Book picks similar to
Deep Condition by Elle Jeffries


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Meridian


Alice Walker - 1976
    Set in the American South in the 1960s it follows Meridian Hill, a courageous young woman who dedicates herself heart and soul to her civil rights work, touching the lives of those around her even as her own health begins to deteriorate. Hers is a lonely battle, but it is one she will not abandon, whatever the costs. This is classic Alice Walker, beautifully written, intense and passionate.

I Wanna Be Where You Are


Kristina Forest - 2019
    But Chloe hits her first speed bump when her annoying neighbor Eli insists upon hitching a ride, threatening to tell Chloe’s mom if she leaves him and his smelly dog, Geezer, behind. So now Chloe’s chasing her ballet dreams down the east coast—two unwanted (but kinda cute) passengers in her car, butterflies in her stomach, and a really dope playlist on repeat.Filled with roadside hijinks, heart-stirring romance, and a few broken rules, Kristina Forest's I Wanna Be Where You Are is a YA debut perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Sandhya Menon.

Rent a Boyfriend


Gloria Chao - 2020
    She hired him from Rent for Your ’Rents, a company specializing in providing fake boyfriends trained to impress even the most traditional Asian parents.Drew Chan’s passion is art, but after his parents cut him off for dropping out of college to pursue his dreams, he became a Rent for Your ’Rents employee to keep a roof over his head. Luckily, learning protocols like “Type C parents prefer quiet, kind, zero-PDA gestures” comes naturally to him.When Chloe rents Drew, the mission is simple: convince her parents fake Drew is worthy of their approval so they’ll stop pressuring her to accept a proposal from Hongbo, the wealthiest (and slimiest) young bachelor in their tight-knit Asian American community.But when Chloe starts to fall for the real Drew—who, unlike his fake persona, is definitely not ’rent-worthy—her carefully curated life begins to unravel. Can she figure out what she wants before she loses everything?

Guapa


Saleem Haddad - 2016
    Rasa spends his days translating for Western journalists and pining for the nights when he can sneak his lover, Taymour, into his room. One night Rasa's grandmother—the woman who raised him—catches them in bed together. The following day Rasa is consumed by the search for his best friend Maj, a fiery activist and drag queen star of the underground bar, Guapa, who has been arrested by the police. Ashamed to go home and face his grandmother, and reeling from the potential loss of the three most important people in his life, Rasa roams the city’s slums and prisons, the lavish weddings of the country’s elite, and the bars where outcasts and intellectuals drink to a long-lost revolution. Each new encounter leads him closer to confronting his own identity, as he revisits his childhood and probes the secrets that haunt his family. As Rasa confronts the simultaneous collapse of political hope and his closest personal relationships, he is forced to discover the roots of his alienation and try to re-emerge into a society that may never accept him.

The Town That Drowned


Riel Nason - 2011
    Having a spectacular fall through the ice at a skating party and nearly drowning are grounds for embarrassment. But having a vision and narrating it to the assembled crowd solidifies your status as an outcast. What Ruby Carson saw during that fateful day was her entire town buildings and people floating underwater. Then an orange-tipped surveyor stake turns up in a farmer's field. Another is found in the cemetery. A man with surveying equipment is spotted eating lunch near Pokiok Falls. The residents of Haverton soon discover that a massive dam is being constructed and that most of their homes will be swallowed by the rising water. Suspicions mount, tempers flare, and secrets are revealed. As the town prepares for its own demise, 14-year-old Ruby Carson sees it all from a front-row seat. Set in the 1960s, The Town That Drowned evokes the awkwardness of childhood, the thrill of first love, and the importance of having a place to call home. Deftly written in a deceptively unassuming style, Nason's keen insights into human nature and the depth of human attachment to place make this novel ripple in an amber tension of light and shadow.

Greyhound


Steffan Piper - 2010
    He doesn't exactly understand why, but he accepts it. His mother often seems too emotionally detached to care for him. Her latest boyfriend Dick takes cruel pleasure in mimicking the boy’s stuttering, and wants to live his life without "somebody else's kid" getting in the way. So it's no surprise when they pack his bags to send him away. It is a surprise when they send him alone.Ushered from his Stockton, California home, Sebastien must fend for himself and travel two thousand miles across the country to live with his grandmother and sister in Pennsylvania. Along the way, he learns that sometimes caring, guidance and understanding can come from some unlikely people.Marcus is a man who has been neglected more by society than his family. As a young black ex-con, he is not the epitome of the person most would pick as a chaperone for their child's cross country trip. Yet rather than be held apart by their differences, Marcus and Sebastien are drawn together by the things that make us all alike. As both guide and protector, Marcus imparts his own style of wisdom while showing Sebastien that, despite the darker side of the human condition, people can and do care for one another.Greyhound is the story of the journey taken by a young boy into manhood, and by the reader into his world. Like every trip, there are many stops along the way. But this journey differs in the way young Sebastien arrives at his destination.

Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now


Dana L. Davis - 2018
    Seven days to tell the truth…For sixteen-year-old Tiffany Sly, life hasn’t been safe or normal for a while. Losing her mom to cancer has her a little bit traumatized and now she has to leave her hometown of Chicago to live with the biological dad she’s never known.Anthony Stone is a rich man with four other daughters—and rules for every second of the day. Tiffany tries to make the best of things, but she doesn’t fit into her new luxurious, but super-strict, home—or get along with her standoffish sister London. The only thing that makes her new life even remotely bearable is the strange boy across the street. Marcus McKinney has had his own experiences with death, and the unexpected friendship that blossoms between them is the only thing that makes her feel grounded.But Tiffany has a secret. Another man claims he’s Tiffany’s real dad—and she only has seven days before he shows up to demand a paternity test and the truth comes out. With her life about to fall apart all over again, Tiffany finds herself discovering unexpected truths about her father, her mother and herself, and realizing that maybe family is in the bonds you make—and that life means sometimes taking risks.

Luckiest Girl Alive


Jessica Knoll - 2015
    Now, with a glamorous job, expensive wardrobe, and handsome blue blood fiancé, she’s this close to living the perfect life she’s worked so hard to achieve.But Ani has a secret.There’s something else buried in her past that still haunts her, something private and painful that threatens to bubble to the surface and destroy everything.With a singular voice and twists you won’t see coming, Luckiest Girl Alive explores the unbearable pressure that so many women feel to “have it all” and introduces a heroine whose sharp edges and cutthroat ambition have been protecting a scandalous truth, and a heart that's bigger than it first appears.The question remains: will breaking her silence destroy all that she has worked for—or, will it at long last, set Ani free?

16 Isn't Always Sweet


Cassandra Carter - 2008
    So when she hears about an open casting call for the hottest rapper's new video, she has the confidence to go for it. She and her best friend, Adrienne, try out with hundreds of hopefuls, but only Jordan makes it. Adrienne seems fine with it. But when Jordan starts getting some serious attention, Adrienne turns into a hater. And after Jordan has an innocent in-the-hall conversation with Adrienne's ex-boyfriend—they dated for one week, like four years ago!—Adrienne plots to ruin Jordan's life by spreading rumors, writing stuff on the bathroom walls and telling Jordan she'd be better off dead. Suddenly Jordan's popularity is fading. Forget sweet sixteen. She soon discovers that what she needs most is to find the strength to be herself.

Appreciating Angels: Sarahs Story


Sally Asling - 2010
    Sarah’s experiences of rape, self harming, anorexia and bulimia draw the reader on a dramatic and moving journey which captures the attention from the moment you turn the first page. It is hard to imagine that anyone could emerge from such a process sane, never mind with the intelligence and bravery to share her story. Despite the frightening events of her youth, Sarah's spirit is powerful and a testament to the strength of human energy in the struggle against adversity. Sarah's story is a reminder to us all that challenges are placed in our paths to help us grow and evolve. Along the way, if we listen and pay attention, we are never far from angels and true love. Appreciating Angels will take you on a powerful journey demonstrating pain, loss, love, self discovery, intimacy, friendship and a deep appreciation for the people who cross our paths and touch our hearts. “The pain of unrequited love, as seen from both sides …” Despite the frightening events of her youth, Sarah’s spirit is powerful and a testament to the strength of human energy in the struggle against adversity. Sarah’s Story is a reminder to us all that challenges are placed in our paths to help us grow and evolve. Along the way, if we listen and pay attention, we are never far from guides and angels … and true love. Appreciating Angels, will take you on a powerful journey demonstrating pain, loss, love, self discovery, intimacy, friendship and a deep appreciation of the people who cross our paths and touch our hearts. “I’ve never read anything like this, thank heaven for its publication. With brutal honesty Sarah conveys the truth about her teenage and student life. Parts of which I’m sure many will relate to on one level or another. This is a lesson in forgiveness and letting go.” “Appreciating Angels has had a profound effect on me, drawing up emotions and memories. It has simultaneously brought a lump to my throat and filled my heart to overflowing.” “This book will reach many people – parents, daughters, sons, friends – listen and watch those around you who may be crying out for warmth, a hug and understanding – we can all learn to be Angels to one another as Sarah so beautifully shows us.” Authors Note 2014: It was always the intention that by sharing Sarah's Story, it would help others either by the subject content itself or by the royalties on every sale. All proceeds from this book will be gifted to B@ttitude - charity number 1140398 - an organisation that was set up through love to meet the needs of others and support them in a caring community helping people realise their dreams. For more information of the work of B@ttitude see their website: http://www.batitude.org/about-us

Ranger's Apprentice


Books LLC - 2010
    Chapters: Ranger's Apprentice Books, Ranger's Apprentice Characters, List of Characters in Ranger's Apprentice, the Ruins of Gorlan, Oakleaf Bearers, Erak's Ransom, the Icebound Land, the Sorcerer in the North, the Kings of Clonmel, the Siege of Macindaw, the Burning Bridge, Will Treaty, Halt, Halt's Peril. Excerpt: Ranger's Apprentice is the title of a series of fantasy novels written by Australian author John Flanagan. The first book in the series, titled The Ruins of Gorlan, was released in Australia on 1 November 2004 and in the United States on 16 June 2005. So far, nine books have been released in Australia and New Zealand, with other countries including the United States and United Kingdom following behind. The series follows the adventures of Will, an orphan who is taken as an apprentice Ranger, as he strives to keep the Kingdom of Araluen safe from invaders, traitors and threats. He is joined on his adventures by his mentor Halt and his best friend Horace among others. The series has been sold to over 20 countries and has sold over 2 million copies worldwide. Will was an apprentice throughout the books The Ruins of Gorlan, The Burning Bridge, The Icebound Land, Oakleaf Bearers and Erak's Ransom. The first four books told the story of Will at his first two years as an apprentice while Erak's Ransom told about Will's final mission as an apprentice. Will grew up as as orphan in Castle Redmont by the charity of Baron Arald. The orphans there are educated and given food. When the orphans turn 15, they will become an apprentice to a craft of their choice. However, if they are not chosen, the child is sent to help grow crops. When the day comes for Will, no one is willing to accept him as an apprentice until the Ranger Halt gave the Baron Arald a p... More: http://booksllc.net/?id=5750241

Conspiracy 365 October


Gabriell Lord
    The hostile desert seems determined to become Cal's final resting place. Had Kelvin spared his life for nothing? Back in the city, an impossible job looms. To break into Oriana's safe at Z rich Bank, Cal needs Boges to make a perfect copy of her fingerprint...and they need her PIN.

The Mango Season


Amulya Malladi - 2003
    Heat, passion, and controversy explode as a woman is forced to decide between romance and tradition.Every young Indian leaving the homeland for the United States is given the following orders by their parents: Don’t eat any cow (It’s still sacred!), don’t go out too much, save (and save, and save) your money, and most important, do not marry a foreigner. Priya Rao left India when she was twenty to study in the U.S., and she’s never been back. Now, seven years later, she’s out of excuses. She has to return and give her family the news: She’s engaged to Nick Collins, a kind, loving American man. It’s going to break their hearts.Returning to India is an overwhelming experience for Priya. When she was growing up, summer was all about mangoes—ripe, sweet mangoes, bursting with juices that dripped down your chin, hands, and neck. But after years away, she sweats as if she’s never been through an Indian summer before. Everything looks dirtier than she remembered. And things that used to seem natural (a buffalo strolling down a newly laid asphalt road, for example) now feel totally chaotic.But Priya’s relatives remain the same. Her mother and father insist that it’s time they arranged her marriage to a “nice Indian boy.” Her extended family talks of nothing but marriage—particularly the marriage of her uncle Anand, which still has them reeling. Not only did Anand marry a woman from another Indian state, but he also married for love. Happiness and love are not the point of her grandparents’ or her parents’ union. In her family’s rule book, duty is at the top of the list.Just as Priya begins to feel she can’t possibly tell her family that she’s engaged to an American, a secret is revealed that leaves her stunned and off-balance. Now she is forced to choose between the love of her family and Nick, the love of her life.As sharp and intoxicating as sugarcane juice bought fresh from a market cart, The Mango Season is a delightful trip into the heart and soul of both contemporary India and a woman on the edge of a profound life change.