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Social Media Isn't Social: Rediscovering the lost art of face-to-face communication
by Al MaagWith humor and insight born of decades of experience, Al Maag shares what he learned during his Chicago childhood in the 1950s and 60s, a stark contrast to the current C-generation that has grown up with electronic gadgets. Social Media Isn't Social shows why online social media cannot replace face-to-face human connection, and reveals the critical real-life social skills you need to succeed today in business and in life.
Swimming for My Life: A Memoir
by Kim FairleyIn 1970s Cincinnati, Kim’s overwhelmed, financially stressed parents dragged her and her four younger siblings into swimming—starting with a nearby motel pool—as a way to keep them occupied and out of their way. When Kim was eleven, they began leaving the kids at home with a sitter while they traveled the Midwest, where they sold imported wooden ornaments from their motorhome. But when Kim’s six-year-old brother crashed his new Cheater Slick bike and the babysitter deserted the children, what started as an accident became a pattern: Mom and Dad leaving for weeks at a time and the kids wrestling with life’s emergencies on their own. As Kim coped in the role of fill-in mother while dealing with the stresses of elite swimming, she struggled to shape her own life. She eventually found strength, competence and achievement through swimming—and became the second female swimmer to win a full ride to the University of Southern California, where she earned two national titles. Swimming for My Life is a peek into the dark side of elite swimming as well as a tale of family bonds, reconciling with the past, and how it is possible to emerge from life’s toxic and lifesaving waters.
The Longest War: A Psychotherapist's Experience of Divorce, Custody, and Power
by Catherine HarringtonAs a naive freshman, Catherine meets Walter, a senior and Big Man on Campus whose sophistication, confidence, and wealth both intimidate and excite her. A three-year absentee courtship follows, during which time the idea of Walt tethers Catherine to safety. She was programmed to marry someone like him, so she ignores the warning signs that they might not be a good match. Hoping to please her mother and seeking refuge from her fraught childhood, she marries and has children with him—but the marriage doesn’t last. Once divorced, Catherine finds herself in a war with Walt over money, and then over access to her children—and suddenly, she can no longer ignore her childhood trauma. The high stakes of her battle with her ex-husband forge her like steel, finding every vulnerability where she needs to heal. Gradually, she develops a backbone, relinquishes her trauma-induced, people-pleasing ways, and steps into her own power. Honest and unflinching, The Longest War reminds us that there’s always a way through when we access the courage within ourselves. No matter how painful life’s difficulties, they offer us the opportunity to heal ourselves and evolve into more open, loving, compassionate people. The choice is ours.
You Are Worthy: Change Your Money Mindset, Build Your Wealth, and Fund Your Future
by Kelley HollandFrom a former business editor at The New York Times, “a cleareyed and narrative-driven approach to rethinking one’s financial story.” (Kirkus Reviews)“What makes You Are Worthy such a superpower of a tool is that Kelley helps you uncover, acknowledge—and, where necessary, heal—your money story and money relationship.” —Manisha Thakor, CFA, CFP, founder of MoneyZen and author of On My Own Two Feet and Get Financially Naked Many women live in silence, holding fear and shame about their finances. Many know they could feel better financially but are unsure how to even begin to change. In You Are Worthy, Kelley Holland, a former New York Times business editor and award-winning financial journalist, goes to the heart of women’s money challenges—shining a light on problem areas, providing solutions, and instilling the confidence and skills you need to take charge of your money and achieve financial well-being.In this accessible, easy-to-follow resource, Holland leverages her professional experience and more than 100 interviews with women around the country, taking you step by step through the process of transforming your relationship to money. You will shed outdated beliefs about your abilities; you will be inspired to put your money to work; and you will come away with skills and knowledge to create an integrated financial plan to help you achieve your goals.Affirming and empowering, You Are Worthy will leave you feeling as if you’ve just had a thorough, reassuring money conversation with a trusted guide. After reading this book, you will feel less alone in your money challenges. You will build vital financial skills and knowledge. And you will come away with greater confidence, clarity, and hope—not just about money but about your whole life.
Hope, a History of the Future: A Novel
by G.G. KellnerOne quiet afternoon in 2037, Joyce Denzell hears a thud in her family’s home library and finds a book lying in the middle of the room, seemingly waiting for her—a book whose copyright page says it was published in the year 2200. Over the next twenty-four hours, each of the Denzell family members discovers and reads from this mystical history book from the future, nudged along by their cat, Plato.As the various family members take turns reading, they gradually uncover the story of Gabe, Mia, and Ruth—a saga of adventure, endurance, romance, mystery, and hope that touches them all deeply. Along the way, the Denzells all begin to believe that this book that has seemingly fallen out of time and space and into their midst might actually be from the future—and that it might have something vitally important to teach them.Engaging, playful, and thought-provoking, Hope is a seven-generation-spanning vision of the future as it could be—based on scientific projections, as well as historical and legal precedence—that will leave readers grappling with questions of destiny, responsibility, and the possibility for hope in a future world.
Songs My Mother Taught Me: A Novel
by Eva IzsakSongs My Mother Taught Me follows protagonist on her final voyage to see her dying mother, who is hissing and kicking all the way to the grave. Having spent decades trying to escape her heritage by constantly moving around the globe—Tokyo, New York, then Paris—the narrator finds herself back in the house she grew up in. She is confronted with the epigenetical endowment inherited from her parents’ experiences and has to come to peace with the looming shadows of the past. An epic and lyrical tale that spans from Transylvania in the 1930s through Scarsdale, NY to present-day Europe, Songs My Mother Taught Me touches upon questions of identity, immigration, and PTSD transmitted down the generations—giving voice to those who grew up in the aftermath of their parents’ trauma.
Cakewalk: A Fully Baked Memoir
by Susan Katein Carole Algier Kathy LanyonThree sisters gathered after 9/11 to open a liqueur-infused cake business in this hilarious memoir, which spans farmers markets to Rachel Ray and appeals to fans of foodie memoirs and the Food Network.Born to a depressed, exhausted mother and an abusive father who uses his seven children as cheap labor for his business schemes, Sue, Carole, and Kathy raise themselves in their chaotic household. The sisters all marry young; two divorce quickly. But despite the obstacles they face, the three women grow into confident businesswomen and remain extremely close as they build families and recover from their toxic childhood. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the sisters gather over chilled martinis to take a serious look at the future and decide they should be together—in business. Bring on the cake. Liqueur-infused cake, that is. They soon start handing out samples of their inventions at farmers markets like seasoned carnival barkers, and soon a Food Network producer who’s stopped by their table invites them to New York City—sparking a hilarious adventure involving one-way streets, security guards, and the NYPD, all in an effort to get their cake into the hands of the producers at The Food Network and Rachel Ray.
Across the Kitchen Table: A Mother and Daughter Turn Tragedy into Peace
by Carla SeaquistFor readers suffering from family estrangement or hoping to repair broken familial bonds, this mother-daughter memoir, written in a unique letter format, touches on the timely theme of politically divided families.Fans of Jennette McCurdy’s I’m Glad My Mom Died will love this true story of a damaged primal bond between mother and daughter that, after decades of estrangement, was finally repaired. The conflict began when Carla, as a preteen, stepped in to defend her father against what she perceived as her mother’s harsh treatment—a move that destroyed the warm love she and her mother had for each other and began an “ice age” between them. Forty years later, determined that this mother and daughter not end as tragedy, Carla uses every tool available to her—psychology, diplomacy, humanity, wit, patience—to try to repair their bond. Finally, over her mother’s kitchen table, they melt the ice and find their way back to laughter and closeness. Too often today, problem relationships are labeled “toxic,” with the idea it is “healing” to offload a relationship no longer serving you. This loving, grounded memoir shows that rebuilding a primal bond is doable—and will prompt readers to ask themselves, Could I do the same? What if I reached out, today?
The Brill Pill: A Novel
by Akemi C. BrodskyIn the not-so-distant future, organs can be re-grown from a handful of stem cells.For patients who can afford the treatment and hang on to life support for long enough, the prognosis is good. Even the most complex organ of all can be reproduced in the lab with nearly perfect accuracy. Nearly. Patients of brain regeneration face a wide range of problems, from loss of motor functions or intelligence to sociopathy. Spurred by personal tragedy, research scientist William Dalal works feverishly to improve the lives of those he has had a hand in saving. For every success, however, there is a consequence, and eventually a question arises in his mind: Are they worth it? His desire to help fades as he comes to realize a shocking truth: the monsters he has created are taking over.As Will walks a fine line between altruism and ambition, acquaintances and events change the way in which he perceives the world and the extent to which he is willing to compromise in order to make his mark on it. As the situation escalates, he finds himself dealing brain-enhancing drugs and developing life-altering treatments. In their deliverance, he sees his own—but is he deluding himself?
Model Behavior: Friends for Life
by Susannah BianchiCamille, Rosanna, and Joanne are three former models who’ve been the best of friends since their runway days. They may have gained a little cellulite, but they’ve also packed on a whole lot of wit and savvy. Their Sex and the City–like escapades in Manhattan’s high-end hotel bars, their heartbreaks and delicious revenge schemes, and their spot-on observations about everything from nips and tucks to midlife sex will make you laugh out loud. Ultimately, these chronicles are a moving tribute to lifelong friendship, as the women face more serious issues with kindness, humor, and love.
Impervious: A Sean McPherson Novel, Book 3 (A Sean McPherson Novel)
by Laurie BuchananIn the village of Fairhaven—nestled between Washington state’s Bellingham Bay and the Cascade Mountains, home to writers’ retreat Pines & Quill,—friends and family have gathered for the union of Sean McPherson and Emma Benton. Sean has been working with the FBI and local police to help solve crimes, particularly murders bearing the mark of crime boss Georgio “The Bull” Gambino. Emma, who has just learned to walk again, has begun to feel at home and hopes to one day raise a family. But just as the festivities begin and corks fly, an explosion shatters everything, killing one and injuring others. From Bellingham to San Francisco and New Orleans, the chase is on to discover who’s dead set on ensuring the newlyweds don’t live happily ever after. The writers currently in residence at Pines & Quill include a vineyard owner, a Bryn Mawr College professor, a special education teacher accompanied by her seeing-eye dog, and an intuitive who can’t—or won’t—identify the killer. Gambino has a knack for finding people in even the most inaccessible places to do his bidding. Could one of the writers be on his payroll?
Tasting Home: Coming of Age in the Kitchen
by Judith NewtonTasting Home is the history of a woman’s emotional education, the romantic tale of a marriage between a straight woman and a gay man, and an exploration of the ways that cooking can lay the groundwork for personal healing, intimate relation, and political community. Organized by decade and by the cookbooks that shaped author Judith Newton’s life, Tasting Home takes readers on an extraordinary journey through the cuisines, cultural spirit, and politics of the 1940s through 2011, complete with recipes.
Faint Promise of Rain: A Novel
by Anjali Mitter DuvaShortlisted for the 2016 William Saroyan International Prize for Writing It is 1554 in the desert of Rajasthan. On a rare night of rain, a daughter is born to a family of Hindu temple dancers just as India’s new Mughal Emperor Akbar sets his sights on their home, the fortress city of Jaisalmer, and the other Princely States around it. Fearing a bleak future, Adhira’s father, the temple’s dance master—against his wife and sons’ protests—puts his faith in tradition and in his last child for each to save the other: he insists that Adhira is destined to “marry” the temple’s deity and to give herself to a wealthy patron. Thus she must live in submission as a woman revered and reviled. But Adhira’s father may not have the last word. Adhira grows into an exquisite dancer, and after one terrible evening she must make a choice—one that will carry her family’s story and their dance to a startling new beginning.
Tree Dreams: A Novel
by Kristin KayeWhen seventeen-year-old Jade Reynolds witnesses a violent clash between a protesting tree sitter and a local logger, she runs as far as she can from the battles that plague her home and from the mysteries of the redwood forest. But the ancient redwoods are embedded in her psyche—she feels their call even in the dark and forgotten back alleys of Portland, Oregon where she’s hiding out. She soon becomes entangled with a lovable misfit and a band of radical slackers, environmentalists, and anarchists, and finds herself living 100 feet high in the canopy of a redwood grove, trying to decide whose side she’s on: the logging community she’s known her entire life or the environmentalists who are risking their lives for the future of the forest. To find a way beyond the division between Us and Them, Jade turns to the ancient trees themselves—and the thread-thin web that connects us all. Tree Dreams is an eco-literary, coming of age novel relevant for teenagers and adults alike, for this rite of passage asks the same of us all—whatever our age or life stage, we each must discover our one true voice, and learn how to offer it to the world.
Loveyoubye: Holding Fast, Letting Go, And Then There's The Dog
by Rossandra WhiteLoveyoubye opens when Rossandra White’s husband of twenty-five years disappears, leaving behind a cryptic, hastily-written note on the kitchen counter, and then returns weeks later, offering few details about where he went. This sequence of events has played out before. Despite knowledge of at least one affair, she trusts he is being true to her and that their tumultuous marriage will endure. But this time is different. A subsequent confluence of crises rattles Rossandra’s core, shedding light on both the dark elements of their marriage and the direction her life must follow if she decides to leave her husband. In South Africa, land of her birth, Rossandra’s younger brother, whose physical and mental disabilities have stricken her with a lifetime of guilt, needs her help, and she answers the call. She returns to California where her dog Sweetpea, who for years has served as a vital emotional link between Rossandra and her husband, has begun to succumb to a fatal illness.
The Earthquake Child: A Novel
by Elayne KlassonThe Earthquake Child is the story of an adoption, told through the voices of an adoptee, his desperate young birth mother, and his loving but grieving adoptive mother. How can Joshua’s behavior be explained? This question is all-consuming for his adoptive family. Joshua was relinquished at birth, then adopted only days later. Is it his genetic inheritance of substance abuse and generational poverty that causes him to act out, run away and eventually become involved with drugs? Is it the losses he’s experienced in his adoptive family? Or is it the very fact of adoption itself—the trauma of being amputated from his gestational mother to be raised by a family unrelated to him by blood, culture, or biology? What makes our children who they are? These voices and questions will resonate with all parents, but particularly with those who are or have been part of the adoption triangle: adoptees, mothers who have relinquished a child, and parents who’ve added a child to their family through adoption.
She Rides: Chasing Dreams Across California and Mexico
by Alenka VrecekAt fifty-four, Alenka was running out of time to follow through on a dream she’d written down in her pocket-size Rumi book just after her first marriage crumbled. Years later, as she slowly rebuilt her life with her second husband, things started spiraling out of control. The only way she knew how to heal and connect all painful parts of her life was by riding her bike, and she didn’t want to have regrets. But was she brave enough to embark on an unknown path and risk losing everything . . . perhaps even her own life? Determined to awaken her dying spirit and heal her battered body, Alenka loaded her mountain bike with 50 pounds’ worth of camping gear and set off on a 2,500-mile journey. Starting in Lake Tahoe California, she hoped to ride along the Sierra Nevada Mountain range to the tip of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, following remote mountain trails. Alone. What followed was an irrevocably transformational journey of love, hope, courage, and resilience—and here, Alenka tells that story in a voice stripped of self-pity and infused with a good dose of humor. She Rides is a galvanizing wake-up call for anyone who wants to unearth and follow their own deeply buried dreams—and reclaim their life.
The Perfumer's Secret: A Novel
by Neroli LaceyFor fans of women’s fiction about difficult ethical choices, The Perfumer’s Secret is a mesmerizing novel set in France in which a passionate documentary maker must choose whether to tell the truth—even if it could ruin the lives around her.Zandy Watson, a thirty-year-old documentary maker from New York with a scumbag father and a broken past, is a social justice warrior, hell-bent on making movies that will expose important truths. Except she has to pay the bills, and her boss insists she go to the South of France to make some puff piece about a 300-year-old perfume house. In Grasse—the perfume capital of the world, a heavenly garden rich in delicate flowers—Zandy is seduced by the perfumer’s art. And by Dominique Severin, a secretive, debonair heir who is battling to preserve his honor by keeping his family business alive. But behind the glamorous façade, Zandy discovers a shameful secret. Holding a glittering chance to do what’s right by telling the truth, she faces a heartbreaking choice. Will she betray the lover who has trusted her with his secrets? And will she destroy thousands of innocent lives along the way? The Perfumer’s Secret is an enchanting journey through the captivating world of perfume with an indomitable young woman who in her darkest moment discovers the wisdom and courage to improve countless lives—and change her own life forever.
Dancing on Coals: A Memoir of an Overperformer
by Cynthia MooreAn award-winning playwright's story of her madcap race to find fame or enlightenment, whichever comes first— perfect for fans of Lori Gottlieb's Maybe You Should Talk to Someone.In Dancing on Coals, Cynthia Moore describes a multi-decade, harebrained search for love in all the wrong places, starting when her narcissistic mother abandons her to a Swiss finishing school. Desperately seeking belonging, she leapfrogs from a polyamorous commune into a high-octane all-male performance group, dancing as if her life depends on it. When she finally quits the theater, earns a masters degree in psychology and develops her own therapeutic approach, she is able to heal herself and find the true belonging and peace she longs for. At times humorous and self-deprecating, at times poignant and heartbreaking, this is the story of one woman's path from abandonment to wholeness and authenticity.
Burner: A Novel
by Mike Trigg“An informed, interesting, and well-paced novel set in a world very similar to our own, Mike Trigg’s Burner is a cautionary tale for the digital age.”—IndieReader, IR Approved Inspired by the explosive events of our polarized political climate, Burner is an all-too plausible contemporary thriller that examines the social and personal consequences of the lost sense of identity, trust, and truth itself that characterizes our technology-obsessed culture. Shane Stoller has just been arrested for domestic terrorism, accused of being the mastermind behind the online profile Burner_911—the anonymous leader of a massive populist movement. Chloe Corbin has just been abducted by Burner_911’s followers in a lawless uprising on the streets of San Francisco, targeted as the socialite daughter of a tech billionaire. What nobody knows is that Shane and Chloe are secretly in love despite coming from opposite worlds. Plagued with regret but unable to communicate with his followers from prison, Shane tries desperately to find a way to save Chloe from the forces he has unleashed. From her own captivity, Chloe becomes more sympathetic to Burner_911’s cause—and transitions from victim to conspirator in an effort to free herself and exonerate Shane. Part tragic love story, part mind-bending psychological thriller, Burner dives headfirst into the modern zeitgeist of politically motivated disinformation, toxic internet subcultures, and our continuing need for belonging, purpose, and love in an age of distorted online personas.
Absolution: A Novel
by Regina ButtnerJeanie thinks she was to blame for the sexual assault she suffered in college—and she’d do anything to keep her old-school Catholic family from finding out about the resulting pregnancy, as well as what she did to conceal it.Years have passed since the assault, and Jeanie’s husband, Greg, still thinks she’s the seemingly innocent girl he married in a rush to spite his controlling mother. It’s the height of the Seattle dot-com boom, and he’s too busy cashing in his stock options to pay attention to his wife. He isn’t aware of Jeanie’s lingering shame and guilt, or that she married him in the desperate hope that devoting herself to marriage and motherhood would somehow absolve her from the sins in her past.Their hidden agendas collide when Greg discovers evidence of Jeanie’s long-ago pregnancy. As she confesses the details of that drunken night with her married professor, Greg’s pristine image of her is blown. His shock deepens into violent fury, and Jeanie realizes she needs to leave him—but Greg won’t let her go. He’s up for a big promotion, and he’s not about to let her ruin his reputation by walking out on him. He’ll resort to blackmail if necessary. Or worse.
Redeemed: A Memoir of a Stolen Childhood
by Penny LanePenny is just four years old when she is snatched away from her all-American home by the Hungarian father who abandoned her when she was a baby. After facing isolation and neglect in a strange, dysfunctional household where heartache, rejection, and physical abuse rule her life, she escapes—only to find herself in a relationship with a man who’s just converted to fundamentalist Christianity. Penny’s road is long, winding, and often painful, but gradually she begins to listen to her inner voice, stand up for herself, and refuse to bow to the pressures of either her family or society—freeing herself to build a life on her own terms and find her way to happiness. A rise-from-the-ashes hero’s story of overcoming abuse, trauma, and unbearable odds, of being waylaid by both family and religion’s promise of love, and harnessing the resilience to find the way home, Redeemed offers a rare window into Eastern European immigrant culture and reads like a page-turning thriller. Especially relevant today—a time when marginalized people are increasingly finding a voice—this memoir will serve as an inspiration to women everywhere, encouraging them to overcome their obstacles and go after their dreams.
The Princess and the Witch: A Novel
by Nancy SchimmelTaking cues from Arthurian tales and folklore, Schimmel gives modern day readers heroines whose adventures earn them the right to live their own lives free of male—and royal—expectations.Margaret, princess of Northumbria, wakes up one morning to find she has been changed into a dragon. She doesn’t know why or how, but she heard in a dream that her brother, now in a faraway land, must kiss her to break the spell. But how can she tell him this? She can only screech and roar. Won’t he think he must kill the dragon to save her? Then she remembers a story her cousin told her. And when Margaret is a princess again, will she be satisfied with the quiet life of the castle, or will she be off on a quest to save her brother from a mysterious illness? And will her dragon side help her or get her in trouble?
Happy AF: Simple Strategies to Get Unstuck, Bounce Back, and Live Your Best Life
by Beth RomeroFeeling crappy? Wanna be happier? Wanna up your game? Happy AF is your comprehensive roadmap for happiness. Drawing heavily from neuroscience, positive psychology, and behavioral science, the straightforward strategies and exercises in this how-to guide will teach you how to strengthen your happiness muscle and live up to your greatest potential. Happiness junky Beth Romero serves up a life-affirming parable laced with contextual how-tos—all backed by clinical research—in fresh, insightful, and accessible language you can relate to. Kinda like your best friend giving it to you straight (with love) over cocktails. In this book, you will discover:* the art of letting go * proven ways to jiu-jitsu your negative thoughts to transform your life* how goals, vision, purpose are the stepping-stones to greatness* the importance of gratitude and grace in your happiness journey* the scientific link between sleep, morning routines, diet, and exercise on your mental well-being* and much, much more!Happiness is a choice—and it’s within your reach. If you do the work. If you believe. Much like Dorothy with her ruby slippers, the power is always within you . . . just waiting for you to access it. So get ready to click your Manolos, Dr. Martens, or Adidas and find your happy place.
Feeling Fate: A Memoir of Love, Intuition, and Spirit
by Joni SenselAs her sweetheart’s body lies cooling on the living room floor, Joni Sensel—shattered but not surprised—revisits her premonition about this moment. From nearly the start of their fairy tale romance less than four years ago, she knew she would lose Tony, the man she considered to be her soul mate. He was in great health, but fate had other plans—a hard truth that visited Joni in the form of a startling vision during their second weekend together. Though she kept the premonition a secret while Tony was alive, upon his death she’s compelled to share it with his spirit in the form of a letter. A grief memoir with a paranormal twist, Feeling Fate explores how a dark intuition magnified Sensel’s love and gratitude in the time she and Tony had together before her premonition came true. Faced with evidence of a grand design alongside her grief, she’s torn between faith and skepticism. While she’s nearly undone by the pain of her loss, she eventually discovers that a sassy imagination and the irrational insights of the heart can both defeat despair and transform her grief into meaning.