Best of
Illness

2017

Mustaches for Maddie


Chad Morris - 2017
    Well, except for the fake mustaches she carries in her pocket. She likes to make people laugh and slapping on a mustache, especially a fuzzy pink or neon green one, always gets a smile. Maddie hopes that the class queen, Cassie, will find her mustaches as funny as she does and want to play with her at recess. She's been self-conscious lately because her right arm only feels normal when it's curled against her chest and she's constantly tripping over her feet. But that's probably just part of growing up and not something weird, right? When Maddie's arm continues to bother her, her parents take her to a doctor who gives them a shocking diagnosis: the cause of the abnormal behavior of her limbs is a brain tumor and she must have surgery to remove it. She's understandably afraid as he describes the procedure, but knows she must find a way to be brave and must face her fears--all of them--at the hospital, at home and at school. She will need all of her courage not only to face her illness, but also to face Cassie at school. Both Cassie and Maddie are auditioning for the same role in the school play, but when Cassie accuses Maddie of lying about her tumor in order to get attention, Cassie's bossiness turns into bullying. And as Maddie's surgery approaches, she begins to worry more and more about the outcome. What if something goes wrong? What if the doctors don't get all the tumor out of her brain? What will happen to her family? What will happen to her? It will take all of Maddie's vibrant imagination, a lot of kindness-both given and received-and of course, the perfect mustache to overcome the tough stuff ahead of her.

Nineteen Letters


Jodi Perry - 2017
    There’s something about that number; it not only brought us together, bonding us forever, it also played a hand in tearing us apart.The nineteenth of January 1996. I’ll never forget it. It was the day we met. I was seven and she was six. It was the day she moved in next door, and the day I developed my first crush on a girl.Exactly nineteen years later, all my dreams came true when she became my wife. She was the love of my life. My soul mate. My everything. The reason I looked forward to waking up every morning.Then tragedy struck. Nineteen days after we married, she was in an accident that would change our lives forever. When she woke from her coma, she had no memory of me, of us, of the love we shared.I was crushed. She was my air, and without her I couldn’t breathe.The sparkle that once glistened her eyes when she looked at me was gone. To her, now, I was a stranger. I had not only lost my wife, I had lost my best friend.But I refused to let this tragedy be the end of us. That’s when I started to write her letters, stories of our life. Of when we met. About the happier times, and everything we had experienced together.What we had was far too beautiful to be forgotten.

Give Me Something I Can Feel


B. Love - 2017
    After getting a second chance at life via a new heart, Charlie vowed to make the most out of life – no matter what cards she has been given. Knight Carver is probably the most angry, guarded, and anti-social person one could ever meet. After losing his mother because of diabetes complications, Knight vowed to never lose another person he loved – he detached himself from the rest of his family completely. When Knight returns to Memphis during the NBA off season, his 16-year-old pregnant sister needs all the help she can get. Charlie’s bedside service for expecting mothers is just the help Knight and Harlem both need. Although he fights it, Charlie’s personality and beautiful smile immediately melt Knight’s stone heart. He refuses to let her or anyone else know that, though. It doesn’t matter how attracted to her he is, or how drawn to her he finds himself, Knight has no plans of loving someone only to have them ripped from his hands like his mother was. Because of their meeting, one of their hearts will be changed forever. Charlie has the chance to use her love to give Knight something he hasn’t felt in years, or allow the stress of his pessimistic attitude to damage the heart she waited anxiously for. That’s what love does, you know? It fills you with empowering strength, or makes you devastatingly weak. What will be the outcome for these two? *The spinoff for supporting characters is Saving All My Love for You.

All for You


Belle Brooks - 2017
    Others to lift and labour. And some are made so graceful their footsteps are barely heard.My body was built to be a vessel. It was always built for you.Maybelline Connors knows stars are not always as faultless as they appear. She knows life is not permanently concreted into its foundations, and love can last a lifetime … even when a lifetime is shorter than one hoped.May has only one thing left to fight for: her baby. And when the man you love’s heart is breaking, it can be hard to find the beauty in those stars you once adored.With life there is love … and with love there will always be life.

From Ant to Eagle


Alex Lyttle - 2017
    He’s recently moved from a big city to a small town and there's nothing to do. It’s hot, he has no friends and the only kid around is his six-year-old brother, Sammy, who can barely throw a basketball as high as the hoop. Cal occupies his time by getting his brother to do almost anything: from collecting ants to doing Calvin’s chores. And Sammy is all too eager - as long as it means getting a "Level" and moving one step closer to his brother's Eagle status.When Calvin meets Aleta Alvarado, a new girl who shares his love for Goosebumps books and adventure, Sammy is pushed aside. Cal feels guilty but not enough to change. At least not until a diagnosis makes things at home start falling apart and he's left wondering whether Sammy will ever complete his own journey...From Ant To Eagle.

The Someday Birds


Sally J. Pla - 2017
    He has his clean room, his carefully organized bird books and art supplies, his favorite foods, and comfortable routines.But life has been unraveling since his war journalist father was injured in Afghanistan. And when Dad gets sent across country for medical treatment, Charlie must reluctantly travel to meet him. With his boy-crazy sister, unruly twin brothers, and a mysterious new family friend at the wheel, the journey looks anything but smooth.So Charlie decides to try and spot all the birds that he and his dad had been hoping to see together in the wild. If he can complete the Someday Birds list for Dad, then maybe, just maybe, things will turn out okay...Equal parts madcap road trip, coming-of-age story for an unusual boy, and portrait of a family overcoming a crisis.

Who We Are


Nicola Haken - 2017
    To his clients at the hair salon, he’s the sassy and confident stylist. To the crowds who come to watch his drag act at the club, he’s the fierce and fabulous Miss Tique. He’s popular. Talented. Out, proud, and self-assured. He’s also a good actor. Sebastian Day is content with life’s easy, if not a little monotonous, routine. After several failed relationships, he likes the simplicity of being alone in his truck at his job as a heavy goods driver, spending the weekends with his teenage son, and putting the world to rights with his cat, Marv. He’s not lonely. He isn’t hiding. At least…he doesn’t think he is until he meets the mesmerising stranger with the red hair and purple lips. Can Oliver and Sebastian help each other embrace who they are? Or will a cruel twist of fate end their journey before it’s even begun? (M/M Romance. Not recommended for readers under 18 years of age due to language and sexual content.)

Painted On My Heart


Kindle Alexander - 2017
    Now, lost and alone, he’s left to pick up the shattered pieces of his broken heart while facing the truth of his reality. Arik Layne exudes power, confidence, and determination. But when an encounter with the guarded artist shakes him to the core and alters all his future goals, he finds more than just his heart on the line. For Kellus, opening himself to love isn’t an option. All Arik wants is to make the artist his. Can love create a masterpiece when it’s painted on your heart?

Love on a Limb


Laurie L.C. Lewis - 2017
    He isn’t interested in love. He needs a companion and nurse to ease his last days, and a legal voice to enforce his wishes when he no longer can.Lonely, compassionate nurse Mikaela Compton is intrigued by Matt Grayken’s tender request, but as their friendly marriage turns into love, she rejects the inevitability of Matt’s death and prays for a miracle instead. Mikaela reignites Matt’s will to fight the disease, but he needs a miracle. Mikaela believes she knows where to find one, but it will require her to leave Matt at the hour of his greatest need and break the fundamental promise she made to him—to be his advocate and enforce his last wishes. Mikaela faces an excruciating truth—that love brings exquisite joy, but it also requires the agonizing courage to go out on a limb.

Trading Yesterday


Kahlen Aymes - 2017
     Chase, I need you. Please come. -Teagan Something inside me snapped as her text screamed from the screen of my phone. My heart started pounding as I was sucked into a vortex of emotions, pulled unwillingly into a past I wanted to forget. Teagan Tessler was the love of my life. At least, I thought so. My professional soccer career was part of the we future planned together, but an offer one year ahead of schedule sent me to London. Just months after I left, she betrayed me with my best friend without explanation and I was completely and utterly destroyed. After six years, I could breathe again and my professional and personal life was in a good place. I’d have to be insane to consider ripping open those wounds, but whatever it was, this had to be huge. The truth of my feelings resonated; my head told me to shut off the phone and forget her forever, but my traitorous heart told me to get on a plane, no questions asked. Trading Yesterday is a roller coaster of emotion; ultimate loss, longing, betrayal, and forgiveness that will restore your faith in unconditional love and leave you gasping for more.

Last Things: A Graphic Memoir of Loss and Love


Marissa Moss - 2017
    The disease progressed quickly, and Marissa was soon consumed with caring for Harvey while trying to keep life as normal as possible for her young children. ALS stole the man who was her husband, the father of her children, and her best friend in less than 7 months.This is not a story about the redemptive power of a terminal illness. It is a story of resilience--of how a family managed to survive a terrible loss and grow in spite of it. Although it's a sad story, it's powerfully told and ultimately uplifting as a guide to strength and perseverance, to staying connected to those who matter most in the midst of a bleak upheaval. If you've ever wondered how you would cope with a dire diagnosis, this book can provide a powerful example of what it feels like and how to come through the darkness into the light.

Being Miss Nobody


Tamsin Winter - 2017
    She's the weird girl who doesn't talk. The Mute-ant. And it's easy to pick on someone who can't fight back. So Rosalind starts a blog - Miss Nobody; a place to speak up, a place where she has a voice. But there's a problem...Is Miss Nobody becoming a bully herself?

Dear Agony


Georgia Cates - 2017
    You cleverly disguised yourself as some form of pain or suffering as I grew into a young woman. We were unwavering companions … until I severed our ties.I traded homelessness on the streets of New Orleans for a luxurious bed covered by the finest linens. I traded dumpster diving for dinner in the finest restaurants. I traded myself to a stranger—Bastien Pascal.I have a good life within my platonic and mutually beneficial companionship with Bash.He’s my friend. My mentor. My roommate.Until everything changes.I’m not supposed to get goosebumps when his hand brushes my skin.I’m not supposed to be eager for his soothing touch following one of my nightmares.I’m not supposed to think about what might happen if I reached out to him in the darkness.Falling in love with him? Preposterous . . . unavoidable. Agony, why are you back with a vengeance to rob me of this life I’ve come to love so dearly?I’m finally happy. Don’t ruin this for me.Always yours,RoseIn this epic love story, Dear Agony forges a connection between an unlikely pair—a beautiful rose entwined in barbed wire and a shipwreck sinking into the darkest depths of the ocean. This agonizing romantic novel poses some gut-wrenching questions: What does a woman do when the man she loves is planning his own demise? And how far will she go to give him something to live for?

Halfway Normal


Barbara Dee - 2017
    The hospital social worker warns her the transition back may be tricky, but Norah isn’t worried. Compared with battling cancer, how tricky can seventh grade be?Very. Everyone is either treating Norah like she will break at any second, or acting weird about all the attention she’s getting. Her best friend, Harper, does her best to be there for Norah, but she doesn’t get it, really—and is hanging out with a new group of girls, leaving Norah feeling a little unsteady. Norah’s other good friend, Silas, is avoiding her. What’s that about, anyway?When Norah is placed with the eighth graders for math and science she meets Griffin, a cute boy who encourages her love of drawing and Greek mythology. And Norah decides not to tell him her secret—that she was “that girl” who had cancer. But when something happens to make secret-keeping impossible, Norah must figure out a way to share her cancer story. But how do you explain something to others that you can’t explain to yourself? And then, once you find the words, how do you move forward with a whole new ‘normal’?

The Someday Suitcase


Corey Ann Haydu - 2017
    It’s a fun way to keep your child entertained and engaged while not in the classroom.A Bank Street Books Best Children's Book of 2018!Clover and Danny are the kind of best friends who make each other even better. They’re so important to each other that Clover believes they’re symbiotic: her favorite science word, which describes two beings who can’t function without the other.But when Danny comes down with a mysterious illness that won’t go away, the doctors can’t figure out what’s wrong with him. So Clover decides to take matters into her own hands by making lists—list of Danny’s symptoms, his good days, his bad days.As the evidence piles up, only one thing becomes clear: Danny is only better when Clover is around.Suddenly it feels like time is running out for Clover and Danny to do everything they’ve planned together—to finally see snow, to go on a trip with the suitcase they picked out together. Will science be able to save Danny, or is this the one time when magic can overcome the unthinkable?

Possession


A.M. Johnson - 2017
    The only one capable of silencing his voices, the only person to ever have faith in who he was, until the day her faith turned to doubt and destroyed everything they’d made together. Declan O ’Connell was the only person Paige could be herself with. The only one she could rely on, until the day she was forced to make a choice that would condemn them both. They’ve had years apart, and second chances don’t belong to the damned. But when you come face to face with your savior, it’s almost impossible to walk away. In order to move beyond the sins of their past, and forever silence the demons in his head, they’ll have to risk it all. But with love, there are real reasons to be afraid and, sometimes… your salvation is your damnation. *Not a Cliff Hanger* *Adult Themes*

Bob, Not Bob!


Liz Garton Scanlon - 2017
    His nose is clogged, his ears are crackling, and his brain feels full. All he wants is his mom to take care of him, but whenever he calls out for her, his stuffed-up nose summons slobbery dog Bob instead! As Louie tries and tries to make himself understood in this funny picturebook, kids will love calling out with him, "Bob, not Bob!"

Not Your Average Nurse: From 1970s London to Outback Australia, the True Story of an Unlikely Girl and an Extraordinary Career


Maggie Groff - 2017
    So when Maggie Groff embarks as a student nurse at London's King's College Hospital she must quickly get to grips with the demands of her chosen career. It's sink or swim.We follow Maggie's highs and lows as she becomes a highly skilled nurse and sets sail for a new life in Australia.From the watchful gaze of stern ward sisters and the ordeals of nursing at a poor housing estate to becoming an industrial nurse at the iconic Sydney Opera House, Maggie shares her stories of mistakes and mayhem, tea and sympathy, and the life-affirming moments that make it all worthwhile.

How to Eat Better: How to Shop, Store & Cook to Make Any Food a Superfood


James Wong - 2017
    It's fascinating, and better than cutting out food groups or paying for so-called superfoods. --Delicious MagazineSELECT a Braeburn apple over a Fuji and get almost double the antioxidants from a fruit that tastes just as sweet.STORE strawberries on the counter, instead of in the fridge, and in just four days they will quadruple their heart-healthy compounds.COOK broccoli with a teaspoon of mustard and send its levels of cancer-fighting potential skyrocketing ten-fold.Between the rush to keep up with the latest miracle ingredient, anxiety about E-numbers and demonization of gluten/dairy/sugar (or the next foodie villain du jour) many of us are left in a virtual panic in the supermarket aisle. Tabloid headlines, 'free-from' labels and judgemental Instagram hashtags hardly help matters - so what should we be buying?How to Eat Better strips away the fad diets, superfood fixations and Instagram hashtags to give you a straight-talking scientist's guide to making everyday foods far healthier (and tastier) simply by changing the way you select, store and cook them. No diets, no obscure ingredients, no damn spiralizer, just real food made better, based on the latest scientific evidence from around the world. With over 80 foolproof recipes to put the theory into practice, James Wong shows you how to make any food a superfood, every time you cook.

Masked


M. Greenhill - 2017
    A deadly virus. A human hacker and a Werewolf alpha are their only hope. That’s if they don’t kill each other first. When Parker Johnson, a top security specialist, is called in to help track down the architects behind a genetically engineered virus, she doesn’t hesitate. Even if it means working with Daniel Locke, the icy Alpha Commander who she had the misfortune of pissing off. Big time. Fierce, powerful, and determined, Daniel has spent his whole life defending those he loves. But this time the enemy is invisible, and everywhere. An enemy that could destroy his entire race. The last thing he needs is a curvy, brunette firecracker who’s been a thorn in his side for more than a decade. But the Alliance has other ideas. The disease is spreading, and Parker’s technological abilities might be their only hope for survival. It is a race against the clock for this unlikely couple as they attempt to save those they love, while at the same time contend with a mutual attraction that refuses to be silenced. Wattys award winner for Voracious Reads with over 3.5 million reads online. What Amazon readers are saying: ★★★★★ "This paranormal thriller will have you on the edge of your seat, unable to put down this nerve wracking story." ★★★★★ "An amazing book which entices every nerve ending... a book which brings all your paranormal fantasies to life." ★★★★★ "It has been a long time since I picked up a book and couldn't put it down until the last page!" ★★★★★ "The plot is gripping and didn’t want to let me go." ★★★★★ "Not a dull moment until you’ve turned the last page. I’m already looking forward to the next installment" ★★★★★ "Awesome fast paced story with twists and turns, you just can't stop reading."

Cancer Hates Kisses


Jessica Reid Sliwerski - 2017
    And through all the stages of treatment--surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, losing her hair--she thought about how hard it would be to talk to your child about cancer while coping with it. She wrote this picture book to give other parents and their children an encouraging tool for having those conversations--a lovingly upbeat book that is also refreshingly authentic and straightforward. With its simple text and heartwarming illustrations, Cancer Hates Kisses is relatable to any type of cancer.

A Few Minor Adjustments: A Memoir of Healing


Cherie Kephart - 2017
    The persistent health challenges led to years of suffering, during which her symptoms time and again were undiagnosed by well-meaning medical doctors and healers who were sometimes competent, sometimes careless, sometimes absurd, and always baffled. The anguish, the uncertainty, and the relentless pain would have caused many people to simply give up and end their lives—and Cherie came close. Told with brutal honesty, astonishing wit, and a haunting vulnerability, A Few Minor Adjustments is an unforgettable memoir that will move you with its fiercely inspirational account of one woman’s incredible journey to find life-saving answers. In the end, she finds much more than a diagnosis.

Cyclone


Doreen Cronin - 2017
    But right after they disembark, Nora’s cousin Riley falls to the ground…and doesn’t get up. Nora had begged and dragged Riley onto the ride, and no matter what the doctors say, that she had a heart condition, that it could have happened at any time, Nora knows it was her fault. Then, as Riley comes out of her coma, she’s not really Riley at all. The cousin who used to be loud and funny and unafraid now can’t talk, let alone go to the bathroom by herself. No, she’s only 10% Riley. Nora, guilt eating her up on the inside worse than a Coney Island hotdog, thinks she knows how to help. How to get 100% Riley back. But what Nora doesn’t realize is that the guilt will only get worse as that percentage rises.

A Rather Unusual Romance


Stevie Turner - 2017
    Not too far away somebody else, Alan Beaumont, is also suffering a similar fate. Their paths slowly come together in this inspiring and humorous tale which is partly based on actual events, and shows how love can flourish in the most unlikely of circumstances.

Sweet Tea Tuesdays


Ashley Farley - 2017
    And then they stopped. From the author of the bestselling Sweeney Sisters Series comes a novel of friendship, family, and hope.When new next-door neighbors Georgia, Midge, and Lula first assembled on Georgia’s porch in Charleston for sweet tea, they couldn’t have known their gathering was the beginning of a treasured tradition. For twenty-six years they have met on Tuesdays at four o’clock, watching the seasons change and their children grow up, supporting each other in good times and in bad. With their ambitions as different as their personalities, these best friends anticipate many more years of tea time. And then, one Tuesday, Georgia shares news that brings their long-standing social hour to an abrupt halt. And that’s only the beginning as unraveling secrets threaten to alter their friendship forever. This is a new release of an edition originally published by Leisure Time Books.

Believe Me: My Battle with the Invisible Disability of Lyme Disease


Yolanda Hadid - 2017
    Over the months and years that followed, she went from being an outspoken, multi-tasking, hands-on mother of three, reality TV star, and social butterfly, to a woman who spent most of her time in bed. Yolanda was turned inside out by some of the country’s top hospitals and doctors, but due to the lack of definitive diagnostic testing, she landed in a dark maze of conflicting medical opinions, where many were quick to treat her symptoms but could never provide clear answers to their possible causes.In this moving, behind the scenes memoir, Yolanda Hadid opens up in a way she has never been able to in the media before. Suffering from late stage Lyme, a disease that is an undeniable epidemic and more debilitating than anyone realizes, Yolanda had to fight with everything she had to hold onto her life. While her struggle was lived publicly, it impacted her privately in every aspect of her existence, affecting her family, friends and professional prospects. Her perfect marriage became strained and led to divorce. It was the strong bond with her children, Gigi, Bella and Anwar, that provided her greatest motivation to fight through the darkest days of her life. Hers is an emotional narrative and all-important read for anyone unseated by an unexpected catastrophe. With candor, authenticity and an unwavering inner strength, Yolanda reveals intimate details of her journey crisscrossing the world to find answers for herself and two of her children who suffer from Lyme and shares her tireless research into eastern and western medicine. Believe Me is an inspiring lesson in the importance of having courage and hope, even in those moments when you think you can’t go on.

Cancer: It can be a lonely journey


Ron Millicent - 2017
    Husband dealing with wife's cancer

Aoba-kun's Confessions, Vol. 5


Ema Tōyama - 2017
    Aoba watches them, feeling conflicted about the whole situation. The timing doesn't seem to ever be right for Aoba and Mayo… Then, there's a big shakeup in the love triangle after an incident at the Cultural Festival! Check out the peak of this emotional love story in Volume 5!

Show Me a Kindness


Nancy Brandon - 2017
    With the help of Comfort, a domestic worker living with her own tremendous loss, Marthanne discovers that Oma is another distinct personality inhabiting her body. In a time when mental illness is taboo, Marthanne and Oma’s simple, small-town life is fraught with complexity and danger.With gossip running rampant, Marthanne and Oma will do anything to avoid their greatest fear: commitment to an insane asylum. Only by relying on Comfort’s kindness can they navigate their uncertain future. Friendship becomes sanctuary, and the quest for an ordinary life leads to an extraordinary bond.Deeply moving and exquisitely wrought, Show Me a Kindness is a haunting novel of love, survival, and hiding in plain sight.

The Wide Circumference of Love


Marita Golden - 2017
    She never expected to slowly lose her talented husband to the debilitating effects of early-onset dementia. As a respected family court judge, she’s spent her life making tough calls, but when her sixty-eight-year-old husband’s health worsens and Diane is forced to move him into an assisted living facility, it seems her world is spinning out of control.As Gregory’s memory wavers and fades, Diane and her children must reexamine their connection to the man he once was—and learn to love the man he has become. For Diane’s daughter Lauren, it means honoring her father by following in his footsteps as a successful architect. But for her son Sean, it means finding a way to finally forge a bond with his father before it’s too late. Supporting her children as they find new footing in a changing landscape, Diane remains resolute in her goal to keep her family together—until her husband finds love with another resident of the facility. Suddenly faced with an uncertain future, Diane must choose a new path and discover her own capacity for love. Will she choose renewal, or regret?

Aoba-kun's Confessions, Vol. 4


Ema Tōyama - 2017
    After knowing his secret, Mayo and Aoba-kun get closer. Meanwhile, Nao becomes paranoid after Haruma, a former schoolmate with a grudge, says some harsh words about Aoba-kun, and he turns to Mayo with his worries. After confiding in Mayo, is Nao starting to fall for her…?! The love gets deeper in Volume 4!

Disease


Hans M. Hirschi - 2017
    In Hunter’s case, that’s his partner Ethan and their five-year-old daughter Amy. How will they react to, and deal with, Hunter’s changing behavior, his memory lapses, and the consequences for their everyday lives?Disease is a story of Alzheimer’s, seen through the eyes of one affected family.

Explain Pain Supercharged


David S. Butler - 2017
    The authors apply their unique style to take the neuroimmune science of pain further and deeper. Explain Pain Supercharged will provide you with:- Entirely original content- Applicable educational strategies- Curriculum development- Hundreds of ready to use clinical metaphors and therapeutic narratives.This book is jam-packed with everything you need to provide effective, memorable, evidence-based, individualised pain education and treatment.

Arizona Forever: A love story


Jaclyn M. Hawkes - 2017
    Jessie Benn has everything—except Mr. Right. There’s only one problem. The one guy who intrigues her is completely wrong. She’s a veterinarian specializing in horses with a thriving practice nestled between her family’s Arizona ranches, looking for a nice, dependable guy who can take her to the eternities. He’s a visiting Australian business tycoon who’s just a touch bitter, a touch wild, and way more than a touch fascinating. What’s a girl to do? Jaclyn M Hawkes ROCKS! I love all of her books! Each is equally great. I can't think of anything negative to say about anything I have read of hers. This was another great story that had it all; great characters, fun, happiness, love, suspense, sadness, triumph, family, and joy. I'm not worried about letting my teenage daughters read anything Jaclyn writes. Thanks for another great read and please keep them coming! Couldn't put it down.... Jacklyn has a gift for giving her characters a fullness of personality, spirit and intellect that make them come to life. Her dialogue is quick, real and witty. I can only imagine what her life is like to have spawned the ideas, wisdom and humor she brings to her books This the fourth book of Jacklyn's I've read this week... I had read her first two books and then lost track of this author, not knowing she had four new books out. Found out - downloaded them, and have not quit reading since. Her emotional intelligence and wisdom come through in every chapter. This woman obviously has an amazing array of experience from which to pull her stories. She crafts characters anyone can relate to; they are thoroughly human yet their ideals are lofty. And who cannot relate to that? Each book was an engrossing read. I was transported into the lives of each character. Now I am sad there are none of her books left on my bookshelf that have yet to be read. I cannot wait for her next book! Fantastic as always! Fantastic, magnificent and beautifully written. Amazing! I have never read a book before that had me captive from the beginning. I cried, have laughed and felt her deep grief and confusion. What a wonderful book and a wonderfully exceptional writer. I can't wait to read more of Jaclyn Hawkes books! I'm becoming a really big fan of Jaclyn Hawkes, I love the way she writes! I enjoyed this book a lot. She touches on real things that we face and how we can overcome with the help of others who are put here to help us on our journey through life! I highly recommend this book and all her books! I always get the feel that it’s like a modern day western. I love it! And am always reading her books as soon as they come out. This book was great. It is a fun read that warms your heart and makes you feel just as awesome as the characters. A love story with depth and characters you want to meet This new book from Jaclyn Hawkes was delightful!

Nourishing Fats: Why We Need Animal Fats for Health and Happiness


Sally Fallon Morell - 2017
    Now, Sally explains the origins of, and science behind, the next movement in the wellness world--healthy fats. In the style of her beloved cult classics Nourishing Traditions and Nourishing Broth, Nourishing Fats supports and expands upon the growing scientific consensus that a diet rich in good fats is the key to optimum health, and the basis of a sustainable, long-term diet. Sally has been giving the clarion call for these facts for many years and now the American public is finally is catching up. In Nourishing Fats Sally shows readers why animal fats are vital for fighting infertility, depression, and chronic disease, and offers easy solutions for adding these essential fats back into readers' diets. Get excited about adding egg yolks and butter back into your breakfast, because fat is here to stay!

Caleb and Kit


Beth Vrabel - 2017
    That's because he has cystic fibrosis, a diagnosis meaning lungs that fill with mucus and a shortened lifespan. Caleb tries not to let his disorder define him, but it can be hard with an overprotective, prying mom and a big brother who is perfect in every way. Then Caleb meets Kit-a vibrant, independent, and free girl who lives in a house in the woods-and his world changes instantly. Kit reads Caleb's palm and tells him they are destined to become friends. She calls birds down from the sky, turns every day into an adventure, and never sees him as his disorder. Her magic is contagious, making Caleb question the rules and order in his life. But being Kit's friend means embracing deception and, more and more, danger. Soon Caleb will have to decide if his friendship with Kit is really what's best for him-or Kit.

Aoba-kun's Confessions, Vol. 3


Ema Tōyama - 2017
    Not only that, he also tells her that she’s no longer needed as his Listening House girl! But then, at the Inter-High preliminaries, he runs into Asuka, his basketball teammate (and possible ex-girlfriend?) from his junior high school days. Asuka knows about his past, and Mayo sees that Aoba-kun is clearly shaken up. The drama continues in Volume 3!

Running Still


Steven Sheiner - 2017
    Less than a year after escaping the big city for a taste of the simple life, his family is sick. His wife and kids have all been diagnosed with a never before seen illness. But why isn't he sick? And how is there already a drug available for this new disease? Jack will stop at nothing to get answers, and to save his family. With the help of some surprising and unexpected friends, he uncovers a conspiracy that is bigger than anything he could have imagined. But is it more than he can handle? Filled with action, drama, and suspense, Running Still is a roller coaster ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end!

Tell Me Something Real


Kristen Kehoe - 2017
    Sees everything." ...our fingers fan against one another, eventually threading together, where we grip tightly. "She sees everything, too. In him." Lincoln Brewer was no stranger to disappointment and heartache. An addict mom, no money, and an autoimmune disease which required far more time and attention than she had, taught Lincoln early on that people like her could only survive-dreams were for other people, the kind to whom the word future meant more than a high school diploma and moving far, far away from the town they had grown up in. Go to school, work, run, repeat. Look for the day she could leave and begin life without the baggage. This was her life. And it was enough. Until him. Ford Slaughter didn't give a damn about anyone. It was easier that way. Well, had been easier, until it landed him in the middle of a lawsuit/scandal that his parents couldn't deal with, which then landed him in the middle of Podunk U.S.A., aka Albany, Oregon. Regardless of location, his plan was simple: engage with no one, go to school, and count down the days until he was eighteen and graduated so he could finally be free. What Ford didn't count on was the girl who literally fell into his lap that first day. He didn't count on Lincoln Brewer. He didn't count on falling in love.

Silk Flowers


Meghan Lamb - 2017
    She feels it looming as she rises from the bed. She feels it humming through the floorboards, through her feet, and through her legs."*"A poetry of the body these words—a meticulous meditation. With a full control of voice and tone, Meghan Lamb captures the complexities of illness, on relationships, on memory, on the disappearing self, the lonely isolation of an altered state. A serious and elegant book." —Sean Lovelace, author of Fog Gorgeous Stag "Silk Flowers is incisive, intimate, ethereal yet physical, capturing the disconnect between lovers, a disconnect that appears to travel deep into each one of them and then manifest in mysterious, unbidden ways. Sharply written, structured in an almost unsettling his/hers dichotomy, this is a novel that will make the reader ponder the distances between and within." —Dao Strom, author of We Were Meant to Be a Gentle People"The seemingly affectless language of this short, serrated novel hides rages and terrors just looking for the chance to do in a nice reader like you. Silk Flowers is the sort of novel a better mother would've warned you about." —James Tadd Adcox, author of Does Not Love*Meghan Lamb holds an MFA from Washington University. She currently lives in St. Louis with her partner, Jason Pappariella. In addition to this book, she has a novella (Sacramento, from Solar Luxuriance) and a chapbook (Dear Theresa, from dancing girl press) to her name.She wrote this book during a nine-month period wherein her left leg mysteriously stopped working. She was diagnosed with a peroneal neuropathy and told that her nerve would regenerate eventually.Six years later, her left leg now works normally.*Available for purchase at birdsoflace.etsy.com

beyond rock bottom


Kara Petrovic - 2017
    These poems give a look into the heartbreak, anguish, and ultimately, acceptance that comes to those afflicted with Mental Illness. Spanning across three years, they are an anthology of her relationships -- with those who loved her, those who did not, those whom she loved and the way she tried to love herself.

Patient 71


Julie Randall - 2017
    Out of the blue she went from a fit, healthy, fun-loving wife and mother of two, to not knowing what had happened. Or why.Rushed to hospital by ambulance, it was discovered Julie had a malignant brain tumour. Diagnosed with Stage 4 Metastatic Advanced Melanoma, she was told to get her affairs in order because she didn't have long to live.After getting over the initial shock, Julie fought off the fear and started searching for hope. She found an American experimental drug trial, but was told there was only room for 70 patients and the numbers were full. Julie had promised her teenage daughters that she would find a way to 'fix it' so she refused to take no for an answer. Her tenacity paid off and she flew to Oregon and the Providence Cancer Center. She became PATIENT 71.Not everyone survives a cancer diagnosis. Julie is one of the lucky ones. She discovered that when you push the boundaries, refuse to give up and never lose sight of your goal... extraordinary things can happen.

Longbourn's Distinguished Guest: A Pride and Prejudice Variation


Emily Russell - 2017
    Absorbed in her book, she had lost track of time and is obliged to run home through the darkening woods before she is too late. Mr Darcy of Pemberley had been feeling unwell for several days. Only his promise to his friend Bingley forces him to ride out from London to Hertfordshire where he is to assist him with the running of his estate. But as he rides through the darkening woods towards Netherfield, his illness finally overtakes him and he falls unconscious from his horse. Elizabeth is shocked to find him and with the help of her father, takes the young man home to Longbourn where she nurses him through his illness. He is too weak to travel and is obliged to remain under the Bennets care, much to the anger of Mr Bingley’s ambitious sister, Caroline Bingley, who has her sights set on becoming Mrs Darcy. As Elizabeth and Darcy grow closer, rumours spread through the small rural town of Meryton about a marriage between the two. Elizabeth attempts to quash the rumours, but trouble starts when they reach the wrong ears and soon, the jealousy of others threaten to tear the two apart.

Chocolate Kisses


River Ford - 2017
    She's in pain and trying to figure out what to do with a diagnosis that will change her future. It's hard to dream of happiness, but the new guy in town manages to make her laugh. Can she take a chance he'll stick around? Eric Hunt is an up and coming sculptor who has grown tired of his fake friends in New York City. He finds himself in the small town of Eureka Springs looking for the passion he used to have for his art. Could Kerri be the inspiration he needs?

It's Just Nerves: Notes on a Disability


Kelly Davio - 2017
    ‘Strange men have had their hands on me for days,’ Kelly Davio observes during a plasma treatment. Her skillful portrait of myasthenia gravis does not exist in a vacuum. It’s Just Nerves is in keen dialogue with the world around us—critiquing modern health care, pub seating etiquette, alarming election outcomes, smarmy meditation culture, and caricatures of illness in ads and on screen.

After Silence: A History of AIDS through Its Images


Avram Finkelstein - 2017
    Cofounder of the collective Silence = Death and member of the art collective Gran Fury, Avram Finkelstein tells the story of how his work and other protest artwork associated with the early years of the pandemic were created. In writing about art and AIDS activism, the formation of collectives, and the political process, Finkelstein reveals a different side of the traditional HIV/AIDS history, told twenty-five years later, and offers a creative toolbox for those who want to learn how to save lives through activism and making art.

Aoba-kun's Confessions, Vol. 6


Ema Tōyama - 2017
    As they enter a new stage in their relationship, Mayo’s heart hasn’t stopped pounding…!! She inadvertently ends up avoiding him, which causes Aoba-kun to worry that his condition is making her anxious. Meanwhile, Nao overhears a conversation that Aoba’s feelings will fade away someday. It looks like Aoba and Mayo’s love is still fraught with troubles. This refreshing, pure love story continues in Volume 6!

The Ibs Elimination Diet and Cookbook: The Proven Low-Fodmap Plan for Eating Well and Feeling Great


Patsy Catsos - 2017
     Originally self-published as IBS--Free at Last! and now expanded with 50 recipes, this is the bible of the low-FODMAP lifestyle. FODMAP is an acronym for a group of difficult-to-digest carbohydrates found in wheat, milk, beans, and soy, as well as some fruits, veggies, nuts, and sweeteners ("fermentable oligo-, di-, mono-saccharides and polyols"), and this book walks you through eliminating all of them from your diet, and then adding them back in one by one to discover your unique sensitivity fingerprint. Originally developed by researchers at Monash University in Australia, the low-FODMAP diet offers relief to IBS sufferers (estimated 64 million in the US), as well as those with Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and nonresponsive celiac disease. The IBS Elimination Diet and Cookbook offers the theory along with a step-by-step elimination program, comprehensive Q&A's, delicious recipes, and 25 full-color photos.

Imperfect


Kelly Moore - 2017
    Too bad she has enough defiance in her to hate my guts.Never, EVER go into business with the woman whose heart you shattered. I’ve lost my ever-loving mind!I fell for Aedon Thatcher years ago, the moment I laid eyes on her.Her beauty, brains, and “I don’t give a damn” attitude were irresistible. I thought I had my future all figured out, down to the names of our children. Then I screwed it all up. My ego, which perched higher than your average Joe, became the monster that ate away at her love for me.I went from her hero to an evil villain that she ran from. I couldn’t blame her…I hated me too.Now our venture together puts us in the same place every day. A sweet second chance. Too bad she still loathes me. At least that’s what her sexy lips say. Her body says something totally different, and I plan on taking advantage of every inch she gives me.

Dear Reflection: I Never Meant to be a Rebel (A Memoir)


Jessica Bell - 2017
    But growing up with two gothic rockers as parents seemed to make it inevitable.​In 1980s Australia, Erika Bach and Demetri Vlass founded Ape the Cry and Hard Candy, two of Melbourne’s iconic indie bands. They encouraged Jessica with unreserved love to pick up the guitar and write her own songs. But Erika’s back problem became a nightmare of pill popping, alcohol abuse, and anxiety attacks. Demetri retreated into silence for fear of triggering Erika’s drug-induced psychosis. And Jessica turned inwards, to her own reflection.But her mirror self was a fiend, not a friend. All it took was one secret drink at fifteen, and Jessica dove headlong into depression and self-destruction to escape the madness at home.Experimenting with bisexuality in a high school rife with bullies? Not a problem; she had alcohol. Losing her virginity to rape? Not a problem; she had alcohol. Trying to supplement absent love with unprotected one-night stands? Not a problem; she had alcohol ...​Until one day alcohol nearly drove Jessica off a cliff.Jessica had to look at herself honestly and frankly. Why did she keep running from reality, and more importantly ... herself?

The Bucket List


Scarlett Haven - 2017
    At 19 years old, I had just started to live. And then the doctor gave me an expiration date. So, my brother’s best friend decides to help me achieve all of my bucket list items, including getting married in Vegas. What could possibly go wrong?

Rettie and the Ragamuffin Parade: A Thanksgiving Story


Trinka Hakes Noble - 2017
    The pandemic ravaged families, leaving thousands of children as orphans. But in the tenement apartments of New York City's Lower East Side, one young girl is determined to keep her family safe. While her mother is sick with consumption, nine-year-old Loretta (Rettie) Stanowski does all the cleaning, washing, shopping, and cooking for her family. To earn money, she washes rags for the rag picker and cleans the halls and stairways of their apartment building. But Rettie knows the best way to get even more money is to participate in the Ragamuffin Parade that marches down Broadway Avenue on Thanksgiving morning. With the influenza outbreak, quarantines are ordered and large gatherings are banned. Will the parade be cancelled?

I’ll Write Your Name on Every Beach: A Mother’s Quest for Comfort, Courage and Clarity After Suicide Loss


Susan Auerbach - 2017
    Addressing the process of post-traumatic growth, this memoir provides the bereaved with therapy exercises and creative activities to help them come to terms with their loss. Although it deals directly with losing a child, much of the book pertains to grief generally, especially complicated grief after a sudden death, and thus provides comfort to any reader who has lost a close one to suicide or anyone interested in young people struggling with mental health. Organised thematically, it addresses the many issues and stages involved in the grieving process and ends each chapter with a variety of beneficial yoga, breathing and therapy activities. This allows readers to dip in and out of the book, and go at their own pace - replicating the fact that grief is not a linear journey but an iterative one that goes back and forth. This book is a lifeline for anyone struggling to process loss.

Rectified


Xyla Turner - 2017
    She hated him and he owed her but Diego refused to let her leave Cuba. More importantly, he refused to let her leave him. With time running out on the clock, Destini had to make some tough decisions to prolong her life but there was one obstacle, Diego. This short, but action-packed book is the beginning of the exotic brothers who will steal, kill and heal all for the love of their lives. Rectified is Book 1 in the Salazar Brothers Series. Bonus book and sneak peek of four other books.

No One Needed to Know


D.G. Driver - 2017
    She has always loved playing with him, but now she's 11 and her life is changing. She's embarrassed to have her brother around and doesn't want her friends to know about him. High school boys bully him. When the kids at her school find out about him, she gets bullied too. It's not fair. No one seems to understand. But Heidi needs to understand too. She can't change her brother, but she can change how she feels about him, and she can get people to see why her brother is special.A perfect children's book for people who enjoyed the bestselling children's novel Wonder by R. J. Palacio or the Newberry Honor Award winning novel Rules by Cynthia Lord. For children 8-13 years old.

Mis(h)adra


Iasmin Omar Ata - 2017
    He attempts to maintain a balancing act between his seizure triggers and his day-to-day schedule, but he finds that nothing—not even his medication—seems to work. The doctors won’t listen, the schoolwork keeps piling up, his family is in denial about his condition, and his social life falls apart as he feels more and more isolated by his illness. Even with an unexpected new friend by his side, so much is up against him that Isaac is starting to think his epilepsy might be unbeatable. Based on the author’s own experiences as an epileptic, Mis(h)adra is a boldly visual depiction of the daily struggles of living with a misunderstood condition in today’s hectic and uninformed world.

The Scent of Rain


Anne Montgomery - 2017
    But when her mentally handicapped baby sister is forced to strangle the bird she loves at the behest of the Prophet, Rose frees the bird and runs away. Adan Reyes will do anything to escape the abusive foster care system in Phoenix, even leaving his good friends and successful high school athletic career behind him. Ill-prepared for surviving the desert, Adan hits the road only to suffer heat stroke. Found by a local handyman, he catches a glimpse of a mysterious girl--Rose--running through town, and follows her into the mountains where they are both tracked and discovered by the men of the FLDS community.With their fates now intertwined, can Rose and Adan escape the systems locking them into lives of abuse? Will Rose be forced to marry the Prophet, a man her father's age, and be one of dozens of wives, perpetually pregnant, with no hope for an education? Will Adan be returned to the foster home where bullying and cruelty are common? Is everyone they meet determined to keep them right where they belong or are some adults worthy of their trust?

The Season for Love


M.W. Arnold - 2017
    A chance meeting with mysterious stranger, single-parent Josh Morgan and his bewitching young daughter Lizzy, breathe new life into her and gradually, she feels able to start to let go of the memory of her lost love. Unexpected links are revealed between the two families that strengthen the growing bonds she feels to this man and with the encouragement of her best friend Annie, herself hiding a hidden conflict from Chrissie, she battles with her demons to believe in her ability to trust and love again. Everything comes to a head on Christmas Day; which all goes to show that this is truly The Season for Love.

In the Moment


Alison G. Bailey - 2017
    If you’re not in one, then you’re not living.Cadence Fletcher wants to start a new chapter in her life. The problem is, the nightmare she’s been living for the past two years has stripped away her identity, leaving behind only a shell of who she used to be. Until one night. One random meeting. And one moment, brought her heart, soul, and body back to life.From the very first moment he saw her, Luken Schaffer couldn’t get Cadence out of his mind. He wanted her. He needed her. And wasn’t going to back down until he got her.But when Luken reveals a family secret, Cadence is torn between living the life she always dreamed of, and sacrificing it all, so that Luken has a chance at the future he deserves.