Book picks similar to
Braiding Roses by Elise Stoltenbreck
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The Girl Who Cheated Death
Alan Baker - 2018
Ironically, recovering from her emotional and physical scars is not her biggest challenge. She is also haunted by Azrael, the angel of death. On the morning of the accident, Alex watches as Azrael takes the souls of her family. And the visions keep coming. A man with oily black hair in a pinstripe suit appears to Alex in the hospital, outside her high school, and in the woods near her campsite. She worries that she’s crazy, though Azrael appears to be just as threatened by her ability to see him. She confides in her doctor and friends and, while they appear to believe her, they are unable to help Alex banish death. Midway through the book, the narrative takes an unexpected twist and Alex’s recovery is overshadowed by the realization that she could bring her family back to life. But Azrael is determined to stop Alex’s meddling and she must enlist the help of her remaining family and friends if there is any hope for success.The Girl Who Cheated Death placed as a Semi-Finalist in the 2018 Faulkner Wisdom Competition
Apotheosis Now: Rabbit Hole to the Beyond
Yanhao Huang - 2021
Because externally, we are always trying to control what is “not me,” and internally, we always get perplexed trying to figure out whether our actions came from our “higher” or “lower” self. As Albert Einstein said: “We can not solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”This book will help you to understand:Why we have internal conflictsHow does our ego trap us in undesirable circumstancesHow do our beliefs limit usWhy thought-based teachings (Law of Attraction), or self-improvement advice don’t workHow do we really get what we wantWhy is happiness so rare for usWho we are reallyWhat is the nature of existenceWhat is the meaning of lifeHow do we know if there is a GodWhat is the process of spiritual enlightenmentMany of us are starting to become tired of this game of life. We have been comparing and striving all our life. But no matter how much success we have achieved—we are still hollow and still have found nothing fulfilling. We don’t even know if happiness exists because it is no longer a living thing in our experience—it has become dead, as we only know it as a concept or memory.We have sought self-help advice, philosophies, and religious teachings to transform ourselves but have not gotten anywhere. We have made some superficial improvements—like adopting a new mindset—but our core remains the same. We are still competitive, still fearful, and we get disturbed all the time.The problem with all attempts at self-improvement is that we do not address the fundamental problem, which is: who is the “you” who needs to be improved? We do not see that the one who is making the improvement is the same one who needs to be improved. The more we try to improve, the more conflict we introduce, within and without. The more knowledge we stuff in our heads, the more we become trapped in a conceptual prison of reality. Inevitably, the more confused we get in life.The book guides the reader out of their distorted beliefs to experience reality beyond the mind. When the deeper intelligence is allowed to flourish without our mind's interference, then the game of life becomes effortless.
Venus, Burning
H. Jewel Lohr - 2017
Well, at least on the surface. Recently engaged to Seattle’s most loved congressman, Michael Brenner, they are two kids and a yellow Lab short of becoming the picture-perfect family. That is, minus her haunted past and growing dissatisfaction with their relationship. Things get more complicated when she has a chance encounter with an old flame. One that was never extinguished. Psychiatrist and best-selling author William Debroux is one of the only people who know about Ava’s traumatic upbringing, and has always understood her in a way no one else has. Despite the six years that have passed without seeing one another, her heart soars when she lays eyes on him again. She suddenly finds herself longing for the blossoming romance they shared when she was just a silly college girl at NYU, her mind rushing with memories of when she first wandered into his office as a patient. If she wasn’t already conflicted enough, things get even more strange when she finds out that her fiancé has recently befriended William. As their lives start to become more intertwined, and William begins hinting that he intends on winning her back, she begins to ask herself...Is my heart really behind this upcoming marriage? Or was it already stolen in New York all those years ago?Warning: Contains explicit sexual content. Recommended only for readers 18+.
Snowed In at the Alaskan Lodge
Amberlee Day - 2020
Smooth, sophisticated, polished.He was the one who’d messed up, so she could add righteous to her list.Yeah, that would feel good.But then Ingrid never imagined meeting him at an isolated Alaskan resort, one she couldn’t escape from quite so easily. Or, that running away would mean giving up a shot at her dream job.No, she would endure every uncomfortable and awkward situation with her ex so that she could have the satisfaction of winning the job for herself.If only he’d stop looking at her in that way that makes her smooth, sophisticated, righteous knees go weak. And making her laugh, like he always did, which is totally not fair.But that’s okay. She can resist him for four days. As long as the unpredictable Alaska weather holds, she’ll leave this island with her dignity intact, if not her heart.A sweet romantic comedy set in Alaska, with snow, an isolated resort, a couple who messed it up the first time around, and, if they’re very lucky, a second chance at romance. Grab your copy today!Fun fact: If you’ve read Amberlee’s books Family Dinners with the Billionaire or Camping with the Billionaire, this is Ingrid Chastain-Bolt and Tyson Sydow’s story! Goosebumps!!This standalone book is the Snowed In for Christmas Clean Romance Series Book 6
Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance
Alison EspachAlison Espach
It's full of family trips to the beach and long afternoons at the local pool with her older sister Kathy, which they mostly use as an excuse to ogle Billy Barnes, who works the concession stand there. A rising senior and local basketball star, Billy has been an unending source of intrigue for both girls since he jumped off the school roof in fifth grade, and their fascination with him is one of the few things the increasingly different sisters have in common. By summer’s end Billy and Kathy are an item—an unthinkable stroke of luck that ends in an even more unthinkable tragedy.Set over the course of fifteen years, Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance is narrated by Sally as she addresses Kathy before, during, and after her death. We watch as Kathy’s absence creates a gaping hole that only Billy—now firmly off-limits to Sally—understands and might possibly begin to fill. Charting years of their shared history and missed connections, Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance is both a breathtaking love story between two broken people who are unexplainably, inconveniently drawn to each other, and a wry, sharply observant coming-of-age story that looks at the ways the people we love the most continue to shape our lives long after they’re gone.
The Christmas Forest
Rebecca Boxall - 2018
But this year someone new has come into her life: Fred, who truly gets her, and who knows how to make her happy. The only problem is that Enid has Asperger’s and doesn’t like to leave her comfort zone—and Fred lives in Australia.Like Enid, Fred has survived heartbreak and is searching for a way to start again. Could a stranger on the other side of the world really bring new meaning to his life, or is he just setting himself up for another fall?When Fred invites Enid to Australia for Christmas, her vivacious sister Bess begs her to take a risk for the first time ever. But Enid’s whole life is structured around familiarity. As the festive season approaches, she has a decision to make: play it safe, or embark on a momentous journey into the unknown?
24 + 1 Christmas Tales: Butterfly Adventures in Santa's Secret City
Alexander Ruth - 2011
They are accompanied by their friends the three electric blue fireflies and the fearful phoenix. Whether it be helping to check wish lists, granting a white Christmas or manufacturing magical Christmas presents, the butterflies can be found everywhere: their mission is to make Christmas bigger, better and more perfect.
The Almond Tree
Michelle Cohen Corasanti - 2012
Living under occupation, the inhabitants of the village harbour a constant fear of losing their homes, jobs, belongings – and each other. On Ahmed’s twelfth birthday, that fear becomes a reality. With his father now imprisoned, his family’s home and possessions confiscated and his siblings quickly succumbing to hatred in the face of conflict, Ahmed embarks on a journey to liberate his loved ones from their hardship, using his prodigious intellect. In so doing, he begins to reclaim a love for others that had been lost over the course of a childhood rife with violence, and discovers new hope for the future.
Milady
Laura L. Sullivan - 2019
A target for antipathy, a name whispered in fear or loathing.I don't need you to like me. I just need to be free.It's finally time I tell my own story. The truth isn't tidy or convenient, but it's certainly more interesting.
All the F*cks I Cannot Give
Michael Carlon - 2017
Three weeks before Christmas, New York bound mild mannered Marketing Consultant Kelly Carson gets fired from his job over the telephone while sitting in an airline lounge in the Los Angeles Airport. Terri Flynn, a fiery and controversial starlet who is running away to New York after walking off the set of her latest feature film, overhears Kelly’s unceremonious firing and becomes hell bent on transforming him from the Clark Kent he is into the Superman the impulsive actress feels he’s destined to become. After their flight to New York is cancelled, Kelly and Terri take a last-minute jaunt to Hawaii, putting in motion a series of hilarious events and misfortunes that shake both of their worlds to the core, but not always for the better. From romps on the beach and overindulging on edibles to swinger’s parties and diverted flights, Michael Carlon’s fifth novel, All the F*cks I Cannot Give, will have you belly laughing on every single page - and maybe even wishing you were in Kelly Carson’s shoes for just one day.
Life Lessons (Lessons of a Student Midwife #1)
J.E. Rowney - 2020
All that stand in her way are anxiety, self-doubt, and three years of training. Can she overcome all obstacles and make her dreams come true?Life Lessons is a new adult chick-lit medical drama, with splashes of clean romance.Expect an unputdownable emotional page-turner that will take you deep into the life lessons of a student midwife.Violet wants to be a midwife, but she has struggled with anxiety throughout her teenage years.With her best friend Zoe at her side, she gets a place at University and starts training for her dream job.Can she overcome her fears and find the self-confidence to make it through her first year?Will Zoe's romance with their housemate spell dating disaster? Book one of the Lessons of a Student Midwife series.This book is a prequel to Ghosted, the bestselling novel.
Craving London: Confessions of an Incurable Romantic with an Insatiable Appetite
Jessica Stone - 2020
In this all-consuming memoir, she indulges in one culinary adventure after another while undergoing the trials and tribulations of trying to date in a different country. Would she finally find the winning recipe for lasting love? Craving London is an intimate journey of the heart and palate. Those engaged in a life-long love affair with food and travel—as well as a hunger for self-improvement and a curiosity for foreign culture—will find many ingredients to sink their teeth into here. Join Jessica as she reinvents her life from scratch, reminisces about her Cuban roots, shares her favorite recipes, and attempts to unravel the nature of relationships…one rapturous bite at a time.
Fortune in Blood
Phil Philips - 2016
But as the youngest son of a notorious gangster, it seems he can’t escape the life. Soon he’s forced to prove himself by leading a team in the heist of the century. Will he be able to pull it off?Vince was always worried about getting to lectures on time, and spending time with his hot girlfriend. But everything changes when he’s embroiled in his detective father’s world. Now he’s on the run for his life from the mob.FBI Agent Monica is smart, beautiful, tough and unyielding. Caught in the middle of the mob and the police, her loyalty is being questioned by both sides. But Monica seems to have her own agenda.In a world where corruption is rife, she will be tested to the limit. Who can be trusted and who will be left standing? And who will ultimately escape with all the money? A showdown is set in motion and no one will be left unscathed.˃˃˃ NON STOP ACTIONIn this elaborately plotted, fast-paced thriller, Phil Philips takes you on a roller coaster ride that will keep you guessing until the very last page.˃˃˃ Phil’s writing style has been linked to James Patterson and Matthew Reilly.˃˃˃ If you like heist thrillers and corruption in America this is the book for you
Lucky's Beach
Shelley Noble - 2020
Julie also plans to use the time to figure out why her perfectly planned life has gone terribly amiss. They've barely hit the road when a frantic call from Julie's mother hijacks their best laid plans. Uncle Tony "Lucky" Costa is missing. Always entertaining, often irresponsible, never reliable, Uncle Lucky was a favorite with her friends. For Julie, for whom he'd been a sometimes surrogate father, not so much.Her mother wants them to take a "teeny" detour to look for the irascible retired surfer. Julie makes excuses. After all, she was the one who decided she never wanted to see Lucky again. Overruled in this as she is in much of her life, Julie and her friends detour to Lucky's latest scheme, Lucky's Beach Bar and Grill. They find it tucked away in a quaint coastal town on the Delaware coast. With a crescent beach of white sand, large waves, plenty of tanned young men, a lively night life, it's a perfect beach getaway.Beth and Aggie see good times ahead, Julie is determined to get through it as quickly as possible. But that will change as she gets to know Lucky's friends and confidantes. The taciturn bartender, the loyal housekeeper, the local fortune teller, the whole town shares a determination to protect him. But from what?Soon Julie and her friends are swept up in an effort to save the town's--and Lucky's-- most closely guarded secret. And Julie begins to see her uncle in a new light.Julie Barlow has a few things to learn about life--and love--and sacrifice. Her lesson begins this summer at Lucky's Beach.
I Adopted My Mom at the Bus Station
Savannah Hendricks - 2020
Having a fear of germs is inconvenient when you’re on a road-trip adventure. However, needing to know what it’s like to have a mom, and to finally see the beach means more than anything to an eleven-year-old.Some twenty years later, a man Sandy never wanted to see again shows up at her doorstep. When Sandy’s best friend places an ultimate life-changing decision in her hands, Sandy must venture back down the road, this time with the father she hates.Making these decisions will be much easier with Justin, a long-time friend, by Sandy’s side. Yet, Justin’s help only leads to continued mixed emotions Sandy has been fighting for some time.Sandy is searching for what she lost, but will she accept what she finds? A journey rich in history, the truth, and determining forgiveness with a touch of humor is the portrait of life.