My cock has an appetite. A huge and very particular appetite: Blonde, curvy, and preferably not a fucking liar... (Although, that's a story for another day.) As a high profile lawyer, I don't have time to waste on relationships, so I fulfill my needs by anonymously chatting and sleeping with women I meet online. My rules are simple: One dinner. One night. No repeats. This is only casual sex. Nothing more. Nothing less.

At least it was, until "Alyssa"... She was supposed to be a 27-year-old lawyer, a book hoarder, and completely unattractive. She was supposed to be someone I shared law advice with late at night, someone I could trust with details of my weekly escapades. But then she came into my firm for an interview—a college-intern interview, and everything fucking changed...

In her comic, scathing essay “Men Explain Things to Me,” Rebecca Solnit took on what often goes wrong in conversations between men and women. She wrote about men who wrongly assume they know things and wrongly assume women don’t, about why this arises, and how this aspect of the gender wars works, airing some of her own hilariously awful encounters.

She ends on a serious note—because the ultimate problem is the silencing of women who have something to say, including those saying things like, “He’s trying to kill me!”

This book features that now-classic essay with six perfect complements, including an examination of the writer Virginia Woolf’s embrace of mystery, of not knowing, of doubt and ambiguity, a highly original inquiry into marriage equality, and a terrifying survey of the scope of contemporary violence against women.

In this adventure, Annabeth encounters more oddities in the subway than usual, including a two-headed monster and a younger blond girl who reminds her a little of herself.

This is the story fans have asked for, in which Annabeth Chase teams up with Sadie Kane. The demigod daughter of Athena and the young magician from Brooklyn House take on a larger-than-life foe from the ancient world.

Perhaps even more disturbing than the power-hungry god they encounter is the revelation that he is being controlled by someone—someone all too familiar to Sadie.

في مجال المسرح و الشعر، و في المجال الأدبي عموما، معروف أن هناك أدبا يتم تطويع المواضيع و الأفكار له، و أدبا يتم تطويعه و استخدامه لعرض الأفكار و المواضيع من خلاله.

في المسرح مثلا، لدينا تجارب لتوفيق الحكيم و دكتور مصطفى محمود من مسرحيات هي فنيا قد تكون غير صالحة باعتراف أصحابها ذاتهم، لكنها على مستوى عرض الموضوع و الفكرة ناجحة طبعا. كذلك في الشعر، هناك أشعار يتم تطويع المواضيع و الأفكار لها، و هناك أشعار يتم تطويعها و استخدامها لعرض الأفكار و المواضيع و الأحداث، الشيء الذي يجعل الجانب الفني فيها مجورا عليه.

ديوان (دول العرب و عظماء الإسلام) لأمير الشعراء أحمد شوقي مثلا هو واحد من هذه الأدبيات التي جار صاحبها على الجانب الفني فيها، لصالح المواضيع و الأفكار التي طرحها من خلال أشعاره. و ليس ذاك لمشكلة ما أو نقص في حس الشاعر أو موهبته، و إنما ذاك لثقل و تعقيد وكثافة التجربة التي مر بها الشاعر و التي أبت عليه شعريا كفكرة مجملة، و هو أحوج ما يكون إلى التعبير عنها مجملا مما دفع به إلى ذلك الأسلوب، لا ابتذالا أو تهاونا، و لكن رغبة منه في أن يهتف بها جملة واحدة بشكل مباشر و صريح للتنفيس و لمشاركة الناس بها.

كذلك أعترف بأنني قد جرت على الجانب الفني في الجزء الأول من الكتاب (الأصوات) لصالح الموضوع و الحدث، و لكنه ليس جور لا يغتفر، فـ (الأصوات) هي أشعار غنائية على أي حال أي أن مباشرتها مغفورة! هي أيضا أشعار تُسمع لا تُقرأ، تُسمع مغناة :)، و هو ما دفعني لوسمها بـ (أصوات) منذ البداية.

عموما فـ (الصوت روح) هو كارت تعارف ما بيني و بين القراء ليس إلا، و لا أعده تجربة جدية في الكتابة على أية حال.

هدى عويس، الكاتبة مطربة موسيقى عربية في الأساس، قررت أن تستقل و تغني أغانيها الخاصة و أن تخرج من عباءة الغناء النمطي و الكلمات النمطية للغناء العربي عن الهيام و الهجران و اللوعة و ما إلى ذلك. و بعدما أرهقها البحث عن الكلمات المناسبة التي تستطيع من خلالها خدمة رسالتها و أفكارها و كل ما هي مؤمنة به، قررت أن توفر أجرة شاعر! و أن تقدم بصوتها بروحها لكل ذلك. لم لا؟ و هي تملك الموهبة اللازمة للقيام بذلك، فقد كان لها العديد من المحاولات الأدبية في سنوات نشأتها الأولى، انقطعت بعدها لفترة طويلة (جدا) عن الكتابة لأسباب قهرية، إلا أنها الآن تحاول نفض الغبار عن موهبتها تلك و تجديدها ما دامت الحاجة تدعو إلى ذلك.

لقد وفقت في تأليف أشعار الكتاب كلها في حوالي أسبوعين من أواخر أبريل و أول مايو 2014، عدا (يحيا الإرهاب) و (ضلع أعوج).

هي أيضا تؤمن بأن (الصوت روح)، و هذا ما عبرت عنه و حاولت إيصاله إلى القارئ من خلال صفحات الكتاب.

بداية استعانت الكاتبة برمزية (مأذنة المسجد) في صورة الغلاف للتعبير عن رسالتها الروحية و الفكرية. الكتاب يعرض لثنائية ضدية ما بين الحسي و الروحي (الصوت و الروح) و يطرحها من منظور جديد يجعل منها تكاملية بشكل ما، و ذلك من خلال مقدمة مبسطة في بداية الكتاب. بعدها تستخدم الكاتبة بعض الأشعار العامية و التي دورها في المقام الأول يحدد كـ (موديل) إن صح التعبير لتوضيح نظريتها أو للتدليل عليها. و إن كانت الأشعار هذه قيمتها و دورها لا يتعدى (كونها موديل) لطرح فكرة الكاتبة، إلا أنه يشفع لها في النهاية أنها كتبتهم بإخلاص حقيقي لهذه القضايا و (الأصوات) التي عرضت لهم من خلالها.

بعدها تقدم الكاتبة لـ (صوتها) كأي كاتب آخر! (فأي كاتب من وجهة نظرها يعرض صوته و وجهة نظره الذاتية من خلال كتاباته و دراساته و أشعاره، مهما ادعى الموضوعية). من خلال خواطر روحانية عن الوجود و الكون و الدين مشوبة ببعض الرؤى الفلسفية، تتحدى من خلالها النظرة المادية لتلك القضايا و التي استفحلت في مجتمعاتنا خلال الفترة الأخيرة. في الختام، بعض المحاولات الشعرية التي كتب أغلبها في ربيع 2014 و التي تستمر الكاتبة من خلالها في عرض (صوتها) و رؤاها الروحانية و الفلسفية و الحياتية أيضا و لكن بنظم شعري.

الكاتبة أشارت في البداية لـ (معجم) بالكلمات العامية المصرية في الكتاب، و بالنسبة لها كانت فكرة موفقة على المستوى الشخصي على الأقل لأنها تعتقد في قدرة اللغات السامية على الاستمرار و العربية هنا بالأخص لكونها لغة القرآن الكريم. فعلى المحور المكاني في الوقت الحاضر و على المحور الزماني مستقبلا لمواجهة تطويع اللغة لمقتضيات عصرها و ما يستتبع ذلك من اختلاف اللهجات على المستوى المكاني في نفس العصر أو على المستوى الزماني على نفس المكان، وجدت أهمية من هذا المنطلق لوضع معجم لترجمة اللغة العامية المصرية على أساس محور ثابت ألا و هو (اللغة العربية الأم). إذن فاستخدامها للعامية لم يكن دعوة، أو مشاركة منها في دعوة إلى استخدام العامية عوضا عن العربية الفصحى، و إنما تعاملا مع واقع.

إلا أنها لم توفق في المراجعة اللغوية و فشلت في تحقيق هدفها هذا بسبب استعجالها على تقديم نفسها للقراء ككاتبة و لقلقها من وصول خبر الكتاب للسلطات قبل تسجيله و توثيقه بدار الكتب، ما جعلها تغفل عن هذه النقطة المهمة، نقطة (مراجعة كتابها لغويا). و إن كانت تستغرب من انتقد عدم مراجعة (الأشعار العامية) في الكتاب (لغويا)! فإن كان من المفهوم ضرورة مراجعة العربية الفصحى لغويا، فمن غير المفهوم أو حتى المقبول ادعاء (نموذج) معين للعامية أو القول بأن لها قواعد لغوية و أصول!

عن تلك الجزئية خصوصا علقت الكاتبة بأن من عاب عليها بمثل هذا القول خصوصا، هو إما مدعي سفيه أو جاهل لا ريب! و عن استخدامها للغة العامية من أساسه فقد أرجعته لمحاولة منها لاجتذاب فئة معينة من الشباب يهمها أن تصل رسالتها إليهم لأنها الفئة الأكثر استهدافا من قبل المنظمات العلمانية و أصحاب المذاهب المادية. هي فئة يجتذبها هذا اللون من الأدب العامي على حد علمها سواء مقالة أو أشعار.

أيضا عن تأثرها بأسلوب الأستاذ و الدكتور (مصطفى محمود) رحمه الله فهي لم تنكره، بل على العكس فقد اعتبرت هذا التأثر الواضح بالأسلوب المنهجي و الأدبي لـ (أستاذها) على حد وصفها مدعاة لفخرها.

افتتاحية الكتاب: مأذنة المسجد كانت أهم وسيلة إعلام في مجتمعنا الإسلامي على مر العصور. لذا حينما قررت أن أخرج إلى النور أول كتبي (الصوت روح) و الذي عبرت فيه عن جزء مهم من رسالتي، تلك الكلمة التي خلقت من أجلها، أو خلقت لأكونها، لم أجد أفضل من مأذنة المسجد كوسيلة إعلام أدشن من عليها و أنادي بـ رسالتي تلك. و كان لي الشرف أن أعتلي في سبيل ذلك مأذنة الأزهر الشريف و التي تعد من أهم منابرنا على الإطلاق. و قد يسر الله لي الأمر بعد دعاء و تسليم، و ها أنا ذا، و ها هو كتابي اليوم بين أيديكم فـ بسم الله.

A love letter to the craft and romance of film and fate in front of—and behind—the camera from the award-winning author of Hold Still.

A wunderkind young set designer, Emi has already started to find her way in the competitive Hollywood film world. Emi is a film buff and a true romantic, but her real-life relationships are a mess. She has desperately gone back to the same girl too many times to mention.

But then a mysterious letter from a silver screen legend leads Emi to Ava. Ava is unlike anyone Emi has ever met. She has a tumultuous, not-so-glamorous past, and lives an unconventional life. She’s enigmatic… She’s beautiful. And she is about to expand Emi’s understanding of family, acceptance, and true romance.

Just out of high school, Emi Price is a talented young set designer already beginning to thrive in the L.A. film scene. But her artistic eye has failed her in one key area: helping her to design a love life that’s more than make-believe.

Then she finds a mysterious letter at an estate sale, and it sends her chasing down the loose ends of a movie icon’s hidden life. And along the way, she finds Ava, and at long last, Emi’s own hidden life begins to bloom.

Bill Courtney is a familiar name to those who saw him in Undefeated, the Oscar-winning movie about the high school football team he coached in a downtrodden section of North Memphis. Now, in his first book, Against the Grain, Courtney describes the key principles— including service, civility, leadership, character, commitment, and forgiveness—that have helped young people and adults to live better and more fulfilled lives.

Courtney has also passed along these values to his 120 employees at the lumber company he built from scratch. A former drug addict became a line manager and loving family man; an out-of-control cornerback is now a cadet at West Point; a star running back has discovered he can show his emotions and still be strong. Courtney, Esquire magazine’s Coach of the Year in 2012, shares these and other compelling stories to illustrate how readers can enrich themselves their families, their businesses, and their communities.

Courtney goes against the grain of today’s me-first culture, while explaining why these time-tested principles are needed now more than ever. He shows that winning isn’t just about the score at the end of the game, or the profit margin. Ultimately, it’s about the impact you make on your fellow human beings and the legacy you leave behind.

One-night stands are supposed to be with someone convenient, or wickedly persuasive, or regrettable. They aren’t supposed to be with someone like him.

But after a crazy Vegas weekend celebrating her college graduation—and terrified of the future path she knows is a cop-out—Mia Holland makes the wildest decision of her life: follow Ansel Guillaume—her sweet, filthy fling—to France for the summer and just… play.

When feelings begin to develop behind the provocative roles they take on, and their temporary masquerade adventures begin to feel real, Mia will have to decide if she belongs in the life she left because it was all wrong, or in the strange new one that seems worlds away.

The Rithmatist, Brandon Sanderson's New York Times bestselling epic teen adventure, takes readers on a thrilling journey through a world where magic and mystery intertwine.

More than anything, Joel wants to be a Rithmatist. Rithmatists have the power to infuse life into two-dimensional figures known as Chalklings. They are humanity’s only defense against the Wild Chalklings, which have nearly overrun the territory of Nebrask and now threaten all of the American Isles.

As the son of a lowly chalkmaker at Armedius Academy, Joel can only watch as Rithmatist students learn the magical art that he would do anything to practice. Then students start disappearing—kidnapped from their rooms at night, leaving trails of blood. Assigned to help the professor investigating the crimes, Joel and his friend Melody find themselves on the trail of an unexpected discovery—one that will change Rithmatics, and their world, forever.

We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from New York Times bestselling author, National Book Award finalist, and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart. A beautiful and distinguished family. A private island. A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy. A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive. A revolution. An accident. A secret. Lies upon lies. True love. The truth.

Spend the summers on her family's private island off the coast of Massachusetts with her cousins and a special boy named Gat, teenaged Cadence struggles to remember what happened during her fifteenth summer.

Read it. And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

Lottie just knows that her boyfriend is going to propose, but then his big question involves a trip abroad—not a trip down the aisle. Completely crushed, Lottie reconnects with an old flame, and they decide to take drastic action. No dates, no moving in together, they’ll just get married... right now.

Her sister, Fliss, thinks Lottie is making a terrible mistake, and will do anything to stop her. But Lottie is determined to say “I do,” for better, or for worse.

She could save the world—or destroy it.

Sixteen-year-old Evangeline "Evie" Greene leads a charmed life, until she begins experiencing horrifying hallucinations. When an apocalyptic event decimates her Louisiana hometown, Evie realizes her hallucinations were actually visions of the future—and they're still happening. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she must turn to her wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate: Jack Deveaux.

But she can't do either alone.

With his mile-long rap sheet, wicked grin, and bad attitude, Jack is like no boy Evie has ever known. Even though he once scorned her and everything she represented, he agrees to protect Evie on her quest. She knows she can't totally depend on Jack. If he ever cast that wicked grin her way, could she possibly resist him?

Who can Evie trust?

As Jack and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have gotten the same call. An ancient prophesy is being played out, and Evie is not the only one with special powers. A group of twenty-two teens has been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But it's not always clear who is on which side.

Heartbreaking and timely novel by Afghan-American author follows one man’s journey from New York to the clutches of the Taliban and into an unintentional polygamist union. "He is picking up the same bags with the same clothes Lisa packed and folded a year ago. He wishes he were like his clothes, untouched by external forces."

Family man Nick Blake is living in New York City and working for the United Nations. Born and raised in the United States with broad knowledge of the Afghan culture, he is living the All-American life with his wife, Lisa, and their children. His life is turned upside down when, while on a diplomatic mission to Afghanistan, Nick is kidnapped and finds himself in the clutches of the Taliban. Omar Farhad’s debut novel Honor and Polygamy follows Nick throughout his eighteen months in Afghanistan and the devastating and unexpected turns his life takes, as he learns the true meanings of home, history and culture. After being held captive for several months, Nick is forced to marry the sixteen-year-old Shaista. Although he cannot forget his beloved wife and children back home, he finds himself falling in love with his second wife and, overwhelmed with guilt, is torn between his old life and his new one.

Honor and Polygamy is far from simply a captivating fiction story, but is also a brilliant commentary on the United States’ situation with Afghanistan. Farhad expresses his views on both the political and the cultural sides of Afghanistan. Politically, he is predicting how he feels the war will ultimately end, while culturally, he shows readers not familiar with Afghanistan that the 35-year-old war has created a population, which is uneducated, disloyal, and without identity. The United States and many other nations have continuously disrupted Afghanistan with no clear political objectives, and, in his novel, Farhad explores the consequences of these actions. The story of Nick Blake represents the reality of the Afghan culture and the results and disappointments of the political realities in Afghanistan, and shows readers just how unaware we all are of other cultures.

Written by an author who has lived both the American and Afghan ways of life, Honor and Polygamy is a harrowing, haunting and deeply moving tale for our times.

From the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning Anthony Doerr, All the Light We Cannot See is a stunningly ambitious and beautiful novel about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II. Marie Laure lives with her father in Paris within walking distance of the Museum of Natural History where he works as the master of the locks (there are thousands of locks in the museum). When she is six, she goes blind, and her father builds her a model of their neighborhood, every house, every manhole, so she can memorize it with her fingers and navigate the real streets with her feet and cane.

When the Germans occupy Paris, father and daughter flee to Saint-Malo on the Brittany coast, where Marie-Laure's agoraphobic great uncle lives in a tall, narrow house by the sea wall. In another world in Germany, an orphan boy, Werner, grows up with his younger sister, Jutta, both enchanted by a crude radio Werner finds. He becomes a master at building and fixing radios, a talent that wins him a place at an elite and brutal military academy and, ultimately, makes him a highly specialized tracker of the Resistance. Werner travels through the heart of Hitler Youth to the far-flung outskirts of Russia, and finally into Saint-Malo, where his path converges with Marie-Laure.

Doerr's combination of soaring imagination with observation is electric. Deftly interweaving the lives of Marie-Laure and Werner, Doerr illuminates the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another. Ten years in the writing, All the Light We Cannot See is his most ambitious and dazzling work.

It's Spring Break of senior year. Anna, her boyfriend Tate, her best friend Elise, and a few other close friends are off on a debaucherous trip to Aruba that promises to be the time of their lives. But when Elise is found brutally murdered, Anna finds herself trapped in a country not her own, fighting against vile and contemptuous accusations.

As Anna sets out to find her friend's killer, she discovers hard truths about her friendships, the slippery nature of truth, and the ache of young love. As she awaits the judge's decree, it becomes clear that everyone around her thinks she is not just guilty, but dangerous. When the truth comes out, it is more shocking than one could ever imagine...

It has been two years since Violet Eden walked away from the city, her friends, her future, and most importantly - her soulmate, Lincoln. Part angel, part human, Violet is determined to stand by the promises she made to save the one she loves.

Living in the perpetual coldness of a broken soul, she survives day to day as a Rogue Grigori in London. But when an unexpected visitor shows up at her door, the news he bears about someone she swore to protect leaves Violet with no choice. Even worse, she fears that this might all lead back to the night she tries hardest to forget. And what was taken without her permission.

Violet is going back to New York... and she knows exactly who is going to be there. With Phoenix in her dreams and Lincoln in her heart, she knows it is only a matter of time before the final choice must be made.

She Knows Better Than to Say "I Do"

After a humiliating end to her engagement, investment banker Sidney Sinclair is done with commitment-phobic men. But when her sister winds up engaged after a whirlwind courtship, she's thrown into close contact with exactly the kind of sexy playboy she wants to avoid—the gorgeous best man. She's stuck with him, for better or worse, until her sister walks down the aisle, but that doesn't mean she has to give in to his smooth advances, no matter how tempting they are…

But He Makes It Hard to Say "I Don't"

Special Agent Vaughn Roberts always gets his man on the job and his woman in bed. So Sidney's refusal to fall for his charms only makes him more determined to win over the cool and confident redhead. Only what starts out as a battle of wills ends up as a serious play for her heart. Because the one woman who refuses to be caught may be the only one Vaughn can't live without…

Fallen Too Far was Blaire's story. Now it's time for Rush to share his side.

Everyone in Rosemary Beach thinks they know how Rush Finlay and Blaire Wynn fell in love. But Rush is back to tell his side of the story...

Rush has earned every bit of his bad-boy reputation. The three-story beach house, luxury car, and line of girls begging for time between his sheets are the envy of every guy in Rosemary Beach, and Rush handles it all with the laid-back cool of a rock star’s son. All he needs are his best friend, Grant, and his sister, Nan. Until Blaire Wynn drives into town in her beat-up pickup truck with a pistol under her seat.

The Alabama farm girl instantly captures Rush’s attention once he discovers that the angelic beauty is his new stepsister, but he vows to keep his distance. Even if she needs his help. Even if he craves her. Because Rush knows why Blaire is all alone in the world, forced to ask for help from the father who abandoned her three years ago. And he knows if he gets too close, it will destroy Nan, who has a secret connection to Blaire. He has every reason in the world to stay away from her. Find out why he doesn’t.

Save Yourself has the narrative flair of Gillian Flynn and Adam Ross, the scruffy appeal of Donald Ray Pollock, and the addictiveness of Breaking Bad.

Patrick Cusimano is in a bad way. His father is in jail, he works the midnight shift at a grubby convenience store, and his brother's girlfriend, Caro, has taken their friendship to an uncomfortable new level. On top of all that, he can't quite shake the attentions of Layla Elshere, a goth teenager who befriends Patrick for reasons he doesn't understand and doesn't fully trust. The temptations these two women offer are pushing him to his breaking point.

Meanwhile, Layla's little sister, Verna, is suffering through her first year of high school. She's become a prime target for her cruel classmates, not just because of her strange name and her fundamentalist parents: Layla's bad-girl rep proves to be too huge a shadow for Verna, so she falls in with her sister's circle of outcasts and misfits whose world is far darker than she ever imagined.

Kelly Braffet's characters, indelibly portrayed and richly varied, are all on their own twisted paths to finding peace. The result is a novel of unnerving power-darkly compelling, addictively written, and shockingly honest.

The time has come for one winner to be crowned. When she was chosen to compete in the Selection, America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown—or to Prince Maxon's heart. But as the end of the competition approaches, and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realizes just how much she stands to lose—and how hard she'll have to fight for the future she wants.

Since she entered the competition to become the next princess of Illéa, America has struggled with her feelings for her first love, Aspen—and her growing attraction to Prince Maxon. Now she's made her choice... and she's prepared to fight for the future she wants. Find out who America will choose in The One, the enchanting, beautifully romantic third book in the Selection series!

Afghan-American Nadia Hashimi's literary debut novel is a searing tale of powerlessness, fate, and the freedom to control one's own destiny. This story combines the cultural flavor and emotional resonance of the works of Khaled Hosseini, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Lisa See.

In Kabul, 2007, with a drug-addicted father and no brothers, Rahima and her sisters can only sporadically attend school and rarely leave the house. Their only hope lies in the ancient custom of bacha posh, which allows young Rahima to dress and be treated as a boy until she is of marriageable age. As a son, she can attend school, go to the market, and chaperone her older sisters.

But Rahima is not the first in her family to adopt this unusual custom. A century earlier, her great-aunt, Shekiba, left orphaned by an epidemic, saved herself and built a new life the same way. Crisscrossing in time, The Pearl That Broke Its Shell interweaves the tales of these two women separated by a century who share similar destinies. But what will happen once Rahima is of marriageable age? Will Shekiba always live as a man? And if Rahima cannot adapt to life as a bride, how will she survive?

Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse, an ordinary young couple, settle into a New York City apartment, unaware that the elderly neighbors and their bizarre group of friends have taken a disturbing interest in them. But by the time Rosemary discovers the horrifying truth, it may be far too late!

What could be more idyllic than to live on an island off the coast of Maine? That's what Bill Andersen thought when he moved his family to Mateguas. But Mateguas is more than just pristine beaches nestled between rocky shores. No, Mateguas is really something quite different….

Please Note: This is a summary of the book and not the original book.

In The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown, this 30-minute summary helps readers embrace who they are by letting go of who they think they’re supposed to be. The summary provides an overview of the book, introduces key people, and analyzes all chapters, offering key takeaways and a reader's perspective.

Chapter 1: It is necessary to practice courage, compassion, and connection daily to develop worthiness. Attempting to win someone over often means trading our sense of self for approval. True connection is formed when we share our stories of shame and embrace vulnerability, which strengthens relationships.

Courage is about speaking honestly and being vulnerable, asking for what we need, and risking disappointment. It creates a ripple effect, encouraging others to be brave.

Compassion is recognizing our shared humanity and accepting ourselves and others. It requires setting boundaries and holding others accountable.

Connection is the energy between people who feel seen, heard, and valued without judgment, strengthening them emotionally, physically, spiritually, and intellectually.

Chapter 2: Love and belonging are essential, and to experience these, one must believe they are worthy. Wholeheartedness involves believing in one's worthiness now, as they are.

An unruly bunch of bright, funny sixth-form boys in pursuit of sex, sport, and a place at university. A maverick English teacher at odds with the young and shrewd supply teacher. A headmaster obsessed with results; a history teacher who thinks he's a fool.

In Alan Bennett's classic play, staff room rivalry and the anarchy of adolescence provoke insistent questions about history and how you teach it; about education and its purpose.

The History Boys premiered at the National in May 2004.

Joyland, set in a small-town North Carolina amusement park in 1973, tells the story of the summer in which college student Devin Jones comes to work as a carny and confronts the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the ways both will change his life forever.

Stephen King combines elements of crime, mystery, and ghosts, creating a compelling story that explores love, loss, and the transition from youth to adulthood. The novel is a testament to King's prowess as a master storyteller, weaving a narrative that captures the essence of human emotions and the inexorable passage of time.

Tras la muerte de su padre, el prestigioso empresario alemán Eric Zimmerman decide viajar a España para supervisar las delegaciones de la empresa Müller. En la oficina central de Madrid, conoce a Judith, una joven ingeniosa y simpática de la que se encapricha de inmediato.

Judith sucumbe a la atracción que el alemán ejerce sobre ella y acepta formar parte de sus juegos sexuales, repletos de fantasías y erotismo. Junto a él, aprenderá que todos llevamos dentro un voyeur, y que las personas se dividen en sumisas y dominantes...

Pero el tiempo pasa, la relación se intensifica y Eric empieza a temer que se descubra su secreto, algo que podría marcar el principio o el fin de la relación.

It's 1947, and Sally J. Freedman is full of wild ideas. She's got her eye on handsome Peter Horstein, the Latin lover of her dreams, on old Mr. Zavodsky, who looks suspiciously like Hitler in disguise, and on her father, who Sally misses terribly.

There are so many things to worry and wonder about—but whatever happens, Sally's school year will certainly be exciting and unforgettable.

It’s time. Evil is running rampant and sweet Anna Whitt is its target. Nobody knows when or how the Dukes will strike, but Anna and her Nephilim allies will do anything necessary to rid the earth of the demons and their oppressive ways.

The stakes are higher than ever, and Anna is determined that the love she feels will be her strength, not a liability. But trying to protect the ones she loves while running for her life and battling demonic forces proves to be perilous—especially as faces are changing and trust is fleeting. When the Duke of Lust sends Anna’s great love, Kaidan Rowe, to work against her, Anna must decide how much she’s prepared to risk.

In the most sensual and fast-paced installment yet, Sweet Reckoning brings all the beloved Neph together one last time to fight for their freedom.

Can Sloane and James survive the lies and secrets surrounding them, or will The Program claim them in the end? Find out in this sequel to The Program, as they navigate a world filled with intrigue and danger.

How do you stop an epidemic? Sloane and James are on the run after barely surviving the suicide epidemic and The Program. But they’re not out of danger yet. Huge pieces of their memories are still missing, and although Sloane and James have found their way back to each other, The Program isn’t ready to let them go.

Escaping with a group of troubled rebels, Sloane and James will have to figure out who they can trust, and how to take down The Program. But for as far as they’ve come, there’s still a lot Sloane and James can’t remember. The key to unlocking their past lies with the Treatment—a pill that can bring back forgotten memories, but at a high cost. And there’s only one dose.

Ultimately, when the stakes are at their highest, can Sloane and James survive the many lies and secrets surrounding them, or will The Program claim them in the end?

Davey has never felt so alone in her life. Her father is dead, shot in a holdup, and now her mother is moving the family to New Mexico to try to recover.

Climbing in Los Alamos Canyons, Davey meets mysterious Wolf, who seems to understand the rage and fear she feels. Slowly, with Wolf's help, Davey realizes that she must get on with her life. But when will she be ready to leave the past behind? Will she ever stop hurting?

Savannah Winters went from homecoming queen to vampire princess in one terrifying night. Now she must find a way to survive the dark world she lives without letting the anger and depression overwhelm and destroy her. Maintaining a balance between her supernatural identity and human cover is more difficult then she could ever imagine. And her decision to separate herself from her family only makes matters worse. How could she forgive her sister, Rebecca for the role she played in her demise?

It’s a question Rebecca struggles with herself as she attempts to rebuild the Arizona wolf pack after the massacre that left her a lone wolf. How can she convince her dear sweet sister, Savannah to forgive her? While Rebecca and Savannah juggle the challenges of their new identities, responsibilities, political alliances, and the men in their lives Hunter becomes obsessed with unlocking the powers they have as natural born witches and finding a cure to the viruses that changed his sisters lives indefinitely. More family secrets unravel and threaten to destroy the fragile connection the Winters siblings share while more enemies come out of the darkness to tear their new worlds apart.

Alana Gore is in danger. A take-no-prisoners publicist, her way with people has made her more than a few enemies over the years, but a creepy stalker is an entirely different matter. She needs a bodyguard, and the only man she can ask is not only ridiculously hot, but reputed to have a taste for women that goes beyond adventurous.

Chandler Gamble has one rule: don't protect anyone you want to screw. But with Alana, he's caught between his job and his increasingly hard libido. On one hand, Alana needs his help. On the other, Chandler wants nothing more than to take the hot volcano of a woman in hand. To make her writhe in pleasure, until she's at his complete mercy.

She needs protection. He needs satisfaction. And the moment the line is crossed, all hell will break loose...

Jim Gaffigan never imagined he would have his own kids.

Though he grew up in a large Irish-Catholic family, Jim was satisfied with the nomadic, nocturnal life of a standup comedian, and was content to be "that weird uncle who lives in an apartment by himself in New York that everyone in the family speculates about." But all that changed when he married and found out his wife, Jeannie, "is someone who gets pregnant looking at babies."

Five kids later, the comedian whose riffs on everything from Hot Pockets to Jesus have scored millions of hits on YouTube, started to tweet about the mistakes and victories of his life as a dad. Those tweets struck such a chord that he soon passed the million followers mark. But it turns out 140 characters are not enough to express all the joys and horrors of life with five kids, so he's now sharing it all in Dad Is Fat.

From new parents to empty nesters to Jim's twenty-something fans, everyone will recognize their own families in these hilarious takes on everything from cousins ("celebrities for little kids") to growing up in a big family ("I always assumed my father had six children so he could have a sufficient lawn crew") to changing diapers in the middle of the night ("like The Hurt Locker but much more dangerous") to bedtime (aka "Negotiating with Terrorists").

Dad is Fat is sharply observed, explosively funny, and a cry for help from a man who has realized he and his wife are outnumbered in their own home.

In this instant New York Times bestseller, comedian and Chelsea Lately regular Jen Kirkman champions every woman’s right to follow her own path—even if that means being “childfree by choice.”

In her debut memoir, actress and comedian Jen Kirkman delves into her off-camera life with the same snarky sensitivity and oddball humor she brings to her sold-out standup shows and the Chelsea Lately roundtable, where she is a writer and regular performer.

As a woman of a certain age who has no desire to start a family, Jen often finds herself confronted (by friends, family, and total strangers) about her decision to be “childfree by choice.” I Can Barely Take Care of Myself offers honest and hilarious responses to questions like “Who will take care of you when you get old?” (Servants!) and provides a peek into the psyche—and weird and wonderful life—of a woman who has always marched to the beat of a different drummer and is pretty sure she’s not gonna change her mind, but thanks for your concern.

In Lauren Layne's sizzling Sex, Love & Stiletto series, New York's hottest 'sexpert' has been living a lie—and it's up to one man to keep her honest... all night long. Riley McKenna knows sex—good sex, bad sex, kinky sex. Her articles in Stiletto magazine are consistently the publication's most scandalous—and the most read. But Riley has a secret... all that sexy talk? Not an ounce of it comes from personal experience. Her own bedroom escapades are more limited than even her best friends know.

When her editor requests that all columnists write something more personal for Stiletto's anniversary issue, Riley turns to the one man she's always been able to count on and calls in the favor of a lifetime. Sam Compton would do anything for Riley McKenna. Anything except be her experimental sex toy. He refuses her request. At least until she tells him that it'll either be him or she'll go to someone else. And that, Sam can't accept. Reluctantly he agrees to her terms—one night of completely meaningless sex in the name of research.

Riley thinks she's prepared for what awaits her in Sam's bed. After ten years of writing about sex, actually doing it shouldn't be that different, right? So wrong. What starts as 'one time only' becomes 'just one more time.' And then one more. And before they know it, Riley and Sam learn firsthand that when it comes to love, there's no such thing as just one night.

In 1930s Munich, danger lurks behind dark corners, and secrets are buried deep within the city. But Gretchen Müller, who grew up in the National Socialist Party under the wing of her "uncle" Dolf, has been shielded from that side of society ever since her father traded his life for Dolf's, and Gretchen is his favorite, his pet.

Uncle Dolf is none other than Adolf Hitler. And Gretchen follows his every command.
Until she meets a fearless and handsome young Jewish reporter named Daniel Cohen. Gretchen should despise Daniel, yet she can't stop herself from listening to his story: that her father, the adored Nazi martyr, was actually murdered by an unknown comrade. She also can't help the fierce attraction brewing between them, despite everything she's been taught to believe about Jews.

As Gretchen investigates the very people she's always considered friends, she must decide where her loyalties lie. Will she choose the safety of her former life as a Nazi darling, or will she dare to dig up the truth—even if it could get her and Daniel killed?

From debut author Anne Blankman comes this harrowing and evocative story about an ordinary girl faced with the extraordinary decision to give up everything she's ever believed . . . and to trust her own heart instead.

What happens when the one that got away comes back?

Rachel and Ben. Ben and Rachel. It was them against the world. Until it all fell apart. It’s been a decade since they last spoke, but when Rachel bumps into Ben one rainy day, the years melt away.

From the moment they met, they’d been a gang of two; partners in crime and the best of friends. But life has moved on. Ben is married. Rachel is definitely not. In fact, the men in her life make her want to take holy orders…

Yet in that split second, Rachel feels the old friendship return. And along with it, the broken heart she’s never been able to mend.

Hilarious, heartbreaking, and everything in between, you’ll be hooked from their first ‘hello’.

Lena Rose Winter is a typical seventeen-year-old girl, or so everyone thought. She has a secret, something she hates talking about. She knew what love is, and she dreads it, especially after losing someone close to her heart.

Liam Christopher Black is far from your typical bad boy. He's a good guy, the one who sits at the back of the class, not making any sound. They say that time heals everything, but he's nowhere near being healed, especially after the news of his family dying in a car crash traumatized him enough for him to lose his voice.

Becoming friends with someone is a risk because you could always end up caring too much, but Lena is willing to face it. She fought for the boy and for his friendship, and they ended up falling for each other. HARD.

It seemed as if the world doesn't want them together as they face struggle after struggle to beat the odds. But will the risks be enough for their relationship to survive? And amidst the trials and bad experiences, will both of them learn to truly love again?

He’s thirty-eight. I’m twenty-three.
He speaks Spanish. I speak English.
He lives in Spain. I live in Canada.
He dresses in thousand-dollar suits. I’m covered in tattoos.
He’s married and has a five-year-old daughter. I’m single and can’t commit to anyone or anything.

Until now. Because when they say you can’t choose who you fall in love with, boy ain’t that the f*#king truth.

To a restless dreamer like Vera Miles, it sounded like the experience of a lifetime. Instead of spending her summer interning for her astronomy major, she would fly to Spain where she’d spend a few weeks teaching conversational English to businessmen and women, all while enjoying free room and board at an isolated resort. But while Vera expected to get a tan, meet new people, and stuff herself with wine and paella, she never expected to fall in love.

Mateo Casalles is unlike anyone Vera has ever known, let alone anyone she’s usually attracted to. While Vera is a pierced and tatted free spirit with a love for music and freedom, Mateo is a successful businessman from Madrid, all sharp suits and cocky Latino charm. Yet, as the weeks go on, the two grow increasingly close, and their relationship changes from purely platonic to something… more. Something that makes Vera feel alive for the first time. Something that can never, ever be. Or so she thinks.

"One evening, my father asked me if I would like to become a ghost bride..." Though ruled by British overlords, the Chinese of colonial Malaya still cling to ancient customs. And in the sleepy port town of Malacca, ghosts and superstitions abound.

Li Lan, the daughter of a genteel but bankrupt family, has few prospects. Fate intervenes when she receives an unusual proposal from the wealthy and powerful Lim family. They want her to become a ghost bride for the family's only son, who recently died under mysterious circumstances. Rarely practiced, a traditional ghost marriage is used to placate a restless spirit. Such a union would guarantee Li Lan a home for the rest of her days, but at a terrible price.

After an ominous visit to the opulent Lim mansion, Li Lan finds herself haunted not only by her ghostly would-be suitor, but also by her desire for the Lim's handsome new heir, Tian Bai. Night after night, she is drawn into the shadowy parallel world of the Chinese afterlife, with its ghost cities, paper funeral offerings, vengeful spirits and monstrous bureaucracy—including the mysterious Er Lang, a charming but unpredictable guardian spirit.

Li Lan must uncover the Lim family's darkest secrets—and the truth about her own family—before she is trapped in this ghostly world forever.

Thinking about suicide? Don't panic, you're not alone. Many of us share the same thoughts, and even have some experience. Write to us briefly explaining your situation, and perhaps we can help. Include your name and address, and we will contact you. All information will be considered strictly confidential and will not be shared with any third parties. No unserious inquiries, please. Send your responses to Poste restante, Central Bureau of Helsinki, code name "Let's Try Together."

Two individuals with suicidal thoughts accidentally meet in an old barn where they planned to end their lives peacefully. Thwarted in their grim plans, they decide to gather other despairing souls to form an association. Thus begins a whimsical journey aboard a brand-new tour bus, racing from the cliffs of the Arctic Ocean to Cape St. Vincent in Portugal for a final leap of faith.

A hilarious tale combined with a biting reflection on suicide, this story will take you on an unforgettable adventure.

Jetting to Martinique for a modeling assignment with three of Europe's hottest magazine photographers—Gustave, Fabian, and Leon—should have been easy, breezy beautiful. Never did I expect to look up and see a hole in the ceiling of our plane that was bigger in size than my Birkin bag. We're nose-diving toward Eden Island. I pictured how my New York Times obituary might read when I'm gone. I swear this crap only happens to me. Suddenly, Leon pulls me with Fabian and Gustave. Adrenaline racing through me, our bodies cling as one. We prepare to crash.

After saving themselves and their fellow students from a life pitched against one another, Sophie and Agatha are back home again, living happily ever after. But life isn't exactly a fairy tale.

When Agatha secretly wishes she'd chosen a different happy ending with Prince Tedros, the gates to the School for Good and Evil open once again. But Good and Evil are no longer enemies, and Princes and Princesses may not be what they seem, as new bonds form and old ones shatter.

Witches and princesses now reside at the School for Girls, inspired to live a life without princes, while Tedros and the boys are camping in Evil's old towers. A war is brewing between the schools, but can Agatha and Sophie restore peace? Can Sophie stay good with Tedros on the hunt? And whose heart does Agatha's belong to—her best friend or her prince?

Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all - popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend. Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it's one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took "mean girl" to a whole new level, and it's clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She's getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she's falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her - even if the old Sam treated him like trash.

But Cassie is still missing, and the truth about what happened to her that night isn't just buried deep inside of Sam's memory - someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

Super Extra Grande, penned by the celebrated Cuban science fiction master Yoss, is a grand space opera that earned the 20th annual UPC Science Fiction Award in 2011. Set in the far reaches of a distant future, the novel unfolds across the Milky Way, introducing a universe teeming with bizarre and diverse creatures. From world-enveloping amoebas and sensual females sustaining themselves on their mates' reproductive offerings, to articulate reptiles and other beings culled from the annals of Cuban and global science fiction, these entities fill roles as varied as comrades, explorers, intimate companions, educators, and military commanders within the Galactic Commonwealth.

The story's hero, Jan Amos Sangan Dongo, occupies a unique niche in this fantastical ecosystem as a veterinarian dedicated to the care of the galaxy's gargantuan fauna. When a colonial dispute endangers the delicate equilibrium among the Galaxy's seven sapient species, Dr. Sangan embarks on a perilous journey inside an enormous creature to retrieve two ingested ambassadors—who also vie for his affection.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

Gwen Castle's biggest mistake ever, Cassidy Somers, is slumming it as a yard boy on her idyllic Nantucket-esque island this summer. He's a rich kid from across the bridge in Stony Bay, and she hails from a family of fishermen and housecleaners who keep the island's summer people happy. Gwen worries a life of cleaning houses will be her fate too, but just when it looks like she'll never escape her past—or the island—Gwen's dad gives her some shocking advice.

Sparks fly and secret histories unspool as Gwen spends a gorgeous, restless summer struggling to resolve what she thought was true—about the place she lives, the people she loves, and even herself—with what really is. Huntley Fitzpatrick delivers another enticing summer read full of expectation and regret, humor and hard questions, and a romance that will make every reader swoon.