Becoming a dad is the greatest - and, yet, the most difficult - privilege for any man. Dads don't have the same network of support that mums generally have; they're often back to work, exhausted, after only two weeks of paternity leave; and the world of nappies, bottles and late-night feeds can leave them feeling bewildered. In between teatime, bathtime and bedtime, clearing up sick, many sleepless nights and unexpected outbursts (from both the kids and the adults), Sam Jackson brings the highs and lows of fatherhood to life with hilarious stories and insightful reflections on his own very extensive - and very hectic - experience as a dad of three. This down-to-earth book is full of useful tips on family life with children up to school age, and will appeal to all fathers looking for a humorous and intelligent take on what it means to be a modern dad.
Kelly Ann is fifteen and desperately in love with G - the biggest idiot in school. Her best friends Liz and Stephanie can see how awful G is - and also that Kelly Ann's quietly gorgeous friend Chris is madly in love with her. But Kelly Ann stumbles along blindly, unable to see what's right in front of her eyes. Navigating her way through teenage embarrassments, sick-filled parties, awful love poetry and green condoms, Kelly Ann is a hilariously endearing character and one every female reader, whatever age, will be able to relate to.
Adrian Mole's first love, Pandora, has left him; a neighbor, Mr. Lucas, appears to be seducing his mother (and what does that mean for his father?); the BBC refuses to publish his poetry; and his dog swallowed the tree off the Christmas cake. "Why" indeed.
"'Eating disorders.' Most of us instantly picture a teenaged or college aged girl when we see those words. After all, doesn't age immunize women from the body image, weight concerns and eating disorders that plague the younger years? Truth is that, over 15% women at midlife and beyond suffer from eating disorders, surpassing the number affected by breastt cancer! These are serious, life threatening and heartbreaking illnesses at any age. This story needs to be told and Betsy Brenner does just that. "The Longest Match: Rallying to Defeat an Eating Disorder in Midlife is a beautifully written and heartfelt memoir illustrating the trajectory from early childhood, through adolescence and early adulthood, to midlife when eating disorder thoughts and behaviors took over the author's life. Journal entries reveal occasional negative thoughts about her weight or food in younger years, but the stressors of midlife knocked this high functioning woman off her feet. "Like adolescence and young adulthood, midlife is full of tricky transitions. Unlike earlier in life, however, no one is there to catch you when you fall or to coach you back on your feet. Today women feel pressure to do it all and do it perfectly, constantly multitasking at home, and outside of home, taking care of their children and marriages, their extended families, ill and aging parents, all while trying to maintain an identity of their own. "Eating disorders can devour a woman at any age, but Betsy Brenner rallied, using every resource she had. Thank you, Betsy, for being painfully honest about your experiences and your pain, and for explaining the many factors that make a woman vulnerable to eating disorders during midlife. Thank you for finding the courage to access help, for trusting the treatment process and for inspiring other midlife women to believe in themselves. Thank you for telling your story so women struggling with an eating disorder at midlife will know they are not alone and will see a path to recovery. And, most of all, thank you for staying in the match-the 'longest match' ever-and winning." -Margo Maine, PhD, FAED, CEDS "I applaud Betsy Brenner for encouraging women of every age to reflect on their relationship with their parents. Through sharing her story, Betsy demonstrates how we can reframe our painful experiences with self-love and self-compassion. This book shows that, at every age, we can grow and find peace and fulfillment through bravely reaching out, connecting with like-minded others, and doing the hard work required to heal our childhood wounds. It's never too late to start. Thank you, Betsy, for showing us how to be free." -Dr. June Alexander, www.thediaryhealer.com "The Longest Match is an outstanding memoir. I have never seen a documented account of an individual who was first diagnosed with an eating disorder in mid-life. Brenner's description of the path that led to her illness and her route to recovery is remarkable. She eloquently describes her childhood, her family history, her personality traits, and her love of tennis, that all contributed to the development of her illness. She describes the process of her therapy with great clarity and allows us to see that full recovery is possible." -Beth Mayer, LICSW
A struggling freelance writer desperate to sell an article to pay her rent, Lane Silverman makes a successful pitch to Cosmopolitan on how to find true love in the workplace, and now all she has to do is to meet a successful eligible man who will find her irresistible--in the next two months. Original. 40,000 first printing.
The Glass Castle meets The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother in this dazzlingly honest and provocative family memoir by former child actress and current Fox Business Network anchor Melissa Francis. When Melissa Francis was eight years old, she won the role of lifetime: playing Cassandra Cooper Ingalls, the little girl who was adopted with her brother (played by young Jason Bateman) by the Ingalls family on the world's most famous primetime soap opera, Little House on the Prairie. Despite her age, she was already a veteran actress, living a charmed life, moving from one Hollywood set to the next. But behind the scenes, her success was fueled by the pride, pressure, and sometimes grinding cruelty of her stage mother, as fame and a mother's ambition pushed her older sister deeper into the shadows. Diary of a Stage Mother's Daughter is a fascinating account of life as a child star in the 1980's, and also a startling tale of a family under the care of a highly neurotic, dangerously competitive "tiger mother." But perhaps most importantly, now that Melissa has two sons of her own, it's a meditation on motherhood, and the value of pushing your children: how hard should you push a child to succeed, and at what point does your help turn into harm?
From USA Today bestselling author Meghan Quinn comes a forbidden romance about an Irish rebel who falls in love with the wrong girl.Dear Diary, I might have gotten myself into a wee bit of trouble-and I'm not talking about the "court mandated community service," or "therapy sessions from bashing a bloke in the head" kind of trouble. I wish it were that simple. Nope. I'm talking about the "falling in love with one of my client's daughters," kind of trouble . . . The kind of problem I can't talk my way out of when the truth gets out.How I ended up with her phone is a long story-and when she called to get it back, I took things a bit too far. One innocent exchange wound up leading to so much more.Fun, new, and totally immune to my charm, Sutton is different. And I had no idea she was the daughter of Foster Green. Blame it on the dark colored stout running through my veins, pushing me toward one bad decision after another. Pushing me toward her even though I know right from wrong; even though she's my client's daughter. Dating her might be the best or worst decision I've ever made. Only time, whiskey, and one more roll around the mattress with her will tell. Roark
Once I was a sane, levelheaded professional woman. Then I said “yes.” Now I am the lunatic bride I always made fun of! What is it about getting married that turns normal people into total freaks? A savvy, riotously funny novel, Diary of a Mad Bride is for anyone who has ever been a bride, is about to become a bride, yearned to be a bride, or suffered the sheer indignity of appearing in public in the world’s ugliest bridesmaid dress.... My wedding was starting in less than twenty minutes, and I was stuck in a 7-Eleven parking lot with popcorn kernels wedged in my gums and vanilla ice cream melting on my dress. It was a disaster too large to comprehend. After an agonizing year spent planning my wedding, could it really end like this? The voices chronicling a year of wedding hysteria swirled in my head.... — My grandmother upon viewing my engagement ring: “What do you mean he gave you an emerald! Diamonds are eternal, emeralds say, maybe five years.” — My future father-in-law on the night of my engagement party: “To a happy marriage and, if necessary, a painless divorce!” — My best friend, Anita: “Oh, screw congratulations. Of course I’m happy for you. Stephen’s a major piece of ass and he’s got a sense of humor. Just as long as you’re certain this is what you want.” Would I survive this day after all....?
