The many times and tongues in these poems investigate the precariousness of personhood in lines that excoriate and sanctify. Carmen Giménez Smith turns the increasingly pressing urge to cry out into a dream of rebellion—against compromise, against inertia, against self-delusion, and against the ways the media dream up our complacency in an America that depends on it. This reckoning with self and nation demonstrates that who and where we are is as conditional as the fact of our compliance: “Miss America from sea to shining sea / the huddled masses have a question / there is one of you and all of us.” Be Recorder is unrepentant and unstoppable, and affirms Giménez Smith as one of our time’s most vital and vivacious poets.

    Body hair removal cream. Boobs. It’s all weird, but also pretty normal.Navigating racial identity, gender roles, workplace dynamics, and beauty standards, Mia Mercado's hilarious essay collection explores the contradictions of being a millennial woman, which usually means being kind of a weirdo. Whether it’s spending $30 on a candle that smells like an ocean that doesn’t exist, offering advice on how to ask about someone’s race (spoiler: just don’t, please?), quitting a job that makes you need shots of whiskey on your lunch break, or finding a more religious experience in the skincare aisle at Target than your hometown Catholic church, Mia brilliantly unpacks what it means to be a professional, absurdly beautiful, horny, cute, gross human. Essays include:•     Depression Isn’t a Competition but Why Aren’t I Winning?•     My Dog Explains My Weekly Schedule•     Mustache Lady•     White Friend Confessional•     Treating Objects Like WomenWith sharp humor and wit, Mia shares the awkward, uncomfortable, surprisingly ordinary parts of life, and shows us why it’s strange to feel fine and fine to feel strange.

    She wants to be watched. Her exhibitionist streak is ready to break free, and she knows exactly whom she wants for her voyeur. Doug would give his wife, Alana, the moon if she asked, so he’s more than willing to participate in a public threesome at a fetish party if it makes her kinky wishes come true. His business partner and best friend, Killian is the wild card in their plan. A businessman first, and a trained Dominant second, Killian never gets tied down to one submissive. He’s a lover with commitment issues, but he doesn’t hesitate to help fulfill Doug and Alana’s fantasies. Once the fantasy is set in motion, the three players must decide if watching sin is enough… Warning: Adult Themes-For Mature Audiences. Contains language and actions some may deem offensive. Sexually explicit content. M/M/F, graphic language, consensual BDSM, public sex, HFN. Short story Approx. 14,200 words.

    Tiresome. Predictable. That’s how Trish’s husband of almost 30 years described her when he told her he was leaving. Trish sets out to drink her blues away when she literally stumbles onto a man who offers her the adventure of a lifetime. Trish has no idea what she’s walking into when she visits Bliss, the local BDSM club, but under Dave’s tutelage, she takes to the new lifestyle readily.And when she’s paired for two weeks with Clint, the one Dom in the place who can’t seem to stand her, sparks fly. He keeps her so confused that Trish isn’t sure what’s going on. She’s sure of one thing, however: She’s falling for the handsome, tortured soul, and she’s hoping he’s falling for her.But when a simple mistake puts her in harm’s way at his hands, Trish has to decide: Is it an adventure worth dying for? And when everything falls apart, can she manage to forgive him? More importantly, can he forgive himself and bury the ghosts that have been haunting him for too long?Adventurous Me is a fun, sexy, sweet, explicit, romantic romp that’ll leave you breathless and hopeful. And it’s definitely not for the under-18 crowd.

    Drawing on her experience as Nigeria's finance minister and that of her team, she describes dangers, pitfalls, and successes in fighting corruption. She provides practical lessons learned and tells how anti-corruption advocates need to equip themselves. Okonjo-Iweala details the numerous ways in which corruption can divert resources away from development, rewarding the unscrupulous and depriving poor people of services.Okonjo-Iweala discovered just how dangerous fighting corruption could be when her 83-year-old mother was kidnapped in 2012 by forces who objected to some of the government's efforts at reforms led by Okonjo-Iweala—in particular a crackdown on fraudulent claims for oil subsidy payments, a huge drain on the country's finances. The kidnappers' first demand was that Okonjo-Iweala resign from her position on live television and leave the country. Okonjo-Iweala did not resign, her mother escaped, and the program of economic reforms continued. “Telling my story is risky,” Okonjo-Iweala writes. “But not telling it is also dangerous.” Her book ultimately leaves us with hope, showing that victories are possible in the fight against corruption.

    More often than not, you find yourself floating somewhere between inspiration and desperation. What's a crazy busy (but kind of lazy) home cook to do?The answer: pick up this book. Ready or Not makes healthy Paleo home cooking a breeze, no matter if there's time to prepare or just minutes to spare. Whether you're a fastidious planner or a last-minute improviser, you'll find plenty of deliciously nourishing options, from make-ahead feasts to lightning-fast leftover makeovers. Presented in Nom Nom Paleo's deliriously fun comic book style, Ready or Not makes Paleo cooking easy, no matter how much time you have. In fact, this cookbook is organized into color-coded sections to match your readiness level:GET SET! First, stock your kitchen with essential building blocks--from store-bought necessities to D.I.Y. ingredients that'll set you up for anytime cooking.READY! Got time to cook? Turn to these recipes for make-ahead meals and spectacular dishes like Pressure Cooker Bo Ssäm and Strawberry Almond Semifreddo!KINDA READY! Learn how to transform pantry staples and leftovers into impromptu meals that'll satisfy the most discriminating palates.NOT READY! Emergency meals can be delicious, too. In this section, you'll find super-fast recipes like savory stir-fries and sheet pan suppers.Along with colorfully written and gorgeously photographed step-by-step recipes presented in a cheeky cartoon format, Ready or Not features kitchen hacks, Paleo ingredient guides, meal plans, shopping lists and more!

    Definitely not suitable for all readers. Proceed with caution. ;)A Rockstar Romance set in the World of Triple Threat.Brandon Knight plays lead guitar for the world-famous rock band, Wicked End. His life is chaotic 90% of the time. The only time he feels content is when he meets up with his longtime friend and lover, Mackenzie. It was never supposed to turn into a romance.Mackenzie Winters has a career in the stressful realm of Wall Street. She lives on the edge in every aspect of her life. However, something is missing. Something she thought she never wanted, and only Brandon can give it to her.A devastating hurricane forces them to spend every waking minute together for two weeks, while Wicked End is on tour. The pull becomes stronger every day. They both yearn to admit their feelings beyond their friends with benefits arrangement. Can they find a way before it’s too late? See how it turns out in the first book in the Wicked End series.

    In poetic, nuanced prose she charts how unchecked risk-taking eventually gave way to a course of self-destruction. But as she recounts crossing over the very boundaries that she set for her own safety, she never plays the victim. In fact, the glory of this memoir is Melissa’s ability to illuminate the strange and powerful truths that she learned as she found her way out of a hell of her own making. Rest assured; the reader will emerge from the journey more or less unscathed.

    They talk about everything and share most things, including wigs and shoes. The one thing they never expected to share was neding the same man. Becca’s best friend. Jason’s long-time crush.Just when Jason realizes his love for Lucas might not be so unrequited after all, unexpected circumstance causes Lucas to be engaged to Jason’s mother instead. Although temporary, will Jason be able to watch from the sidelines as his beau walks down the aisle with another woman? Will his snooty cat, Miss Puss and Miss Jazmin Foxx, his drag persona be enough distraction for the two weeks to the wedding? Or is it just enough time for Jason’s hands to get dirty in an effort to put a stop to the wedding shenanigans? This is a gay rom-com with unrequited love, extenuating circumstances, a spontaneous wedding, alleged burglars, and a fabulous kitty named Miss Puss despite its pair of balls. A standalone novel of 90k words.(Blurb updated 09.13.19 for concerns about cheating that you will not find in this book)

    For the Christian, however, contentment is something we must apply, work at, and make our own in every circumstance, because anxiety and frustration are not neutral behaviors.It is certainly easier to just go with our natural impulses when times are “annoying” or when times are very hard, but contentment is an important part of our Christian life. Even the apostle Paul had to “learn” contentment. So we shouldn’t wonder why we’re still in spiritual kindergarten—repeating the same lessons over and over again—if we haven’t given ourselves to study contentment.Thankfully, every test God gives on contentment is open book (even the pop quizzes!). In Learning Contentment, Nancy Wilson looks to the Bible and Puritans like Burroughs, Rutherford, Watson, and Spurgeon to help us develop the practical, spiritual strength and the perspective that comes from contentment’s deep satisfaction with the will of God.This encouraging little book includes concise explanations, application questions and assignments that will involve and challenge everyone, and lots of biblical wisdom for individuals and groups.

    "A rare voice that is both relatable and unafraid to examine the complexities of her American identity.” —Reza Aslan, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of NazarethYou know that feeling of being at the wrong end of the table? Like you’re at a party but all the good stuff is happening out of earshot (#FOMO)? That’s life—especially for an immigrant.What happens when a shy, awkward Arab girl with a weird name and an unfortunate propensity toward facial hair is uprooted from her comfortable (albeit fascist-regimed) homeland of Iraq and thrust into the cold, alien town of Columbus, Ohio—with its Egg McMuffins, Barbie dolls, and kids playing doctor everywhere you turned?This is Ayser Salman’s story. First comes Emigration, then Naturalization, and finally Assimilation—trying to fit in among her blonde-haired, blue-eyed counterparts, and always feeling left out. On her journey to Americanhood, Ayser sees more naked butts at pre-kindergarten daycare that she would like, breaks one of her parents’ rules (“Thou shalt not participate as an actor in the school musical where a male cast member rests his head in thy lap”), and other things good Muslim Arab girls are not supposed to do. And, after the 9/11 attacks, she experiences the isolation of being a Muslim in her own country. It takes hours of therapy, fifty-five rounds of electrolysis, and some ill-advised romantic dalliances for Ayser to grow into a modern Arab American woman who embraces her cultural differences.Part memoir and part how-not-to guide, The Wrong End of the Table is everything you wanted to know about Arabs but were afraid to ask, with chapters such as “Tattoos and Other National Security Risks,” “You Can’t Blame Everything on Your Period; Sometimes You’re Going to Be a Crazy Bitch: and Other Advice from Mom,” and even an open letter to Trump. This is the story of every American outsider on a path to find themselves in a country of beautiful diversity.

    In the months that followed, readership grew to over 4,500 subscribers who followed her candid, unstinting, sometimes heartbreaking meditations. Word spread quickly, garnering the project recognition from outlets such as The Washington Post and NPR.This intimate investigation is one young woman’s best attempt at understanding her own rich, conflicted life, and the forces that act upon it. The collection is a thoughtful serial memoir about love, sex, money, and identity—how those forces can break us, and how they can make us whole again.

    Or, I could say things like, 'Not since War and Peace...' or 'Move over Alice Walker...' Well come on now, if a book were all those things it would be a novel, and I wouldn't resort to such low tactics...So I'll give it you straight.' As befits the sassy, original entertainer, this is no ordinary autobiography filled with the boring details. Instead, Whoopi delivers twenty-five monologues with titles such as Fate, Trust, Home, Self, Cost, Race, Choice, Dick, Death and Dream. Under the chapter 'Wind' she reveals: 'A lot of people don't know this about me...but that's how I got my name, from my frequent farting. When I was in my 20s and diagnosed with ulcers, I was encouraged to fart up a storm, and my friends started calling me Whoopi. I was like a walking whoopee cushion, they said. It was an easy tag and the name stuck.

    -John Green, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Turtles All The Way Down and The Fault in Our StarsIn Akilah Hughes's world, family--and life--are often complicated, but always funny. Through intimate and hilarious essays, Akilah takes readers along on her journey from the small Kentucky town where she was born--and eventually became a spelling bee champ and 15-year-old high school graduate--to New York City, where she took careful steps to fulfill her dream of becoming a writer and performer. Like Tiffany Haddish's The Last Black Unicorn or Mindy Kaling's Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? for the YA set, Akilah pens revealing and laugh-out-loud funny essays about her life, covering everything from her racist fifth grade teacher, her struggles with weight and acne, her failed attempts at joining the cheerleading team, how to literally get to New York (hint: for a girl on a budget, it may include multiple bus transfers) and exactly how to make it once you finally get there.

    . . but what about staying in love? Once the intense excitement of a new relationship starts to fade, you may think your only options are to somehow recapture that early magic or settle for a less than fulfilling love life. Now love, sex, and relationship expert Laura Berman, Ph.D., taps the latest scientific and metaphysical research to offer an inspiring alternative: a higher level of love beckoning you to move forward, not backward.Using the essential truth we’ve learned from the study of quantum physics—the fact that at our molecular core, each of us is simply a vessel of energy—Dr. Berman explains how you can use what’s happening in your inner world to create a level of passion, connection, and bliss in your relationship that you’ve never imagined possible. Drawing on her clinical practice and case studies as well as her personal journey, she guides you to: ·         Plot your unique energetic frequency of love with her Quantum Lovemap ·         Work consciously with the energy of your body, heart, and mind ·         Make four key commitments designed to raise your energetic profile ·         Bring your frequency into harmony with your partner’s so that you can grow together ·         Learn how to have Quantum Sex (which is every bit as good as it sounds)Quantum Love is the best possible experience of love, and it’s available to absolutely everyone, whether you’re seeking a mate, in a relationship that’s struggling, or just finding that love has turned lackluster through the stresses of life. You can’t go back to the honeymoon phase, but there is something so much better within your reach. Quantum Love lets you reach new heights of intimacy as you gain a fuller sense of purpose in life and love.