The Bad Boyfriends Bootcamp


Poppy Dolan - 2012
    . . Sam’s average relationship lasts seven weeks. And that’s when he really tries. So Molly decides to give Sam the woman’s point of view in the complicated game of dating. And when a freshly made-over Sam quickly meets – and keeps − the love of life, his desperately single friends are soon lining up to experience Molly’s Bad Boyfriends’ Bootcamp. For Molly, whose dot com business combusted into a dot bomb disaster, it presents a whole new profit-making opportunity. She’s providing a valuable service to these witless blokes, after all. Together with best friend and local fashionista Rachael and the gorgeous but deadly gym instructor Josie, Molly is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to reforming bad boyfriends. Fixing other people's problems also provides Molly with a handy distraction from her own. Namely, an over-achieving mother, a sparse love life and a very sorry-looking overdraft. Add into the mix Sam’s best friend Patrick, who seems oddly immune to Molly’s makeover techniques but determined to hang around nonetheless, and it soon becomes one problem too many . . .

If You Don't Know Me By Now


A.L. Michael - 2015
    At least, that was the plan. Finding herself in a dead-end job serving coffee to hipsters was not on her to-do list. And even if gorgeous colleague Declan does give her more of a buzz than a triple-shot cappuccino, Imogen can feel her dreams evaporating faster than the steam from an extra-hot latte.Until her anonymous tell-all blog about London’s rudest customers goes viral – and suddenly, Imogen realises that landing the worst job in the world might just be the best thing that’s ever happened to her! As long as she can keep her identity to herself…

The Gingerbread House


Kate Beaufoy - 2017
    But beware! For in the fairy-tale, that s where the witch lives...Away from the city, with no distractions, the Gingerbread House seems like the perfect place to start work on a novel. That's what former advertising copywriter Tess thinks when she goes there to live with Eleanor, her aged mother-in-law. But Eleanor is suffering from dementia, and caring for her proves tougher than Tess could ever have imagined: feeling increasingly isolated, her only comfort is wine o'clock and weekend visits from her husband. Meanwhile her teenage daughter Katia is helpless to intercede; in the end she can only watch as things fall apart and a tragedy even closer to home surfaces.The Gingerbread House is a deeply moving novel: a compassionate and occasionally wickedly funny tale of a family's agonising struggle with dementia.

Designer You


Sarahlyn Bruck - 2018
    
 
When Nate dies in a freak accident, Pam becomes a 44-year-old widow, at once too young and too old—too young to be thrust into widowhood and too old to rejoin the dating pool. 
 
Now the single mother of a headstrong and grief-stricken teenager, Pam’s life becomes a juggling act between dealing with her loss and learning how to parent by herself. On top of all that she also must reinvent herself or lose the empire that she and Nate had built so carefully.
 
It is time for Pam to seize the opportunity to step up as a mother, come out from behind Nate’s shadow, and rise as the sole face of the Designer You brand, and maybe, possibly, hopefully, find love again.

Falling Softly


Maria Duffy - 2016
    David is steady and reliable, and Holly knows he'll give her a wonderful life. The kind of life she's always wanted. Right?Then her new neighbour moves in.Josh O'Toole is also approaching the festive season with joy. He loves his teaching job. He's about to have a baby with his adored girlfriend Stephanie, and they've just moved into a new home to begin their life as a family.But as Josh and Stephanie settle into their new house across the road from Holly and David's, things begin to get complicated ... Falling Softly is a sparkling, heart-warming story about first love, and how life has a habit of turning out in the way we least expect it to.

Streetsmart Financial Basics for Nonprofit Managers


Thomas A. McLaughlin - 1995
    This book is a superb introduction for new nonprofit executives, board members, and students. It is also an excellent refresher and reference for those of us who have been around the nonprofit sector for a while. It is well written, concise, and thought provoking." --J. Gregory Dees, Professor of the Practice of Social Entrepreneurship and Nonprofit Management at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, and coauthor of Enterprising Nonprofits and Strategic Tools for Social Entrepreneurs"A very practical guide to understanding and managing the finances of a nonprofit organization. As nonprofits strive for greater accountability, Tom McLaughlin's real-world examples and accessible style make this book indispensable for nonprofit executives, managers, and board members at organizations of any size." --Gordon J. Campbell, President and CEO, United Way of New York City"Tom McLaughlin's powerful book is far more than a useful tool. It provides the philosophical approach to instill strong stewardship and future viability to those in the world of nonprofits. He takes apart the complex issues of nonprofit stewardship just as Einstein translated relativity into a simple equation. Purely masterful." --Jim Mellor, Senior VP, Chief Financial Officer, YMCA of the USANote: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

Brought To Our Senses: A Family Saga Novel


Kathleen H. Wheeler - 2016
    Wheeler's gripping novel is ambitious ..."  —Kirkus Reviews "Very highly recommended as a striking jewel that is a glowing standout ... tense, gripping, and eye-opening ..." —D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review WHEN ALL IS LOST FAMILY BEGS TO BE FOUND. Elizabeth Miller is a thirty-four-year-old mama's girl facing a crisis. Her divorced mother Janice receives a deadly Alzheimer’s diagnosis and becomes a volatile patient, and her fractured family tailspins toward their last resort—legal guardianship with disastrous fallout. Elizabeth soon exposes her mother's long-held secret, which lies at the root of her family's problems. With the lines blurred between right and wrong, she travels a path of reconciliation through the heartland of elder care. A cross between Still Alice by Lisa Genova and The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, this family life drama is as memorable as The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks, as poignant as We Are Not Ourselves by Matthew Thomas, and as touching as The Things We Keep by Sally Hepworth. From the Great Depression in Nebraska to the 1970s divorce boom in Illinois, Brought To Our Senses chronicles the family saga of five generations over seventy-five years. The rocky relationships of four troubled siblings complicate efforts to care for an aging parent diagnosed with the mother of all maladies in the new millennium. Literature & Fiction Categories: Medical Family Life Family Sagas Domestic Life Mothers and Children Sisters Divorce Alzheimer's Disease Women's Fiction Contemporary Women United States/American

The Lost Daughter of Liverpool


Pam Howes - 2017
    In Liverpool, the blackout blinds may be coming down, but one family is about to face devastating misfortune… Dora Evans is finally marrying the love of her life, Joe Rodgers, and her dreams of opening a dressmaking business look as if they might come true. With twin daughters on the way, Dora has everything she’s ever wanted.  But then tragedy strikes: one of Dora’s babies dies in infancy, and a catastrophic fire changes their lives forever. Dora is consumed with grief, struggling to get through each day and Joe is suddenly distant, finding solace in his colleague, Ivy.  With Ivy watching and scheming, and Dora battling against her own demons, can she keep her family together? The Lost Daughter of Liverpool is a heartbreaking and gripping story of love, loss and hope. Perfect for fans of Nadine Dorries, Diney Costeloe and Kitty Neale. Discover Pam’s new series, The Mersey Trilogy, today. Read what everyone’s saying about The Lost Daughter of Liverpool: "Absolute belter of a story!!" Chelle's Book Reviews “I loved this book! … have a supply of tissues ready … a beautifully written book that kept me reading until the early hours. I just didn’t want it to end.” 5* Stardust Book Reviews “A new favourite saga writer to add to my list.” 5* Bookworms & Shutterbugs “I love this book so much … [it will] keep you gasping for more … Oh my dayz.” 5* Read Along With Sue Ward “One of the best family sagas I've read … A wonderful, emotional roller coaster of a read, highly recommended … tissues are essential!” Brook Cottage Books “A deeply moving story…I found myself gasping out loud … [it] brought me close to tears … I found The Lost Daughter of Liverpool increasingly hard to put down … I will certainly be back for part two … definitely one to watch out for.” Em the Bookworm “The story is brilliant … Once I started this book, I just couldn't wait for every chance I got to read it.” 4* I Love Reading “What a beautiful book! Brilliantly written, this warm-hearted, evocative tale was amazing from start to finish.” 5 * Renita D’Silva “Oh wow, absolutely superb. Read it in under two days. Loved everything about this book. A fantastic story and I'm so excited for the next one in this trilogy.” Goodreads Reviewer “The storyline was brilliant and had me hooked from the first chapter, really looking forward to reading the follow up.” 5* Goodreads Reviewer “…Just fantastic. Being a big fan of family saga’s, this book didn’t disappoint, it had it all. Love, heartbreak, obsession, loss and hope.

Four Bridesmaids and a White Wedding


Fiona Collins - 2017
    A relaxing spa break is the perfect way to escape their crazy careers, grumpy husbands and stroppy children – even if the groom’s straight-laced sister, Tamsin, is coming too.Until they realise that there’s been a mistake in the booking and instead of sipping prosecco in fluffy white dressing gowns they’re off to bridesmaid bootcamp!Squeezing themselves reluctantly into tiny shorts and sliding through the mud, it’s only a matter of time before secrets emerge that could change everything…Forget about saving the date, these four bridesmaids need to save the day – otherwise will there even be a white wedding at all?

Message From a Blue Jay - Love Loss and One Writer's Journey Home


Faye Rapoport DesPres - 2014
    She is single, living in a rented house in Boulder, Colorado, and fitting dance classes and nature hikes between workdays at a software start-up that soon won t exist. While contemplating a sky still hazy from summer wildfires, she decides to take stock of her nomadic life and to find the real reasons she never settled down. The choices she makes from that moment on lead her to re-trace her steps both in the States and abroad as she attempts to understand her life. But instead of going back, she finds herself moving forward to new love, shocking loss, and finally, in a way that she never expects, to a place that she can almost call home.Readers who love the memoirs and personal essays of such rising contemporary writers as Cheryl Strayed, Joy Castro, and Kim Dana Kupperman, will appreciate Faye's observational eye, her passion for the natural world and the creatures that inhabit it, and her search for the surprising truths behind the events of our daily lives.

Lasker's Manual of Chess


Emanuel Lasker - 1925
    Certainly no man has ever held the world championship longer — 28 years — or kept his powers so long. In his sixties, Lasker began what amounted to a fresh career in chess by playing his first serious game in ten years, and defeating Max Euwe, the man who was the following year to become world champion. The secret behind his extraordinary abilities may perhaps be found in Lasker’s wide knowledge of every phase of the game, and his ability to be independent of schools or fashions.This knowledge is reflected in the Manual of Chess, making it one of the great studies of the game, acclaimed by the chess world almost from the day it appeared. The book is one of the most thorough studies ever written, and though its main appeal is to the intermediate to skilled player, it begins its explanations at a level that can be understood by the beginner. Lasker analyzes basic methods of gaining advantages, exchange value of pieces, combinations, position play, the aesthetics of chess, and almost every other important aspect of the game. He examines dozens of different openings, including the Petroff Defense, the Hungarian Defense, King’s Bishop, Ponziani, Giuoco Piano, and Four Knights’ Game. He constantly illustrates his discussions with games played by the great modern masters. Lasker is always delightful reading, revealing a mind as quick to entertain and philosophize as it is to explain.One of the most rewarding features of the book is Lasker’s illumination and elaboration of the theories of William Steinitz. An interesting sidelight is that although Lasker always thought of himself as a disciple of Steinitz, he was actually an original, more versatile player, inclined to take calculated risks. His exposition of Steinitz’s thought and maxims, his principles of attack and evaluation, however, cannot help but be profitable to any chess player.

Ruth Robinson's Year of Miracles


Frances Garrood - 2018
    But she lost the man, and got a baby instead… Six months ago, Ruth Robinson had a regular job, a monthly salary and a comfortable flat to go home to. After quitting her job ready to go travelling, a momentary lapse of judgement put a major spanner in the works… Now Ruth has a baby on the way and no place to call home… With the father of her child AWOL and her parents less than impressed, Ruth decides to move in with her eccentric uncles. And when the Virgin Mary appears in their hen house, it is clear Ruth’s unplanned pregnancy isn’t the only ‘miracle’ she’ll be encountering this year… RUTH ROBINSON’S YEAR OF MIRACLES is a hilarious, off-beat, (anti) romantic comedy full of quirky characters and family dramas. An uplifting read, full of humour, wit and tear-jerking reality, from a strong voice in women’s fiction. 'a most engaging novel... Frances Garrood is a talented writer' - Andrew Davies ‘Frances Garrood is a magnificent writer’ - thebookbag.co.uk

A Southern Place


Elaine Drennon Little - 2013
    She’s in the ICU of Phoebe Putney, the largest hospital in South Georgia, barely able to talk. How Mojo goes from being that skinny little girl in Nolan, a small forgotten town along the Flint River, to the young woman now fighting for her life, is where this story begins and ends. Mojo, her mama Delores and her Uncle Calvin Mullinax, like most folks in Nolan, have just tried to make the best of it. Of course, people aren’t always what they seem, and Phil Foster--the handsome, spoiled son of the richest man in the county--is no exception. As the story of the Mullinax family unfolds, Mojo discovers a family’s legacy can be many things—a piece of earth, a familiar dwelling, a shared bond. And although she doesn’t know why she feels such a bond with Phil Foster, it is there all the same, family or not. And she likes to think we all have us a fresh start. Like her mama always said, the past is all just water under the bridge. Mojo, after going to hell and back, finally comes to understand what that means.

Triple Dog Dare


K.S. Brooks - 2013
    Things don’t always go as planned. Bianca, oblivious to Stu’s amorous intentions, takes the adorable pooch back to California where she goes on to become a celebrated author, writing books about little Lo-Lou.Bianca thinks she’s living the good life with her Norse god of a fiancé, former fashion photographer Lars Lundgren. When she realizes Lars has spent all their money and committed her to a new book with a looming deadline, Bianca pulls out all the stops to get the job done. But she doesn’t know about all of Lars’ deals.To make matters worse, Stu is informed that gifting Lord Louis broke the kennel club bylaws and he now must get the pup back before his father’s legal team takes action against the woman he still loves.Stu needs Lo-Lou to satisfy his father. Bianca needs Lo-Lou to finish her book. Lars needs Lo-Lou to work out a secret deal with a movie producer. Lo-Lou can’t be in three places at the same time. Or can he?

On Being Human


Woodrow Wilson - 1997
    Originally written in 1897 by the 28th president of the United States, this essay underlines the necessity for everyone in the modern world to embrace humane behavior.