Sixty thousand years ago, Earth had two more continents than it does today, each larger than what we now know as Australia. Why are they no longer there? One of these additional continents, Atlantis, was located in the Atlantic Ocean between North America and Africa. The other, Lemuria, was located in the Pacific Ocean. In this book, you’ll learn all about these huge continents and the great civilizations who called them home. What did they look like? What was daily life like for them? What happened to them? Tom asks these intriguing questions and many more. The answers revealed on the pages within dig into the mysteries surrounding the continents of Atlantis and Lemuria and their eventual destructions.
A New York Times Notable Book and the March 2001 selection of Oprah's Book Club® ! Icy Sparks is the sad, funny and transcendent tale of a young girl growing up in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky during the 1950’s. Gwyn Hyman Rubio’s beautifully written first novel revolves around Icy Sparks, an unforgettable heroine in the tradition of Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird or Will Treed in Cold Sassy Tree. At the age of ten, Icy, a bright, curious child orphaned as a baby but raised by adoring grandparents, begins to have strange experiences. Try as she might, her "secrets"—verbal croaks, groans, and physical spasms—keep afflicting her. As an adult, she will find out she has Tourette’s Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder, but for years her behavior is the source of mystery, confusion, and deep humiliation. Narrated by a grown up Icy, the book chronicles a difficult, but ultimately hilarious and heartwarming journey, from her first spasms to her self-acceptance as a young woman. Curious about life beyond the hills, talented, and energetic, Icy learns to cut through all barriers—physical, mental, and spiritual—in order to find community and acceptance. Along her journey, Icy faces the jeers of her classmates as well as the malevolence of her often-ignorant teachers—including Mrs. Stilton, one of the most evil fourth grade teachers ever created by a writer. Called willful by her teachers and "Frog Child" by her schoolmates, she is exiled from the schoolroom and sent to a children’s asylum where it is hoped that the roots of her mysterious behavior can be discovered. Here Icy learns about difference—her own and those who are even more scarred than she. Yet, it isn’t until Icy returns home that she really begins to flower, especially through her friendship with the eccentric and obese Miss Emily, who knows first-hand how it feels to be an outcast in this tightly knit Appalachian community. Under Miss Emily’s tutelage, Icy learns about life’s struggles and rewards, survives her first comical and heartbreaking misadventure with romance, discovers the healing power of her voice when she sings, and ultimately—takes her first steps back into the world. Gwyn Hyman Rubio’s Icy Sparks is a fresh, original, and completely redeeming novel about learning to overcome others’ ignorance and celebrate the differences that make each of us unique.
“Irresistible.” —Stephen King Private Investigator Charlie Parker returns in this heart-pounding thriller as he seeks revenge against the darkest forces in the world, from “one of the best thriller writers we have” (Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling author) and the internationally bestselling author of the acclaimed The Woman in the Woods. He is our best hope. He is our last hope. He is our only hope. On a lonely moor in northern England, the body of a young woman is discovered. In the south, a girl lies buried beneath a Saxon mound. To the southeast, the ruins of a priory hide a human skull. Each is a sacrifice, a summons. And something in the darkness has heard the call. Charlie Parker has also heard it and from the forests of Maine to the deserts of the Mexican border, from the canals of Amsterdam to the streets of London, he will track those who would cast the world into darkness. Parker fears no evil—but evil fears him. “A seamless, expansive, and chilling blend of police procedural and gothic horror tale” (Kirkus Reviews), A Book of Bones will keep you guessing until the very last page.
In a moving example of unconditional love in difficult times, Gregory Boyle, the Jesuit priest and New York Times bestselling author of Tattoos on the Heart, shares what working with gang members in Los Angeles has taught him about faith, compassion, and the enduring power of kinship. In his first book, Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion, Gregory Boyle introduced us to Homeboy Industries, the largest gang-intervention program in the world. Critics hailed that book as an “astounding literary and spiritual feat” (Publishers Weekly) that is “destined to become a classic of both urban reportage and contemporary spirituality” (Los Angeles Times). Now, after the successful expansion of Homeboy Industries, Boyle returns with Barking to the Choir to reveal how compassion is transforming the lives of gang members. In a nation deeply divided and plagued by poverty and violence, Barking to the Choir offers a snapshot into the challenges and joys of life on the margins. Sergio, arrested at age nine, in a gang by age twelve, and serving time shortly thereafter, now works with the substance-abuse team at Homeboy to help others find sobriety. Jamal, abandoned by his family when he tried to attend school at age seven, gradually finds forgiveness for his schizophrenic mother. New father Cuco, who never knew his own dad, thinks of a daily adventure on which to take his four-year-old son. These former gang members uplift the soul and reveal how bright life can be when filled with unconditional love and kindness. This book is guaranteed to shake up our ideas about God and about people with a glimpse at a world defined by more compassion and fewer barriers. Gently and humorously, Barking to the Choir invites us to find kinship with one another and re-convinces us all of our own goodness.
This vital exploration of the ways society overlooks—and fails—young women with disabilities and chronic illnesses is an “essential read for . . . those wondering how to be a better support system” (Library Journal). Michele Lent Hirsch knew she couldn’t be the only woman who has dealt with serious health issues at a young age, as well as the resulting effects on her career, her relationships, and her sense of self. What she found while researching Invisible was a surprisingly large and overlooked population—and now, with long COVID emerging, one that continues to grow. Though young women with serious illness tend to be seen as outliers, young female patients are in fact the primary demographic for many illnesses. They are also one of the most ignored groups in our medical system—a system where young women, especially women of color and trans women, are invisible. And because of expectations about gender and age, young women with health issues must often deal with bias in their careers and personal lives. Lent Hirsch weaves her own experiences together with stories from other women, perspectives from sociologists on structural inequality and inequity, and insights from neuroscientists on misogyny in health research. She shows how health issues and disabilities amplify what women in general already confront: warped beauty standards, workplace sexism, worries about romantic partners, and mistrust of their own bodies. By shining a light on this hidden demographic, Lent Hirsch explores the challenges that all women face.
Carl Weber takes readers back to church in his latest drama-filled novel, the much-anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestseller, The Choir Director. It's been three years since Aaron Mackie succeeded in helping his friend and mentor, Bishop T.K. Wilson, dig his ministry out of financial ruin. Aaron is also responsible for re-energizing the almost defunct choir into something special. His success has drawn national attention, and he's on the verge of signing a huge recording contract. With his life in order, Aaron decides the time is right to propose to Tia Gregory, the church secretary who caught his eye and inspired him to shed his Tiger Woods-like tendencies to become a one-woman man. The stage is set for what might be the wedding of the year, but quickly becomes the disaster of the year when Aaron is left at the altar without explanation. Now, during his own hour of need, Aaron turns to the bishop for help. Unfortunately, the line he asks T. K. to cross will force the bishop to choose between faith and friendship, or as he puts it, "between heaven and hell." As the investigation into Tia's disappearance continues, the two men are challenged in ways they never imagined.
"There are many angels, maybe as many as the stars in the sky . . . ." And every single one of these precious beings offers the world unique blessings. ANGEL POWER describes the special tasks and responsibilities of each of the Nine Choirs of Angels. The Seraphim, Cherubim, and Thrones are angels of goodness, love, and wisdom. The Angels of Dominion are angels of leadership. From the Virtue Angels flow miracles of healing, comfort, and peace. The Power Angels are special warriors against evil and defenders of goodness. The Principalities, Archangels, and Angels administer our planet. By illuminating each Choir's special powers, the author enables us more easily to draw upon its particular, radiant light. Weaving her own personal angel experiences together with angel prayers and with true angel stories she has been told, the author teaches us to open ourselves to angelic guidance, support, and protection. Her book spreads before us a dazzling and profoundly reassuring prospect of angel power at work -- a vision so beautiful and potent that those who experience it feel they know heaven on earth.
Heaven Is a Real Place is the remarkable true story of a psychic mediums journey into the Afterlife. This delightful book shares the true stories of psychic medium Gaynor Carrillo and her visits to a world beyond ours. Here she reveals how her ability to see and communicate with Spirit has helped her to pass on Spirit messages to thousands of people from around the world, sharing her understanding of what it's really like in the Spirit world. Gaynor has answered questions about Spirit and the Afterlife in her usual honest and down to earth way. What happens when we die? Is there really such thing as life after death? Where is Heaven? Are our Spirit loved ones happy? Do we meet our pets in Heaven? Do angels exist? Is Heaven a real place? This book will give you the answers to these questions and many more, along with a guided view of life after death and a clearer understanding of the place some call Heaven.
