Book picks similar to
I Ain't Yo Bitch by Jabulile Bongiwe Ngwenya


international-queer
sistahs-on-the-shelf-reads
south-african-stories
young-adult

The New Recruit: Episode 1


Andy McNab - 2012
    The Army Foundation College in Harrogate is a long way from home for Liam Scott. The training is intense; has he got what it takes to stay in the game when he's faced with CS gas and the firing range?Full story available in hardback and ebook formats.

The Mage Breaker


Whiskey Flowers - 2019
    I doubt seriously any of my fans do, they just buy the book. Others see my name and go screaming to the hills. I once got into a rap battle on the streets of Seoul, South Korea with a Korean with dreadlocks. I beat three Afghans in a game of blackjack on an air base in Kabul, Afghanistan. I once passed gas so bad in Walmart that I smelled it and ran away from the scene of the crime only to hide the next aisle over so I can hear the curse words of a churchgoing grandmother and her grandson. I hate going number two in other peoples houses, I don't know how smelly it will be so I normally dip out for a bit. My guilty pleasure is that I drink the piss water known as Michelob Pure Gold. I have eaten large amounts of my kids Halloween and valentine candy and claim no knowledge of where the Reese's Cups went. My children normally blame each other which makes me sad but I am planning on doing the same during easter. I would never admit this in person but I like 'Love Yourself' by Justin Beiber. My favorite movie genre is actually westerns instead of fantasy or sci fi. If I could pick a superpower it would be to stop time, I could run from the wife's arguments and she couldn't find me. I own the beer helmet and I use it a few times a year. Phoebe over Rachel and Monica...yes Phoebe. I prefer flavored cigars and pipe tobacco. I camp when I play paintball! I like to eat flaming hot Cheetos dipped in salsa and sour cream. Lebron is better than Jordan and I would pick a young Shaq over both of them if I were building a team. Go Athletics! Every once in a while I drink 'girly' drinks. I have never been to a strip club. I want to buy a smart car just for the parking. I wear a bathing suit when I shower so I don't inadvertently look down on the unemployed. If you actually read this, shoot me an email, it is in the book.

Resurrected (Vampire Legacy, #1) Excerpt


Morgan Rice - 2012
    This file contains Part One of the book only, which is 20,000 words.In RESURRECTED (Book #1 of the Vampire Legacy), 16 year old Scarlet Paine finds herself changing in mysterious ways. She is becoming sensitive to light, able to read peoples’ thoughts, and is faster and stronger than she’s ever been. She doesn’t understand what’s happening to her, and tries to ignore it. But she can only dismiss it for so long.Caitlin Paine, her mom, knows too well what’s happening to her daughter. She underwent the same transformation to vampire once, centuries ago. But now, in the present day, as a mere human, she has no memory of it. All she has is the journal she found in the attic—her mysterious vampire journal—telling of her exploits in another time and place, and of the vampire race being eradicated. But was there one exception to the rule? Could it be that Scarlet, her daughter, is the last remaining vampire on earth?As Scarlet tries to fight who she’s becoming, she also tries to fight her intense feelings for Blake, a boy in her grade who she has a crush on. She can’t tell, though, if he’s into her, and with the big Halloween dance just days away, the pressure is on. She would do anything for Blake to ask her. But Vivian, the meanest of the popular girls, is also on Blake’s radar, and she’ll do anything to make Blake hers—and to make Scarlet’s life a living hell.Luckily Scarlet has her own clique of friends to back her up, including her best friends Maria and Jasmin. They, too, have guy troubles—but it isn’t until Sage appears, the mysterious new boy, that her friends become obsessed. Scarlet finds herself attracted to him, too—and is surprised when it is her, of all the girls in the school, that he pays attention to. But her mind is set on Blake, at least for now, and she continues to hope he’ll ask her to the dance.Just when it seems that Scarlet has what she wants, her body changes. Soon it may be impossible for her to be near her fellow humans. Soon, she may have to choose between her desire to live and her desire for love.Book #2 in the series, CRAVED (Book #2 of the Vampire Legacy), is now also available.“Grabbed my attention from the beginning and did not let go….This story is an amazing adventure that is fast paced and action packed from the very beginning. There is not a dull moment to be found.”--Paranormal Romance Guild {regarding Turned}“A great plot, and this especially was the kind of book you will have trouble putting down at night. The ending was a cliffhanger that was so spectacular that you will immediately want to buy the next book, just to see what happens.”--The Dallas Examiner {regarding Loved}“Morgan Rice proves herself again to be an extremely talented storyteller….This would appeal to a wide range of audiences, including younger fans of the vampire/fantasy genre. It ended with an unexpected cliffhanger that leaves you shocked.”--The Romance Reviews {regarding Loved}Morgan Rice is the #1 Bestselling author of THE VAMPIRE JOURNALS, an eight-book series which has sold over 100,000 copies and has been translated into six languages. Morgan is also author of ARENA ONE, the first book in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic action-thriller trilogy.

Lily and the Wedding Date Mistake (Love in Bloom Book 1)


Seven Steps - 2019
    There's only one problem. She's lost her glasses and can't see his face.Worse, when she finds her glasses she gets a front row seat to him asking out her sister. Heartbroken, Lily thinks that things can't get any worse.Until he shows up in her English class on the first day of senior year.When they're forced to work together to throw the Fall Carnival, Lily discovers this mystery boy has a huge secret. One that will change everything. Especially Lily. Find out what happens next in Lily and the Wedding Date Mistake today!Buy it now.

Fall of Wizardoms: Books 1-3


Jeffrey L. Kohanek - 2021
    Heroes old and new assemble to combat this daunting threat. Should they fail, their world is doomed.Rebellion, war, and toppled thrones ravage the Eight Wizardoms.The mysterious leader of a secret organization seeks to wreak chaos, death, and destruction.What motivates his elaborate scheme? What is his end-game?A squad of unlikely heroes armed with magical objects are drawn into the conflict:-Jerrell "Jace" - A clever thief with a flair for the outrageous.-Narine - A wizardess, queen, and bride...pursued by assassins.-Harlequin - This female pirate wields sabers, a whip, and a sharp tongue.-Crusser - This lifelong soldier has a big heart and a terrible temper.-Brogan - A retired warrior burdened by lifelong regrets.-Blythe - She wields an enchanted bow that forever altered her appearance.These characters lead a compelling and memorable cast in a tale that brings the eight wizardoms to the brink of devastation.This boxed set includes:-God King Rising-Legend of the Sky Sword-Curse of the Elf Queen

Mattie: The Story of an Australian Convict Child


Sheila Hunter - 2015
    She meets another convict woman who at her death gives Mattie a chance for a new life. Mattie makes the most of everything that comes her way. She earns her freedom, falls in love, marries and becomes a mother. Life is not kind to her. She meets bushrangers; moves to the Gold Fields in Bathurst and starts a store. Mattie is the kind of woman that made Australia what it is today.

The Icicle


Carolyn Marie Castagna - 2022
    Illustrator and writer's Carolyn Marie Castagna's first shared short story.A small icicle hanging from a roof peers inside a window at a small reading room, and learns about magical human qualities, and the importance of the one most special human feeling.

Emmy's Journey (Two Feather's Legacy Book 2)


Lila M Beckham - 2015
    Determined to do exactly what she sets her mind to, she explores the mountains and valleys around her home with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and a keen eye that misses nothing. When her mother dies, Emmaline, Emmy for short, is thrust into the mystical, spiritual world of her mother’s native peoples, the Tsalagi, better known as the Cherokee. Given the power of observation and shape shifting by her immortal g-great-grandfather Two Feathers, who is the keeper of the Sacred Fire’s Ashes, Emmy is told that she must carry on her mother’s duties and is charged with the task of becoming the family “Ka no he ha Ka no Ge sdi,” the Storyteller. She is supposed to remember and pass down her family’s history and tell about their ancestors. As Emmy grows older and matures, her explorations become more advanced. She discovers a hidden path that takes her beyond an ancient willow tree to a layer of the world that at first seems much like her own, but she soon discovers that it is quite different… When she stays longer than allowed a mortal, she discovers that her grandfather can travel between space and time and communicate with all peoples between the layers of her world. Emmy’s Journey is a voyage through time and into the mysterious spiritual and mystical realms of the Cherokees and a world that most never knows exists.

Stonebriar Academy: School for Dragon Riders - Book Two


Thomas Boyhan - 2017
    First he had to win admission when only one hundred applicants would be selected from over four hundred. Then Jamie had to learn how to use the power of a Dragon belt and learn to fly with a Dragon. Added to all of this, against all tradition, Jamie has been bonded to a Dragon in his first year. But Jamie overcomes all of those difficulties and even helps his bonded Dragon, Tomith, whom he has nicknamed Tommy, to learn how to fly. Now Jamie and Tommy face the second semester, and in this semester they will continue to struggle— but not only with their classes. They have now been caught up in the Stonebriar House Championship. Each year, the five Houses—Blackburn, Warwick, Aubondale, Waverly, and Pembroke—all compete for the coveted House Championship. Jamie’s and Tommy’s House, Aubondale, has finished in last place for the previous seven years. The overriding passion of every student in Aubondale is to finally get their house out of last place. To help accomplish this, Jamie and Tommy will have to compete in the school’s Dragon races, something they know nothing about. Even as Jamie and Tommy settle into the day-to-day struggles of school life at Stonebriar, they have been marked for capture or assassination by a shadowy organization known at the Sisterhood. For decades, the Sisterhood has been seeking to fulfill a prophecy that will grant the sisters total control over all the nations of Aurellius—along with immortality. But, in order to achieve their goal, they must eliminate Jamie and Tommy. Jamie’s and Tommy’s greatest challenge will not be helping get their House out of last place—their greatest challenge will be to simply survive.

The Double Life


Shea Word - 2010
    And with the arrival of Mrs. Dayna Wilkins, she gained the one thing she’d longed for but never had: a perfectly sinful love affair with her best friend. Now Sidney is torn between the relationship that fulfills her and the identity which defines her. As she and Dayna surreptitiously pursue the romantic climax of their lives, obligations to God and family stand to tear them apart. Set in Chicago’s modern-day Northwest suburbs, The Double Life is a novel about the magnetism of the love and the power of passion. Told in a style of rotating first-person narrative, the story strikes a deep personal connection with the reader and paints a relatable landscape. The Double Life extends beyond the recent cultural popularity of forbidden Sapphic love. It explores the true challenges of sexuality amidst a backdrop of spirituality, commitment, and familial devotion.

THIS is Africa


Mat Dry - 2012
    THIS is Africa is a compilation of stories that defines the maxim "Truth is sometimes stranger, and more wondrous than fiction." From a place known for its continent-wide diversity, notorious for its dramatic turbulence, and beloved for its animals and untamed wildness, Mat Dry, brings his incredible true tales of living and working in Africa as a Safari Guide.

Prom King: A High School Romance


Zara Rivas - 2019
    Now if only she could keep Casey from sneaking into her heart. Excerpt His bright blue eyes pierced through me. I wasn't sure how long he had been looking at me. I ignored him at first, but found it impossible to concentrate on anything else. Eventually I met his gaze evenly, and watched as his lips turned up into a smirk. It took effort not to roll my eyes when he raised his eyebrows slowly. His eyes were burning through me; their intensity made me uncomfortable, but I wasn't going to let him know that. "Mr. Fitzgerald!" my new English teacher, Mr. Oldman, barked. "Could you please at least pretend to pay attention?" Mr. Oldman sounded so exasperated. There were still three months left before graduation, but most of the seniors were already acting as if they didn't need to be in school any longer. "Sure, Mr. Oldman," he said, never taking his eyes from me. I didn't back down even after realizing people were staring at us. "Casey, what do you find so fascinating about Ms. Fuller?" Mr. Oldman turned to him again a few minutes later after realizing he still wasn't paying attention. If it was the teacher's goal to embarrass him, it didn't work. His smirk just widened. "She's new," he said simply, his blue eyes sparkling. Casey's caramel brown hair was messy, his style trendy. He reminded me of every popular guy in high school, except for the confidence he exuded. It was as if he knew he was the shit and was daring anyone to say otherwise. "Casey, will you leave the poor girl alone?" Mr. Oldman sighed. "I've got your letter of recommendation done. Should I send it myself or does it need to go with yours?" Casey didn't respond. His eyes were still piercing through mine, a small smirk playing on his lips. "Casey!" Mr. Oldman yelled, causing both of us to look at him. He handed him a sealed envelope. "Get out of my classroom," he pointed at the door, defeated. "Don't you have friends to bother?" I let out a snicker, though I felt bad for Mr. Oldman. It was obvious he was at his wit's end. Casey seemed to be doing everything he could to push him over the edge. "I'm trying to make the new girl feel welcome," Casey explained, his eyes on me again. I picked up my book, finding my place with ease. "Thanks," I said shortly, "I feel welcome now." And I refused to pay him any more attention. He wouldn't stay with Mr. Oldman in the room, looking dangerously close to pelting him with dry erase markers. With the obvious dilemma before him, he backed down. He stared at me for a second longer, daring me to look at him and when I didn't, he left. I smiled to myself, turning the page leisurely. Mr. Oldman let out a chuckle, "Looks like he's finally met his match."

Devil in Disguise


Julian Clary - 2009
    Simon is Molly's oldest, bitchiest, best friend. Since they high-kicked out of university, keen to taste life, Molly has become a jobbing musical theatre actress, while Simon is on the cusp of fame as his caustic, bitter alter-ego: Genita L'Warts, a drag queen with a talent for abusing audiences.They'd always vowed no man would ever come between them, but Simon can't resist his fatal attraction to straight men. When his endless pursuit of Mr Right Now leads to a devastating betrayal, Molly is left broken-hearted and their friendship seems fractured beyond repair.But sometimes it's hard to tell the difference...Distraught, Molly flees for comfort to her one-time landlady, Lilia - an eccentric ex-cabaret singer with an extraordinary past. But is Lilia's bungalow, Kit-Kat Cottage, quite the safe refuge it seems?Lilia has plans for her protégée. She will break Molly down, remake her, and together they will achieve the kind of success that Simon can only dream of. But exactly how far would Lilia go to realise her ambitions...?With his trademark comedy noir, Julian Clary's second novel is a hilarious riot of camp cabaret and murderous mayhem.

When We Speak of Nothing


Olumide Popoola - 2017
    For real. Heads perfectly straight. Hips swaying, left, slow, right, slow, step, slow. If you didn't concentrate you would think they weren't moving at all, their bodies just hanging in space..."Best mates Karl and Abu are both 17 and live near Kings Cross. Its 2011 and racial tensions are set to explode across London. Abu is infatuated with gorgeous classmate Nalini but dares not speak to her. Meanwhile, Karl is the target of the local "wannabe" thugs just for being different. When Karl finds out his father lives in Nigeria, he decides that Port Harcourt is the best place to escape the sound and fury of London, and connect with a Dad he's never known. Rejected on arrival, Karl befriends Nakale, an activist who wants to expose the ecocide in the Niger Delta to the world, and falls headlong for his feisty cousin Janoma. Meanwhile, the murder of Mark Duggan triggers a full-scale riot in London. Abu finds himself in its midst, leading to a near-tragedy that forces Karl to race back home.When We Speak of Nothing launches a powerful new voice onto the literary stage.The fluid prose, peppered with contemporary slang, captures what it means to be young, black and queer in London. If grime music were a novel, it would be this.

Alarm Girl


Hannah Vincent - 2014
    But Indigo is uneasy in the foreign landscape and confused by the family’s silence surrounding her mother’s recent death. Unable to find solace in either new or old faces, she begins to harbour violent suspicions in place of the truth.Steeped in the dry heat of a South African summer, this keen and touching debut seamlessly interweaves the voices of Indigo and her mother, and beautifully captures the human desire to belong: in a family, in a country, in your own skin.