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Patrick and the Not So Perfect Party
by Anne WynterAll Patrick wants for his birthday is a flawless FOOD party.So why does Karter arrive dressed as a FOOT!? From Ezra Jack Keats Award-Winner, Anne Wynter, this hilarious tale follows perfectionist Patrick as he learns a valuable lesson in being patient, embracing chaos, and finding the joy in going with the flow. "Children will laugh over the hilarious ending; indeed, they'll giggle their way through this uproarious book-and perhaps realize that learning to be a bit flexible can be a lot of fun. A perfectly entertaining read." Kirkus ReviewsPatrick likes everything to be just-so, which is why he likes to cook. The meals he makes are always "exquisite," "delicious," and "absolutely perfect." So when his birthday rolls around, Patrick knows exactly what he wants to do. However, Patrick's big brother, Russ, is not perfect. When Russ makes a mistake on Patrick's party invitation, Patrick thinks his birthday is ruined. But is it? Readers will delight in this warm celebration of self-expression, acceptance, and brotherly love written by Ezra Jack Keats Award-winning author, Anne Wynter.
Familiaris: ‘Wroblewski has set a story-telling bonfire as enthralling in its pages as it is illuminating of our fragile and complicated humanity’ Tom Hanks
by David Wroblewski'A story-telling bonfire as enthralling in its pages as it is illuminating of our fragile and complicated humanity. Familiaris is as expansive and enlightening a saga as has ever been written' Tom Hanks'Impossibly wise, impossibly ambitious, impossibly beautiful' Richard Russo'An American tour de force' Colum McCannSpring 1919, and John Sawtelle's imagination has got him into trouble...again. Now John and his newlywed wife, Mary, along with their two best friends and their three dogs, are setting off for Wisconsin's north woods, where they hope to make a fresh start - and to live a life of meaning, purpose, and adventure. But the place they are headed for is far stranger and more perilous than they realize, and it will take all their ingenuity, along with a few new friends - human, animal, and otherworldly - to realise their dreams.By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, mysterious and enchanting, Familiaris takes readers on an unforgettable journey from the halls of a small-town automobile factory, through an epic midwestern firestorm and an ambitious WWII dog training program, examining the dynamics of love and friendship, the vexing nature of families, the universal desire to create something lasting and beautiful, and of course, the species-long partnership between Homo sapiens and Canis familiaris.
Swan Song
by Elin HilderbrandThe beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author brings her Nantucket novels to a brilliant finish: when rich strangers move to the island, social mayhem—and a possible murder follow. <P><P> Chief of Police Ed Kapenash is about to retire. Blond Sharon is going through a divorce. But when a 22-million-dollar summer home is purchased by the mysterious Richardsons—how did they make their money, exactly?—Ed, Sharon, and everyone in the community are swept up in high drama. The Richardsons throw lavish parties, flirt with multiple locals, flaunt their wealth with not one but two yachts, and raise impossible hopes of everyone they meet. When their house burns to the ground and their most essential employee goes missing, the entire island is up in arms. <P><P> The last of Elin Hilderbrand's bestselling Nantucket novels, Swan Song is a propulsive medley of glittering gatherings, sun-soaked drama, wisdom and heart, featuring the return of some of her most beloved characters, including, most importantly, the beautiful and timeless island of Nantucket itself. <p> <b>New York Times Bestseller</b>
Jackpot Summer
by Elyssa FriedlandAfter the Jacobson siblings win a life-changing fortune in the lottery, they assume their messy lives will transform into sleek, storybook perfection–but they couldn&’t be more wrong. The four Jacobson children were raised to respect the value of a dollar. Their mother reused tea bags and refused to pay retail; their father taught them to budget before he taught them to ride a bike. And yet, now that they&’re adults, their financial lives are in disarray. The siblings reunite when their newly widowed father puts their Jersey Shore beach house on the market. Packing up childhood memories isn&’t easy, especially when there&’s other drama brewing. Matthew is miserable at his corporate law job and wishes he had more time with his son; Laura&’s marriage is imploding in spectacular fashion; Sophie&’s art career is stalled while her boyfriend&’s is on the rise; and Noah&’s total failure to launch has him doing tech repair for pennies. When Noah sees an ad for a Powerball drawing, he and his sisters go in on tickets while their brother Matthew passes. All hell breaks loose when one of the tickets is a winner and three of the four Jacobsons become overnight millionaires. Without their mother&’s guidance, and with their father busy playing pickleball in a Florida retirement village, the once close-knit siblings search for comfort in shiny new toys instead of each other. It&’s not long before the Jacobsons start to realize that they&’ll never feel rich unless they can pull their family back together.
All Friends Are Necessary: A Novel
by Tomas MonizIn this &“tender and open-hearted novel," (Nina LaCour, author of Yerba Buena) Tomas Moniz—a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway and Lambda Literary awards—delivers a commanding new story about the power of friendship, community, and the families we create for ourselves. Efren &“Chino&” Flores has just moved back to the Bay Area from Seattle, jumping from sublet to sublet. In Washington, he was an adored middle school biology teacher with a loving wife, and a child on the way—that is, until a stunning loss upended his life. Now he&’s working temp jobs, terrified of commitment, and struggling to put himself back out into the world. But there to nurture Chino is a coterie of new and old friends and lovers who form a protective web around him. Closest to him are Metal Matt, a red-haired metalhead with a soft spot for Courtney Love and a rangy dog named Sabbath, and Mike and Kay, a couple whose literary edge is matched only by the success of their secret OnlyFans account. As Chino begins to date more men and women—and to open himself up again to love—his bonds with those around him grow both rich and profound. Like a fern blooming in the wake of a forest fire, new life comes after even the most devastating upheaval. With gorgeous, heartrending detail and a seemingly infinite catalogue of tender, unexpected interactions, Tomas Moniz has created a striking mosaic of desire and belonging. An anthem to both queer and platonic love, All Friends Are Necessary evinces the wonder of friendship and the joy of giving yourself up to the essential force of community."Vibrant, alive, and absolutely devastating in its beauty, All Friends Are Necessary is like a late-night phone call with your best friend—exuberant, confessional, and above all, honest."—Chelsea Bieker, author of Godshot and Madwoman
You Are Not Alone: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Anxious Thoughts and Believing What's True
by Jennie AllenNew York Times bestselling author, visionary, and mom of four Jennie Allen offers a practical guide to help kids form positive habits and connections that are crucial to their mental and spiritual health.Spinning, anxious thoughts can sometimes take over our minds and not let go, but we have the power to choose what to think and believe—and so do our children. In this edition for young readers, bestselling author Jennie Allen draws on the insights, truth, and experiences from her New York Times bestsellers Get Out of Your Head and Find Your People to help younger kids and tweens:• trade fear, anxiety, loneliness, and shame for God&’s love and peace• learn how to notice lies and believe what&’s true• hit pause on negative thoughts and retrain their brains to think life-giving thoughts• gain tools to rely on God&’s power and truth every dayKids don&’t have to be at the mercy of toxic input and negative thoughts. In these pages, they&’ll discover exactly how to interrupt swirling thought patterns, develop better friendships, and create new day-to-day habits that will lead them closer to God and to a life of peace, joy, and love. You Are Not Alone includes questions, action steps, Bible verses, and real-life stories to help them be who God has called them to be.
Our New World of Adult Bullies: How to Spot Them — How to Stop Them
by Bill EddyOur New World of Adult Bullies connects the dots to show how bullies at all levels of society follow the same predictable patterns of behavior.Bullies exist everywhere: families, workplaces, neighborhoods and communities, politics and government, and organizations of all types and sizes. And in a media landscape where conflict, crisis, chaos, and fear reign supreme, every day we see the worst behavior of celebrities, politicians, and other public figures who serve as role models. Winners and losers. Friends and enemies. Heroes and villains. People with high-conflict personalities think almost solely in these extremes. They regularly express unmanaged emotions, routinely blame others, and do harmful things that 90% of people would never do. Bullies share these characteristics, plus a drive to dominate or destroy their victims. But all bullies act in the same highly predictable patterns, regardless of their demographics and situation. By focusing on the ten hidden powers bullies employ—from their unrestrained nature and bully story to manipulating emotions and playing the victim—Bill Eddy unpacks the way bullies rely on primitive emotions and nonverbal behavior. He helps readers spot these behaviors and offers practical actions before they become immobilized by helplessness, blame, and shame. In today&’s world, we all may have an adult bully in our lives sooner or later. For anyone who has a bully in their life now, for professionals who counsel victims of bullying, and for anyone who is concerned about the fraying of our culture and society, this book gives effective strategies to prevent bullies from taking over. Eddy&’s six-step approach includes useful advice on how to: Recognize the patterns of bully behavior Pull the plug on the bully&’s story Set limits with credible threats Impose serious consequences Communicate effectively about bullies to others Stand strong with others against bullies Our New World of Adult Bullies takes a closer look at the dangerous behavior of bullies and how to stop the behavior before it starts.
Ask Me Again: A novel
by Clare SestanovichFrom the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize finalist, whose short stories received instant acclaim (&“Sparingly told, evoked with lacerating intimacy . . . Extraordinary&”—Esquire), a debut novel about a young woman&’s coming of age, and the singular friendship that challenges her values, her beliefs, and the course of her lifeAt sixteen, Eva meets Jamie by chance. She lives in middle-class south Brooklyn; he comes from the super rich of upper Manhattan. She&’s observant, cautious, often insecure; he&’s curious, bold, full of mysteries. These two questers are drawn together in a strange and profound friendship, tested by forces larger than themselves. As Eva follows a path of conventional achievement—a prestigious degree, a classic romance, the start of an ambitious career—Jamie seeks out more radical experiments in finding himself: renouncing his family, joining a political movement, and eventually even talking to God.Carried forcefully along by Clare Sestanovich&’s exquisite prose, these two characters are pulled into separate spheres but circle the same questions: how to define their values and find their purpose, how to create a sense of self while discovering what they owe to society and to the cause of justice. These reckonings propel a surprising story of intimacy across time, exploring the alchemy of identity, the mystery of destiny, and the difficult journey of finding faith—in yourself, and in the world.
The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman
by Gennifer CholdenkoReaders will be rooting for a happy ending for Hank in Newbery-Honor-winner Gennifer Choldenko&’s gripping story of a boy struggling to hold his family together when his mom doesn't come home.When eleven-year-old Hank&’s mom doesn&’t come home, he takes care of his toddler sister, Boo, like he always does. But it&’s been a week now. They are out of food and mom has never stayed away this long… Hank knows he needs help, so he and Boo seek out the stranger listed as their emergency contact.But asking for help has consequences. It means social workers, and a new school, and having to answer questions about his mom that he's been trying to keep secret. And if they can't find his mom soon, Hank and Boo may end up in different foster homes--he could lose everything. Gennifer Choldenko has written a heart-wrenching, healing, and ultimately hopeful story about how complicated family can be. About how you can love someone, even when you can&’t rely on them. And about the transformative power of second chances.
Beautiful Days: Stories
by Zach WilliamsFrom New Yorker and Paris Review contributor Zach Williams comes a striking and savage debut story collection that confronts parenthood, mortality, and life&’s broken promises.A couple awakens in a home in the woods to find themselves rapidly aging as their toddler remains unchanged. A work-worn employee navigates conspiracy theories and the threat of violence in an abandoned office. A tour guide leads a troublesome group to an ancient structure, apparently nonhuman in origin, discovering along the way that the most mysterious creatures of all are right beside him.These ten stories show the fallibility of time and how reality reveals itself behind the gauze of a dream—or a nightmare. Throughout, Williams illustrates how quickly we come to the edges of our patience and endurance, the hidden damages lurking in the shadows of the everyday, the distances we must travel to protect our families, and the tenuousness of even our deepest relationships. Williams sees the perversity in the mundane and dares readers to confront the power—and beauty—of time&’s relentless movement.With exquisite prose and a lacerating wit, Beautiful Days holds a mirror to the many absurdities of being human and refuses to let us look away.
Strangers in the Night: A Novel of Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner
by Heather WebbIt was the tumultuous romance that scandalized the world: Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner fought, loved, and lived life to the hilt. Now their unbridled story is brought vividly to life by Heather Webb, the bestselling author of Meet Me in Monaco and The Next Ship Home. In the golden age of Hollywood, two of the brightest stars would define—and defy—an era…She was the small-town southern beauty transformed into a Hollywood love goddess. He was the legendary crooner whose voice transfixed the world. They were Ava Gardner and Frank Sinatra. Separately they were irresistible; together they were an explosive combination.Ava’s star is rising just as Frank’s career—and public image as a family man—is taking a hit. Gone are the days of the screaming bobbysoxers and chart-topping hits. Ava, however, finds herself gracing the front page of every tabloid in America. Jealousy and cheating abound, and when the two succumb to their temperaments and their vices, their happiness is threatened at every turn.As the pair ride the rollercoaster of success and failure, passion and anger, they both wonder if the next turn will be the end of their careers, and most devastating of all—the end of all they’ve shared.A captivating novel with a star-studded cast spanning continents and decades, Strangers in the Night brings to life the most riveting love story of the twentieth century.
When Love Happens: Ribbon Ridge Book Three (Ribbon Ridge #3)
by Darcy BurkeIn a town as small as Ribbon Ridge and with a family as large as the Archers, even the best-kept secrets don't stay buried for long...Tori Archer is married…well, on paper anyway. She hasn't actually seen her husband since the disastrous morning after their impulsive Vegas wedding. The memories of their intense passion may still make her weak in the knees, but Tori knows their marriage was a mistake.After six months filming abroad, television producer Sean Hennessy wants nothing more than to track down his sexy, captivating wife and get her into bed…fast. So when his boss sends him to Oregon to persuade the famous Archer sextuplets—the former stars of a reality TV show—to do a reunion special, Sean sees the perfect chance to win Tori back.But Tori wants nothing to do with him and is determined to push him away. Yet their attraction is as hot as ever and Sean will do anything to prove their relationship was more than just a fling…because he knows that when real love happens, it changes everything.
It's. Nice. Outside.: A Novel
by Jim KokorisIt's. Nice. Outside. explores that universal tension between being a parent and keeping true to yourself. In this laugh-out-loud, heartbreaking, generous family novel, Jim Kokoris returns to the heartfelt writing of The Rich Part of Life. Meet John Nichols. He's 50-something years old, an ex-basketball player, ex-author, ex-philanderer, ex-husband, ex-high school English teacher. And he's father to three: two overachieving adult daughters, and 19 year-old Ethan, who will never be an adult. John's oldest daughter is getting married, and as the whole family travels from their homes in New York and the Chicago area, John is secretly preparing for a life-change that will alter his family's hearts forever.
Can a Bee Sting a Bee?: And Other Big Questions from Little People
by Gemma Elwin HarrisIn the spirit of Schott’s Miscellany, The Magic of Reality, and The Dangerous Book for Boys comes Can a Bee Sting a Bee?—a smart, illuminating, essential, and utterly delightful handbook for perplexed parents and their curious children. Author Gemma Elwin Harris has lovingly compiled weighty questions from precocious grade school children—queries that have long dumbfounded even intelligent adults—and she’s gathered together a notable crew of scientists, specialists, philosophers, and writers to answer them.Authors Mary Roach and Phillip Pullman, evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, chef Gordon Ramsay, adventurist Bear Gryllis, and linguist Noam Chomsky are among the top experts responding to the Big Questions from Little People, (“Do animals have feelings?”, “Why can’t I tickle myself?”, “Who is God?”) with well-known comedians, columnists, and raconteurs offering hilarious alternative answers. Miles above your average general knowledge and trivia collections, this charming compendium is a book fans of the E.H. Gombrich classic, A Little History of the World, will adore.
Maybe the Saddest Thing: Poems (National Poetry)
by Marcus WickerWinner of the 2011 National Poetry Series Prize as selected by D.A. Powell, Marcus Wicker's Maybe the Saddest Thing is a sterling collection of contemporary American poems by an exciting new and emerging voice.
Kickflip Boys: A Memoir of Freedom, Rebellion, and the Chaos of Fatherhood
by Neal Thompson“Thompson captures the ache, fizz, yearning and frustration of being the father of adolescent boys.” —Michael Chabon“What a riveting, touching, and painful read!” —Maria Semple“Fun, moving, raw, and relatable.” —Tony HawkWhat makes a good father, and what makes one a failure? Does less-is-more parenting inspire independence and strength, or does it encourage defiance and trouble? Kickflip Boys is the story of a father’s struggle to understand his willful skateboarder sons, challengers of authority and convention, to accept his role as a vulnerable “skate dad,” and to confront his fears that the boys are destined for an unconventional and potentially fraught future.With searing honesty, Neal Thompson traces his sons’ progression through all the stages of skateboarding: splurging on skate shoes and boards, having run-ins with security guards, skipping classes and defying teachers, painting graffiti, drinking and smoking, and more. As the story veers from funny to treacherous and back, from skateparks to the streets, Thompson must confront his complicity and fallibility. He also reflects on his upbringing in rural New Jersey, and his own adventures with skateboards, drugs, danger, and defiance. A story of thrill-seeking teens, of hope and love, freedom and failure, Kickflip Boys reveals a sport and a community that have become a refuge for adolescent boys who don’t fit in. Ultimately, it’s the survival story of a loving modern American family, of acceptance, forgiveness, and letting go.
When We Kiss: Ribbon Ridge Book Five (Ribbon Ridge #5)
by Darcy BurkeUSA Today bestselling author Darcy Burke returns with the fifth sexy and emotional novel in her Archer family saga…Denver real estate mogul Liam Archer has always been a thrill-seeker, and the loss of his identical twin brother has only intensified his reckless behavior. Sky diving, heli-skiing, motorcycle riding…he’s tried everything once. Except falling in love. Liam doesn’t do relationships, but a no-strings fling with Aubrey Tallinger—the smart, gorgeous lawyer handling his brother’s estate—is totally his speed.At first, hooking up with Liam whenever he’s in Ribbon Ridge is perfect; but Aubrey fears she could fall hard for the sexy daredevil, if he’d only stop refusing to acknowledge the demons he’s trying to outrun. To protect herself from heartbreak, Aubrey ends their affair. But this time Liam isn’t leaving town, and instead of seduction, he wants to be…friends.The white hot attraction between them still sizzles, but Liam knows that winning Aubrey back won’t happen in his bed. He’ll have to convince her that he’s more than the careless, adrenaline junkie she believes him to be. Because when they kiss, Liam feels whole again… and he isn’t ready to give her up without a fight.
Yours to Hold: Ribbon Ridge Book Two (Ribbon Ridge #2)
by Darcy BurkeThe next in USA Today bestselling author Darcy Burke's sexy and emotional family saga about seven siblings who reunite in a small Oregon town to fulfill their brother's dying wish…Years ago, golden boy Kyle Archer left Ribbon Ridge without a word. Now, with heartbreak on the verge of tearing his family apart, the black sheep is back, and he's determined to regain their trust by uncovering the truth behind Alex's death. But the moment he confronts Maggie Trent—the therapist his parents blame for the tragedy—Kyle is stunned by his powerful attraction to the beautiful doctor … and drawn to her like no woman he's ever met before.When gorgeous, charismatic Kyle approaches Maggie about his brother's death, she agrees to help him search for answers. And as they piece together Alex's last days, their undeniable chemistry turns too hot to ignore. After their relationship becomes more serious than either anticipated, Kyle may be forced to choose between the woman he's desperate to hold on to and the family he almost let slip away.
You're Still the One: Ribbon Ridge Book Six (Ribbon Ridge #6)
by Darcy BurkeUSA Today bestseller Darcy Burke concludes her Archer family saga with a second chance at first love…Everyone thought college sweethearts Bex Holmgren and Hayden Archer were headed for the altar… until a tragic accident sent young Bex running from a future she wasn’t ready to claim. But when she’s offered her dream job at Archer Brewing, Bex can’t pass up the chance to reconnect with the big, crazy family that once welcomed her with open arms—and the one man she’s never stopped loving.When he returns home after a year in France, Hayden is less than thrilled to find his ex-girlfriend working for his family’s company. He’s finally moved on, and being around her rekindles long-buried feelings he’d rather ignore. But Bex isn’t the same girl he knew—she’s more mature, more beautiful, more tempting than ever—and he can’t resist the pull of the intense passion he’s only ever shared with her.Have five years changed them enough, or are they doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past? The only thing Bex knows for sure is that for her, Hayden is still the one.An Avon Romance
The Connected Father: Understanding Your Unique Role and Responsibilities During Your Child's Adolescence
by Carl E. PickhardtParenting Expert Carl Pickhardt Shows How the Bonds Between Fathers and Teens Can Be StrengthenedMany fathers feel unprepared for their child's adolescence, in their denial, often times preferring to believe that it will only happen to other people's children. In this sensitive and forthright book, Carl Pickhardt stresses that fathers need to become informed about changes and challenges that normally unfold. Helping caring fathers navigate the four crucial and often perplexing stages of adolescence, The Connected Father describes: * how fathers can learn to be better listeners * why they have trouble communicating and what to do about it* different emotional changes between mid- and late-adolescence* how to encourage independence while setting limits* how fathers can talk to teens about drugs, sex, the internet, relationships, and more
It's Not about the Bra: Play Hard, Play Fair, and Put the Fun Back into Competitive Sports
by Gloria Averbuch Brandi ChastainYouth sports aren't just about fun and games anymore. What should be a pleasurable experience is often marred by poor sportsmanship, trash talking, win-at-all-cost attitudes, and, in the worst cases, violence. But World Cup soccer champion and Olympic gold medalist Brandi Chastain has a solution. In It's Not About the Bra, Chastain draws on lessons learned in her phenomenal career and in her experience as a parent to illuminate "the beautiful game" and provide creative answers to the challenges that face young athletes and their parents.Chastain emphasizes the importance of developing leadership skills, finding (and becoming) role models, and giving back to one's team and community. She offers a blueprint for kids and parents alike on how to play fair, win (and lose) with grace, and, above all, have a good time doing it.
Bad Kid: A Memoir
by David CrabbFrom comedian, storyteller, and The Moth host David Crabb, comes a music-filled, coming-of-age memoir about growing up gay and Goth in San Antonio, Texas. In the summer of 1989, three Goth kids crossed a street in San Antonio. They had no idea that a deeply confused fourteen-year-old boy was watching. Their dyed hair, fishnets, and eyeliner were his first evidence of another world—a place he desperately wanted to go. He just had no idea how to get there.Somehow David Crabb had convinced himself that every guy preferred French-braiding his girlfriend’s hair to making out, and that the funny feelings he got watching Silver Spoons and Growing Pains had nothing to do with Ricky Schroeder or Kirk Cameron. But discovering George Michael’s Faith confirmed for David what every bully already knew: he was gay. Surviving high school, with its gym classes, locker rooms, and naked, glistening senior guys, would require impossible feats of denial. What saved him was finding a group of outlandish friends who reveled in being outsiders. David found himself enmeshed with misfits: wearing black, cutting class, staying out all night, drinking, tripping, chain-smoking, idolizing The Smiths, Pet Shop Boys, and Joy Division—and learning lessons about life and love along the way. Richly detailed with 80s pop-culture, and including black and white photos throughout, BAD KID is as laugh-out-loud funny as it is poignant. Crabb’s journey through adolescence captures the essence of every person’s struggle to understand his or her true self.
Quintessence
by Jess RedmanA 2021 NCTE Charlotte Huck Award Honor BookA Bank Street Best Book of 2021Quintessence is an extraordinary story from Jess Redman about friendship, self-discovery, interconnectedness, and the inexplicable elements that make you you.Three months ago, twelve-year-old Alma moved to the town of Four Points. Her panic attacks started a week later, and they haven’t stopped—even though she’s told her parents that they have. She’s homesick and friendless and every day she feels less and less like herself.But one day she finds a telescope in the town’s junk shop, and through its lens, she watches a star—a star that looks like a child—fall from the sky and into her backyard. Alma knows what it’s like to be lost and afraid, to long for home, and she knows that it’s up to her to save the star. And so, with the help of some unlikely new friends from Astronomy Club, she sets out on a quest that will take a little bit of science, a little bit of magic, and her whole self.This title has Common Core connections.
Gone the Hard Road: A Memoir
by Lee Martin"Count your blessings," his mother told him, "Think of everything good in your life."Pulitzer Prize finalist Lee Martin has done it again. Building from his acclaimed first memoir, From Our House, which recounts the farming accident that cost his father both his hands, Gone the Hard Road is the story of Beulah Martin's endurance and sacrifice as a mother, and the gift of imagination she offered her son. Martin unfolds the world she created for him within their unsettled family life, from the first time she read to him in a doctor's office waiting room, to enrolling him in a children's book club, to the books she bought him in high school. Gone the Hard Road portrays Beulah's selflessness as the family moved around the Midwest, sometimes in the face of her husband's opposition, to show her son a different way of being. Rather than concentrate on the life his father threatened to destroy, as Martin's previous memoirs do, Gone the Hard Road offers the counternarrative of a loving mother and the creative life she made possible, in spite of the eventual cost to herself. A poignant, honest, and moving read, Gone the Hard Road will stay with anyone who has ever struggled to find their place in the world.
A List of Things That Didn't Kill Me: A Memoir
by Jason SchmidtJason Schmidt wasn't surprised when he came home one day during his junior year of high school and found his father, Mark, crawling around in a giant pool of blood. Things like that had been happening a lot since Mark had been diagnosed with HIV, three years earlier.Jason's life with Mark was full of secrets—about drugs, crime, and sex. If the straights—people with normal lives—ever found out any of those secrets, the police would come. Jason's home would be torn apart. So the rule, since Jason had been in preschool, was never to tell the straights anything. A List of Things That Didn't Kill Me is a funny, disturbing memoir full of brutal insights and unexpected wit that explores the question: How do you find your moral center in a world that doesn't seem to have one?