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teenynyxpersonal · 5 years

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“So what do you plan to do after this? Look for another Allagan Ruin to study?”

The question had made him snort, his eyes rolling. Green and a hidden red beneath the shade of his hair. “Is that a joke? This could take my entire lifetime, and I don’t think I’ll ever uncover everything.”

“Your whole life? You don’t think you’ll ever want to do anything else?”

“What else could there be? I’ve been studying my whole life for this kind of chance, and there is nothing more interesting to me than uncovering the secrets of this place.” he replies, leaning back and propping himself up with his elbows.

There is a cool breeze, and it is a perfect night at the overlook outside the labyrinth. A thousand twinkling stars in the sky watch over the two miqo’te, one being himself and the other...

“Hmm, and here I thought I could convince you to come along with me sometime.” Nyxia pouts, leaning forward and cupping her face in her hands. “Come along on an adventure, see the realm and further, go beyond the horizon and explore more ruins, find more hints of the ancients.”

He has to admit it sounds good, but he has his work to think of, his lifes’ goal, and that takes priority to any kind of road trip. “Tempting, but I think I’ll stick around and explore this as much as they let me. It’s important that I learn all I can of this place.”

“Is that so...”

His ears flick against his hair, and he swears that is disappointment he hears. He’s sure the Warrior of Light is not used to being denied, but then again, by what she has told him, she rarely gets to make such requests. That makes him feel guilty... really guilty actually!

“Hmph! You wouldn’t understand since you’re free to come and go as you like, so after you help clear the path, you can move on along.” he tells her, looking to the sky.

“That’s not true, Raha.” Her tone softens, and when he looks toward her, he feels a bit chilled, distant. She looks at the sky, a soft smile on her lips, and a sadness in her eyes. “There are places I can not go, and places I can never return to, even if I want to. Obligations I have to keep here in Eorzea of course. It’s my home now, so I have to do what I can to take care of it. One day though, when everything is settled and done, I would love to cross the sea again.”

“The sea?” So she was not originally from here... It is a hint he has picked up and stored away for later.

“Yes, I crossed the sea to get here, and maybe one day, when I become a bit more brave, I will cross it again to go back. Well...” She looks at him, grins, and he feels some sort of warmth blooming in his chest. “If you would come with me, I would be very happy. Think on it, hm? But for now, how about I tell you another story.”

~~~~

She had always been fond of sharing stories with him. On chilled nights, they would sit together and talk until the moon would rise high in the dark sky, lifting above the very tip of the Crystal Tower. She would tell him stories she had heard, tales of her past adventures, and he would listen, pretending not to be, but enthralled none the less. At some point he had not kept track of, he stopped pretending and became more involved, sharing his own stories, and it was through these exchanges that he learned about that.

“We found these crystals at random one day. Ever since then, we realized that nothing could truly wound us. The real truth of it came when we raided some dive or another, and Taja had died. She had died, and yet from this crystal, her essence was reborn. We realized that we had become some kind of immortal. We don’t know if we will ever age or not, but we can’t be killed at the very least.”

He had speculated that the crystals regulated aether, and so long as their aether could be gathered, they were essentially an endless being. Yet he never saw her as something strange. She was still her, still spectacularly herself. She bled, she hurt, she cried, she laughed, but she could not die. Was that really such a bad thing? At one time, he envied it, but now... now he sees what a curse it is to live past ones’ time.

Using the technology provided by the Ironworks team, they were able to recreate a few scenarios from the past, one expressly being the encounter with Alexander. On those screens, he watched the Biggs and Wedge he knew work on the devices shown, Cid overlooking and helping, and then her, willingly venturing through twisting halls and steam-filled chambers. Ever persevering, always winning. Even when she died.

It was through watching that event that he understood how her immortality really worked. It was as he had thought all those years ago, when he had been left to review everything on his own. To leave ones’ body while still preserving the soul, using the crystal as an anchor. She could reform again and again, so long as that flow remained uninterrupted. It was not unlike the methods employed by the Ascians.

Which explained how she had been ended at that time. The flow of aether had been stopped, stagnant aether seeped in and corrupted her own, her partys’. She had only been saved because the strength of her ‘blessing’ at first, but ultimately, it was an enemy she could not fight, and one she died trying to win against.

While he pondered the details of that, the team continued their march toward their goal, the people of this time more than happy to contribute. They want to leave their mark, deliver their message to the Legend. The message that ultimately, he will be delivering to her.

Yes, that had been decided, because of course he should be the one to do so. He who has control of the tower, and who can control the new additions within easily. It will be a difficult mission, one that will push him to his limits, but one he will see through.

It takes weeks, months, but finally, the technology is perfected, and he is able in that time to determine the shard which had been brought to destruction. It is not through the Tower that he gets his clues, much to his surprise, however. It is in yet another journal, this one left behind by the Scions of an incident which involved them, the ones from the First.

This points him in the correct direction, and utilizing the Tower, he is able to see a world destroyed, consumed by light. It takes him no time at all to put it all together, and their destination is chosen. All there is to it is to activate the jump. It will take considerable amount of energy, but he is sure there is plenty stored for it.

The plan goes as such: He will travel with the Tower alone to that shard, determine the means of salvation, and then carry it out. Simple enough on paper, but time travel is a tricky thing, as is hopping dimensions. One little miscalculation, and it could end in a disaster.

#FFXIV #G'Raha Tia #The G'Raha files #thats a tag I guess lol #I guess its a series now oops #Shadowbringers

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sheraayasher · 2 years

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hey zoya! how are you? i finally figured out who the woman on your icon is - it's genya from shadow and bone right?

anyway, i hope you're doing okay and i hope your studying is going well - just know that if you ever need anything i'm here :))

hey taja! i'm good how are you?

yes it is genya from shadow and bone <3

yeah its going good tom is the first paper. i love you and if u need me i'm here <3

#the fbi agent taja

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healingtheblackbody · 3 years

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Moe, The H.o.e.listic Health Coach

Friday, January 29th - 3:00 - 5:00pm

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAscu-hpjwpG9C7KMNoqxQmHLPAx8ly9Oqi

Join Moe for a workshop on an exploration of magical medicine, self and community healing. A 3 part presentation including a Prayer Energy Medicine Guided Meditation, Ancestral Spiritual Nutrition 101 Intro, and Health & Wellness Q&A.

Moeniesha Richelle is the Hoelistic Health Coach! Serving the community through

Pleasure Based Wellness Coaching for QBIPOC+Allies by -Activating Ancestral Cellular DNA w/Mystical Nourishment, Sexological Shamanism, Creation&Play-

Taja Lindley

Friday, January 29th - 6:00-8:00pm

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEpf-uorT0sGNJWYUTrs5S2-r8__o58bx87

Join Taja Lindley on an Artist Talk and Film Screening!

Can we grow gardens out of graves? How can we recycle the energy of protest, rage and grief into creating a world where indeed Black Lives Matter? What is the role of memory in our movement building work? And who will be responsible for this labor? These are the questions that haunt the work of visual and performance artist Taja Lindley.

As a memory worker, Lindley explores what has been abandoned, erased, silenced or distorted in our individual and collective consciousness. During her artist talk, she will screen her short film “This Ain’t A Eulogy: A Ritual for Re-Membering” and will discuss her most recent projects: “The Bag Lady Manifesta” and the "Birth Justice Podcast NYC." There will be time for community conversation and Q&A.

Through iterative and interdisciplinary practices, Taja Lindley creates socially engaged artwork that transforms audiences, shifts culture, and moves people to action. Since 2014 she has developed a body of work recycling and repurposing discarded materials. Her 2017 residency at Dixon Place Theater culminated in the world premiere of her one-woman show "The Bag Lady Manifesta" and it has been presented at museums, theaters, and universities nationwide. Her films and installations have been featured at Brooklyn Museum; the Philbrook Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma; the Carver Museum in Austin, Texas; the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, California; and more.

In addition to being an artist, Lindley is actively engaged in social movements as a writer, consultant, and facilitator. For over a decade she has worked with non-profits, research institutes and government on policies and programming that impact women and girls, communities of color, low/no/fixed-income families, queer people, youth, and immigrants. Most recently, she served as a Sexual and Reproductive Justice Consultant at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, co-facilitating a community driven process that created The New York City Standards for Respectful Care at Birth. She is a 2019 NYC Public Artist in Residence and a 2020 A Blade of Grass Fellow. TajaLindley.com

LINDA LA

Friday, January 29th - 8:30 - 9:30pm

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUuf-6vqjsuG9S7rz4bxjhaggDsCzphuHN3

Get this healing with LINDA LA’s Performance Ritual!

Adjusting My Crown is a meditative, ritual performance born out of recurring themes exploring self worth and self preservation in combat with societal norms. It is an intimate homage to life before the pandemic, set in quarantine, including original movement, music and poetry. This project is intended to re examine the ways we value stillness, solitude and technology. As well as commemorating queer and trans life in spite of the hardships in love and everyday societal rejection.

Linda La is a multidisciplinary artist, teacher, curator, host and organizer from the Boogie Down Bronx, New York. Born out of the Iconic House of LaBeija, her creative work has been articled in both AFROPUNK and The Fader. She has also been featured in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Timeout New York and W Magazine. This past year, she graciously performed under the direction of Bill T. Jones and Lee Mingwei at the MET and performed in the Obie Award winning The Fire this Time Theater Festival. She is currently working on her first studio project set to include original music and poetry. Her work can be found on all music streaming platforms and archived at the Brooklyn Museum in the “Nobody Promised You Tomorrow: Art 50 Years After Stonewall” exhibit. Find out more at Lindala.world

Shanel Edwards

Saturday, January 30th - 12:00pm - 1:00pm

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcvduCrqTIiHtDeOtB01iKGqHQTiizP4vnV

Get this healing with Shanel’s Workshop, How to build a home!

'How to build a home pt. 2' a co-collaborative creative space that asks participants to remember permission, intimacy, safety, play, and connection in our bodies. We are rebuilding a home that remembers our traumas but does not require them, leaving oppressive systems "at the door". We are remembering interconnectedness, remembering care. All black queer and trans folks are welcome to attend, there movement will be involved. Come with a notebook, pen/pencil, any special items to build an altar, and water.

shanel edwards is a Philadelphia rooted, first-generation Jamaican, Black, Queer, Non- binary, artist, and world-builder. They utilize movement, filmmaking, hairstyling, poetry, and photography as channels. Their creations are birthed through their Black queer and trans existence, tenderness, water, intimacy, and collective dreaming. shanel is a 2020 Mural Arts fellow and was a 2019 Artist in Residence with Urban Movement Arts (Philadelphia). They have choreographed for productions at The University of the Arts (2019), and Princeton University (2020). shanel works closely with spirit and their ancestors through herbal knowledge, divination, and channeling through movement to envoke and envision a world where Black trans women are liberated.

Olaiya Olayemi

Saturday, January 30th - 2:00pm - 3:30pm

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUqfuGppjsoH9FWtBGZQTWe__e07N0k7s_v

throwing the bones and working the roots: a (writing for) performance workshop

this highly anti-disciplinary and experimental workshop/seminar uses writing, image-making, movement, and sound-based exercises to create a brave space where students can excavate and craft their own performative conjurations and divinations; this class explores artmaking as a catalyst for social justice and as a healing modality.

olaiya olayemi is a blk/trans/femme/womxn/anti-disciplinary artist/educator/and organizer who centers womxn of the african diaspora in her performative/literary/cinematic/and sonic works of art that explore love/sex/relationships/family/history/memory and radical joy/pleasure. her work is informed by blk/queer/feminist theories/aesthetics/and politics and african indigenous and diasporic spiritual traditions. she has performed at Brooklyn Arts Exchange, JACK, AAA3A, metaDEN, The Wild Project, The Langston Hughes House, Starr Bar, Mayday Space, and Dixon Place. she holds a bachelor of arts in english/creative writing (with a minor in african/black diaspora studies) from depaul university and a master of fine arts in creative writing from emerson college where she was a recipient of the Dean’s Fellowship. she is a 2019-2020 Performance Fellow in Queer Art’s mentorship program, a Fall 2020 Brooklyn Arts Exchange Space Grantee, a finalist in Fresh Fruit’s Film/Monologue Festival, a 2020-2021 American Woman Fellow in Dramatic Question Theatre’s American Woman Lab, and a participant in Gibney Dance’s Black Diaspora group. her experimental screenplay was recently advanced to second round consideration for the Sundance Screenwriter’s Lab. she currently lives in philadelphia.

Brother(hood) Dance!

January 30th - 5:00pm-6:00pm

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUocOqvrTMuEtaEM6QX8kLd9ItaiUregeQP

Brother(hood) Dance! will offer a movement experience that engages your full sense of awareness and connectedness to past present and future. We will work through African Diasporic techniques to ground and be rooted.

Brother(hood) Dance! is an interdisciplinary duo that seeks to inform its audiences on the socio-political and environmental injustices from a global perspective, bringing clarity to the same-gender-loving African-American experience in the 21st century. Brother(hood) Dance! was formed in April 2014 as a duo that research, create and perform dances of freedom by Orlando Zane Hunter, Jr. and Ricarrdo Valentine. We have performed our works at FiveMyles, Center for Performance Research, B.A.A.D! (Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance), VCU-The Grace Street Theater, DraftWork at St. Marks Church, JACK, Movement Research at Judson Church, Colby College, Denmark Arts Center and other venues.

As a collective, our work demonstrates how life extends beyond its own subjective limits and often tells a story about the effects of global cultural interaction over the latter half of the twentieth century. It challenges the binaries we continually reconstruct between Self and Other, between our own ‘cannibal’ and ‘civilized’ selves. By rejecting an objective truth and global cultural narratives, we find that movement reveals an inherent awkwardness, a humor that echoes our own vulnerabilities. Brother(hood) Dance! considers movement as a metaphor for the ever-seeking man who experiences a continuous loss. Brother(hood) Dance!'s work urge us to renegotiate performance as being part of a reactive or – at times – autistic medium, commenting on oppressing themes in our contemporary society.

Sasha Schaafe

January 30th - 7:00pm-8:30pm

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIvd-qsrDsqHtzkR93WGC3sl2wurizVcTsJ

Whip your herbs out of the kitchen for this magical herbalism workshop!

Spiritual Healing & Protection with Herbs : Thyme & Bay

With respect to necessary uprisings in honor of black lives, while in the space of a global pandemic, it’s absolutely vital to our whole wellness that we practice spiritual hygiene & empower our spiritual bodies with clarity & protection. In this workshop we will focus on two methods & one medicinal preparation, with the support of our plant allies/“plantcestors,” that powerfully heal, cleanse & protect us during these difficult times.

Spiritual baths & headwashes are healing & maintenance methods that have been employed in indigenous practices throughout Afro-diasporic traditions, with special attention to the “head.” We will bring focus to two easily accessible herbs that provide clearing & protective support in efforts of providing our aura & spirit with clarity, removing energy that isn’t our own. We ask that you enter this space as your full & authentic selves, so that we may co-create & infuse our healing experience with powerful, loving intention.

Workshop Materials:

FOR SPIRITUAL BATH/HEADWASH :

- Bay Leaf (Mediterranean- Laurus nobilis OR West Indian- Pimenta racemoca)

- Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

- Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)

- Tulsi/Holy Basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum)

- Freshly boiled water

- *OPTIONAL: Citrus peels (lemon & orange)

- *OPTIONAL: Florida Water or Kananga Water

FOR MEDICINAL PREPARATION:

- Bay Leaf

- Ginger

- White Rum (40% ABV / 80 proof or Wray & Nephew- 100 proof)

- *OPTIONAL: Allspice/Cinnamon/Nutmeg

- *OPTIONAL: Orange Peel

Sasha Schaafe is a spiritual herbalist apprenticing within the Sacred Vibes Apothecary community, under the tutelage of Karen Rose. Her background experience with “food as medicine” is informed by her family’s Jamaican/Chinese roots & upbringing. Her spirituality largely stands on the strength of ancestral connection & veneration. Operating through love & intuition, Sasha commits to being of service to community with a village-mind — honoring her purpose & the purpose of all those who are a part, as we all have a role to play. She concerns herself with being in right relationship with the land & energies within & around nature. She trusts that our planet heals itself & most effectively heals us when we nurture & nourish ourselves with respect to our relationships with nature & spirit.

Kiyan Williams

Sunday, January 31st - 2:00pm-3:00pm

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEpde-srT0qE9McUbutgFApjaqUmAWvHZ25

Tune into this Artist Talk by the phenomenal Kiyan Williams!

This Bridge Between Starshine and Clay: An Artist Talk With Kiyan Williams

Artist Kiyan Williams will share the development of their art practice, which draws on and is inspired by traditions of Black feminist, queer, and trans creative practice as rituals of self-determination.

Kiyan Williams is a visual artists from Newark, NJ who works fluidly across performance, sculpture, and video. They often work with soil and debris as material and metaphor to unearth Black queer subjectivity.

Ọmọlólù / Ma’at Works Dance Collective / Ricky

Sunday, January 31st, 5:00pm - 6:30pm

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEqf--vrzwqEtxieIjv_kakBkwjK8c9YoYP

Join the finale of our opening weekend with these three powerhouse healing artists!

Ọmọlólù

Believing in the depth of healing that resounds in blx sonic force ọmọlólù will give a sonic offering. Using harmonized loops and mantras ọmọlólù hopes to welcome folx who bare witness into a state of ease, reflection and blx ecstatix bliss.

ọmọlólù refilwe bàbàtùndé is an educator, african surrealist documentarian, digital griot and blx ecstatix performance artist. A diasporic daughter of blx Southern migration she is in constant practice, reverence and searching for blx sounds in all it’s haptic, visual, sonic, strategic, mobile, logical mutations. Using image, video, prose and sound she attempts to stun whiteness and create a divine glimmer of blx relief, a brief moment of sanctuary for folx to come home into. She is co-founder of rogueTHEIF, an upcycle denim brand/performative gesture which strives to poke holes in capitalist modes of exchange while also being a platform to celebrate ancestors whose memory challenges us to fight for more liberating realities for ourselves and those coming after. She has performed at the New Museum, Northstar Durham, and many intentional DIY spaces. She released her first EP “laiii 222 rest ooo : blx ancestral sonix salves” on Don Giovanni Records in October 2020.

Ma’at Works Dance Collective

This offering is a meditation in nature, a practice of process, tenderness and stillness. A conversation with the tree branches, the stream, the birds and the sky. I'm interested in what helps to heal black bodies and I think mending our relationship with the woods is a great place to begin.

Ama Ma'at Gora is a Philly based dance artist, educator and choreographer. She received her BA from Georgian Court University and her dance MFA from Temple University. She was given opportunities to work with choreographers such as, Kariamu Welsh, Lela Aisha Jones, Earl Moseley, Sidra Bell, Gregory King and more. She now serves as Community Based Learning Director at Drexel University; overseeing artistic civic engagement. She established Ma'at Works Dance Collective, as a way to hold space for controversial dialogue. Her work centers identity, historic trauma and restoration. Thus she intends on crafting spaces which reflect, healing. As co-founder of The Juba House, she’s been able to serve local artists.

ricky

for those in between: a meditation on black mania, magic, and multidimensional living

ricky is an artist, musician, performer, writer, and diviner. last year they released WAHALA, their second solo album as YATTA . the release was accompanied by a theatrical production called An Episode: Ricky’s Room, commissioned by The Shed. this year, they dropped ‘Dial Up’, a collaboratively dreamt up album with philly musician and poet, Moor Mother. ricky has shared a stage with musicians like The Sun Ra Arkestra and Cardi B, creating multimedia performances that tour astrally, nationally, and globally.

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montelwilliams · 4 years

Video

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT | TAJA SEVELLE

On this episode of Free Thinking, Montel explores the importance of access to healthy food for all socio-economic groups and neighborhoods. He is joined by his friend, Taja Sevelle, founder of Urban Farming, a non-profit organization dedicated to solutions that create healthy communities. Several studies have investigated disparities in the distribution of neighborhood vegetation, the proximity of residences to playgrounds, and the accessibility of supermarkets and grocery stores, but few have examined access to fast-food outlets and convenience stores as a function of neighborhood racial and socioeconomic demographics. The neighborhood environment can help promote and sustain beneficial lifestyle patterns or can contribute to the development of unhealthy behaviors, resulting in chronic health problems among residents. What can we do about it? Empower communities to have more control over their food sources. In Phase I, Urban Farming installed over 150 community and school gardens of free food in 25 states in the U.S., as well as a school garden in Montego Bay, Jamaica. There are now over 66,000 gardens worldwide in over 60 countries that are each a part of the Urban Farming Global Food Chain®. As of October, 2020 Urban Farming has helped 1,050 families and individuals start their own gardens.

#montelwilliams #food #health #usa #togeather

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richincolor · 6 years

Photo

Winter Reads

The weather outside is frightful (or in my case, just annoying chilly), and that means it’s time to curl up with a mug of hot chocolate and a good book or three! Here are my top three books that I plan to read this winter. Are any of these on your to-read list?

Akata Warrior (Akata Witch #2) by Nnedi Okorafor

A year ago, Sunny Nwazue, an American-born girl Nigerian girl, was inducted into the secret Leopard Society. As she began to develop her magical powers, Sunny learned that she had been chosen to lead a dangerous mission to avert an apocalypse, brought about by the terrifying masquerade, Ekwensu. Now, stronger, feistier, and a bit older, Sunny is studying with her mentor Sugar Cream and struggling to unlock the secrets in her strange Nsibidi book.

Eventually, Sunny knows she must confront her destiny. With the support of her Leopard Society friends, Orlu, Chichi, and Sasha, and of her spirit face, Anyanwu, she will travel through worlds both visible and invisible to the mysteries town of Osisi, where she will fight a climactic battle to save humanity. [Image and summary via Goodreads]

Calling My Name by Liara Tamani

Taja Brown lives with her parents and older brother and younger sister, in Houston, Texas. Taja has always known what the expectations of her conservative and tightly-knit African American family are—do well in school, go to church every Sunday, no intimacy before marriage. But Taja is trying to keep up with friends as they get their first kisses, first boyfriends, first everythings. And she’s tired of cheering for her athletic younger sister and an older brother who has more freedom just because he’s a boy. Taja dreams of going to college and forging her own relationship with the world and with God, but when she falls in love for the first time, those dreams are suddenly in danger of evaporating. [Image and summary via Goodreads]

Shadow Girl by Liana Liu

The house on Arrow Island is full of mystery. Yet when Mei arrives, she can’t help feeling relieved. She’s happy to spend the summer in an actual mansion tutoring a rich man’s daughter if it means a break from her normal life—her needy mother, her delinquent brother, their tiny apartment in the city. And Ella Morison seems like an easy charge, sweet and well behaved.

What Mei doesn’t know is that something is very wrong in the Morison household. Though she tries to focus on her duties, Mei becomes increasingly distracted by the family’s problems and her own complicated feelings for Ella’s brother, Henry. But most disturbing of all are the unexplained noises she hears at night—the howling and thumping and cries.

Mei is a sensible girl. She isn’t superstitious; she doesn’t believe in ghosts. Yet she can’t shake her fear that there is danger lurking in the shadows of this beautiful house, a darkness that could destroy the family inside and out…and Mei along with them. [Image and summary via Goodreads]

#akata warrior #calling my name #shadow girl #liana liu

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sportsleague365 · 4 years

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The coronavirus pandemic will have a significant impact on NFL training camps and, at the rate things are going, likely will be a story well into the regular season. But as the Vikings’ prepare for their entire roster to report to camp on Tuesday at TCO Performance Center in Eagan, general manager Rick Spielman and coach Mike Zimmer also are going to have to focus on actual football matters. Zimmer, who received a three-year contract extension last week that will run through 2023, is entering his seventh season in Minnesota and is looking to lead his team to its fourth playoff berth in that time. So what are some issues Zimmer and his coaching staff must deal with before the regular season opens? Let’s take a look at five pressing topics facing the offense in the first of a two-part series. GARY’S IN CHARGE After firing first-year offensive coordinator John DeFilippo with three games left in the 2018 season, Zimmer brought in longtime NFL offensive coordinator and head coach Gary Kubiak as a senior offensive advisor and paired him with assistant Kevin Stefanski. Stefanski was considered the coordinator and called the plays, but there was no doubt it was Kubiak’s offense that quarterback Kirk Cousins was running. Zimmer, who a year earlier had been frustrated that DeFilippo had frequently abandoned the run game, was pleased with the results as the Vikings jumped from 30th to sixth in the NFL in rushing offense, 19th to eighth in points and 20th to 16th in yards. Cousins’ career-high passer rating of 107.4 was fourth in the league and his six interceptions were the fewest he had thrown in an NFL season as a starter. Cousins’ 26 touchdowns were tied with Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan, Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes for the eighth most in the league. While the Vikings’ offensive line had some issues in pass protection, Cousins’ sack total did drop from 40 in 2018 to 28 in 2019 with Kubiak’s scheme in place. The run game featured Dalvin Cook, who rushed for 1,135 yards (10th in the NFL) on 250 carries, a 4.5-yard average, and 13 touchdowns in a career-high 14 games. Cook also caught 53 passes for 519 yards. a 9.8 average. The Vikings’ success on offense helped to land Stefanski the head coaching job in Cleveland, meaning the soon-to-be 59-year-old Kubiak will move from offense advisor to coordinator this season. So how much will change? “Offensively it’s not going to change hardly at all,” Zimmer said on a video conference call Saturday. “Gary was very, very influential in everything that we went about offensively. I’m not trying to take anything away from Kevin, but it was basically Gary’s offense and a lot of the things that were installed was Gary’s offense. “Gary gave a lot of input to Kevin throughout the course of time and (assistant) Rick Dennison with the offensive line. I think they have a little bit different personalities and both good guys, smart guys, hard workers, all those things. … I know Gary has some ideas that he has put in this offseason, but I don’t think (there will be) much difference when you look at our offense or the play calls.” WILL DALVIN SHOW UP? Cook’s camp reportedly informed the Vikings in June that their client no longer would be taking part in team activities unless he received “a reasonable deal.” Cook is entering the fourth and final season of his rookie contract and his base salary of $1.3 million for 2020 makes him a bargain. On Saturday, Zimmer said Cook had told him he would show up on Tuesday for the start of camp. On Saturday night, Cook’s agent, Zac Hiller, released a statement to ESPN that said Zimmer hadn’t talked to Cook and a few hours later NFL Network reported that Cook actually had talked to Vikings running backs coach Kennedy Polamalu. So what is going on here? Given that Hiller’s statement never said that his client would fail to report on Tuesday, the smart money is on Cook showing up and, thus, fulfilling the requirement that he is present for the start of training camp so he can receive an accrued season for 2020. Otherwise, the new NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement says that Cook will end this season with only three years of service time and would be eligible to become a restricted, and not unrestricted, free agent this coming March. That move could cost Cook millions. The Vikings have traditionally rewarded their best young players as they near the end of their first contract, so Cook’s best play might be to simply show up and hope something can get done. Ordinarily, that would appear to be a slam dunk, but Cook plays a position that many teams are reluctant to pay and the NFL salary cap is almost certainly going to decrease because of the impact of the pandemic. The cap is at $198.2 million this season but could have a floor of $175 million in 2021. It’s not Cook’s fault, but his timing is terrible. REPLACING DIGGS The Vikings granted Stefon Diggs’ wish to escape Minnesota in March when they sent the disgruntled wide receiver to Buffalo for a package of four draft picks. The return was an impressive one given everyone knew Diggs wanted out, but now the challenge will be replacing him and seeing how wide receiver Adam Thielen fares without opposing defenses also having to worry about Diggs. The Vikings’ hope is that first-round pick Justin Jefferson will prove to be a quick study and step in as the No. 2 wide receiver behind Thielen. But Jefferson’s camp got off to a rocky start on Monday when the Vikings announced he had been placed on the team’s Reserve/COVID-19 list. Jefferson played primarily in the slot last season and caught 111 passes for 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns as a junior for national champion LSU. Best case, Jefferson steps in and picks up where Diggs left off (minus the unhappy tweets). Thielen is coming off a season in which he was limited to 10 games because of a hamstring injury, so the Vikings need him to stay on the field, too, if this is going to work. Minnesota signed former Titans wide receiver Tajae Sharpe to a one-year, $825,000 base salary contract in free agent this offseason to add depth at the position. The 25-year-old spent his first three seasons with Tennessee, but his reception total dropped from 41 to 26 to 25. Second-year receiver Bisi Johnson (31 receptions for 294 yards and three touchdowns) looks like he could help as a vertical threat for Cousins. Johnson was a seventh-round pick in 2019, but Diggs developed into an elite wide receiver after being a fifth-round pick in 2015. Cousins should be helped by the fact that Cook can catch passes out of the backfield and tight ends Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith Jr., both are very capable receivers. The Vikings will open camp with 12 wide receivers on the roster, but it’s the success of the top two, Thielen and Jefferson, that will be most important. WHERE WILL CLEVELAND LAND? The Vikings drafted their left tackle of the future in April when they selected Boise State’s Ezra Cleveland in the second round, but there remains an important question to be answered: When does that future begin? Riley Reiff, 31, has been the Vikings’ left tackle for the past three seasons and is entering the second to last season of a five-year, $58.75 million contract he signed in 2017. There was talk the Vikings could have Cleveland start this season at left tackle and move Reiff inside to left guard as the replacement for Pat Elflein, who struggled at that position in 2019. There also was speculation the Vikings could move Cleveland to left guard and leave Reiff at left tackle. The Vikings’ ability to get creative might have been possible if the pandemic hadn’t wiped out the on-the-field work during OTAs and minicamp. But with the offseason program lost, other than virtual learning, and now training camp set to be impacted, it will be interesting to see if Cleveland gets a chance to start, or if the Vikings simply have him learn behind Reiff and then take over at left tackle in 2021. SPEAKING OF GUARD While Elflein’s job could be in jeopardy, the competition at right guard will be wide open after veteran guard Josh Kline was released following one season in Minnesota. There are a few options for the Vikings after they did not sign a replacement for Kline, beginning with 2019 fourth-round pick Dru Samia and veteran Dakota Dozier. Aviante Collins, who orginally signed with the Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2017, also could be in the mix. Collins, however, is listed at tackle on the Vikings’ roster. Samia appeared in only two games last season but was in for 63 percent of the offensive snaps in a Week 17 victory over Bears. The Vikings did not play several regulars in that game after locking into a playoff spot and that was the only game in which Samia appeared with the offense. Samia was the 2018 Big 12 offensive lineman of the year at Oklahoma. Dozier, 29, joined the Vikings last season after starting his career with the Jets. He played in all 16 games, starting four times. One of those came at left guard and the other three were in place of Kline at right guard. The Vikings re-signed Dozier to a one-year contract for a base salary of $910,000 during the offseason. The team’s preference could be for Dozier to remain in a backup role — just as Rashod Hill remains a valuable backup at tackle — and for Samia to win the starting job. #DalvinCook #EzraCleveland #GaryKubiak

#DalvinCook #EzraCleveland #GaryKubiak

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natashxromanovf · 2 years

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~ start where you are. use what you have. do what you can.

#studyblr #study motivation #study inspiration #study inspo #studyinspo #spanish #langblr #study notes #library #books & libraries #motovation #inspiration #taja studies

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kattipatang · 7 years

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Day 6: Continuing on from the night of the 5th June, moving into the early hours of the 6th June, the battle increased in ferocity. According to General K.S. Brar, on June 6, around 4-30 a.m., thirty soldiers managed to get into the Akal Takhat, the ‘Immortal Throne’ which represents the highest seat of Sikh spiritual and political sovereignty. The fighting in the early hours of the morning of the 6th was ferocious, and eyewitnesses including soldiers and General K.S. Brar, testify that although desperately outnumbered the Sikh Fighters fought bravely and “to the last man.” The army ordered their tanks to fire upon the Akaal Takhat and due to the repeated explosions, the Akaal Takhat was reduced to rubble and the Sikh fighters inside died defending it. “Photographs of the shattered shrine indicate quite clearly that the Vijayantas 105 mm main armaments pumped high-explosive squash-head shells into the Akal Takht. Those shells were designed for use against hard targets like armour and fortifications. When the shells hit their targets, their heads spread or squash on to the hard surface. Their fuses are arranged to allow a short delay between the impact and the shells igniting, so that a shock-wave passes through the target. Lieutenant-General Jagjit Singh Aurora, who studied the front of the Akal Takht before it was repaired, reckoned that as many as eighty of these lethal shells, could have been fired into the shrine. The effect of this barrage on the Akal Takht was devastating. The whole of the front of the sacred shrine was destroyed, leaving hardly a pillar standing. Fires broke out in many of the different rooms blackening the marble walls and wrecking the delicate decorations dating from Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s time. They included marble inlay, plaster and mirror work, and filigree partitions. The gold-plated dome of the Akal Takht was also badly damaged by artillery fire.” Excerpted from “Amritsar – Mrs. Gandhi’s Last Battle”, (Ninth Ed. 1991). Brahma Chellaney reported: “At about 9 p.m. on 6th June, entire city of 700,000 was plunged into darkness by a power outage. Half an hour later, Amritsar was shaken by powerful shelling, mortar explosion and machine-gun fire. The big battle had begun. Half the city was up on rooftops watching the battle. Tracer bullets and flares lit up the sky. The explosions at the Golden Temple rattled doors and windows miles away. While the battle was raging, the state-run radio claimed that the city was ‘calm’. Between 10.30 p.m. and midnight, we heard slogans from city outskirts of villagers trying to march to the Golden Temple from three different directions. The slogans-’Long live the Sikh religion’ and ‘Bhindranwale is our leader’-were heard on each occasion and were followed by rapid army machine gun fire and screams.” Samiuddin, Abida (ed.); The Punjab Crisis: Challenge and Response (Delhi, 1985), page 62. The Sikh Fighters fought desperately; one of the officers said, “Boy what a fight they gave us. If I had three Divisions like that I would fuck the hell out of Zia (the President of Pakistan) any day.” Another, “I have seen a lot of action, but I can tell you I have never seen anything like this. [They were] pretty committed. They should have realised that they could not win against the army. If one weapon failed we brought another. When that failed we brought another”. A third put it more succinctly. “The bloody fellows would not let us in’” Excerpted from “Amritsar – Mrs. Gandhi’s Last Battle”, (Ninth Ed. 1991). The testimony of one of the pilgrims, explains why the fighters fought so desperately; “Bhai Amrik Singh (leading Sikh fighter) sent her a message urging her to leave the Temple Complex at once with her group in order to escape being dishonoured [raped] or being shot dead as ‘terrorists’ by the Army personnel, and also to survive to tell the true story of what happened inside the Golden Temple to the world outside.” She recalls the scenes that she saw when she stepped out of the room, where she and others were trying to survive the firing and bombing; “what did I see but piles of dead bodies, all stacked one over the other. At first I instinctively felt that I wouldn’t manage to go out. All I could see was a ceaseless mound of dead bodies. It seemed that all the persons who were staying in the Parikrama, not one of them had survived.” Source; Citizens for Democracy; Report to the Nation: Oppression in Punjab (Bombay, 1985). Unfortunately, the fears of the fighters came true, and when the resistance from the defenders had been overcome, the army killed with vengeance hundreds of pilgrims; “Grenades and poisonous gas shells were thrown at the men, women and children, who had locked themselves in the rooms, bathrooms and toilets of Guru Nanak Niwas, Guru Ram Das serai and Taja Singh Samundri Hall. Those who tried to come out were pierced with bayonets and shot dead. Some soldiers caught hold of small babies and children by their feet, lifted them up in the air and then smashed them against the walls thus breaking their skulls.” Harminder Kaur; Blue Star Over Amritsar (Delhi, 1990). “The civilians who died, about 1500 of them, were piled in trolleys and carried away. A lot of them were thrown into the rivers. The battle was a tragic one. I couldn’t eat anything. Food made me sick. I used to just drink lots of rum and go to sleep.” The account of a Naik (Corporal) of Kumaon Regiment who participated in Blue Star as quoted in Probe India, August, 1984. “The army stormed Teja Singh Samundri hall and the rooms in the Parkarma and behaved liked savages, they raped women, looted, killed children, burnt people alive, set the rooms on fire and tied the hands of devotees behind their backs and shot them.” Eyewitness account of Bibi Pritam Kaur, whose husband and 18 month baby was shot dead. Video interview (available online), interview transcript, reprinted in Punjab Times. “It was a virtual massacre. A large number of women, children and pilgrims were gunned down.” As reported by The Guardian on 13th June 1984. Caption from nsyf.org.uk

#Sikh #Sikh Genocide #never forget 1984 #never forget 84 #operation blue star

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saffronsplace · 7 years

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Lost in study Saff barely sees anyone these days. She has a job already from the moment she graduates, so many whisper why does she even bother?

Maybe it’s because she’s lonely

Hair @ TRUTH Taja - Redhead Trousers by *COCO* @ Uber - SideSlitWideLegPants in White Top by TETRA @ Uber - Off-shoulder Top (Midnight) Sandals @ Ingenue :: Mara Flats :: Blush

Verocity - Book Worm 4B (REZ) - RARE 6 -STRIKE IT- Innocuous Charms Book (right click, add) Violetility - Research Props (Spells) .peaches. Stack of Magical Books MM - Year 1: Required Books Stack (gacha) Verocity - Book Worm 7B (ADD)

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cielrouge · 7 years

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2017 YA Reads by Authors of Color

*As per usual, this list will be updated as more covers are revealed

After the Fall by Kate Hart - In a story told from two viewpoints, 17-year-old Raychel relies on the support of her overachieving best friend Matt while secretly sleeping with his brother Andrew, and Matt tries to play hero and hide how much he loves her.

Akata Warrior (Akata Witch #2) by Nnedi Okorafor - A year ago, Sunny Nwazue, an American-born girl Nigerian girl, was inducted into the secret Leopard Society. As she began to develop her magical powers, Sunny learned that she had been chosen to lead a dangerous mission to avert an apocalypse, brought about by the terrifying masquerade, Ekwensu. Now, stronger, feistier, and a bit older, Sunny is studying with her mentor Sugar Cream and struggling to unlock the secrets in her strange Nsibidi book. Eventually, Sunny knows she must confront her destiny, and fight a climactic battle to save humanity.

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han - Lara Jean is having the best senior year a girl could ever hope for.But change is looming on the horizon. And while Lara Jean is having fun and keeping busy, she can’t ignore the big life decisions she has to make. Most pressingly, where she wants to go to college and what that means for her relationship with Peter. Now Lara Jean’s the one who’ll be graduating high school and leaving for college and leaving her family—and possibly the boy she loves—behind.

Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson - 15-year-old Mary B. Addison, once accused of murdering a baby when she was nine, finds herself pregnant after release to a group home - and the only way to keep the baby is to tell the truth about what really happened six years ago.

American Street by Ibi Zobi - On the corner of American Street and Joy Road, Fabiola Toussaint thought she would finally find une belle vie—a good life. But after they leave Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Fabiola’s mother is detained by U.S. immigration, leaving Fabiola to navigate her loud American cousins, Chantal, Donna, and Princess; the grittiness of Detroit’s west side; a new school; and a surprising romance, all on her own. Just as she finds her footing in this strange new world, a dangerous proposition presents itself, and Fabiola soon realizes that freedom comes at a cost. Trapped at the crossroads of an impossible choice, will she pay the price for the American dream?

The Authentics by Abdi Nazemian - Daria Esfandyar is Iranian-American and proud of her heritage. Daria and her friends call themselves the Authentics, because they pride themselves on always keeping it real. But in the course of researching a school project, Daria learns something shocking about her past, which launches her on a journey of self-discovery. With infighting among the Authentics, her mother planning an over-the-top sweet sixteen party, and a romance that should be totally off limits, Daria doesn’t have time for this identity crisis. As everything in her life is spinning out of control—can she figure out how to stay true to herself?

Because of the Sun by Jenny Torres Sanchez - 17-year-old Dani struggles with how to process the ambiguous grief she feels in the aftermath of her mother's death after moving to New Mexico with an aunt she never met.

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco - Tea's gift for death magic means that she is a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community, but when an older bone witch trains her to become an asha - one who can wield elemental magic - Tea will have to overcome her obstacles and make a powerful choice in the face of danger as dark forces approach.

Calling My Name by Liara Tamani - Told in fifty-four short, episodic, moving, and iridescent chapters, this story follows Taja Brown on her journey from middle school to high school.

A Crown of Wishes (Star-Touched Queen #2) by Roshani Chokshi - Gauri, the princess of Bharata, has been taken as a prisoner of war by her kingdom’s enemies. Hope unexpectedly comes in the form of Vikram, the cunning prince of a neighboring land and her sworn enemy kingdom. Unsatisfied with becoming a mere puppet king, Vikram offers Gauri a chance to win back her kingdom in exchange for her battle prowess. Together, they’ll have to set aside their differences and team up to win the Tournament of Wishes—a competition held in a mythical city where the Lord of Wealth promises a wish to the victor. Reaching the tournament is just the beginning. Every which way they turn new trials will test their wit and strength.

The Closet I’ve Come by Fred Aceves - When Marcos is placed in a new after-school program for troubled teens with potential, he meets Zach, a theater geek whose life seems great on the surface, and Amy, a punk girl who doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her. These new friendships inspire Marcos to open up to his Maesta crew, too, and Marcos starts to think more about his future and what he has to fight for. Marcos ultimately learns that bravery isn’t about acting tough and being macho; it’s about being true to yourself.

Dark Goddess (Alpha Goddess #2) by Amalie Howard - After an epic struggle that unseated the Asura Lord of Death and placed Serjana Caelum’s best friend, Kyle, on his throne, the Mortal Realm is peaceful and the balance between good and evil—which Sera is sworn to protect—has been restored. But signs of a new threat to the world of men quickly begin to appear: A scourge of demons descends on the Mortal Realm, and Sera is beside herself trying to locate their source. She sends word to the gods for help, and their answer comes in the form of Kira, the living incarnation of Kali, goddess of destruction. Soon Sera and Kyle find themselves fighting not just the demon plague, but Kira and her twin. But when an even more sinister threat arises—putting not just the human world but all planes of existence in jeopardy—they must all learn to work together or lose everything.

Dead Little Mean Girl by Eva Darrows - Unapologetic geek girl Emma’s life is made a living hell by her new stepsister Quinn - until Quinn’s untimely death forces Emma to reexamine everything she thought she knew about her.

Dear Martin by Nic Stone - Justyce McAllister is top of his class, captain of the debate team, and set for the Ivy League next year—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs during the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up. Way up. Much to the fury of the white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. And Justyce and Manny get caught in the crosshairs. In that media fallout, it’s Justyce who is under attack. The truth of what happened that night—some would kill to know. Justyce is dying to forget.

Dove Alight (Dove Chronicles #3) by Karen Bao - Shy, introverted Phaet Theta has gone from being a top student to an interplanetary fugitive to the reluctant but fierce leader of a revolution. But as the death tolls rise, the cost of the war weighs heavily on Phaet. Phaet started this war because she lost someone she loved. Will she have to lose another to end it?

The Education of Margot Sanchez by Lilliam Rivera - After “borrowing” her father's credit card to finance a more stylish wardrobe, Margot Sanchez is forced to pay off her debts by working in her family's South Bronx grocery store. But she must make the right choices about her friends, her family, and Moises, the good looking but outspoken boy from the neighborhood.

Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza - Two sisters—sole survivors of a murdered royal lineage - must reunite from opposite ends of the galaxy to salvage what's left of their family dynasty and save the universe from a greater threat.

The End of Oz (Dorothy Must Die #4) by Danielle Page - Amy Gumm must do everything in her power to save Kansas and make Oz a free land once more. At the end of Yellow Brick War, Amy had finally defeated Dorothy. Just when she and the rest of the surviving members of the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked thought it was safe to start rebuilding the damaged land of Oz, they realized they’ve been betrayed—by one of their own. And Dorothy might not have been so easily defeated after all.

The Epic Crush of Genie Lo - F.C. Yee - Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets American Born Chinese, wherein 15-year-old Genie Lo wonders if she's qualified enough to gain admission to an Ivy League school, then becomes powerful enough to break through the gates of Heaven with her fists.

Exo by Fonda Lee - For a century now, Earth has been a peaceful colony of an alien race, and Donovan Reyes is a loyal member of the security forces, while his father is the Prime Liaison--but when a routine search and seizure goes bad Donovan finds himself a captive of the human revolutionary group, Sapience, terrorists who seem to prefer war to alien rule, and killing Donovan just might be the incident they are looking for.

Flame in the Mist by Renee Adhieh - The daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko is promised to Minamoto Raiden, the son of the emperor's favorite consort. But en route to the imperial city of Inako, Mariko narrowly escapes a bloody ambush by the Black Clan. Dressed as a peasant boy, Mariko sets out to infiltrate the ranks of this gang. But she's quickly captured and taken to the Black Clan’s secret hideout, where she meets their leader, the rebel ronin Takeda Ranmaru. As Mariko gets closer to the Black Clan, she uncovers a dark history of secrets, of betrayal and murder, which will force her to question everything she's ever known.

Flying Lessons and Other Stories edited by Ellen Oh - Whether it is basketball dreams, family fiascos, first crushes, or new neighborhoods, this bold anthology—written by the best children’s authors—celebrates the uniqueness and universality in all of us. In a partnership with We Need Diverse Books, industry giants Kwame Alexander, Soman Chainani, Matt de la Peña, Tim Federle, Grace Lin, Meg Medina, Walter Dean Myers, Tim Tingle, and Jacqueline Woodson join newcomer Kelly J. Baptist in a story collection that is as humorous as it is heartfelt.

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao - A dark and edgy reimagining of the evil queen from Snow White based on Asian folklore and mythology in which Xifeng must unleash a jealous god on the world and set free the viciousness of her own soul in order to become Empress of Feng Lu.

Four Weeks, Five People by Jennifer Yu - Five teens get to know one another and work to overcome the various disorders that have affected their lives, they find themselves forming bonds they never thought they would, discovering new truths about themselves and actually looking forward to the future.

Girl on the Verge by Pintip Dunn - A provocative story about a high school senior, Kanchana, straddling two worlds, unsure how she fits in either—and the journey of self-discovery that leads her to surprising truths.

Good Girls Don’t Lie by Alexandra Diaz - A Mexican-American Juno, a realistic coming-of-age story starring good girl Josie Figueroa.

A Good Idea by Cristina Moracho - Finley returns to her small Maine hometown seeking revenge for the death of her childhood best friend Betty, and explores whether the right kind of boy can get away with killing the wrong kind of girl.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas - 16-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Now what Starr says could destroy her community. It could also get her killed.

Here We Are Now by Jasmine Warga - Despite sending him letters ever since she was thirteen, Taliah Abdallat never thought she'd ever really meet her rock star father, Julian Oliver. With her best friend Harlow by her side, Taliah embarks on a three-day journey to find out everything about her 'father' and her family. But Julian isn't the father Taliah always hoped for, and revelations about her mother's past are seriously shaking her foundation. Through all these new experiences, Taliah will have to find new ways to be true to herself, honoring her past and her future.

Here We Are: Feminism for the Real World edited by Kelly Jensen - A scrapbook-style teen guide to understanding what it really means to be a feminist packed with contributions from a diverse range of voices, including celebrities and public figures, and featuring more than forty-four pieces, including an eight-page insert of full-color illustrations.

History Is All You Left Of Me by Adam Silvera - Secrets are revealed as OCD-afflicted Griffin grieves for his first love and ex-boyfriend, Theo, who died in a drowning accident. If Griffin is ever to rebuild his future, he must first confront his history, every last heartbreaking piece in the puzzle of his life.

How Dare the Sun Rise: Memoirs of a War Child by Sandra Uwiringiyimana - This profoundly moving memoir is the remarkable and inspiring true story of Sandra Uwiringyimana, a girl from the Democratic Republic of the Congo who tells the tale of how she survived a massacre, immigrated to America, and overcame her trauma through art and activism.

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian meets Jane the Virgin in this poignant but often laugh-out-loud funny contemporary YA about losing a sister and finding yourself amid the pressures, expectations, and stereotypes of growing up in a Mexican-American home.

I Believe In A Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo - Desi Lee is a disaster in romance. So when the hottest human specimen to have ever lived walks into her life one day, Desi decides to tackle her flirting failures with the same zest she’s applied to everything else in her life. She finds her answer in the Korean dramas her father has been obsessively watching for years. Armed with her “K Drama Rules for True Love,” Desi goes after the moody, elusive artist Luca Drakos. But when the fun and games turn to true feels, Desi finds out that real love is about way more than just drama.

The Inexplicable Logic of My Heart by Benjamin Alire Saenz - Sal used to know his place with his adoptive gay father, their loving Mexican-American family, and his best friend, Samantha. But it’s senior year, and suddenly Sal is throwing punches, questioning everything, and realizing he no longer knows himself. If Sal’s not who he thought he was, who is he?

It’s Not Like It’s A Secret by Misa Sugiura - A not-yet-out lesbian, Japanese-American teenager, Sana Kiyohara, deals with being the new kid at school, has a family with stifling traditional Japanese values (which help protect their secrets), dates a girl who hangs out with a totally different crowd, and makes plenty of mistakes along the way.

Kokoro (Kojiki #2) by Keith Yatsuhashi - Masterfully combining fantasy, science fiction and Japanese mythology, the sequel to Kojiki takes us into the heart of a war that spreads across the worlds.

Legion (Talon #4) by Julie Kagawa - The legions are about to be unleashed, and no human, rogue dragon or former dragon slayer can stand against the coming horde in book 4 out of the Talon series.

The Library of Fates by Aditi Khorana - Amrita must unravel the mysteries of her past to save her kingdom, but in doing so, she herself might come unraveled.

A Line in the Dark by Malinda Lo - Jess Wong is Angie Redmond’s best friend. But when Angie begins to fall for Margot Adams, a girl from the nearby boarding school, Jess can see it coming a mile away. As Angie drags Jess further into Margot’s circle, Jess discovers more than her friend’s growing crush. Secrets and cruelty lie just beneath the carefree surface of this world of wealth and privilege, and when they come out, Jess knows Angie won’t be able to handle the consequences. When the inevitable darkness finally descends, Angie will need her best friend.

Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert - A Los Angeles native, black and Jewish Suzette, deals with the aftermath of her stepbrother's mental health crisis and navigating unexpected love.

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds - A novel in verse about the consequences of street violence, and a second novel tentatively about a crew of young musicians who find their audience in the most unlikely of places.

Lucky Broken Girl by Ruth Behar - Based on the author's childhood in the 1960s, a young Cuban-Jewish immigrant girl adjusts to her new life in New York City when her American dream is suddenly derailed.

The Merciless III: Origins of Evil by Danielle Vega - When Brooklyn answers a call on her teen helpline, she finds herself plunged into the cultish community of Christ First Church’s youth group. She's especially drawn to Gavin, the angelic yet tortured pastor's son.Torn between an unstoppable attraction to Gavin and her obsession with the truth, Brooklyn is forced to make a devastating choice to rid Christ Church of evil once and for all...But the devil has plans for Brooklyn's soul.

The Mind Virus (Wired #3) by Donna Freitas - Skylar Cruz’s heart is shattered. But even though everyone has betrayed her, Skylar was able to negotiate a way to open the door between the Real World and the App World. Now Skylar must help the people who left the virtual world behind as they become refugees in the Real World. And for everyone who remained plugged in, a new danger has become evident. Their bodies are mysteriously dying, and it’s because of events Skylar’s sister, Jude, set in motion. A virus has been unleashed that could mean total extinction of the App World—and everyone in it.Skylar and Jude must set aside their differences and work together if they are to defeat the mind virus before the App World fades away into oblivion.

North of Happy by Adi Alsaid - In the wake of his brother's untimely death, teen chef Carlos Portillo runs away from home to find his true path in life.

Noteworthy by Riley Redgate - 17 -year-old theater student and Alto 2 at a Performing Arts boarding school, Jordan Sun, disguises herself as a boy in order to audition for the school's exclusive all-male a cappella group--and discovers a world packed with tradition, rivalry, and debauchery.

One Dark Throne (Three Dark Crowns #2) by Kendare Blake - The battle for the crown has begun, but which sister will prevail? With the unforgettable events of the Quickening behind them and the Ascension Year underway, all bets are off. Katharine, once the weak and feeble sister, is stronger than ever before. Arsinoe, after discovering the truth about her powers, must figure out how to make her secret talent work in her favor without anyone finding out. And Mirabella, once thought to be the strongest sister of all and the certain Queen Crowned, faces attacks like never before—ones that put those around her in danger she can’t seem to prevent.

Overturned by Lamar Giles - Nikki Tate is infamous, even by Las Vegas standards. Her dad is sitting on death row, convicted of killing his best friend. And for five years, he’s maintained his innocence. But Nikki wants no part of that. Then her dad’s murder conviction is overturned. As her dad digs into the seedy underbelly of Vegas, the past threatens everything and Nikki is drawn into his deadly hunt for the truth. But in the city of sin, some sinners will do anything to keep their secrets, and Nikki soon finds herself playing for the biggest gamble ever—her life.

The Place Between Breaths by An Na - 16-year-old Grace is in a race against time—and in a race for her life. She is smart, responsible, and contending with more than what most teens ever have to. Her mother struggled with schizophrenia until, one day, she simply disappeared. Ever since, Grace’s father has worked as a recruiter at one of the leading labs dedicated to studying the disease, hoping against hope to find a cure in time to help his wife if she is ever found. Grace does her part, interning at the lab and one day make a breakthrough, when she stumbles upon a string of code that could be the key. But something inside of Grace has unraveled. Could her discovery just be a cruel side effect of the schizophrenia finally taking hold? Can she even tell the difference between what is real and what isn’t?

Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson - Tired of being singled out at her mostly-white private school as someone who needs support, high school junior Jade would rather participate in the school's amazing Study Abroad program than join Women to Women, a mentorship program for at-risk girls.

Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman - Half-Japanese teen Kiko Himura fails to get into art school away from home, leaving her to navigate through social anxiety and microaggressions in a small town, as she reconnects with her childhood crush and learns to stand up to her self-centered mother - all while growing to love the part of her heritage she was never taught to appreciate.

The Savage Dawn (Girl at Midnight #3) by Melissa Grey - Echo awakened the Firebird. Now she is the only one with the power to face the darkness she unwittingly unleashed...right into the waiting hands of Tanith, the new Dragon Prince. Echo might hold the power to face the darkness within the Dragon Prince, but she has far to go to master its overwhelming force. The war has begun, and there is no looking back. There are only two outcomes possible: triumph or death.

The Ship Beyond Time (Girl From Everywhere #2) by Heidi Heilig - In this breathtaking sequel, Nix has escaped her past, but when the person she loves most is at risk, even the daughter of a time traveler may not be able to outrun her fate—no matter where she goes.

They Both Die in the End by Adam Silvera - Set in a near-future New York City where a service alerts people on the day they will die, about two teens who meet using the Last Friend app and are faced with the challenge of living a lifetime on their End Day.

Siege of Shadows (Effigies #2) by Sarah Raughley - Maia and the other Effigies can’t escape the eyes of the press—especially not after failing to capture Saul, whose power to control the monstrous Phantoms has left the world in a state of panic. When Saul suddenly surfaces in the middle of the Sahara desert, the Sect sends Maia and her friends out after him. But instead of Saul, they discover a dying soldier engineered with Effigy-like abilities. And although these soldiers seem to answer to Saul, Maia can’t help but wonder if he has outside help.Yet the looming danger of Saul and this mysterious new army doesn’t overshadow Maia’s fear of the Sect, who ordered the death of the previous Fire Effigy, Natalya. With enemies on all sides and the world turning against them, the Effigies have to put their trust in each other—easier said than done when secrets threaten to tear them apart.

Soulmarked by Shaila Patel - 18-year-old Liam Whelan, an Irish royal empath, has been searching for his elusive soulmate. Laxshmi Kapadia, an Indian-American high school student from a traditional family, faces her mother's ultimatum: Graduate early and go to medical school, or commit to an arranged marriage. When Liam moves next door to Laxshmi, he’s immediately and inexplicably drawn to her. In Liam, Laxshmi envisions a future with the freedom to follow her heart. Liam's father isn't convinced Laxshmi is "The One" and Laxshmi's mother won't even let her talk to their handsome new neighbor. Will Liam and Laxshmi defy expectations and embrace a shared destiny? Or is the risk of choosing one's own fate too great a price for the soulmated?

That Thing We Call A Heart by Sheba Karim - Pakistani American teen, Shabnam Qureshi, living in New Jersey, tells a lie that has unexpected consequences. When her feisty best friend, Farah, starts wearing the headscarf without even consulting her, it unravels their friendship. As Shabnam rebuilds her friendship with Farah and grows closer to her parents, she learns powerful lessons about the importance of love, in all of its forms.

The Victoria In My Head by Janelle Milanes - Cuban-American straight-As student and dutiful daughter Victoria Cruz, defys expectations when she breaks out of her shell to successfully auditions for a local rock band and winds up falling in love with the bad boy frontman.

Vindicated (Emancipated #3) by M.G. Reyes - Murder will out in the shocking conclusion to the Emancipated trilogy, where no one is who they seem and the truth has a nasty habit of showing up uninvited. The six Venice Beach housemates have made some life-alteringly bad decisions since they were each legally emancipated from their parents, including confronting a killer. And the consequences have been deadly. Now, they’re hiding out, trying to find a way out of the mess they’ve made without getting themselves killed when one of the housemates disappears, two fall in love, and another betrays them all. And when the secrets they’ve been keeping are finally laid bare, they’ll wish they’d never started looking for answers in the first place.

Want by Cindy Pon - Set in a teeming, pollution choked Taipei which follows a group of teens living on the seedy fringes of a highly divided society that works only for the elite as they decide to risk everything to take down the powerful company which controls the city,

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon - Told in alternating perspectives, When Dimple Met Rishi focuses on two Indian-American teens whose parents have arranged for them to be married.

When I Am Through With You by Stephanie Kuehn - Ben Gibson is many things, but he’s not sorry and he’s not a liar. He will tell you exactly about what happened on what started as a simple school camping trip in the mountains. About who lived and who died. About who killed and who had the best of intentions. But he’s going to tell you in his own time. Because after what happened on that mountain, time is the one thing he has plenty of.

Wild Beauty by Anne Marie McLemore - A novel of magical realism, the Nomeolvides women have tended the lust estate grounds of La Pradera which they've grown for generations, until the reemergence of a family curse starts to makes the men they love disappear, again.

Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones - 19-year-old Liesl must venture to the Underground when her sister Käthe is taken by the goblins. The Goblin King agrees to let Käthe go—for a price. In exchange for her sister’s freedom, Liesl offers her hand in marriage to the Goblin King. He accepts. As the two of them grow closer, they must learn just what it is they are each willing to sacrifice: her life, her music, or the end of the world.

You Don’t Know Me But I Know You by Rebecca Barrow - 17-year-old Audrey receives an unexpected letter from her birth mother as she and her boyfriend struggle to decide what to do about an accidental pregnancy, while facing a growing distance with her best friend, keeping secrets of her own.

#authors of color #book recommendations #yalit

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