Get baby ready to wake up and say hello to all the different animals in this adorable board book! Hello, sun. Hello, day. Wake up, babies, Time to play! It's time for baby to wake up! Little ones will love greeting all the baby animals with their animal sounds in this adorable board book, including a chick (Cheep Cheep), a piglet (Oink Oink), a puppy (Woof Woof), a frog (Croak Croak), a calf (Moo Moo), a bunny (Twitch Twitch), a lamb (Baa Baa), a bee (Buzz Buzz), and finally, a baby (Goo Goo)!
With his stunning debut novel, She's Come Undone, Wally Lamb won the adulation of critics and readers with his mesmerizing tale of one woman's painful yet triumphant journey of self-discovery. Now, this brilliantly talented writer returns with I Know This Much Is True, a heartbreaking and poignant multigenerational saga of the reproductive bonds of destruction and the powerful force of forgiveness. A masterpiece that breathtakingly tells a story of alienation and connection, power and abuse, devastation and renewal--this novel is a contemporary retelling of an ancient Hindu myth. A proud king must confront his demons to achieve salvation. Change yourself, the myth instructs, and you will inhabit a renovated world. When you're the same brother of a schizophrenic identical twin, the tricky thing about saving yourself is the blood it leaves on your bands--the little inconvenience of the look-alike corpse at your feet. And if you're into both survival of the fittest and being your brother's keeper--if you've promised your dying mother--then say so long to sleep and hello to the middle of the night. Grab a book or a beer. Get used to Letterman's gap-toothed smile of the absurd, or the view of the bedroom ceiling, or the influence of random selection. Take it from a godless insomniac. Take it from the uncrazy twin--the guy who beat the biochemical rap. Dominick Birdsey's entire life has been compromised and constricted by anger and fear, by the paranoid schizophrenic twin brother he both deeply loves and resents, and by the past they shared with their adoptive father, Ray, a spit-and-polish ex-Navy man (the five-foot-six-inch sleeping giant who snoozed upstairs weekdays in the spare room and built submarines at night), and their long-suffering mother, Concettina, a timid woman with a harelip that made her shy and self-conscious: She holds a loose fist to her face to cover her defective mouth--her perpetual apology to the world for a birth defect over which she'd had no control. Born in the waning moments of 1949 and the opening minutes of 1950, the twins are physical mirror images who grow into separate yet connected entities: the seemingly strong and protective yet fearful Dominick, his mother's watchful "monkey"; and the seemingly weak and sweet yet noble Thomas, his mother's gentle "bunny." From childhood, Dominick fights for both separation and wholeness--and ultimately self-protection--in a house of fear dominated by Ray, a bully who abuses his power over these stepsons whose biological father is a mystery. I was still afraid of his anger but saw how he punished weakness--pounced on it. Out of self-preservation I hid my fear, Dominick confesses. As for Thomas, he just never knew how to play defense. He just didn't get it. But Dominick's talent for survival comes at an enormous cost, including the breakup of his marriage to the warm, beautiful Dessa, whom he still loves. And it will be put to the ultimate test when Thomas, a Bible-spouting zealot, commits an unthinkable act that threatens the tenuous balance of both his and Dominick's lives. To save himself, Dominick must confront not only the pain of his past but the dark secrets he has locked deep within himself, and the sins of his ancestors--a quest that will lead him beyond the confines of his blue-collar New England town to the volcanic foothills of Sicily 's Mount Etna, where his ambitious and vengefully proud grandfather and a namesake Domenico Tempesta, the sostegno del famiglia, was born. Each of the stories Ma told us about Papa reinforced the message that he was the boss, that he ruled the roost, that what he said went. Searching for answers, Dominick turns to the whispers of the dead, to the pages of his grandfather's handwritten memoir, The History of Domenico Onofrio Tempesta, a Great Man from Humble Beginnings. Rendered with touches of magic realism, Domenico's fablelike tale--in which monkeys enchant and religious statues weep--becomes the old man's confession--an unwitting legacy of contrition that reveals the truth's of Domenico's life, Dominick learns that power, wrongly used, defeats the oppressor as well as the oppressed, and now, picking through the humble shards of his deconstructed life, he will search for the courage and love to forgive, to expiate his and his ancestors' transgressions, and finally to rebuild himself beyond the haunted shadow of his twin. Set against the vivid panoply of twentieth-century America and filled with richly drawn, memorable characters, this deeply moving and thoroughly satisfying novel brings to light humanity's deepest needs and fears, our aloneness, our desire for love and acceptance, our struggle to survive at all costs. Joyous, mystical, and exquisitely written, I Know This Much Is True is an extraordinary reading experience that will leave no reader untouched.
Introducing a witty and unique voice poised to take the literary world by storm. For fans of The Borrowers, Munmun and The Truckers. Everybody became a bit mean. A bit individual. Units. That's all humanity could say for itself – well, it couldn't actually, because it was made up of too many, um, units. And then there were the elderly, who could never bear to be so isolated, yet isolated they were. It was cruel, really it was. And kids – not that many people had them any more – they seemed to be born sitting in one of those egg-shaped chairs, only seeing what was right in front of them. So, the government asked a doctor, that famous one, to get a team together and figure it all out. He did. Everyone got a playmate. Well, everyone who wanted one, could buy a playmate. About a foot tall, they stood, naked (except in winter), very affectionate, not too intelligent. Mute, but cute - exactly what every home needs. Something to love, little units of love. The Biggerers is set in a dystopian future where our two heroes, Bonbon and Jinx, spend their days gathering stones and feathers for their basket, and waiting to be fed by their owners. But it’s not long before getting sick, falling in love and wondering why they can’t eat with a spoon pushes them to realise they are exactly the same as their owners…only smaller.
Drummers are athletes. Playing the drums well requires the skilled use of the entire body. Unfortunately, most books on drumming focus exclusively on what notes should be played, and give little or no attention to how they should be played. This leaves drummers with the problem. When you miss understand technique, you will experience frustration when new techniques aren't as easy to learn as they should be, limitation in what you can do because the techniques don't work like they should, and injury when the extra wear and tear caused by bad technique builds up. The solution is simple: Anatomy of Drumming is your guide to moving well, learning faster and avoiding injury. When you understand the mechanics of moving and how they apply to the drums, you will know for yourself how techniques work, so you can use them effectively. Anatomy of Drumming is both a description of how the body works and a prescription for how to move better. Starting with the mechanics of movement, Anatomy of Drumming takes you through what you need to know about the body and how to use it effectively. It covers the basics of anatomy and the physics of drums; how to set up the drums for your body, Moeller technique, matched grip versus traditional grip, and many other important topics. Through learning about the proper use of the body at the drum set, you will be able to learn faster, play with better facility and reduce injury. - Back cover.
The House of Invisible Bondage by J. U. Giesy is about playboy Imer Lamb who tries to violently murder his friend. Giesy's novel is a skilled and detailed glance into the minds of psychopaths. Excerpt: "The bonds of the soul are invisible, unseen. And he whose soul, whose self, is enchained in such fashion is lost indeed—unless some soul agency intervenes." "Some soul agency?" I revoiced the syllables that gave me that impression of widening circles spreading out—spreading out just beyond the reach of my pursuing mind."
From the author of the successful blog, mouthwateringvegan.com, comes over 130 incredible recipes to showcase how accessible, varied, delicious and nutritious vegan eating can be. In this book you'll find recipes for your favourite comfort foods in all their vegan glory. Here are meat-free, egg-free and dairy-free recipes that combine the idea of eating healthily, with food that is immediately satisfying, tastes great and is easy to prepare. From delicious dips, appetizers and soups; to main courses including curries, pastas, stews, burgers and salads. There are a whole host of recommended juices and smoothies and--at the sweeter end of scale--cookies, cakes and desserts. Mouthwatering Vegan transforms home cooking classics into vegan-accessible, delicious dishes. Miriam challenges herself to replicate dishes that are usually impossible to include in a vegan diet and opens up the scope for what vegan eating can be. Included in the book are recipes for vegan cheese, cream and mayonnaise; Chilli Con 'Carne', Shepherd's Pie, Mince & Ale Pie, Stroganoff Supreme and the Perfect Roast. As well as delicious dishes that celebrate pulses and vegetables, such as Aubergine, Chickpea and Potato Curry; Stuffed Tomatoes and Zucchini Casserole; Red Bean Nut Burgers; Spicy Rice & Quinoa Eggplant Bake; and Super Mushroom & Walnut Loaf. Many of Miriam's recipes are inspired by the Mediterranean and the Far East, and all of them have the health benefits of vegan cooking without sacrificing the taste. Mouthwatering Vegan opens up new possibilities for vegan eating that will make you rethink vegan cuisine.
An old man in a military uniform is dumped at the police station—he won't speak English but has a lawyer's card in his pocket. A seemingly innocuous encounter gets stranger and stranger as we gradually realize no one is who they seem and the Balkan wars' traumas continue to play out. The "It Kid" of Canadian theater, award-winning playwright Nicolas Billon, returns with a devastating parable. Nicolas Billon's plays and translations have been produced at the Stratford Festival, Soulpepper Theatre, and Canadian Stage. Fault Lines won the Governor General's Award, and his first play, The Elephant Song, is being developed into a film starring Catherine Keener.
When one of Mama Chick’s eggs cracks open one morning and reveals a special green seedling, she embarks on the first of three spiritual journeys to find out why... Three tales of enlightenment for young children. Part 1: Chasing the New Dawn Part 2: Following the Moon’s Shadow Part 3: Sunbeams, Dreams and Rainbow Skies
I left my wedding dress hanging in a tree somewhere in North Dakota. I don't know why that particular tree appealed to me. Perhaps it was because it looked as if it had given up and died years ago and was still standing because it didn't know what else to do. . . In her deliciously funny, heartfelt, and moving debut, Cathy Lamb introduces some of the most wonderfully eccentric women since The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and The Secret Life of Bees, as she explores the many ways we find the road home. From the moment Julia Bennett leaves her abusive Boston fiancé at the altar and her ugly wedding dress hanging from a tree in South Dakota, she knows she's driving away from the old Julia, but what she's driving toward is as messy and undefined as her own wounded soul. The old Julia dug her way out of a tortured, trailer park childhood with a monster of a mother. The new Julia will be found at her Aunt Lydia's rambling, hundred-year-old farmhouse outside Golden, Oregon. There, among uppity chickens and toilet bowl planters, Julia is welcomed by an eccentric, warm, and often wise clan of women, including a psychic, a minister's unhappy wife, an abused mother of four, and Aunt Lydia herself--a woman who is as fierce and independent as they come. Meeting once a week for drinks and the baring of souls, it becomes clear that every woman holds secrets that keep her from happiness. But what will it take for them to brave becoming their true selves? For Julia, it's chocolate. All her life, baking has been her therapy and her refuge, a way to heal wounds and make friends. Nobody anywhere makes chocolates as good as Julia's, and now, chocolate just might change her life--and bring her love when she least expects it. But it can't keep her safe. As Julia gradually opens her heart to new life, new friendships, and a new man, the past is catching up to her. And this time, she will not be able to run but will have to face it head on. Filled with warmth, love, and truth, Julia's Chocolates is an unforgettable novel of hope and healing that explores the hurts we keep deep in our hearts, the love that liberates us, the courage that defines us, and the chocolate that just might take us there. Advance praise for Cathy Lamb and Julia's Chocolates "Julia's Chocolates is wise, tender, and very funny. In Julia Bennett, Cathy Lamb has created a deeply wonderful character, brave and true. I loved this beguiling novel about love, friendship, and the enchantment of really good chocolate." --Luanne Rice, New York Times bestselling author
