"A quick and adorable read." —Raven Bookstore manager Mira has a super cute new neighbor. Too bad his first impression of her was as a babbling spaz. But Mira has plenty to keep her distracted in putting together one of her favorite events of the year: the store's upcoming Whedon Night. Jordan is new in town, and already he's sick of his empty apartment and lonely takeout dinners. His new neighbor might be a little weird, but her company would still be better than another night alone. Probably. -- The Whedonite is a sweet short story of geeky love.

A collection of bite-sized story breaks for readers on the go!

A Companion to Media Fandom and Fan Studies offers scholars and fans an accessible and engaging resource for understanding the rapidly expanding field of fan studies. International in scope and written by a team that includes many major scholars, this volume features over thirty especially-commissioned essays on a variety of topics, which together provide an unparalleled overview of this fast-growing field. Separated into five sections—Histories, Genealogies, Methodologies; Fan Practices; Fandom and Cultural Studies; Digital Fandom; and The Future of Fan Studies—the book synthesizes literature surrounding important theories, debates, and issues within the field of fan studies. It also traces and explains the social, historical, political, commercial, ethical, and creative dimensions of fandom and fan studies. Exploring both the historical and the contemporary fan situation, the volume presents fandom and fan studies as models of 21st century production and consumption, and identifies the emergent trends in this unique field of study.

After last summer's failed attempt at romance, Gina is absolutely done with men. And especially with millionaires. But scratching an itch with the bartender at her best friend's wedding couldn't hurt. Right?

A Novel Approach to Politics turns conventional textbook wisdom on its head by using pop culture references to illustrate key concepts and cover recent political events. This is a textbook students want to read. Adopters of previous editions from schools all over the country are thanking author Douglas A. Van Belle for some of their best student evaluations to date. With this Fifth Edition, Van Belle brings the book fully up to date with recent events such as Trump’s executive orders on immigration, the 2016 elections in the US, current policy debates including recent court decisions that may affect gerrymandering, international happenings such as Brexit, and other assorted intergalactic matters. Van Belle adds a wealth of new and recent movies and books to the text as he illustrates key concepts in political science through examples that captivate students. Employing a wide range of references from 1984 to Game of Thrones to House of Cards, students are given a solid foundation in institutions, ideology, and economics. To keep things grounded, the textbook nuts and bolts are still there to aid students, including chapter objectives, chapter summaries, bolded key terms, and discussion questions. Give your students the SAGE edge! SAGE edge offers a robust online environment featuring an impressive array of free tools and resources for review, study, and further exploration, keeping both instructors and students on the cutting edge of teaching and learning. Learn more at edge.sagepub.com/vanbelle5e.

Three childhood friends. One last spring break. What could go wrong? Her Best Shot When Layla Sharpe gets offered her dream job, she makes plans with her best friends for one last spring break before they graduate college. But when her car breaks down en route, she meets sexy pool shark, Phin. Phin Marks can’t seem to resist the math geek with a smart mouth, so he bends his own no-strings rules and offers to help Layla. Phin has spent years working toward the life Layla has. He’s desperate to settle down, grow some roots, and walk away from his nomadic life. Can he convince Layla to gamble on forever with him? Her Perfect Game While her two best friends are frolicking on spring break, Charlie Castle plans to hack her way to a job at a gaming conference to try to score a job and prove she has the skills to cut it in the cybertech world without a degree. She also hopes to finally meet her online confidant and partner in crime, but instead runs into her ex. Jonah Best has never gotten over Charlie. He’s missed their partnership—in bed and out. How can he reveal who his is without losing her—again? Her Winning Formula Spring break is supposed to be the last chance for some carefree fun before graduation, but for Felicity, it becomes another form of education. When she’s left on her own for spring break, she accepts a gorgeous stranger’s invitation to play his fake girlfriend at his brother’s wedding. When Lucas Tanner meets deliciously intriguing Felicity, he thinks he has a solid plan: she’ll pose as his girlfriend and he’ll teach her the subtle art of flirting. Once his lessons draw out Felicity’s natural charm, Lucas doesn’t want her to use those skills on anyone else. Can he convince her they have perfect chemistry?

With college graduation looming, three childhood friends vow to make spring break their last blast of pure fun in the sun. But some of their hottest life lessons are yet to come... HER BEST SHOT Layla Sharpe is definitely more math ninja than bikini babe. But she’s finally ready let loose over spring break—until her car breaks down, leaving her stranded in Georgia with a mouthwateringly hot pool shark. Layla knows enough about angles to learn the game, but when he offers her a place to stay, she wants him to appreciate her curves... HER PERFECT GAME Charlie Castle is an expert archer and a fierce warrior—in her favorite video game, anyway. Now she’s entering a "hackfest" over spring break, where she also hopes to meet the sweet gamer who’s been flirting with her online. Instead, she runs into Jonah, the hot guy who walked away years ago. Charlie can’t fight the desire that comes rushing back, and the feeling is more mutual than she suspects... HER WINNING FORMULA Chemistry major Felicity Stone knows everything about how chemicals interact, but when it comes to social interaction, she needs schooling. Abandoned by her friends, Felicity is faced with spending spring break alone—unless she accepts a gorgeous stranger’s invitation to pose as his girlfriend at a family wedding. Not one to turn down a research opportunity, Felicity never expected such breathtaking results—ones that could last a lifetime...

Discovery ID Meets Bridget Jones! A Barrum, Ks Novel By day, Lynn Broadmore leads a boring life as a mild-mannered bookkeeper, enduring one blind date after another. But by night, she’s “Hush,” webmistress extraordinaire, writing naughty stories for her adoring legion of fan fiction minions. Now that there’s a new guy working in the next cubicle, though, real life is getting interesting. All Jack has to do is smile, and her insides turn to goo. To her complete surprise, she might even stand a chance against the office bimbo. Undercover FBI agent Jack Edwards is on the hunt for a serial killer who trolls the Internet for victims. The trail has led to Lynn’s virtual doorstep, and he’s ready to do whatever is necessary to bring the killer down—including using two secret identities to gain her trust. Things get complicated, however, as the goofy fan fiction writer gets under his skin and starts staining his brain—and his heart. Distractions are something he can’t afford right now…not if he’s going to keep her from getting hurt in what she thinks is a safe, on-line hideaway. Because between the pixels lurks a murderer. And he’s chosen Hush, his fantasy girl, as his next target.

While her two best friends are frolicking on spring break, Charlie plans to hack her way to a job. Charlie Castle is spending her spring break at a gaming conference where she’ll compete in a “hackfest” that could help her score a job and prove she has the skills to cut it in the cybertech world without a degree. In her downtime, she plans to hang out with gamer friends who know her as an expert elven archer. She also hopes to finally meet her online confidant and partner in crime, but instead runs into her ex. Jonah walked away from her years ago, but time has done nothing to quash her lustful feelings. Jonah Best has never gotten over Charlie. He’s missed their partnership—in bed and out. In an effort to keep her in his life, he became her closest gaming friend without revealing his identity. Charlie has grown up a lot since he left and now he wants to offer her a job where she can put her hacking skills as well as her love of gaming to good use. How can he reveal who his is without losing her—again?

Since the 1930s, the Walt Disney Company has produced characters, images, and stories that have captivated audiences around the world. How can we understand the appeal of Disney products? What is it about the Disney phenomenon that attracts so many children, as well as adults? In this updated second edition, with new examples provided throughout, Janet Wasko examines the processes by which the Disney company – one of the largest media and entertainment corporations in the world – continues to manufacture the fantasies that enthrall millions. She analyses the historical expansion of the Disney empire into the twenty-first century, examines the content of Disney’s classic and more recent films, cartoons and TV programs and discusses how they are produced, considering how some of the same techniques have been applied to the Disney theme parks. She also discusses the reception (and sometimes, reinterpretation) of Disney products by different kinds of audiences. By looking at the Disney phenomenon from a variety of perspectives, she provides an updated and comprehensive overview of one of the most significant media and cultural institutions of our time. This important book by a leading scholar of the entertainment industries will be of great interest to students in media and cultural studies, as well as a broader readership of Disney fans.