Is there an upside to cancer? There is if youre Joan Butman. In her latest collection of faith essays, I Dont Buy Green Bananas! (center stage with cancer), Joan takes on her biggest challenge yet: a cancer diagnosis. Facing a terminal illness hasnt dampened Joans faith or her sense of humor. She takes us along on her road trip with God, through her diagnosis, surgery, and recurrence of her tribble the name she affectionately calls the tumor discovered in her abdomen. Throughout her journey, Joan learns the true meaning of the scripture Do not be afraid, for I am with you, and experiences the peace and joy that come with accepting Gods will: I can say with confi dence that you will fi nd delight in anything you do for Christ, whether it be washing dishes, changing diapers, or battling cancer. When you get to know Jesus, He will give you a role in his show, even though there is no guarantee you wont be written out of the script.

“Lopez has the ability to give the reader whiplash with his unconventional and bewitching stories.” —Los Angeles Times “Robert Lopez is the master of deadpan dread, of the elliptical koan, of the sudden turn of language that reveals life to be so wonderfully absurd. Always with Lopez, the voice is all his—enchanting, surprising, at times devastating.” —JESS WALTER, author of Beautiful Ruins “Robert Lopez’s strange, incantatory, visionary stories reveal the mysteries behind the ordinary world. You lift your head from this book and it’s as if a third eye has been opened.” —DAN CHAON, author of Await Your Reply and Stay Awake “Nothing is funnier than unhappiness,” claims Samuel Beckett. To this, we add: nothing is funnier than unhappiness with a heavy dose of amorality, as we learn from Robert Lopez’s unforgettable Good People. In these twenty stories, a motley cast of obsessive, self-deluded outsiders narrate their darker moments, which include kidnapping, voyeurism, and psychic masochism. As their struggles give way to the black humor of life’s unreason, the bleak merges with the oddly poetic, in a style as lean and resolute as Carver or Hemingway. Treading the fine line between confession and self-justification, the absurd violence of threatened masculinity, and the perverse joy of neurosis, Lopez’s stories reveal the compulsive suffering at the precarious core of our universal humanity. Robert Lopez is the author of two novels, Part of the World and Kamby Bolongo Mean River, and the story collection Asunder. He lives in Brooklyn.

Explore effective strategies to improve your mental health, and the health of your colleagues and employees, with this engaging and practical book All Work No Play: A Surprising Guide to Feeling More Mindful, Grateful and Cheerful is a practical and rewarding handbook for reconnecting with joy and happiness daily. The book shares strategies for play-based mindfulness, empathy, and gratitude exercises that will help readers rediscover their inner child; promote good mental health; build and foster more meaningful connections with others; and help combat loneliness and deep-rooted toxic behaviors and thoughts. You’ll learn to: Recognize and become self-aware of thoughts blocking your way to healthy relationships and attitudes Prioritize mental wellbeing in your daily life and put an end to burnout and fatigue Use visual tools and self-assessment forms to guide you through exercises that will increase your happiness, focus, and productivity Perfect for anyone who hopes to improve their ability to take joy and happiness from their daily routines, All Work No Play is also ideal for businesses who wish to improve the health and wellbeing of their employees and colleagues.

This book speaks to Baby Boomers, Retirees, Seniors and aging parents, as well as the children of aging parents, family, caregivers, and friends. Eight major sections are included: Being Newly Retired, Choosing What To Do With Time, Attitudes and Feelings, Knowing Oneself, Relating To Others, Taking Care Of Oneself, Aging Concerns, and Elderly Seniors. Many insights are offered on dealing with and navigating retirement and growing older. Threads of optimism and reality shine through, organized in a flowing and meaningful conversation. The book is a collection of poetic writings about Retiree and Senior issues: yearnings, concerns, health, thoughts and challenges

"This rich story reminds us that America can be at its best as a melting pot. A page-turner for all the right reasons." —VINCE VAWTER, Newbery Honor–winning author of Paperboy In this gripping and poignant companion to Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner Black Radishes, Gustave faces racism and anti-Semitism in New York City during World War II, but ultimately finds friendship and hope. After escaping the Germans in Nazi-occupied France, Gustave and his family have made it to America at last. But life is not easy in New York. Gustave’s clothes are all wrong, he can barely speak English, and he is worried about his best friend, Marcel, who is in danger back in France. Then there is September Rose, the most interesting girl in school, who doesn’t seem to want to be friends with him. Gustave is starting to notice that not everyone in America is treated equally, and his new country isn’t everything he’d expected. But he isn’t giving up. Julia Ward Howe Honor Award Sydney Taylor Notable Book Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year Junior Library Guild Selection "I love everything about this poignant story, especially the gorgeous prose, which brings to life such an important slice of American history in a way I haven't seen before. Simply put, this heartfelt book is a masterpiece."-SHANA BURG, author of A Thousand Never Evers and Laugh with the Moon “The everyday details of the story guide readers, allowing them to enjoy following Gustave’s entry into the United States and his growth toward appreciating all that’s ahead for him in his new home. . . . Strong historical content, rich descriptions, and smart subtleties about the links between history and current events.”—School Library Journal “Readers may gradually start to think of the characters as close friends. . . . The conflict might feel like it's happening to people the readers have always known. A sweet book that readers will find sneaks up on them.”—Kirkus Reviews "Well paced with fully realized characters, this provides a textured look at race, refugees, war, and the process of creating a new life."--Booklist Praise for Black Radishes A Sydney Taylor Honor Award Winner A Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Book of the Year An Instructor Magazine Best Kids’ Book, Historical Fiction A Massachusetts Book Award Must-Read Book “An empowering, suspenseful story of a unique young boy with cunning, patience, and courage.”—Francisco X. Stork, author of Marcelo in the Real World “A fascinating, deftly gripping tale that reminds readers, young or old, of events we must never forget.”—Zilpha Keatley Snyder, three-time Newbery Honor winner and author of The Egypt Game “A vivid and moving story about a Jewish family’s efforts to escape the Nazis, seen through the eyes of a clear-signed and sensitive young boy.”—Annika Thor, winner of the Mildred L. Batchelder Award “Black Radishes transforms the past into a gripping story.”—Kit Pearson, winner of the Governor General’s Award for Awake and Dreaming

Meet Thanh Truong, aka 'The Fruit Nerd', Australia's top fruiterer with a mission to revolutionise how we see and enjoy fresh produce! Thanh's passion and wealth of knowledge make him the perfect teacher, as he shares life-changing tips and delicious recipes to help enhance your eating experiences. Need help picking the perfect avocado? Follow Thanh's foolproof method for choosing well every time. Want to know how to select and tackle a satisfying pomegranate? Thanh has a tip that even most chefs don't know! Featuring 50 recipes inspired by Thanh's family, travels and food-loving friends, such Matt Preston and Nat Paull from Beatrix Bakes, this book will help you choose and prepare the perfect ingredients to take your tastebuds on an unforgettable journey. This is a specially formatted fixed-layout ebook that retains the look and feel of the print book.

To save her friend from kidnappers, a woman goes undercover with a former Green Beret at a San Antonio rodeo in this Western romantic thriller. When Sierra Bradford’s best friend and goddaughter are abducted, she vows to find them at any cost. Sierra—shot at the scene of their kidnapping—checks in to a motel to treat her wounds. It’s there that she encounters former Green Beret Rafe Vargas, who’s come to her aid . . . and not for the first time. As his best friend’s sister, Sierra is off-limits. But that hardly stops a powerful attraction from growing as they work together on an undercover sting operation to find her friend’s abductors. Under the guise of a rodeo cowboy and his pregnant wife, Rafe and Sierra come to find out that the rodeo may be the key to their investigation—and their possible future.