The Language of Hoofbeats


Catherine Ryan Hyde - 2014
    New to a small town, Jackie and Paula envision a quiet life for their kids: a young adopted son and two teenage foster children, including the troubled Star. However, they quickly butt heads with their neighbor, Clementine, who disapproves of their lifestyle and is incensed when Star befriends her spirited horse, Comet. Haunted by past tragedy and unable to properly care for Comet, Clem nevertheless resents the bond Star soon shares with the horse. When Star disappears with Comet, the neighbors are thrown together—far too close together. But as the search for the pair wears on, both families must learn to put aside their animosity and confront the choices they’ve made and the scars they carry. Plumbing the depths of regret and forgiveness, The Language of Hoofbeats explores the strange alchemy that transforms a group of people into a family.

There's No Such Thing As 'Naughty': The groundbreaking guide for parents with children aged 0-5


Kate Silverton - 2021
    Want to know the secret to tackling tantrums and tears, stopping squabbles in seconds AND lay the foundations for your child's good mental health in the process?In There's No Such Thing As 'Naughty', mum to two young children, journalist and children's mental health advocate Kate Silverton shares her groundbreaking new approach to parenting under-fives that helps to make family life so much easier and and certainly a lot more fun!Kate's unique strategies, easy-to-follow scripts and simple techniques will enable you to manage those tricky everyday challenges with ease - and help you to enjoy the strongest bond possible with your child, both now and in the years ahead.Endorsed by leading figures in the field of children's mental health, at the heart of the book is a simple and revelatory way to understand how your child's brain develops and how it influences their behaviour.Rooted in the latest science - explained really simply - this engaging, accessible and warm parenting guide will redefine how you see and raise your children, with a new understanding that for under-fives, there can be no such thing as 'naughty'.

Rescuing Julia Twice: A Mother's Tale of Russian Adoption and Overcoming Reactive Attachment Disorder


Tina Traster - 2014
    Why wouldn’t she look her parents in the eye or accept their embraces? Why didn’t she cry when she got hurt? Why didn’t she make friends at school? Traster de­scribes how uncertainty turned to despair as she blamed herself and her mothering skills for her daughter’s troublesome behavioral is­sues, until she came to understand that Julia suffered from reactive attachment disorder, a serious condition associated with infants and young children who have been neglect­ed, abused, or orphaned in infancy. <!--?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /-->Hoping to help lift the veil of secrecy and shame that too often surrounds parents struggling with attachment issues, Traster describes how with work, commitment, and acceptance, she and her husband have been able to close the gulf between them and their daughter to form a loving bond, and concludes by providing practical advice, strategies, and resources for parents and caregivers.

Just Who Will You Be?


Maria Shriver - 2008
    That's because in a way, we're starting out fresh in the world every single day." Just Who Will You Be is a candid, heartfelt, and inspirational book for seekers of all ages. Inspired by a speech she gave, Maria Shriver's message is that what you do in your life isn't what matters. It's who you are. It's an important lesson that will appeal to anyone of any age looking for a life of meaning. In her own life, Shriver always walked straight down her own distinctive path, achieving her childhood goal of becoming "award-winning network newswoman Maria Shriver". But when her husband was elected California's Governor and she suddenly had to leave her job at NBC News, Maria was thrown for a loop. Right about then, her nephew asked her to speak at his high school graduation. She resisted, wondering how she could possibly give advice to kids, when she was feeling so lost herself. But in the end she relented and decided to dig down and dig deep, and the result is this little jewel.Just Who Will You Be reminds us that the answer to many of life's question lie within -- and that we're all works in progress. That means it's never too late to become the person you want to be. Now the question for you is this: Just who will you be?

The Kindest Lie


Nancy Johnson - 2021
    In Chicago, Ruth Tuttle, an Ivy-League educated Black engineer, is married to a kind and successful man. He’s eager to start a family, but Ruth is uncertain. She has never gotten over the baby she gave birth to—and was forced to leave behind—when she was a teenager. She had promised her family she’d never look back, but Ruth knows that to move forward, she must make peace with the past.Returning home, Ruth discovers the Indiana factory town of her youth is plagued by unemployment, racism, and despair. As she begins digging into the past, she unexpectedly befriends Midnight, a young white boy who is also adrift and looking for connection. Just as Ruth is about to uncover a burning secret her family desperately wants to keep hidden, a traumatic incident strains the town’s already searing racial tensions, sending Ruth and Midnight on a collision course that could upend both their lives.Powerful and revealing, The Kindest Lie captures the heartbreaking divide between Black and white communities and offers both an unflinching view of motherhood in contemporary America and the never-ending quest to achieve the American Dream.

The Lies That Bind: An Adoptee's Journey Through Rejection, Redirection, DNA, and Discovery


Laureen Pittman - 2019
     Born in a California women’s prison in 1963, Laureen Pittman was relinquished for adoption. As a child, Laureen was conditioned to believe that being adopted didn’t matter. So, it didn’t . . . until it did. Through scraps of information, Laureen stitched together her history – one that started in the psychedelic sixties and ended up in a future where DNA could solve mysteries. She never imagined that spitting into a plastic tube, along with painstaking research and the explosion of technology would reveal the answers to her identity. Laureen’s tale is for anyone who has ever questioned who they are, where they came from, or how they fit in. Her journey to find her truth illustrates the strength and power of our need for connection, belonging, and healing through knowledge. What people are saying about The Lies That Bind "Pittman walks, with grace and wisdom, through the uncharted and difficult territory, where she uncovers secrets long buried and finds those who embrace one another as a family. Hers is a story of resilience and tenacity. It is about the peace that comes when we are in the shadows no more, and it will inspire others on their own healing path." ~ Linda Hoye, Author of Two Hearts: An Adoptee’s Journey Through Grief to Gratitude "Laureen’s tale from the point of view of an adoptee is one of incredible bravery and courage. Her beautiful voice echoes through the pages with pain and joy, disappointment and redemption. No matter if you have been involved in adoption directly or not, there is beauty to be found in this heart-wrenching book." ~ From the Foreword by Angie Martin, Bestselling & Award-winning author of Conduit and Chrysalis

Daditude: The Joys & Absurdities of Modern Fatherhood


Chris Erskine - 2018
    And that's exactly the way he likes it, except when he doesn't. Every week in the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune (and now and then in many other papers), Erskine distills, mocks, and makes us laugh at the absurdities of suburban fatherhood. And now, he's gathered the very best of these witty and wise essays—and invited his kids (and maybe even Posh) to annotate them with updated commentary, which they promise won't be too snarky. This handsome book is the perfect gift for the father who would have everything—if he hadn't already given it all to his kids.

The Expectant Dad's Handbook: All you need to know about pregnancy, birth and beyond


Dean Beaumont - 2013
    This exciting new book, from a leading expert in working with expectant dads, doesn’t sideline or speak down to men. Instead it provides an array of targeted information to fully prepare men for their new roles – as both birth partners and fathers.The Expectant Dad’s Handbook is a one-stop guide for men on their path to fatherhood. It provides practical answers to all the questions on the mind of a dad-to-be – from what to expect at each stage of pregnancy to how to cope with any worries and fears about becoming a dad. It also reveals unique insights into a dad’s role during labour, showing key strategies for improving the birth.Both practical and accessible, this guide will provide all the information and advice fathers need for the journey ahead.

The Nanny Connie Way: Secrets to Mastering the First Four Months of Parenthood


Constance Simpson - 2018
    Have no fear! Nanny Connie is here with all the solutions you need for every baby-care dilemma from comforting a colicky infant to trying to breastfeed in public. Her sweet and sassy drawl seeps right out of these pages, reassuring you that everything will be fine, as she guides you with her God-given wisdom, larger-than-life compassion, and three decades worth of experience and patience. Connie, “quite simply one of the greatest humans on this planet” (Emily Blunt) and a mother herself, comes from many generations of strong women with loads of experience in mothering, midwifery, and Southern values. Broken into three easy-to-follow sections (pre-baby arrangements, that immediate post-birth glow, and the first four months of the rest of your life), The Nanny Connie Way is your go-to, first-time-parent-proof baby manual that will give you not only the guidance you crave, but also the confidence to be the best parent you can be. Connie tackles everything from: -Breastfeeding Do and Don’ts -The Power of the Pacifier -Bath Time With Baby -The Nighttime Sleep Ritual -Managing New Mommy Stress Connie won’t just get you through the sleepless nights and the explosive diapers—she’s going to make you thrive. *Download The Nanny Connie Way AR App to experience Nanny Connie in your own home through exclusive videos! (Please note, readers reading on a mobile device may not be able to experience the AR videos.)

Celebrating Sanctuary (Magical Mischief at the B&B Book 5)


Susi Hawke - 2021
    It’s me, Darcy Valentine. I’m still enjoying a fabulous, never-ending first date with my sexy vampire boyfriend Storm. Can you believe we’re celebrating a year together? Yep, we go together like toast and jam. He’s still helping me with the B&B I run inside the warded walls of the quirky, ancestral castle I call home with the rest of the special family my mama and I built with the motley group of weirdos who live here with us.Lordy, do I ever have a crazy tale for you this time. I’m a huge fan of not just Storm but so many other authors. Imagine my thrill when Storm gets the invite to appear at a reader con right here in Austin. You only know I have to go with him, right? It’s the perfect way to celebrate things getting back to normal, our first anniversary, and… did I mention there’d be book signings?Just one thing… Nobody told me these conventions can be deadly. Life-changing, in fact. Remember how I said I’m a huge fanboy? Y’all… I ain’t got nothin’ on the Storm Chasers. Who are they, you ask? Ha! Have a seat. This one might take a few to tell.This 24k novella is the fifth and final book in the Magical Mischief at the B&B series. This book does not contain mpreg, and if you’re looking for serious literature, this ain't it. But if you want to laugh so hard you’ll wake the neighbors, this should get you there. There might be a few tears this time, but it’s mostly full of all the fluffy, happy feels you’d expect from a Susi Hawke book. It could also be a choking hazard due to a ridiculous amount of awful jokes, so maybe don’t eat or drink while reading, okay?

Paris to the Moon


Adam Gopnik - 2000
    The name alone conjures images of chestnut-lined boulevards, sidewalk cafés, breathtaking façades around every corner--in short, an exquisite romanticism that has captured the American imagination for as long as there have been Americans.In 1995, Adam Gopnik, his wife, and their infant son left the familiar comforts and hassles of New York City for the urbane glamour of the City of Light. Gopnik is a longtime New Yorker writer, and the magazine has sent its writers to Paris for decades--but his was above all a personal pilgrimage to the place that had for so long been the undisputed capital of everything cultural and beautiful. It was also the opportunity to raise a child who would know what it was to romp in the Luxembourg Gardens, to enjoy a croque monsieur in a Left Bank café--a child (and perhaps a father, too) who would have a grasp of that Parisian sense of style we Americans find so elusive.So, in the grand tradition of the American abroad, Gopnik walked the paths of the Tuileries, enjoyed philosophical discussions at his local bistro, wrote as violet twilight fell on the arrondissements. Of course, as readers of Gopnik's beloved and award-winning "Paris Journals" in The New Yorker know, there was also the matter of raising a child and carrying on with day-to-day, not-so-fabled life. Evenings with French intellectuals preceded middle-of-the-night baby feedings; afternoons were filled with trips to the Musée d'Orsay and pinball games; weekday leftovers were eaten while three-star chefs debated a "culinary crisis."As Gopnik describes in this funny and tender book, the dual processes of navigating a foreign city and becoming a parent are not completely dissimilar journeys--both hold new routines, new languages, a new set of rules by which everyday life is lived. With singular wit and insight, Gopnik weaves the magical with the mundane in a wholly delightful, often hilarious look at what it was to be an American family man in Paris at the end of the twentieth century. "We went to Paris for a sentimental reeducation - I did anyway - even though the sentiments we were instructed in were not the ones we were expecting to learn, which I believe is why they call it an education."

Ageless: A Yogi's Secrets to a Long and Healthy Life


Sharath Jois - 2018
    Fast delivery through DHL/FedEx express.

Be Their Example... a Bible study for 9-12 year olds


Heidi Kreider - 2012
    a short Bible study on 1 Timothy 4:12 for 9-12 year olds

Labor Day: Birth Stories for the Twenty-first Century: Thirty Artful, Unvarnished, Hilarious, Harrowing, Totally True Tales


Eleanor Henderson - 2014
    Bookstores are filled with month-by-month pregnancy manuals, but the shelves are virtually empty of artful, entertaining, unvarnished accounts of labor and delivery—the stories that new mothers need most.     Here is a book that transcends the limits of how-to guides and honors the act of childbirth in the twenty-first century. Eleanor Henderson and Anna Solomon have gathered true birth stories by women who have made self-expression their business, including Cheryl Strayed, Julia Glass, Lauren Groff, Dani Shapiro, and many other luminaries.     In Labor Day, you’ll read about women determined to give birth naturally and others begging for epidurals; women who pushed for hours and women whose labors were over practically before they’d started; women giving birth to twins and to ten-pound babies. These women give birth in the hospital, at home, in bathtubs, and, yes, even in the car. Some revel in labor, some fear labor, some feel defeated by labor, some are fulfilled by it—and all are amazed by it. You will laugh, weep, squirm, perhaps groan in recognition, and undoubtedly gasp with surprise. And then you’ll call every mother or mother-to-be that you know and say “You MUST read Labor Day.”

Adopted: The Sacrament of Belonging in a Fractured World


Kelley Nikondeha - 2017
    Her story and her biblically grounded reflections will give readers rich new insights into the mystery of belonging to God’s big family. The Academy of Parish Clergy’s 2018 Top Ten Books for Parish Ministry