her son was born -- everything she worked for in life that she felt granted her what she wanted now also reminded her that "life is going to life" and throw curveballs regardless of what you deserve. It was in this realization that her understanding of value changed: "Real value doesn't come from what you experience in the world but from how you manage yourself in the midst of those storms." She found herself asking, Where do I find my power? How do I master myself? In her own raw and intimate words, Keke talks about everything from her struggles with boundaries to unconditional love, forgiveness, and worthiness. "Don't block your blessings and potential opportunities by allowing the voices of other people to influence your actions," she says. "How you're choosing to set yourself up for success is between you and the person looking back at you in the mirror." Throughout the book, Keke also poses readers with the questions needed to get them through their own challenging times by sharing personal stories and lessons she's learned along the way. She gets candid about the tools she's developed to take the reins, harness her vulnerability, and recognize ownership in the narrative of her life -- which allowed her to turn personal power into major power. In this exhilarating, deeply poignant, and often laugh-out-loud book, Lauren Keyana Palmer gets real about life, work, love, and belief. These pages will encourage readers to empower themselves with the truth, leverage their currency, and find the keys to master themselves and the art of alchemy. Keke writes. "You are not on anyone else's timeline, only your own." The result is a tour de force. They said, "Jack of all Trades, Master of None." She said, "No, I am the Master. Of Me.""--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; Personal narratives.; Palmer, Keke.; Actresses; African American actresses; Self-realization.; Singers;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The Most Wonderful Time A Novel [electronic resource] : by Allen, Jayne.aut; cloudLibrary;
"The Most Wonderful Time is a lovable, unexpectedly thought-provoking Christmas romp of a novel from the ever-sparkling pen of Jayne Allen!"  — Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond Eye and The Alice Network The author of the beloved, bestselling Black Girls Must Die Exhausted trilogy returns with an intriguing blend of Such a Fun Age and The Holiday—an irresistible Christmastime novel about heartbreak, hope, love, and the joy that comes from rediscovering oneself. With Christmas around the corner, Ramona Tucker is desperate to get away. She has been lying to her family about her engagement to Malik, her (ex) fiancé. But breakups are fickle, and Ramona is convinced that she can make her pretend wedding real again—but only if she can avoid everyone discovering her secret at her mother’s over-the-top Christmas Eve party. Two-thousand miles away in sunny Malibu, Chelsea Flint needs money to hold on to the beloved beachside cottage she shared with her late parents. The taxes are expensive, and her art isn’t paying the bills. Once an irresistible star of the Los Angeles art scene, Chelsea seems to have lost that spark that vaulted her to the top. If she doesn’t rediscover that magic—and sell a painting—soon, it will be her family’s home she’s selling instead. The two women swap homes, just in time, thanks to some careful planning by Ramona’s best friend and a sturdy nudge from Chelsea’s gallerist godmother. Ramona’s Malibu dreams of sun and surf are interrupted as her first night brings an unwelcome stranger to her door, making her question who she can trust—the meddling neighbor Joan, or Jay, the handsome beachside fitness instructor with a secret of his own. Chelsea, desperate for Ramona to stay, hides what she knows—even if that means jeopardizing her budding connection with charming Carlos, whose dreams for his future could be the very key to unlock Chelsea from the weight of her past. Combining escapist fun and sizzling romance, a dose of poignant self-reflection, and a little holiday magic, The Most Wonderful Time is a warm and relatable novel that will delight at Christmas and throughout the year.
Subjects: Electronic books.; Holidays; Contemporary; Contemporary Women; Contemporary Women; Holiday; Family Life; Multicultural & Interracial;
© 2024., HarperCollins,
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The antiracist : how to start the conversation about race and take action / by Fidel, Kondwani,author.; Allen, Devin,writer of foreword.;
"What would happen if people started moving beyond the conversation and took action to combat racism? We are in an era where many Americans express the sentiment, "I thought we were past that," when a public demonstration of racism comes across their radar. Long before violence committed by police was routinely displayed on jumbotrons publicizing viral executions, the Black community has continually tasted the blood from having police boots in their mouths, ribs, and necks. The widespread circulation of racial injustices is the barefaced truth hunting us down, forcing us to confront the harsh reality -- we haven't made nearly as much racial progress as we thought. The antiracist : how to start the conversation about race and take action will compel readers to focus on the degree in which they have previously, or are currently contributing to the racial inequalities in this country (knowingly or unknowingly), and ways they can become stronger in their activism. The antiracist is an explosive indictment on injustice, highlighted by Kondwani Fidel, a rising young literary talent, who offers a glimpse into not only the survival required of one born in a city like Baltimore, but how we can move forward to tackle violent murders, police brutality, and poverty. Throughout it all, he pursued his Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing & Publishing Arts from the University of Baltimore, while being deeply immersed in his community -- helping combat racism in schools by getting students to understand the importance of literacy and critical thinking. With his gift for storytelling, he measures the pulse of injustice, which is the heartbeat of this country"--
Subjects: Fidel, Kondwani.; Race discrimination; African Americans;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Death of the Author A Novel [electronic resource] : by Okorafor, Nnedi.aut; cloudLibrary;
Recommended by New York Times Book Review • People • NPR • Rolling Stone • Los Angeles Times • Reader's Digest • and more! “This one has it all.” — George R.R. Martin • “As delicious as it is disorienting.” — Zakiya Dalila Harris • “Suspenseful, timely, and heartfelt.” — People • “Mind-bending.” — New York Times Book Review In this exhilarating tale by New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Nnedi Okorafor, a disabled Nigerian American woman pens a wildly successful Sci-Fi novel, but as her fame rises, she loses control of the narrative—a surprisingly cutting, yet heartfelt drama about art and love, identity and connection, and, ultimately, what makes us human. This is a story unlike anything you’ve read before. The future of storytelling is here. Disabled, disinclined to marry, and more interested in writing than a lucrative career in medicine or law, Zelu has always felt like the outcast of her large Nigerian family. Then her life is upended when, in the middle of her sister’s lavish Caribbean wedding, she’s unceremoniously fired from her university job and, to add insult to injury, her novel is rejected by yet another publisher. With her career and dreams crushed in one fell swoop, she decides to write something just for herself. What comes out is nothing like the quiet, literary novels that have so far peppered her unremarkable career. It’s a far-future epic where androids and AI wage war in the grown-over ruins of human civilization. She calls it Rusted Robots. When Zelu finds the courage to share her strange novel, she does not realize she is about to embark on a life-altering journey—one that will catapult her into literary stardom, but also perhaps obliterate everything her book was meant to be. From Chicago to Lagos to the far reaches of space, Zelu’s novel will change the future not only for humanity, but for the robots who come next. A book-within-a-book that blends the line between writing and being written, Death of the Author is a masterpiece of metafiction that manages to combine the razor-sharp commentary of Yellowface with the heartfelt humanity of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Surprisingly funny, deeply poignant, and endlessly discussable, this is at once the tale of a woman on the margins risking everything to be heard and a testament to the power of storytelling to shape the world as we know it.  “An ambitious, inventive tribute to the power of storytelling itself.” — Nikki Erlick, New York Times bestselling author of The Measure “A deeply felt dazzle. A blaze. It is true deep to the bones.” — Luis Alberto Urrea, Pulitzer Prize finalist and bestselling author of The House of Broken Angels "There’s more vivid imagination in a page of Nnedi Okorafor’s work than in whole volumes." — Ursula K. Le Guin
Subjects: Electronic books.; Visionary & Metaphysical; Literary; Sagas; Contemporary Women; Apocalyptic & Post-Apocalyptic; Suspense;
© 2025., HarperCollins,
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Girl on fire [graphic novel] / by Keys, Alicia,author.; Fox, D. Forrest,illustrator.; Pattison, Ronda,colourist.; Pittarese, Frank,editor.; Temofonte, Saida,letterer.; Weiner, Andrew,author.; Williams, Brittney,1989-illustrator.;
From New York Times bestselling author and 15-time Grammy Award-winning artist Alicia Keys comes a new authentic and poignant coming-of-age young adult graphic novel, about finding the strength within when your whole world changes in an instant. Lolo Wright always thought she was just a regular fourteen-year-old dealing with regular family drama: her brother, James, is struggling with his studies; her dad's business constantly teeters on the edge of trouble; and her mother ... she left long ago. But then Lolo's world explodes when a cop pulls a gun on James in a dangerous case of mistaken identities. Staring down the barrel, with no one else to help, Lolo discovers powers she never knew she had. Using only her mind, she literally throws the cop out of the way. Problem is that secrets like Lolo's don't stay a secret for long. Skin, a dangerous dealer with designs on taking over the neighborhood, hears of Lolo's telekinetic abilities and decides that he needs her in his crew. Skin might not have Lolo's powers, but he's got nothing to lose and is willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants. And what he wants is Lolo. Lolo's not willing to let Skin use her to hurt the people -- and neighborhood -- that she loves. But it's going to take a whole different kind of bravery to stand-up for what's right, especially after Lolo's mom returns suddenly and turns Lolo's whole world upside-down. For too long, it's true, Lolo's had her head in the clouds, but this time, it's on her ... and she's not backing down.014+.Grades 10-12.
Subjects: Coming-of-age comics.; Graphic novels.; Abandoned children; African Americans; Brothers and sisters; Drug dealers; Families; Mothers and daughters; Psychokinesis; Racism; Self-confidence;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Every valley : the desperate lives and troubled times that made Handel's Messiah / by King, Charles,1967-author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."The epic, dramatic story of the 18th century men and women behind the making of Handel's Messiah, one of the world's most beloved works of classical music, from a New York Times bestselling historian and National Book Critics Circle Award finalist. George Frideric Handel's Messiah is arguably the greatest piece of participatory art ever created. Adored by millions, it is performed each year by renowned choirs and orchestras as well as by fans singing along to the lyrics on their cell phones. But this work of triumphant joy was born in an age of anxiety. Britain in the early eighteenth century, the so-called age of Enlightenment, was a time of war, enslavement, political conspiracy, social polarization, and conflicts over everything from the legitimacy of government to the meaning of truth. Contrary to popular belief, the Messiah was not the product of a lone genius scribbling furiously on a musical staff. It came about because of a depressive political dissenter; an actress plagued by an abusive husband; an Atlantic sea captain and penniless philanthropist; an African Muslim man held captive in the American colonies; and Handel himself, once composer to kings but, at midlife, in ill health and straining to keep an audience's attention. Set amid royal intrigue and theatrical scandal, and exploring the rich ideas of its day, Every Valley is a cinematic drama of the entangled lives that shaped a masterpiece"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Personal narratives.; Handel, George Frideric, 1685-1759; Handel, George Frideric, 1685-1759.; Handel, George Frideric, 1685-1759.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Sadiq and the pet problem / by Nuurali, Siman,author.; Sarkar, Anjan,illustrator.; Muse, Haruun,narrator.; Container of (expression):Nuurali, Siman.Sadiq and the pet problem.Spoken word (Muse);
Read by Haruun Muse."Sadiq's third grade class has no classroom pet! Not only that, but Sadiq has never had a pet of his own. So Sadiq gathers some classmates to help him solve this problem. What kind of pet would be perfect for their class? A lizard? A bunny? A parakeet? Soon it's up to Sadiq and friends to convince their teacher and classmates that they have found the perfect pet match."Ages 6-8.2-3.
Subjects: Picture books.; Children's audiobooks.; Book plus audio.; Dyslexia-friendly books.; Pets; Elementary schools; Muslim families; Children of immigrants; Africans; Pets; Schools; Muslims; Immigrants; Somali Americans; VOX books.;
Available copies: 0 / Total copies: 1
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