New Releases by Robin Roberts

From its looming above-ground cemeteries to the ghosts believed to haunt its stately homes, New Orleans is a city deeply entwined with death, the undead, and the supernatural. The reasons behind New Orleans’s reputation as America’s most haunted city are numerous. Its location near the mouth of the Mississippi River grants it a liminal status between water and land, while its Old World architecture and lush, moss-covered oak trees lend it an eerie beauty. Complementing the city’s mysterious landscape, spiritual beliefs and practices from Native American, African, African American, Caribbean, and European cultures mingle in a unique ferment of the paranormal. An extremely high death rate in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and a long history of enslavement and oppression have also produced fertile soil for stories of the undead. Focusing on three manifestations of the supernatural in New Orleans—Voodoo, ghosts, and vampires—Robin Roberts argues that the paranormal gives voice to the voiceless, including victims of racism and oppression, thus encouraging the living not to repeat the injustices of the past.

An Instant New York Times Bestseller! From the beloved host of Good Morning America and New York Times bestselling author Robin Roberts, a guide to instilling hope and optimism into readers’ lives, infusing their days with positivity and encouragement. Over the last 16 years as the esteemed anchor of Good Morning America, Robin Roberts has helped millions of people across the country greet each new morning, gracing our screens with heart and humility. She has sought to bring a bit of positivity into each day, even in the most trying of times. Now, she shares with readers the guidance she’s received, her own hard-won wisdom, and eye-opening experiences that have helped her find the good in the world and usher in light—even on the darkest days. Drawing on advice and knowledge she gleaned from conversations with loved ones, spiritual practices, and life experiences, Robin offers a window into how she feeds her own mind, spirit, and soul and invites readers to do the same. With a deeply personal touch, she explains that just like any skill, optimism requires practice and demonstrates how we can shift our mindsets and give ourselves permission to let our best intentions take root and be true. Full of profound insight and the compassion to meet readers wherever they are on their journey, this contemplative and uplifting read is a breath of fresh air that will bring a dose of joy into your daily life.

The storyman came to the park every day to spin wondrous tales of the past, amazing fantasies that held the children in thrall. At least that was what Ryan thought they were—until his little sister, Stevie, disappeared into a mysterious trunk in the old man’s attic. So begins an enchanting and sometimes-harrowing journey for Ryan and Cimmy as they go back in time to retrieve his sister and find themselves embroiled in the politics of an America they never knew existed. Racing against impending war, they find themselves battling king and clergy in a desperate attempt to rescue Stevie and return to their own world. But before they can find Stevie, they must find each other... and themselves.

After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the surrounding region in 2005, the city debated whether to press on with Mardi Gras or cancel the parades. Ultimately, they decided to proceed. New Orleans’s recovery certainly has resulted from a complex of factors, but the city’s unique cultural life—perhaps its greatest capital—has been instrumental in bringing the city back from the brink of extinction. Voicing a civic fervor, local writer Chris Rose spoke for the importance of Carnival when he argued to carry on with the celebration of Mardi Gras following Katrina: “We are still New Orleans. We are the soul of America. We embody the triumph of the human spirit. Hell, we ARE Mardi Gras." Since 2006, a number of new Mardi Gras practices have gained prominence. The new parade organizations or krewes, as they are called, interpret and revise the city’s Carnival traditions but bring innovative practices to Mardi Gras. The history of each parade reveals the convergence of race, class, age, and gender dynamics in these new Carnival organizations. Downtown Mardi Gras: New Carnival Practices in Post-Katrina New Orleans examines six unique, offbeat, Downtown celebrations. Using ethnography, folklore, cultural studies, and performance studies, the authors analyze new Mardi Gras’s connection to traditional Mardi Gras. The narrative of each krewe’s development is fascinating and unique, illustrating participants’ shared desire to contribute to New Orleans’s rich and vibrant culture.

The supernatural has become extraordinarily popular in literature, television, and film. Vampires, zombies, werewolves, witches, and wizard have become staples of entertainment industries, and many of these figures have received extensive critical attention. But one figure has remained in the shadows--the female ghost. Inherently liminal, often literally invisible, the female ghost has nevertheless appeared in all genres. Subversive Spirits: The Female Ghost in British and American Popular Culture brings this figure into the light, exploring her cultural significance in a variety of media from 1926 to 2014. Robin Roberts argues that the female ghost is well worth studying for what she can tell us about feminine subjectivity in cultural contexts. Subversive Spirits examines appearances of the female ghost in heritage sites, theater, Hollywood film, literature, and television in the United States and the United Kingdom. What holds these disparate female ghosts together is their uncanny ability to disrupt, illuminate, and challenge gendered assumptions. As with other supernatural figures, the female ghost changes over time, especially responding to changes in gender roles. Roberts''s analysis begins with comedic female ghosts in literature and film and moves into horror by examining the successful play The Woman in Black and the legend of the weeping woman, La Llorona. Roberts then situates the canonical works of Maxine Hong Kingston and Toni Morrison in the tradition of the female ghost to explore how the ghost is used to portray the struggle and pain of women of color. Roberts further analyzes heritage sites that use the female ghost as the friendly and inviting narrator for tourists. The book concludes with a comparison of the British and American versions of the television hit Being Human, where the female ghost expands her influence to become a mother and savior to all humanity.

My relationship is a garden in which I have to plant seeds of hope and dreams every day. I have to be vigilant and pull out the weeds before they take root. I have to water it with loving kindness and feed it with understanding and awareness. But most of all I know I will have to tend to it each day for the rest of my life and when I do I will surely reap what I sow.

We are all like the little train chugging up the hill to the words "I think I can I think I can". The top is in view the other side beckons then wham some thing or someone comes along and back down to the bottom we go. Yet inside there is this ''will'' to keep going to try again to believe anything is possible.

If you have ever asked the question "What do I do now?" This is the book for you. So take a breath ... exhale. There''s no rush; take your time. Walk slowly through the words; read, absorb, process then allow the gentle nudge of understanding to create a shift. This is not a self-help manual. It''s a conversation between two friends sitting on the edge of the Universe with the beauty of the world at their feet. It''s you and me talking as friends do, about life, our struggles, challenges and the ways we navigate through it all. Take a breath, exhale let the journey begin...

"Regardless of how much money you have, your race, where you live, what religion you follow, you are going through something. Or you already have or you will. As momma always said, "Everybody''s got something." So begins beloved Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts''s new memoir in which she recounts the incredible journey that''s been her life so far, and the lessons she''s learned along the way. With grace, heart, and humor, she writes about overcoming breast cancer only to learn five years later that she will need a bone marrow transplant to combat a rare blood disorder, the grief and heartbreak she suffered when her mother passed away, her triumphant return to GMA after her medical leave, and the tremendous support and love of her family and friends that saw her through her difficult times. Following her mother''s advice to "make your mess your message," Robin taught a nation of viewers that while it is true that we''ve all got something -- a medical crisis to face, aging parents to care for, heartbreak in all its many forms --- we''ve also all got something to give: hope, encouragement, a life-saving transplant or a spirit-saving embrace. As Robin has learned, and what readers of her remarkable story will come to believe as well, it''s all about faith, family and friends. And finding out that you are stronger, much stronger, than you think.

"Autobiography of great Phillies pitcher Robin Roberts"--

Queen Latifah''s lyrics tout female superiority. Salt ''n'' Pepa energize with eroticism. Julie Brown''s unsettling version of a campus queen dethrones the mainstream icon. Martina McBride''s song of liberation gives new meaning to Independence Day. Today in the music video industry, such women artists have assumed a remarkable and refreshing new presence. Although many popular videos have been condemned for sexism, the medium has experienced a striking change. Both in repertoires and in performances, the politics of feminism has moved to the front row. More and more, women are being presented as strong and positive. Ladies First takes a close look at this exciting phenomenon and shows how both on and off screen strong females have assumed larger roles in the industry. Whether their songs are country, rock, or rap, the ladies of contemporary music video continue to assert, confront, and challenge. Demolishing stereotypes, today''s singers expose the flawed images that have restricted women. They condemn male dominance. They assert the right of women to be sexual and to express sexuality. In country music, they rely on the power of sincerity and storytelling. In rap songs they self-promote, reach out, and give uplift. Their lyrics are skillful, clever, and infectiously appealing, and their inviting sense of humor makes a large audience embrace them and their messages.

Anne McCaffrey: A Life with Dragons is the biography of a writer who vividly depicted alien creatures and new worlds. As the author of the Dragonriders of Pern series, McCaffrey (1926–2011) was one of the most significant writers of science fiction and fantasy. She was the first woman to win the Hugo and Nebula awards, and her 1978 novel The White Dragon was the first science-fiction novel to appear on the New York Times hardcover bestseller list. This biography reveals a fascinating and complex figure, one who created and re-created her fiction by drawing on life experiences. At various stages, McCaffrey was a beautiful young girl who refused to fit into traditional gender roles in high school, a restless young mother who wanted to write, an American expatriate who became an Irish citizen, an animal lover who dreamed of fantasy worlds with perfect relationships between humans and beasts, and a wife trapped in an unhappy marriage just as the women''s movement took hold. Author Robin Roberts conducted interviews with McCaffrey, her children, friends, and colleagues, and used archival correspondence and contemporary reviews and criticism. The biography examines how McCaffrey''s early interests in theater, Slavonic languages and literature, and British history, mythology, and culture all shaped her science fiction. The book is a nuanced portrait of a writer whose appeal extends well beyond readers of her chosen genre.

We often hear that success requires pushing the boundaries, coloring outside the lines, stepping on toes, and breaking all the rules. But some rules are so critical they aren''t meant to be broken. Here, perennially popular Good Morning America host Robin Roberts reveals the 8 rules that she has always honored on her road to success. Illustrated with stories from her work, her family, and her faith, she explains how deceptively simple maxims like "Never lose sight of the Big Picture" and "Give people the benefit of the doubt" are both deeply meaningful and crucial to happiness and genuine accomplishment. Combined with a good dose of Robin''s trademark humor, warmth, and honesty, this book will be required reading for anyone in need of an infusion of sincere inspiration. And in light of her announcement in July 2007 that she had breast cancer, Robin''s message is bound to touch an even larger audience.

Junior executive Brooke invites her boss and his wife over for dinner in the hopes of securing a promotion. While frantically getting ready, Brooke and her husband discover that the hired help is coincidentally the boss'' ex-daughter-in-law. Just when it seems everything that could go wrong has gone wrong, Brooke''s boss has an unfortunate announcement to make -- though not as unfortunate as the candlestick attack, appetizer toss, and general chaos that then ensues...

Hall of Famer Robin Roberts was baseball''s most dominant pitcher from 1950 to 1955. He was the ace of the Whiz Kids rotation that led the Phillies to the NL pennant in 1950. In 1966 Roberts introduced Marvin Miller to the players'' union, a major chapter in baseball history.

Describes the life and career of Mike Cameron, baseball player with the Seattle Mariners, and presents his views on the importance of teamwork.

Helps potential athletes determine sports that match their skills, interests, and desire to play as a team or as an individual.

Discusses common injuries that some athletes face, explains how many sports injuries can be prevented, and tells about treatment and what you can do to ensure a speedy recovery.

Explains how lifelong participation in sports promotes health, confidence, and life skills, and how girls can get the most out of various levels of competition.

Describes various aspects of being a woman who plays professional basketball: the training, travel, game play, interacting with fans, and everyday life.

Eight women discuss their work in various sports-related careers, including referee, athletic trainer, agent, writer, and nutritionist, and describe the skills and education needed.

Discusses the fundamental skills of basketball--dribbling, passing, shooting, and rebounding; understanding the team concept; dealing with difficult situations; and more.

WNBA, ESPN, and ABC personality Robin Roberts invites girls to explore their love for sports through a wide selection of fascinating sports-related topics that speak directly to them.

Boldly going where no one has gone before, Robin Roberts forges intriguing links between feminist politics and theory and the second Star Trek series, Star Trek: The Next Generation. This lively discussion shows how science fiction''s ability to make the familiar strange allows Star Trek to expose and comment on entrenched attitudes toward gender roles and feminist issues. By having aliens or sexually neutral beings enact female dominance or passivity, experience pregnancy or maternity, or suffer rape or abortion, Star Trek provides viewers with a new perspective on these experiences and an antidote to explicit and implicit cultural biases. Roberts maintains that the relevance of Star Trek: The Next Generation to feminist issues accounts as no other factor can for the program''s huge following of female fans. The incisive and innovative readings in Sexual Generations provide food for thought about how the final frontier can clarify pressing questions of our own space and time.

Every generation or so, a team comes along whose march toward victory is so improbable that you can''t help but root them along. The 1950 Philadelphia Phillies was that kind of team; young and spirited, the Whiz Kids played a raw, emotional brand of baseball, nipping the Brooklyn Dodgers on the final day of the season to bring the National League''s perennial doormat its first title in 35 years. Hall-of-Fame member Robin Roberts, the team''s ace starter, peppers his recollections with snippets of oral history from his teammates to produce a book as lively as the team itself.--

This fascinating study is the first to examine the history of gender and science fiction and the first to discuss science fiction pulp magazines'' images of women as well as postmodernism and feminist science fiction. Robin Roberts begins with Shelley''s Frankenstein, in which a female alien appears, and continues through H.G. Wells, the 1950s pulp SF magazines, Doris Lessing and feminist utopias, and the new generation of science fiction writers, including Joan Vinge, Sheila Finch and many others.