Take two reality pills and call me in the morning. Swine Flu. Financial meltdown. It's been a bad year for pigs and pigs in suits. The only thing for it is a good dose of Catherine Deveny, who each week in the Age puts everything into perspective with her trademark iconoclastic wit. Free to a Good Home includes her thoughts on gifted children and breakfast television, sexy billboards and the bill of rights. She reflects on her youngest child's first day at school, and on how to be happy in hard times. Fearlessly funny and always provocative, Deveny is the perfect antidote to the modern world's ills. Can anyone explain why I did this? I went to the chemist and bought this crap I put on my face to make me look younger. I put the jar on the counter. The chemist girl said, 'Is this stuff any good?' I said, 'Yeah.' She said, 'Really?' I said, 'I'm sixty.' Eyes like saucers, mouth agape, she gasped, 'OH MY GOD! Sixty! Toula! Fatima! Kelly! Come and check out this old lady. She's sixty!' So the other chemist girls scurried over and after a bit of oohing and aahing one said, 'Oh my God! Sixty? You look like you're forty-five!' I'm forty. Chemist girls, one. Smart-arse, zero.

Free to a Good Home is about small farms and big dogs; farmers, their families and friends; bird feeders and feeders of birds; dust and rust; stone walls and other fences; New Hampshire’s First-In-The-Nation-Primary and other entertainment; a few laughs and a few tears. (excerpt) “...Janet, Maggie, and I lay between the rows of blueberries, listening to the slight rustling of the corn and the soft, endless chirp of peepers from the trees, enjoying the sweet, familiar smell of the ripe berries, mesmerized by the grandeur of the Perseid meteor shower. Fresh from chasing frogs in the swamp, Maggie fitted herself between us, her muddy feet and fur still dripping of swamp water, soiling and soaking our clothes ... (excerpt) Free to a Good Home. The cynic in me believes that nothing is free but I’m enough of a romantic to believe at times that everything is free. Maggie was named because of Margaret Thatcher. We already had a dog named Thatcher and Janet couldn’t resist naming the six-month-old, sixty-five pound ‘Free to a good home’ female puppy of indeterminate breeding, Margaret. We called her Maggie and sometimes Margaret S. Dog. She would respond to any of these names if she considered it to be in her best interest and respond to none of them if not.”

Have you heard the words, I never dared to treat my parents the way kids do today? If you are a baby boomer or the parent of a tween, teen, or adult child, not only have you heard those words, you may have uttered them yourself. If, in this new age of childparent relations, youve ever felt like a helpless puppy or kitten inside a box marked Free to Good Home,if, in spite of all your love and the care with which you embraced parenting, your child has grown into an entitled and thoughtless power broker in your relationshipread on. Author Kay Taylor has studied sociology, parenting, blended families and personal growth for years; in this bold, groundbreaking book she explores the changes in our culture that she believes have given birth to what she describes as the E-generationa generation of teens and young adults that feel so empowered and entitled that they often clash with their parents, creating a palpable power struggle within the family. This often leaves good parents alone, depressed, and completely befuddled as to what they did wrong. Free Mother to Good Home comes from the heart and experiences of an everyday parent in the trenches. Taylor offers a mothers perspective, as well as a remedy for parental blues, helping parents know what they can do to get their houses and their lives back in order.

An hilarious story about sibling rivalry and a child’s impulse to run away from home—(and come back again!) “When my squawking baby brother arrived, I realized I needed a new family. No one seemed to mind when I packed my bag. I took a box and used my best handwriting to write ‘FREE KID’, then waited for some new parents to take me home.” Waiting in a box like an abandoned pet and encountering the passersby changes the girl’s perspective. At the end of the day, when her parents pretend they need an older sister for their new baby, she is ready to leave her box and go happily back home. In this comical twist on sibling rivalry, a girl decides she needs a new family—so she writes Free Kid on a box and waits in the street for some better parents to choose her. Translated from the Japanese edition, this accessible story is perfect for children starting on independent reading and is illustrated in a graphic comic style that really captures childlike subversive humor. Ideal for fans of Charles Schulz’s Peanuts comic strip. A useful book to teach young children about welcoming a new baby sibling to the family, or exploring playful sibling relationships, through funny and lighthearted storytelling. Hiroshi Ito was born in Tokyo, Japan, and graduated from Waseda University with a degree in education. He began creating picture books while still a student and has since published many award-winning books. Praise for Free Kid to Good Home "Ito uses words and pictures with equal skill to craft this hilariously willful little visionary."—The New York Times "[A]n instant classic."—Children's Publishers Favorite Reads of 2022, Publishers Weekly “a light, engaging tale that will appeal to comic book fans and all young readers who have secretly (or not so secretly) resented the arrival of a potato-faced baby to the family.”—The School Reading List “young readers...will be rewarded by getting to know this can-do narrator.”—The Horn Book "More and more profound with every read.”—Just Imagine "This is a GEM of a book and I can see why it is a bestseller! Highly recommended."—NZ Poetry Shelf

From Annalise Roberts, author of the celebrated Gluten-Free Baking Classics, and Claudia Pillow, PhD, comes this new full-scale gluten-free cookbook--a breakthrough in healthier eating, featuring 140 great new recipes. The Gluten-Free Good Health Cookbook is a true departure from other diet cookbooks--learn how you can make daily decisions that will strengthen your immune system, prevent disease, and help you lose weight by eating real food. The book includes compelling food choice explanations, guidance, and cooking advice, plus 140 field-tested recipes, including gluten-free roux for Macaroni and Cheese; traditional pan sauce gravies; innovative low-fat sauces and creamy soups; and a comprehensive chapter on the art and science of cooking great-tasting vegetables. Readers will enjoy a wide selection of flavorful and diverse recipes like Buffalo Meatballs, Roasted Poblano Asiago Soup, Kale with Puttanesca Sauce, Chicken Noodle Gratin, Moroccan Lamb Stew, and more.

A foodie turned poultry farmer offers a practical guide to raising chickens in this part memoir, part chicken and egg cookbook. A love of eating and using quality ingredients led Tim Halket to build a hen house in the corner of his garden for a daily harvest of fresh eggs. Five Fat Hens is his insightful, often humorous, take on just what it’s like to raise chickens at home. More than a DIY guide to keeping a few free-range birds, this cookbook is part memoir and part lifestyle manual. Halket takes readers through an entire year, skillfully combining meditations on his passion for cooking with original recipes, all starting with the premise that even the smallest garden can include a supply of delicious, fresh eggs. Neither a trained chef nor an experienced farmer, Tim’s tips and recipes draw on his learning experiences and love for culinary experimentation. With recipes ranging from the highly original Duelos y Quebrantos and Persian Chicken Supper to variations on everyday Italian or French classics, to simple comfort food, this timely book is an engaging account of one man’s appealing lifestyle that will inspire food lovers everywhere—whether they intend to keep chickens or not. “Good recipes, engagingly told.” —The Spectator

Winner of the Christine M. Alder Book Prize in 2015 from the Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology Historical abuse of children is a worldwide phenomenon. This book assesses the enablers of abuse and the reasons it took so long for officials to respond. It analyzes redress for institutional abuse in two countries, Canada and Australia, using first-hand accounts of survivors' experiences.

A detective known for bold courage on the job deals with mental and physical abuse by his trophy wife. A woman strives to overcome the PTSD she brought from battlefields in Iraq so she can become a loving partner. In the title story, a socially dysfunctional man “girlfriends” women he “meets” in obituaries. From liaisons that are real, to those that are imaginary or somewhere between, Christopher T. Werkman skillfully creates characters beginning, ending, or finding a way through some type of romantic relationship. Girlfriending, Werkman’s collection of short stories, will fascinate, amuse, and astonish. Many of the stories are published in literary magazines and anthologies, but most appear only in this collection. His novel, Difficult Lies, was published in 2015.

YOU SHOULD NEVER HAVE LET HER IN. A gripping and twisting psychological thriller with an ending you'll never forget, THE HOUSEMATE is perfect for fans of Louise Jensen, Jane Corry, Shari Lapena and Louse Candlish. 'Kept me on the edge of my toes...I never saw the ending coming. A fantastic read.' ***** Goodreads reviewer YOU LET A STRANGER INTO YOUR HOME Best friends Megan and Chloe have finally found the perfect house. And when they meet Samantha, she seems like the perfect housemate. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT SHE'S HIDING But Megan thinks there might be more to Samantha than meets the eye. Why is she so secretive? Where are her friends and family? And why is she desperate to get close to Chloe? YOU'RE ABOUT TO FIND OUT When strange things start happening in the house, Megan and Chloe grow more and more alarmed. They soon realise that letting a stranger into their home - and their lives - might be the worst idea they've ever had... READERS ARE HOOKED ON THE HOUSEMATE: 'I really enjoyed this twisty page-turner...I was convinced I had it all worked out, but I got it sooo wrong!' ***** Goodreads reviewer 'A fab and fast read that will spook anyone who's ever shared a house with strangers.' ***** Goodreads reviewer 'I can so recommend this book....very gripping' ***** Goodreads reviewer