The Scary Train Ride by Marlene Bischoff
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Luke and Summer live a couple blocks from the train depot in the small town of Wallace, Idaho. Because their daddy is a train conductor for the Northern Pacific Railroad, Luke and Summer recognize every train that rolls through their little mountain community. Some trains carry silver and gold from the local mines and some carry passengers to and from Wallace.
In this three-book series, the fictional characters of Summer and Luke will have three exciting adventures: one involving forest fires, another silver mines and another snow avalanches. Each story is based on an actual true event involving trains in the early 1900’s.
Because the Bible and Jesus was the heart of many families in early American history, I have incorporated the Christian value of faith. And please check out the educational "Fun Facts" section included at the end of each book. Happy "rail" reading!
In this three-book series, the fictional characters of Summer and Luke will have three exciting adventures: one involving forest fires, another silver mines and another snow avalanches. Each story is based on an actual true event involving trains in the early 1900’s.
Because the Bible and Jesus was the heart of many families in early American history, I have incorporated the Christian value of faith. And please check out the educational "Fun Facts" section included at the end of each book. Happy "rail" reading!
The Adventures of Thomas the Turtle by Stuart Samuel
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
Thomas the Turtle lives with his family on a picturesque pond. He is told by his mother not to go to a forbidden region of the pond. But Thomas's curiosity gets the better of him and one day he ventures too close and is swept away. What follows is a battle with nature as Thomas struggles to reunite with his family.
Gerome Sticks His Neck Out by L.S.V. Baker
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| Photo Credit: Baxter's Corner |
Gerome does not like the attention he draws due to his height. He finds a way to keep a low profile, but knows he isn’t being genuine. He is finally able to fully embrace his height – and its advantages – when his concern for another becomes greater than his concern for himself.
The accompaning stuffed giraffe is an extra-long stuffed animal which can't wait to snuggle around your neck! "Wear" your Longfellow over your shoulders or flopped over your arm for a hug on the go, or pose it among your other stuffed toys - his relaxed attitude is contagious!
Gerome Sticks His Neck Out is a Baxter’s Corner book, designed to delight children with whimsical verse and vibrant illustrations. Simple messages of cooperation, respect for others and respect for oneself encourage children to be part of a community where everyone is valued. With vibrant illustrations and rhyming text, it is perfect for reading aloud with your child or grandchild.
The storybook comes complete with animal facts, thought-provoking questions and fun learning activities, Baxter’s Corner stories illustrate life’s lessons, helping children build character around social skills, manners and fundamental values while playing.
Together they can be endless amounts of fun going beyond the story!
Roxie the Doxie Finds her Forever Home by Jody A. Dean, Ph.D.
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
A Book To Help Children through Adoption and Other Family Transitions. Join Roxie, a dachshund dog, as she makes the transition from her temporary Foster home to her new Forever home. Based on a real dog and her experiences, the book is designed to help children through the complicated process of adoption and other family transitions such as welcoming adopted children into their home, joining step-families and blended groupings, or moving between one separated parent and another.Adopted children can undergo a wide range of emotions when facing these transitions. Roxies story shows children it is perfectly normal to be afraid or anxious and to ask questions, and most importantly that they are moving into a loving, caring family and everything will be all right. The book includes a Parent & Therapist Guide for Adoptive Families written by a professional therapist to help adult caregivers in guiding children through the adoption process and answering questions they may have.
Skyward Bound: Hot-Air Ballooning by Alese & Morton Pechter
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Skyward Bound captures the imagination of the young child yearning to fly. Read along and enjoy magnificent photos of breathtaking, colorful balloons as they explore from the clouds. Learn how a balloon is assembled, inflated, rises to the sky, and becomes a rainbow of colors overhead. In this book, parents and children will feel the excitement and peacefulness of a hot▴air balloon adventure.
Cooking For Ghosts by Patricia V. Davis
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Do hearts broken long ago forever leave a tangible trace?
A Vegas cocktail waitress. An Indian herbalist. A British chemistry professor. An Italian-American widow. Four unique women with one thing in common: each is haunted by a tragedy from her past.
Cynthia, Rohini, Jane, and Angela meet on a food blogging site and bond over recipes. They decide on impulse to open The Secret Spice, an elegant café on the magnificent ocean liner, the RMS Queen Mary, currently a floating hotel in Long Beach, California. Rich in history and tales of supernatural occurrences, the ship hides her own desperate secrets.
The women are surrounded by ghosts long before they step aboard, but once they do, nothing is quite what it seems. Not the people they meet, not their brooding chef’s mystic recipes, and not the Queen Mary herself. Yet the spirits they encounter help them discover that there’s always a chance to live, as long as one is alive.
Nominated for the prestigious National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction, COOKING FOR GHOSTS is an unforgettable tale of love, redemption, and divine female power.
A Vegas cocktail waitress. An Indian herbalist. A British chemistry professor. An Italian-American widow. Four unique women with one thing in common: each is haunted by a tragedy from her past.
Cynthia, Rohini, Jane, and Angela meet on a food blogging site and bond over recipes. They decide on impulse to open The Secret Spice, an elegant café on the magnificent ocean liner, the RMS Queen Mary, currently a floating hotel in Long Beach, California. Rich in history and tales of supernatural occurrences, the ship hides her own desperate secrets.
The women are surrounded by ghosts long before they step aboard, but once they do, nothing is quite what it seems. Not the people they meet, not their brooding chef’s mystic recipes, and not the Queen Mary herself. Yet the spirits they encounter help them discover that there’s always a chance to live, as long as one is alive.
Nominated for the prestigious National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction, COOKING FOR GHOSTS is an unforgettable tale of love, redemption, and divine female power.
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Who are the Zoonauts?
David Simons created the Zoonauts who are based on some famous zoo animals and other animals that went into space with the international space programs. These Zoonauts have extraordinary talents and powers. Their travels take them to different continents and cultures.
Readers will be entertained and educated by the exciting adventures of the Zoonauts, which include NASA's Chimpanzee ""Ham,"" the Australian Koala ""Cough Drop"" of the San Diego Zoo, ""Patty Cake"" the Gorilla of the Central Park and Bronx Zoos, the famous Pandas ""Hsing-Hsing"" and ""Ling-Ling"" of the National Zoo, and the Russian space dog, ""Laika.""
Fishwick and Kornblend are Amadorian dragon-like scout pilots on an assigned mission in search of Zoonauts who they hope to capture and bring back to Amador.
The Amadorians provide comic relief in this high-flying, science fiction adventure where good triumphs over evil.
The story of the Zoonauts is a great addition to Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math (STEM) programs that stimulates creativity.
New Kinds of Superheroes!
David Simons created the Zoonauts who are based on some famous zoo animals and other animals that went into space with the international space programs. These Zoonauts have extraordinary talents and powers. Their travels take them to different continents and cultures.
Readers will be entertained and educated by the exciting adventures of the Zoonauts, which include NASA's Chimpanzee ""Ham,"" the Australian Koala ""Cough Drop"" of the San Diego Zoo, ""Patty Cake"" the Gorilla of the Central Park and Bronx Zoos, the famous Pandas ""Hsing-Hsing"" and ""Ling-Ling"" of the National Zoo, and the Russian space dog, ""Laika.""
Fishwick and Kornblend are Amadorian dragon-like scout pilots on an assigned mission in search of Zoonauts who they hope to capture and bring back to Amador.
The Amadorians provide comic relief in this high-flying, science fiction adventure where good triumphs over evil.
The story of the Zoonauts is a great addition to Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math (STEM) programs that stimulates creativity.
New Kinds of Superheroes!
If Your Monster Won't Go To Bed by Denise Vega
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
If you have a monster that won’t go to bed, don’t bother asking your parents to help. They know a lot about putting kids to bed, but nothing about putting monsters to bed. It’s not their fault; they’re just not good at it. Read this book instead.
It will tell you what to feed your monster before bed (it’s not warm milk), and what to sing to your monster (it’s not a soothing lullaby), and what to read to your monster to send him off to dreamland in no time (the scarier, the better).
It will tell you what to feed your monster before bed (it’s not warm milk), and what to sing to your monster (it’s not a soothing lullaby), and what to read to your monster to send him off to dreamland in no time (the scarier, the better).
Breakout by Ann Aguirre
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
All hell is breaking loose in the edge-of-your-seat follow-up toHavoc and Perdition from New York Times bestselling author Ann Aguirre…
The prison ship Perdition has become a post-battle charnel house with only a handful of Dred’s soldiers still standing and now being hunted by Silence’s trained tongueless assassins. Forging an uneasy alliance with mercenary commander Vost—who is their only chance at escape—the Dread Queen will do whatever it takes to end her life sentence on Perdition and keep the survivors alive long enough to cobble together a transport capable of getting them off station.
If Dred and her crew can win the deadly game of cat and mouse, the payoff is not only life but freedom—a prize sweeter than their wildest dreams. Yet the sadistic Silence would rather destroy Perdition than let a single soul slip from her grasp…
The prison ship Perdition has become a post-battle charnel house with only a handful of Dred’s soldiers still standing and now being hunted by Silence’s trained tongueless assassins. Forging an uneasy alliance with mercenary commander Vost—who is their only chance at escape—the Dread Queen will do whatever it takes to end her life sentence on Perdition and keep the survivors alive long enough to cobble together a transport capable of getting them off station.
If Dred and her crew can win the deadly game of cat and mouse, the payoff is not only life but freedom—a prize sweeter than their wildest dreams. Yet the sadistic Silence would rather destroy Perdition than let a single soul slip from her grasp…
Gossamer by Joni Parker
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Lady Alexin, Eledon's Keeper of the Keys must continue to prove her powers when her grandmother, Lady Lestin and her friend, Lady Opaline of the Gossamer Elves are kidnapped by rebels and held for ransom. Alex attempts a daring rescue, only to discover that there is far more to this plot that she immediately suspected and the betrayal extends to the highest levels of the High Council of Elders.Threatened by rebel factions, suspected by Council members and under attack by deadly spiders, the young warrior has only her wits, her fighting skills and the powers of the Keys to help her. But will they be enough to save them all?
Unsub by Meg Gardiner
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
A riveting psychological thriller inspired by the never-caught Zodiac Killer, about a young detective determined to apprehend the serial murderer who destroyed her family and terrorized a city twenty years earlier.
Caitlin Hendrix has been a Narcotics detective for six months when the killer at the heart of all her childhood nightmares reemerges: the Prophet. An UNSUB—what the FBI calls an unknown subject—the Prophet terrorized the Bay Area in the 1990s and nearly destroyed her father, the lead investigator on the case.
The Prophet’s cryptic messages and mind games drove Detective Mack Hendrix to the brink of madness, and Mack’s failure to solve the series of ritualized murders—eleven seemingly unconnected victims left with the ancient sign for Mercury etched into their flesh—was the final nail in the coffin for a once promising career.
Twenty years later, two bodies are found bearing the haunting signature of the Prophet. Caitlin Hendrix has never escaped the shadow of her father’s failure to protect their city. But now the ruthless madman is killing again and has set his sights on her, threatening to undermine the fragile barrier she rigidly maintains for her own protection, between relentless pursuit and dangerous obsession.
Determined to decipher his twisted messages and stop the carnage, Caitlin ignores her father’s warnings as she draws closer to the killer with each new gruesome murder. Is it a copycat, or can this really be the same Prophet who haunted her childhood? Will Caitlin avoid repeating her father’s mistakes and redeem her family name, or will chasing the Prophet drag her and everyone she loves into the depths of the abyss?
Caitlin Hendrix has been a Narcotics detective for six months when the killer at the heart of all her childhood nightmares reemerges: the Prophet. An UNSUB—what the FBI calls an unknown subject—the Prophet terrorized the Bay Area in the 1990s and nearly destroyed her father, the lead investigator on the case.
The Prophet’s cryptic messages and mind games drove Detective Mack Hendrix to the brink of madness, and Mack’s failure to solve the series of ritualized murders—eleven seemingly unconnected victims left with the ancient sign for Mercury etched into their flesh—was the final nail in the coffin for a once promising career.
Twenty years later, two bodies are found bearing the haunting signature of the Prophet. Caitlin Hendrix has never escaped the shadow of her father’s failure to protect their city. But now the ruthless madman is killing again and has set his sights on her, threatening to undermine the fragile barrier she rigidly maintains for her own protection, between relentless pursuit and dangerous obsession.
Determined to decipher his twisted messages and stop the carnage, Caitlin ignores her father’s warnings as she draws closer to the killer with each new gruesome murder. Is it a copycat, or can this really be the same Prophet who haunted her childhood? Will Caitlin avoid repeating her father’s mistakes and redeem her family name, or will chasing the Prophet drag her and everyone she loves into the depths of the abyss?
Manderley Forever by Tatiana de Rosnay
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
The nonfiction debut from beloved international sensation and #1 New York Times bestselling author Tatiana de Rosnay: her bestselling biography of novelist Daphne du Maurier.
“It's impressive how Tatiana was able to recreate the personality of my mother, including her sense of humor. It is very well written and very moving. I’m sure my mother would have loved this book.” ― Tessa Montgomery d’Alamein, daughter of Daphné du Maurier, as told to Pauline Sommelet in Point de Vue
As a bilingual bestselling novelist with a mixed Franco-British bloodline and a host of eminent forebears, Tatiana de Rosnay is the perfect candidate to write a biography of Daphne du Maurier. As an eleven-year-old de Rosnay read and reread Rebecca, becoming a lifelong devotee of Du Maurier’s fiction. Now de Rosnay pays homage to the writer who influenced her so deeply, following Du Maurier from a shy seven-year-old, a rebellious sixteen-year-old, a twenty-something newlywed, and finally a cantankerous old lady. With a rhythm and intimacy to its prose characteristic of all de Rosnay’s works, Manderley Forever is a vividly compelling portrait and celebration of an intriguing, hugely popular and (at the time) critically underrated writer.
“It's impressive how Tatiana was able to recreate the personality of my mother, including her sense of humor. It is very well written and very moving. I’m sure my mother would have loved this book.” ― Tessa Montgomery d’Alamein, daughter of Daphné du Maurier, as told to Pauline Sommelet in Point de Vue
As a bilingual bestselling novelist with a mixed Franco-British bloodline and a host of eminent forebears, Tatiana de Rosnay is the perfect candidate to write a biography of Daphne du Maurier. As an eleven-year-old de Rosnay read and reread Rebecca, becoming a lifelong devotee of Du Maurier’s fiction. Now de Rosnay pays homage to the writer who influenced her so deeply, following Du Maurier from a shy seven-year-old, a rebellious sixteen-year-old, a twenty-something newlywed, and finally a cantankerous old lady. With a rhythm and intimacy to its prose characteristic of all de Rosnay’s works, Manderley Forever is a vividly compelling portrait and celebration of an intriguing, hugely popular and (at the time) critically underrated writer.
Dear Reader by Mary O'Connell
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Gilmore Girls with magical realism! Dear Reader is an original, poignant modern-day take on Wuthering Heights, as a high school senior searches for her teacher and meets a boy who may just be Heathcliff come to life
For seventeen-year-old Flannery Fields, the only respite from the plaid-skirted mean girls at Sacred Heart High School at is her beloved teacher Miss Sweeney’s AP English class. But when Miss Sweeney doesn't show up to teach Flannery's favorite book, Wuthering Heights, leaving behind her purse, Flannery knows something is wrong.
The police are called, and Flannery gives them everything—except Miss Sweeney's copy of Wuthering Heights. This she holds onto. And good thing she does, because when she opens it, it has somehow transformed into Miss Sweeney's real-time diary. It seems Miss Sweeney is in New York City—and she's in trouble.
So Flannery does something very unFlannery-like: she skips school and sets out for Manhattan, with the book as her guide. But as soon as she arrives, she meets a boy named Heath. Heath is British, on a gap year, incredibly smart—yet he's never heard of Albert Einstein or Anne Frank. In fact, Flannery can't help thinking that he seems to have stepped from the pages of Brontë's novel. Could it be?
With inimitable wit and heart, Mary O'Connell has crafted a love letter to reading, to the books that make us who we are. Dear Reader, charming and heartbreaking, is a novel about finding your people, on the page in the world.
For seventeen-year-old Flannery Fields, the only respite from the plaid-skirted mean girls at Sacred Heart High School at is her beloved teacher Miss Sweeney’s AP English class. But when Miss Sweeney doesn't show up to teach Flannery's favorite book, Wuthering Heights, leaving behind her purse, Flannery knows something is wrong.
The police are called, and Flannery gives them everything—except Miss Sweeney's copy of Wuthering Heights. This she holds onto. And good thing she does, because when she opens it, it has somehow transformed into Miss Sweeney's real-time diary. It seems Miss Sweeney is in New York City—and she's in trouble.
So Flannery does something very unFlannery-like: she skips school and sets out for Manhattan, with the book as her guide. But as soon as she arrives, she meets a boy named Heath. Heath is British, on a gap year, incredibly smart—yet he's never heard of Albert Einstein or Anne Frank. In fact, Flannery can't help thinking that he seems to have stepped from the pages of Brontë's novel. Could it be?
With inimitable wit and heart, Mary O'Connell has crafted a love letter to reading, to the books that make us who we are. Dear Reader, charming and heartbreaking, is a novel about finding your people, on the page in the world.
My Fairy Godmother is a Drag Queen by David Clawson
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Chris Bellows is just trying to get through high school and survive being the only stepchild in the social-climbing Fontaine family, whose recently diminished fortune hasn’t dimmed their desire to mingle with Upper East Side society. Chris sometimes feels more like a maid than part of the family. But when Chris’s stepsister Kimberly begins dating golden boy J. J. Kennerly, heir to a political dynasty, everything changes. Because Chris and J. J. fall in love . . . with each other.
With the help of a new friend, Coco Chanel Jones, Chris learns to be comfortable in his own skin, let himself fall in love and be loved, and discovers that maybe he was wrong about his step-family all along. All it takes is one fairy godmother dressed as Diana Ross to change the course of his life.
My Fairy Godmother is a Drag Queen is a Cinderella retelling for the modern reader. The novel expertly balances issues like sexuality, family and financial troubles, and self-discovery with more lighthearted moments like how one rogue shoe can launch a secret, whirlwind romance and a chance meeting with a drag queen can spark magic and light in a once dark reality.
With the help of a new friend, Coco Chanel Jones, Chris learns to be comfortable in his own skin, let himself fall in love and be loved, and discovers that maybe he was wrong about his step-family all along. All it takes is one fairy godmother dressed as Diana Ross to change the course of his life.
My Fairy Godmother is a Drag Queen is a Cinderella retelling for the modern reader. The novel expertly balances issues like sexuality, family and financial troubles, and self-discovery with more lighthearted moments like how one rogue shoe can launch a secret, whirlwind romance and a chance meeting with a drag queen can spark magic and light in a once dark reality.
Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Young Jane Young's heroine is Aviva Grossman, an ambitious Congressional intern in Florida who makes the life-changing mistake of having an affair with her boss‑‑who is beloved, admired, successful, and very married‑‑and blogging about it. When the affair comes to light, the Congressman doesn’t take the fall, but Aviva does, and her life is over before it hardly begins. She becomes a late‑night talk show punchline; she is slut‑shamed, labeled as fat and ugly, and considered a blight on politics in general.
How does one go on after this? In Aviva’s case, she sees no way out but to change her name and move to a remote town in Maine. She tries to start over as a wedding planner, to be smarter about her life, and to raise her daughter to be strong and confident. But when, at the urging of others, she decides to run for public office herself, that long‑ago mistake trails her via the Internet like a scarlet A. For in our age, Google guarantees that the past is never, ever, truly past, that everything you’ve done will live on for everyone to know about for all eternity. And it’s only a matter of time until Aviva/Jane’s daughter, Ruby, finds out who her mother was, and is, and must decide whether she can still respect her.
A novel about a world that continues to want to define what women are and what they can, and cannot, do, Young Jane Youngfollows three generations of women, plus the wife of the Congressman. Told in varying voices through e-mails and even a Choose Your Own Adventure section, it captures not just the mood of this particular, highly charged moment but is an accessible, witty, smart take on the double standards that are alive and well and waiting to trip up ordinary and extraordinary women alike.
How does one go on after this? In Aviva’s case, she sees no way out but to change her name and move to a remote town in Maine. She tries to start over as a wedding planner, to be smarter about her life, and to raise her daughter to be strong and confident. But when, at the urging of others, she decides to run for public office herself, that long‑ago mistake trails her via the Internet like a scarlet A. For in our age, Google guarantees that the past is never, ever, truly past, that everything you’ve done will live on for everyone to know about for all eternity. And it’s only a matter of time until Aviva/Jane’s daughter, Ruby, finds out who her mother was, and is, and must decide whether she can still respect her.
A novel about a world that continues to want to define what women are and what they can, and cannot, do, Young Jane Youngfollows three generations of women, plus the wife of the Congressman. Told in varying voices through e-mails and even a Choose Your Own Adventure section, it captures not just the mood of this particular, highly charged moment but is an accessible, witty, smart take on the double standards that are alive and well and waiting to trip up ordinary and extraordinary women alike.
Sometimes I'm So Smart I Almost Feel Like a Real Person by Graham Parke
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Anyone can be forgotten. No matter how wonderful they are, no matter how unlikely they brim with kindness and inner beauty, you can get over anyone. The only trick is really wanting to.
This what Harold believes. He has no choice…
Introverted accountant by day, misguided dating guru by night, Harold starts a Youtube channel to workshop his elaborate strategies for seducing Emma, the girl of his dreams. But when he finally works up the courage to ask her out, he discovers that Emma is only using him to get fodder for her own dating blog – the one she’s set up to test ways to seduce Leopold.
As it turns out, Leopold is actually one of Harold’s dedicated followers, however, he savagely misunderstands all of Harold’s advice and suddenly finds himself hugely successful with the ladies, Emma included.
Faced with this strange new problem, Harold comes up with what he believes to be the strategy to end all strategies.
This what Harold believes. He has no choice…
Introverted accountant by day, misguided dating guru by night, Harold starts a Youtube channel to workshop his elaborate strategies for seducing Emma, the girl of his dreams. But when he finally works up the courage to ask her out, he discovers that Emma is only using him to get fodder for her own dating blog – the one she’s set up to test ways to seduce Leopold.
As it turns out, Leopold is actually one of Harold’s dedicated followers, however, he savagely misunderstands all of Harold’s advice and suddenly finds himself hugely successful with the ladies, Emma included.
Faced with this strange new problem, Harold comes up with what he believes to be the strategy to end all strategies.
The Many Worlds of Albie Bright by Christopher Edge
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Fun science meets humor and heart in this adventure about a boy who is searching for his mother . . . in a parallel universe.
Stephen Albie Bright leads a happy, normal life. Well, as normal as it gets with two astrophysicist parents who named their son after their favorite scientists, Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein.
Stephen Albie Bright leads a happy, normal life. Well, as normal as it gets with two astrophysicist parents who named their son after their favorite scientists, Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein.
But then Albie’s mother dies of cancer, and his world is shattered. When his father explains that she might be alive in a parallel universe, Albie knows he has to find her. So, armed with a box, a laptop, and a banana, Albie sets out to do just that.
Of course, when you’re universe-hopping for the very first time, it’s difficult to find the one you want. As Albie searches, he discovers some pretty big surprises about himself and our universe(s), and stumbles upon the answers to life’s most challenging questions.
A poignant, funny, and heartwarming adventure, this extraordinary novel is for anyone who has ever been curious.
American Wolf by Nate Blakeslee
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
The enthralling story of the rise and reign of O-Six, the celebrated Yellowstone wolf, and the people who loved or feared her
Before men ruled the Earth, there were wolves. Once abundant in North America, these majestic creatures were hunted to near extinction by the 1920s. But in recent decades, conservationists have brought wolves back to the Rockies, igniting a battle over the very soul of the West.
With novelistic detail, Nate Blakeslee tells the gripping story of one of these wolves, a charismatic alpha female named O-Six for the year of her birth. Uncommonly powerful, with gray fur and faint black ovals around each eye, O-Six is a kind and merciful leader, a fiercely intelligent fighter, and a doting mother. She is beloved by wolf watchers, particularly Yellowstone park ranger Rick McIntyre, and becomes something of a social media star, with followers around the world.
But as she raises her pups and protects her pack, O-Six is challenged on all fronts: by hunters, who compete with wolves for the elk they both prize; by cattle ranchers who are losing livestock and have the ear of politicians; and by other Yellowstone wolves who are vying for control of the park's stunningly beautiful Lamar Valley.
These forces collide in American Wolf, a riveting multi-generational saga of hardship and triumph that tells a larger story about the clash of values in the West--between those fighting for a vanishing way of life and those committed to restoring one of the country's most iconic landscapes.
Before men ruled the Earth, there were wolves. Once abundant in North America, these majestic creatures were hunted to near extinction by the 1920s. But in recent decades, conservationists have brought wolves back to the Rockies, igniting a battle over the very soul of the West.
With novelistic detail, Nate Blakeslee tells the gripping story of one of these wolves, a charismatic alpha female named O-Six for the year of her birth. Uncommonly powerful, with gray fur and faint black ovals around each eye, O-Six is a kind and merciful leader, a fiercely intelligent fighter, and a doting mother. She is beloved by wolf watchers, particularly Yellowstone park ranger Rick McIntyre, and becomes something of a social media star, with followers around the world.
But as she raises her pups and protects her pack, O-Six is challenged on all fronts: by hunters, who compete with wolves for the elk they both prize; by cattle ranchers who are losing livestock and have the ear of politicians; and by other Yellowstone wolves who are vying for control of the park's stunningly beautiful Lamar Valley.
These forces collide in American Wolf, a riveting multi-generational saga of hardship and triumph that tells a larger story about the clash of values in the West--between those fighting for a vanishing way of life and those committed to restoring one of the country's most iconic landscapes.
The Jensen Brand by William W. Johnstone
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
THE GREATEST WESTERN WRITERS OF THE 21ST CENTURY
Bestselling authors William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone have thrilled readers with the epic struggles and hard-fought triumphs of the pioneering Jensen family. Now this great American saga continues--with the next generation of Jensens . . .
JENSEN PROUD. JENSEN TOUGH.
It's the dawn of a new century. But on the vast Sugarloaf Ranch not much has changed since legendary gunfighter Smoke Jensen and his wife Sally tamed the land two decades ago. Raising cattle is still a dangerous business--and just as deadly as ever. When Smoke is injured swapping bullets with some cow thieves, Sally puts out a call for help to Matt, Ace, and the rest of the Jensen clan. But time is running out. The bloodthirsty rustlers are ready to strike again--and there are lots more of them. And the Sugarloaf's last defense is Smoke and Sally's next of kin . . .
Enter the Jensen twins. Denise and her brother Louis have just returned home from their schooling in Europe. Louis is studying to be a lawyer and is too sickly to defend the ranch. But Denise is to the manor born--she can ride like a man, shoot like her daddy, and face down the deadliest outlaws like nobody's business. And there'll be plenty opportunity to prove she's got Jensen blood in her veins--cold, deadly, and playing for keeps . . .
Bestselling authors William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone have thrilled readers with the epic struggles and hard-fought triumphs of the pioneering Jensen family. Now this great American saga continues--with the next generation of Jensens . . .
JENSEN PROUD. JENSEN TOUGH.
It's the dawn of a new century. But on the vast Sugarloaf Ranch not much has changed since legendary gunfighter Smoke Jensen and his wife Sally tamed the land two decades ago. Raising cattle is still a dangerous business--and just as deadly as ever. When Smoke is injured swapping bullets with some cow thieves, Sally puts out a call for help to Matt, Ace, and the rest of the Jensen clan. But time is running out. The bloodthirsty rustlers are ready to strike again--and there are lots more of them. And the Sugarloaf's last defense is Smoke and Sally's next of kin . . .
Enter the Jensen twins. Denise and her brother Louis have just returned home from their schooling in Europe. Louis is studying to be a lawyer and is too sickly to defend the ranch. But Denise is to the manor born--she can ride like a man, shoot like her daddy, and face down the deadliest outlaws like nobody's business. And there'll be plenty opportunity to prove she's got Jensen blood in her veins--cold, deadly, and playing for keeps . . .
Natural Rest for Addiction by Scott Kiloby
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Freedom from addiction is available in the one place that’s the most difficult for an addict to be—the present moment. In Natural Rest for Addiction, non-duality teacher and addiction specialist Scott Kiloby offers his Natural Rest program for finding recovery from substance abuse—and addictions of all kinds—through the mindful practice of Resting Presence.
If you struggle with alcoholism, drug dependency, or some other form of addiction, you know all too well the urges and cravings that drive your habit. Addiction tells you that something is wrong, that you need something outside of yourself to make you well, something to fill the sense of deficiency you carry inside. These feelings are often tied to deep emotional trauma, anxiety, depression, or pain held in the body that has never fully been acknowledged. But what if you could learn to relax into awareness and accept the difficult thoughts, emotions, and sensations that make you feel like you need to do something—anything—to change your experience?
This book will guide you, step by step, into the natural, open, peaceful awareness that is available to you at all times. Using the mindfulness-based Natural Rest program for recovery, you’ll learn how to tap into this present-moment awareness throughout the day, relieving yourself of worries about the future or past by allowing your thoughts and feelings to come and go as they are, without grasping at or trying to control them. You’ll also learn about the Living Inquiries, a process of self-inquiry developed by Scott Kiloby to target the beliefs, trauma, compulsions, and triggers that keep you trapped in the cycle of suffering and seeking.
At the heart of addiction is a constant, desperate desire to alter what you’re feeling, to escape from the here and now, to find relief. With Natural Rest for Addiction, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the complex issues that underlie addictive behavior and learn how to find peace, freedom, and well-being in the present, one moment at a time.
If you struggle with alcoholism, drug dependency, or some other form of addiction, you know all too well the urges and cravings that drive your habit. Addiction tells you that something is wrong, that you need something outside of yourself to make you well, something to fill the sense of deficiency you carry inside. These feelings are often tied to deep emotional trauma, anxiety, depression, or pain held in the body that has never fully been acknowledged. But what if you could learn to relax into awareness and accept the difficult thoughts, emotions, and sensations that make you feel like you need to do something—anything—to change your experience?
This book will guide you, step by step, into the natural, open, peaceful awareness that is available to you at all times. Using the mindfulness-based Natural Rest program for recovery, you’ll learn how to tap into this present-moment awareness throughout the day, relieving yourself of worries about the future or past by allowing your thoughts and feelings to come and go as they are, without grasping at or trying to control them. You’ll also learn about the Living Inquiries, a process of self-inquiry developed by Scott Kiloby to target the beliefs, trauma, compulsions, and triggers that keep you trapped in the cycle of suffering and seeking.
At the heart of addiction is a constant, desperate desire to alter what you’re feeling, to escape from the here and now, to find relief. With Natural Rest for Addiction, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the complex issues that underlie addictive behavior and learn how to find peace, freedom, and well-being in the present, one moment at a time.
The Errand Rider by Linda Ash
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The Secrets She Keeps by Michael Robotham
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Wicked Bite by Rebecca Zanetti
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The Wisdom & Wonder of Life by Cyrus Varan
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Roman Interlude by M.A. Maggiano
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The One That Got Away by Melissa Pimentel
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Feeling unappreciated at home, Gwyn embarks on a routine errand which quickly becomes anything but. As war brews and Gwyn is drawn into the middle of it, she finds that her survival suddenly relies on her abilities – which may also prove key to saving the life of a young prince, and the entire realm.
Broken Places by R. Anthony Martin
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A vicious lie plunges Robert Robinson's life into darkness. As he prepares for his freshman year of college, he tries to put his tragic past behind him and move forward. But suppressed sexual desires ignite when he meets Jelin Church, the best friend of his roommate, Shawn Collins. Shawn Collins, the star shooting guard for the PCU Tigers, has dreams of making it into the NBA, but those dreams are threatened when illegal recruiting gifts surface. Now he must choose between advancing his career or destroying his best friend, Jelin. Jamal Lewis, a brilliant freshman on an academic scholarship, has plans of earning an MBA and opening a community development center in Newark, New Jersey. But when his father unexpectedly dies, Jamal is confronted with an offer from Shawn's basketball coach that seems too good to refuse. One by one, their lives are entangled in a web of deceit. A tragic racial-profiling incident exposes their secrets, potentially ending their dreams. In order to survive, Robert, Shawn, and Jamal must confront their inner broken places, work together to fight the forces threatening to destroy them, and prove the bond of friendship is stronger than hatred.
The Secrets She Keeps by Michael Robotham
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
In the bestselling tradition of The Girl on the Train and In a Dark, Dark Wood, from the internationally bestselling author whom Stephen King called “an absolute master” of the psychological thriller, comes a riveting suspense novel about the unlikely friendship between two pregnant women that asks: how far would you go to create the perfect family?
Agatha is pregnant and works part-time stocking shelves at a grocery store in a ritzy London suburb, counting down the days until her baby is due. As the hours of her shifts creep by in increasing discomfort, the one thing she looks forward to at work is catching a glimpse of Meghan, the effortlessly chic customer whose elegant lifestyle dazzles her. Meghan has it all: two perfect children, a handsome husband, a happy marriage, a stylish group of friends, and she writes perfectly droll confessional posts on her popular parenting blog—posts that Agatha reads with devotion each night as she waits for her absent boyfriend, the father of her baby, to maybe return her calls.
When Agatha learns that Meghan is pregnant again, and that their due dates fall within the same month, she finally musters up the courage to speak to her, thrilled that they now have the ordeal of childbearing in common. Little does Meghan know that the mundane exchange she has with a grocery store employee during a hurried afternoon shopping trip is about to change the course of her not-so-perfect life forever…
With its brilliant rendering of the secrets some women hold close and a shocking act that cannot be undone, The Secrets She Keeps delivers a dark and twisted page-turner that is absolutely impossible to put down.
Agatha is pregnant and works part-time stocking shelves at a grocery store in a ritzy London suburb, counting down the days until her baby is due. As the hours of her shifts creep by in increasing discomfort, the one thing she looks forward to at work is catching a glimpse of Meghan, the effortlessly chic customer whose elegant lifestyle dazzles her. Meghan has it all: two perfect children, a handsome husband, a happy marriage, a stylish group of friends, and she writes perfectly droll confessional posts on her popular parenting blog—posts that Agatha reads with devotion each night as she waits for her absent boyfriend, the father of her baby, to maybe return her calls.
When Agatha learns that Meghan is pregnant again, and that their due dates fall within the same month, she finally musters up the courage to speak to her, thrilled that they now have the ordeal of childbearing in common. Little does Meghan know that the mundane exchange she has with a grocery store employee during a hurried afternoon shopping trip is about to change the course of her not-so-perfect life forever…
With its brilliant rendering of the secrets some women hold close and a shocking act that cannot be undone, The Secrets She Keeps delivers a dark and twisted page-turner that is absolutely impossible to put down.
Season of Heartbreak by Mark Gregory Karris
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
After a devastating breakup, many people are left heartbroken, lonely, confused, even devoid of hope. Science proves that the grief of losing a romantic partner is similar to grieving a loved one's death. Yet, too often, friends, family, and church leaders see these breakups as trivial events. So how do we find our way through the uncharted territory of deep grief?
As a therapist and ordained pastor, Mark Karris sees the devastation of heartbreak every day. He's experienced the anguish of heartbreak himself and he knows that the pain is anything but trivial.
Drawing from cutting-edge neuroscience and liberating spiritual wisdom, Season of Heartbreak moves past platitudes and into action, offering hope for true recovery. Mark pulls from a variety of spiritual practices, including contemplative prayer, journaling, self-compassion, an original four-step transformational practice, and much more. Case studies from real clients prove that it is possible to move past the shame, anger, and hurt--and into secure relationships with God, our community, and ourselves.
Mark writes in a compelling, creative, and compassionate style perfect for a right-brained, metaphor-hungry, and spiritually thirsty generation. Optimistic but never condescending, this is an invaluable guidebook to a healthy, healing grief process.
As a therapist and ordained pastor, Mark Karris sees the devastation of heartbreak every day. He's experienced the anguish of heartbreak himself and he knows that the pain is anything but trivial.
Drawing from cutting-edge neuroscience and liberating spiritual wisdom, Season of Heartbreak moves past platitudes and into action, offering hope for true recovery. Mark pulls from a variety of spiritual practices, including contemplative prayer, journaling, self-compassion, an original four-step transformational practice, and much more. Case studies from real clients prove that it is possible to move past the shame, anger, and hurt--and into secure relationships with God, our community, and ourselves.
Mark writes in a compelling, creative, and compassionate style perfect for a right-brained, metaphor-hungry, and spiritually thirsty generation. Optimistic but never condescending, this is an invaluable guidebook to a healthy, healing grief process.
Heaven's Wind by Stephen Earle
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For the first time in English, Stephen Earle tells the epic story of Nakamura Tempu, one of Japan's most inspirational twentieth-century thinkers and teachers, whose mind-body approach to personal transformation influenced hundreds of thousands, including prominent leaders in government, industry, and the arts. Earle chronicles Tempu's origins in the samurai tradition, his genius for martial arts, and his work in Manchuria as a spy during the Russo-Japan War of 1904-1905. He relates how, after escaping a Russian firing squad, Tempu contracted tuberculosis; how he embarked on a search for a cure that led to the halls of Columbia University, the salons of Paris, and the foothills of the Himalayas, where he practiced yoga under the tutelage of an Indian guru; and how he not only regained his health but also underwent a spiritual transformation. This transformation laid the groundwork for the secular and practical methodology for self-realization and the cultivation of will that Tempu developed and disseminated to the sick and socially disenfranchised, as well as to princes and prime ministers. Over the course of nine decades, Tempu's philosophy of mind-body unification has charted a clear and accessible path to mastery over hardship and the ability to meet life's challenges head-on. Yet, the man, his story, his teachings, and his legacy remain almost unknown outside of Japan--until now. In addition to demonstrating how Tempu's teachings were significant to Japan's reconstruction and economic rise following the devastation of World War II, Heaven's Wind is also an engaging historical narrative, an account of personal transformation, and a clear guide to the practical philosophy of mind-body unity.
Molé Mama by Diana Silva
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In this heartfelt love story, Diana shares the intimate journey of her mother's final thirteen months. She cooks her mother's heirloom Mexican recipes every weekend while Rose presides from her nearby hospice bed and completes taste tests to ensure that Diana has perfected her favorite dishes. Rose also uses this precious time to help Diana understand the secrets to a good life: forgiveness, love, faith, and gratitude for every moment. Diana hopes that her story will inspire you to be courageous, present, authentic and vulnerable during your farewell journeys. The book includes some of Rose's most cherished recipes, Chicken mole, Spanish rice, chili beans, enchiladas, guacamole and others. Diana was just nine years old and when her culinary training began. Rose was making her legendary flour tortillas, and Diana's big job was to mix the masa. Rose expertly poured water, flour, salt and a little baking powder in the bowl and Diana eagerly put her small hands in the bowl and tried to follow her mother's patient instructions on how to mix it. Diana loved the way the sticky dough felt in her little fingers. She was so very proud and excited to help her mama. Diana didn't understand the road she had embarked on that afternoon and the joy she'd experience cooking with her mother for more than 20 years. But none of these multi-generational recipes had been written down, nor could Diana make them without help from her mother. And thus the urgency for this final training from her master chef, Rose. Her recipes needed to be perfected for future generations to enjoy. About the author Diana Silva is a San Francisco-based home chef, video blogger and radio host. Her Mole Mama Recipes YouTube channel celebrates family recipes, cooking delicious meals at home and adding love to every recipe. Diving into her Latina roots, she uses her magical molcajete, and other tools and techniques that make her food taste like grandma used to make back in Mexico. Along with her guest chefs, Diana explores recipes and traditions from all over the world and the stories that keep them alive. Diana is calling everyone to return to their kitchens and to preserve their living and passed ancestor's favorite recipes and stories for future generations. "We need to try to preserve our cultures and not just let those favorite recipes disappear forever. The common thread of every cherished family recipe is that they were homemade with love, and that's the real secret ingredient," says Diana. For many home chefs, cooking is their preferred love language, and that's why we cherish their recipes. Their love has the power to transcend an ordinary recipe into magic! Diana encourages everyone to preserve those precious recipes and the stories that make them special. She invites those whose recipes have been lost or have faded over time to subscribe to her YouTube channel, there are plenty of recipes and traditions to share, and you just might be inspired to create your own because, "Every Recipe Tells a Story." Many of the recipes in this book are on her YouTube channel.
Secrets in Summer by Nancy Thayer
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
The queen of beach books (The Star-Ledger) returns to the shores of Nantucket in a novel about one memorable summer when flirtations flourish, family dramas play out, and scandalous secrets surface.
Memorial Day weekend means that seasonal visitors have descended on the glamorous island of Nantucket. For year-round resident Darcy Cotterill, it means late-night stargazing in the backyard of the beautiful house she grew up in and inherited from her beloved grandmother. It s also Darcy s chance to hit the beach and meet her new summertime neighbors. But the last person the thirty-year-old librarian expects to see staying next door is her ex-husband, Boyz, along with his wife, Autumn, and stepdaughter, Willow.
Darcy must also navigate the highs and lows of a new romantic relationship with local carpenter Nash Forester even as she becomes smitten with handsome vacationer Clive Rush, a musicologist in town to write a book and visit family. And she finds herself pulled into the concerns of Boyz, Autumn, a charming elderly neighbor, and an at-risk teen.
As the season nears its end, Darcy must decide her next move: retreating to the comforts of her steady and secure island life, or risking it all for a chance at true happiness.
Memorial Day weekend means that seasonal visitors have descended on the glamorous island of Nantucket. For year-round resident Darcy Cotterill, it means late-night stargazing in the backyard of the beautiful house she grew up in and inherited from her beloved grandmother. It s also Darcy s chance to hit the beach and meet her new summertime neighbors. But the last person the thirty-year-old librarian expects to see staying next door is her ex-husband, Boyz, along with his wife, Autumn, and stepdaughter, Willow.
Darcy must also navigate the highs and lows of a new romantic relationship with local carpenter Nash Forester even as she becomes smitten with handsome vacationer Clive Rush, a musicologist in town to write a book and visit family. And she finds herself pulled into the concerns of Boyz, Autumn, a charming elderly neighbor, and an at-risk teen.
As the season nears its end, Darcy must decide her next move: retreating to the comforts of her steady and secure island life, or risking it all for a chance at true happiness.
Kisses Sweeter Than Wine by Heather Heyford
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
When the town of Clarkston, Oregon, welcomes Captain Sam Owens home from the service, Sophia “Red” McDonald is first in line. The sassy psychotherapist has known Sam since they were kids, and the grown-up Sam is darned near irresistible. With his abs of steel and those gorgeous hazel eyes, he could have any woman he wanted. Naturally, Red is thrilled when he takes her hand . . .
She’s a modern woman, happy to canoodle with the sexy soldier, no strings attached—until her heart changes the rules. Suddenly, after months of casual hookups, Red finds she wants more. She longs to possess Sam body and soul. But his warrior's heart was wounded long before he joined the service. As a therapist, Red has ways of making him talk. Only if Sam opens up and spills his secrets can they finally have everything their hearts desire . . .
She’s a modern woman, happy to canoodle with the sexy soldier, no strings attached—until her heart changes the rules. Suddenly, after months of casual hookups, Red finds she wants more. She longs to possess Sam body and soul. But his warrior's heart was wounded long before he joined the service. As a therapist, Red has ways of making him talk. Only if Sam opens up and spills his secrets can they finally have everything their hearts desire . . .
Wicked Bite by Rebecca Zanetti
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
If you love the Dark Protectors, these wicked hot Realm Enforcers are for you!
As she hunts for a drug lord killing her fellow witches, all Tessa Lansa’s instincts point to the Grizzly motorcycle club. That might be because their leader, Bear, is the strong, silent shifter type: warm brown eyes and more muscle and alpha male than any woman can ignore. Which makes Tessa’s plan to seduce and betray him all the more dangerous . . .
Bear doesn’t trust the curvy, blue-eyed witch. But Tessa can heal the injuries that sap his strength. And since he can’t stop thinking of her lush body and teasing smile, her plan to mate him to reclaim her own power is highly tempting. Just one problem. Once a desire this wild is loose, no one will ever control it . .
As she hunts for a drug lord killing her fellow witches, all Tessa Lansa’s instincts point to the Grizzly motorcycle club. That might be because their leader, Bear, is the strong, silent shifter type: warm brown eyes and more muscle and alpha male than any woman can ignore. Which makes Tessa’s plan to seduce and betray him all the more dangerous . . .
Bear doesn’t trust the curvy, blue-eyed witch. But Tessa can heal the injuries that sap his strength. And since he can’t stop thinking of her lush body and teasing smile, her plan to mate him to reclaim her own power is highly tempting. Just one problem. Once a desire this wild is loose, no one will ever control it . .
Lead Like a Superhero by Sebastien Richard
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Are you a bit of a lone wolf, who is stirred into leading through a crisis - like Wolverine? Or do you exhibit the overachieving prowess of a Superman? Or perhaps your experience makes you a bit more of a Father Figure, like the mighty Optimus Prime? Superheroes play a huge part in popular culture, and beyond. They inspire people and make them aspire to greatness. One reason they seem larger than life is their willingness to sacrifice and their impressive strength of character - which translates into remarkable leadership ability. Lead Like a Superhero goes in depth into the psyche of well-known Comic Book Icons, analyzing their leadership strengths and weaknesses, and what makes them tick. But here is the kicker: it will, through it's one of a kind lens, enable its readers to recognize the superhero leaders around them, or better yet... the one within. Sebastien Richard's deepest desire for Lead Like a Superhero is that it will inspire a younger generation of leaders to embrace the values modelled by the likes of Superman, Spiderman, or Wonder Woman to better lead their own lives and the lives of those around them. These values are timeless, universal, and they shape the character of the best men and women out there. Ditch the suit Embrace the cape, and lead like a Superhero!"
Dovetailing by Becca Ironside
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
June is having a vocational crisis. She takes a job at a nursing home and finds herself drawn to a man twice her age. Wally is confined to a wheelchair and shows every sign that he is a terrible match for his younger caregiver. But he is so damned charming, and charm is a lost art these days.
June finds herself at this unusual crossroads, and she meets other patients at her job who intrigue her. Concetta is a retired leg model from the 1950's, who once worked in the Waldorf Astoria and still wears hot pants and heels. Doctor Melvin Stein was once the most prominent plastic surgeon in Manhattan, though his hands are now clumsy from arthritis. A young horse jockey has landed in this same facility, because of his diagnosis of schizophrenia and penchant for glue huffing.
June's colleagues are women of her own age, struggling with the complexity of dating, the mundanity of marriage, and the impossible risk of having children in today's world. These women share a boss of Orthodox Jewish faith; he is both mystified and terrified by the women he manages.
As June is confronted with the deaths of the elderly people she adores, she is also faced with a decision about her emotional affair with Wally. Will she remain in her illusion of the past or will she accept the modern world into which she was born?
June finds herself at this unusual crossroads, and she meets other patients at her job who intrigue her. Concetta is a retired leg model from the 1950's, who once worked in the Waldorf Astoria and still wears hot pants and heels. Doctor Melvin Stein was once the most prominent plastic surgeon in Manhattan, though his hands are now clumsy from arthritis. A young horse jockey has landed in this same facility, because of his diagnosis of schizophrenia and penchant for glue huffing.
June's colleagues are women of her own age, struggling with the complexity of dating, the mundanity of marriage, and the impossible risk of having children in today's world. These women share a boss of Orthodox Jewish faith; he is both mystified and terrified by the women he manages.
As June is confronted with the deaths of the elderly people she adores, she is also faced with a decision about her emotional affair with Wally. Will she remain in her illusion of the past or will she accept the modern world into which she was born?
A God in the Shed by J-F. Dubeau
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
-Move over True Detective. A rich, gothic story of murder and mystery, A God in The Shed is quite possibly one of the most enthralling novels I've read in the last ten years. Dubeau is a force to be reckoned with.- --Jerry Smith, Fangoria Magazine and Blumhouse.com
The village of Saint-Ferdinand has all the trappings of a quiet life: farmhouses stretching from one main street, a small police precinct, a few diners and cafes, and a grocery store. Though if an out-of-towner stopped in, they would notice one unusual thing--a cemetery far too large and much too full for such a small town, lined with the victims of the Saint-Ferdinand Killer, who has eluded police for nearly two decades. It's not until after Inspector Stephen Crowley finally catches the killer that the town discovers even darker forces are at play.
When a dark spirit reveals itself to Venus McKenzie, one of Saint-Ferdinand's teenage residents, she learns that this creature's power has a long history with her town--and that the serial murders merely scratch the surface of a past burdened by evil secrets.
The Wisdom & Wonder of Life by Cyrus Varan
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
This book is the fruit of many hours of thinking and reading during a period of twenty years, The Wisdom & Wonder of Life, by author Dr. Cyrus Varan, is as much an exploration of the wisdom, beauty, and wonder of the visible world as it is a rational search for the cause of evolution.
Dr. Varan shares the scientific and biological discoveries of the twentieth century, as well as the astronomical observations of our time, which reveal that the creation of the visible biological and world order is mathematically beyond the theoretical capability of chance events. Contrary to common trends, science is found to be in harmony with theism.
From the viewpoint of a person trained in physical sciences and mathematics, The Wisdom & Wonder of Life shares the views of the great scientific minds which confirm that the formation of the muscles and organs of all of the creatures on earth by chance events would require a period of time far exceeding many trillion times the age of the universe. Written in simple language, it opens the door in a new direction for those seeking purpose and meaning for their existence.
Choices for Our Eternal Home by Jerry McDermott
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Many people are concerned with the here and now, but a larger question looms: Where will you spend eternity?
In Choices, author Jerry McDermott delves deeper into some of the themes he explored in his book: A Gilded Walk: The Path to Heaven. He shows beyond doubt that there is an afterlife--something that the -whatever- generation has not faced.
The ultimate goal for everyone should be to spend eternity in heaven with a loving God and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Our DNA is below God's standards which can be met with repentance through his graces.
McDermott reveals how to determine where you will spend eternity, so that when you're asked that question, you won't be guessing. Even if you have lived a life steeped in sin, you can seek God's forgiveness to become the person you should be.
Crash through roadblocks impeding your personal growth, find peace in chaotic times, and examine the only two places which will become your eternal home with Choices.
In Choices, author Jerry McDermott delves deeper into some of the themes he explored in his book: A Gilded Walk: The Path to Heaven. He shows beyond doubt that there is an afterlife--something that the -whatever- generation has not faced.
The ultimate goal for everyone should be to spend eternity in heaven with a loving God and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Our DNA is below God's standards which can be met with repentance through his graces.
McDermott reveals how to determine where you will spend eternity, so that when you're asked that question, you won't be guessing. Even if you have lived a life steeped in sin, you can seek God's forgiveness to become the person you should be.
Crash through roadblocks impeding your personal growth, find peace in chaotic times, and examine the only two places which will become your eternal home with Choices.
Following God Onto the Stage by Alisa Hope Wagner
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Competing in a bodybuilding competition is just one of many ways we can achieve victory by digging into God's strength. Train with Alisa Hope Wagner in her 40-day devotional journey about following God onto the stage!
Roman Interlude by M.A. Maggiano
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
This is a story of romance and travel as the main character discovers love in the beautiful surroundings if some of Italy’s major cities.
Ciara is about to embark on the vacation of a lifetime. After two years of leading a hectic life, it’s finally time to leave her problems behind. Her relationship with her current boyfriend is going nowhere and she is finally glad to have a break from the day-to-day routine of her life. A haphazard meeting in Rome’s daVinci Airport leads her on an adventure she would have never dreamed possible.
Emotions run high as the days unfold and lead her to the inevitable day she will have to return to New York. So many questions come to mind while she attempts to find the answers that will allow her to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. The answers, which may ultimately change her life forever.
Ciara is about to embark on the vacation of a lifetime. After two years of leading a hectic life, it’s finally time to leave her problems behind. Her relationship with her current boyfriend is going nowhere and she is finally glad to have a break from the day-to-day routine of her life. A haphazard meeting in Rome’s daVinci Airport leads her on an adventure she would have never dreamed possible.
Emotions run high as the days unfold and lead her to the inevitable day she will have to return to New York. So many questions come to mind while she attempts to find the answers that will allow her to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. The answers, which may ultimately change her life forever.
How to Behave in a Crowd by Camille Bordas
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
An absorbing, darkly comedic novel that brilliantly evokes the confusions of adolescence and marks the arrival of an extraordinary young talent.
Isidore Mazal is eleven years old, the youngest of six siblings living in a small French town. He doesn't quite fit in. Berenice, Aurore, and Leonard are on track to have doctorates by age twenty-four. Jeremie performs with a symphony, and Simone, older than Isidore by eighteen months, expects a great career as a novelist--she's already put Isidore to work on her biography. The only time they leave their rooms is to gather on the old, stained couch and dissect prime-time television dramas in light of Aristotle's Poetics.
Isidore has never skipped a grade or written a dissertation. But he notices things the others don't, and asks questions they fear to ask. So when tragedy strikes the Mazal family, Isidore is the only one to recognize how everyone is struggling with their grief, and perhaps the only one who can help them if he doesn't run away from home first.
Isidore's unstinting empathy, combined with his simmering anger, makes for a complex character study, in which the elegiac and comedic build toward a heartbreaking conclusion. With How to Behave in a Crowd, Camille Bordas immerses readers in the interior life of a boy puzzled by adulthood and beginning to realize that the adults around him are just as lost.
Isidore Mazal is eleven years old, the youngest of six siblings living in a small French town. He doesn't quite fit in. Berenice, Aurore, and Leonard are on track to have doctorates by age twenty-four. Jeremie performs with a symphony, and Simone, older than Isidore by eighteen months, expects a great career as a novelist--she's already put Isidore to work on her biography. The only time they leave their rooms is to gather on the old, stained couch and dissect prime-time television dramas in light of Aristotle's Poetics.
Isidore has never skipped a grade or written a dissertation. But he notices things the others don't, and asks questions they fear to ask. So when tragedy strikes the Mazal family, Isidore is the only one to recognize how everyone is struggling with their grief, and perhaps the only one who can help them if he doesn't run away from home first.
Isidore's unstinting empathy, combined with his simmering anger, makes for a complex character study, in which the elegiac and comedic build toward a heartbreaking conclusion. With How to Behave in a Crowd, Camille Bordas immerses readers in the interior life of a boy puzzled by adulthood and beginning to realize that the adults around him are just as lost.
The Exact Nature of Our Wrongs by Janet Peery
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
By a National Book Award finalist for fiction: A warm, dramatic, intimate new novel of a family divided and united by its most vulnerable member.
Janet Peery’s first novel, The River Beyond the World, was a National Book Award finalist in 1996. Acclaimed for her gorgeous writing and clear-eyed gaze into the hearts of people, Peery now returns with her second novel, The Exact Nature of Our Wrongs.
On a summer evening in the blue-collar town of Amicus, Kansas, the Campbell family gathers for a birthday dinner for their ailing patriarch, town judge Abel Campbell, prepared and hosted by their still-hale mother Hattie. But when Billy, the youngest sibling—with a history of addiction, grand ideas, and misdemeanors—passes out in his devil’s food cake, the family takes up the unfinished business of Billy’s sobriety.
Billy’s misadventures have too long consumed their lives, in particular Hattie’s, who has enabled his transgressions while trying to save him from Abel’s disappointment. As the older children—Doro, Jesse, ClairBell, and Gideon—contend with their own failures, they compete for the approval of the elderly parents they adore, but can’t quite forgive.
With knowing humor and sure-handed storytelling, Janet Peery reveals a family at its best and worst, with old wounds and new, its fractures and feuds, and yet its unbreakable bonds.
Janet Peery’s first novel, The River Beyond the World, was a National Book Award finalist in 1996. Acclaimed for her gorgeous writing and clear-eyed gaze into the hearts of people, Peery now returns with her second novel, The Exact Nature of Our Wrongs.
On a summer evening in the blue-collar town of Amicus, Kansas, the Campbell family gathers for a birthday dinner for their ailing patriarch, town judge Abel Campbell, prepared and hosted by their still-hale mother Hattie. But when Billy, the youngest sibling—with a history of addiction, grand ideas, and misdemeanors—passes out in his devil’s food cake, the family takes up the unfinished business of Billy’s sobriety.
Billy’s misadventures have too long consumed their lives, in particular Hattie’s, who has enabled his transgressions while trying to save him from Abel’s disappointment. As the older children—Doro, Jesse, ClairBell, and Gideon—contend with their own failures, they compete for the approval of the elderly parents they adore, but can’t quite forgive.
With knowing humor and sure-handed storytelling, Janet Peery reveals a family at its best and worst, with old wounds and new, its fractures and feuds, and yet its unbreakable bonds.
The Confusion of Languages by Siobhan Fallon
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Both Cassie Hugo and Margaret Brickshaw dutifully followed their soldier husbands to the U.S. embassy in Jordan, but that's about all the women have in common. After two years, Cassie's become an expert on the rules, but newly arrived Margaret sees only her chance to explore. So when a fender-bender sends Margaret to the local police station, Cassie reluctantly agrees to watch Margaret's toddler son. But as the hours pass, Cassie's boredom and frustration turn to fear: Why isn't Margaret answering her phone, and why is it taking so long to sort out a routine accident? Snooping around Margaret's apartment, Cassie begins to question not only her friend's whereabouts but also her own role in Margaret's disappearance.
Written with emotional insight and stunning prose, The Confusion of Languages is a shattering portrait of a collision between two women and two worlds, as well as a poignant glimpse into the private lives of American military families living overseas.
Written with emotional insight and stunning prose, The Confusion of Languages is a shattering portrait of a collision between two women and two worlds, as well as a poignant glimpse into the private lives of American military families living overseas.
The One That Got Away by Melissa Pimentel
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
'A smart, funny retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion that's perfect for a poolside read' Red
'An easy, breezy read' Daily Mail
Ruby and Ethan were perfect for each other. Until the day they suddenly weren't.
Now, ten years later, Ruby is single, having spent the last decade focusing on her demanding career and hectic life in Manhattan. There's barely time for a trip to England for her little sister's wedding. And there's certainly not time to think about what it will be like to see Ethan again, who just so happens to be the best man.
But as the family frantically prepare for the big day, Ruby can't help but wonder if she made the right choice all those years ago. Because there is nothing like a wedding for stirring up the past . . .
Midwinter Break by Bernard MacLaverty
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
A retired couple, Gerry and Stella Gilmore, fly from their home in Scotland to Amsterdam for a long weekend. A holiday to refresh the senses, to do some sightseeing and generally to take stock of what remains of their lives. Their relationship seems safe, easy, familiar – but over the course of the four days we discover the deep uncertainties which exist between them.
Gerry, once an architect, is forgetful and set in his ways. Stella is tired of his lifestyle, worried about their marriage and angry at his constant undermining of her religious faith. Things are not helped by memories which have begun to resurface of a troubled time in their native Ireland. As their midwinter break comes to an end, we understand how far apart they are – and can only watch as they struggle to save themselves.
Bernard MacLaverty is a master storyteller, and Midwinter Breakis the essential MacLaverty novel: accurate, compassionate observation, effortlessly elegant writing and a tender, intimate, heart-rending story – but it is also a profound examination of human love and how we live together, a chamber piece of real resonance and power.
Gerry, once an architect, is forgetful and set in his ways. Stella is tired of his lifestyle, worried about their marriage and angry at his constant undermining of her religious faith. Things are not helped by memories which have begun to resurface of a troubled time in their native Ireland. As their midwinter break comes to an end, we understand how far apart they are – and can only watch as they struggle to save themselves.
Bernard MacLaverty is a master storyteller, and Midwinter Breakis the essential MacLaverty novel: accurate, compassionate observation, effortlessly elegant writing and a tender, intimate, heart-rending story – but it is also a profound examination of human love and how we live together, a chamber piece of real resonance and power.
Organ Grinder by Alan Fishbone
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
A freewheeling essay on mortality and freedom at the intersection of ancient philosophy and biker culture
After my accident, I thought I was done with bikes. Until a few years ago—I was lying in bed having trouble sleeping when I heard a voice say to me, “Alan, get a Harley and ride to Death Valley.” I didn’t even like Harleys. And I didn’t believe that God had called down and told me to get one. It seemed unlikely that the monotheistic God we’re stuck with would endorse a brand of motorcycle—maybe the pagan gods of antiquity would. Zeus might have ridden a Harley, or Apollo a BMW; you can imagine Aphrodite on the back of Ares’ Ninja, zooming around the planets with a golden thong sticking up over the back of her toga. Even that twerp Hermes on a Vespa. Those gods liked to drink, and screw, and run around like bikers, but not Yawheh—strictly black limousines and heavy security for that guy. Thou shalt not ride. Thou shalt not be free. Thou shalt pay off the debt of thy sins to eternity.
So begins one of the salty, sharp-eyed anecdotes that fill the pages of Organ Grinder, a book-length essay written by Alan Fishbone, a motorcycle-riding scholar of ancient Greek and Latin. In a series of short pieces inspired by Horatian satire, Fishbone bounces from gonzo fever-dream to philosophical treatise, investigating the conflicts between idealism and cynicism, love and sex, body and soul. One part Plato, one part Aristophanes, two parts Easy Rider, Organ Grinder is a heady cocktail of lewd wisdom—Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance for our own, irreverent age.
After my accident, I thought I was done with bikes. Until a few years ago—I was lying in bed having trouble sleeping when I heard a voice say to me, “Alan, get a Harley and ride to Death Valley.” I didn’t even like Harleys. And I didn’t believe that God had called down and told me to get one. It seemed unlikely that the monotheistic God we’re stuck with would endorse a brand of motorcycle—maybe the pagan gods of antiquity would. Zeus might have ridden a Harley, or Apollo a BMW; you can imagine Aphrodite on the back of Ares’ Ninja, zooming around the planets with a golden thong sticking up over the back of her toga. Even that twerp Hermes on a Vespa. Those gods liked to drink, and screw, and run around like bikers, but not Yawheh—strictly black limousines and heavy security for that guy. Thou shalt not ride. Thou shalt not be free. Thou shalt pay off the debt of thy sins to eternity.
So begins one of the salty, sharp-eyed anecdotes that fill the pages of Organ Grinder, a book-length essay written by Alan Fishbone, a motorcycle-riding scholar of ancient Greek and Latin. In a series of short pieces inspired by Horatian satire, Fishbone bounces from gonzo fever-dream to philosophical treatise, investigating the conflicts between idealism and cynicism, love and sex, body and soul. One part Plato, one part Aristophanes, two parts Easy Rider, Organ Grinder is a heady cocktail of lewd wisdom—Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance for our own, irreverent age.
So that's all the books I got in the mail in June, a good sized portion of them arrived just this past week. I'm most excited to read My Fairy Godmother's a Drag Queen and The One That Got Away. Which of these books would you be most interested in reading my review of? - Katie
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