Winner! Indie Excellence Book Award Mainstream/Literary FictionWinner! USA Book Awards Women's FictionHonorable Mention! Mainstream/Literary Fiction, Writer's Digest Book AwardsKelly Johnson becomes restless in her thirty-ninth year. An appetite for more forces her to take stock of her middling middle-American existence and her neighbors' seemingly perfect lives. Her marriage to a successful attorney has settled into a comfortable routine, and being the mother of two adorable sons has been rewarding. But Kelly's own passions lie wasted. She eyes with envy the lives of her two best friends, Kathryn and Charlotte, both beautiful, successful businesswomen who seem to have it all. Kelly takes charge of her life, devising a midlife makeover plan. From page one, Kelly's witty reflections, self-deprecating humor, and clever tactics in executing that plan--she places Post-it notes all over her house and car--will have readers laughing out loud. The next instant, however, they might rant right along with Kelly as her commitment to a sullen, anorexic teenager left on her doorstep tries her patience or as she deflects the boozy advances of a divorced neighbor. Readers will need to keep the tissue box handy, too, as Kelly repairs the damage she inflicted on a high school friend; realizes how deeply her husband, Patrick, understands and loves her; and ultimately grows into a woman empowered by her own blend of home and career. Bestselling Here, Home, Hope will surely appeal to readers of chick lit and other women's fiction titles who are ready to transition into something new in their own life.Review"Reading Kaira Rouda is like getting together with one of your best friends - fun, fast, and full of great advice! Here, Home, Hope sparkles with humor and heart." --Claire Cook, bestselling author of Must Love Dogs and Best Staged Plans"I loved Kaira Rouda's book. I love its irony and its courage and humor. . . . It's the real thing." --Jacquelyn Mitchard, bestselling author of Still Summer and The Deep End of the Ocean"Endearingly honest, consistently upbeat, Here, Home, Hope is an inspiring read that left me feeling genuinely hopeful." --Jenna Blum, New York Times bestselling author of Those Who Save Us and The Stormchasers, and one of Oprah's Thirty Favorite Women Writers"Witty and uplifting, Here, Home, Hope is a charming debut that explores the courage it takes to reshape life and how to do it with a dash of panache." --Beth Hoffman, bestselling author of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt"Relatable and inspiring. A perfect read for anyone experiencing one of life's "what's next?" moments." --Robyn Harding Author, Chronicles of a Midlife Crisis"If you've ever felt your own life contained a list of Things to Change (and whose hasn't?), then you will fall in love with Kelly Johnson, the restless protagonist of Here, Home, Hope. Kaira Rouda's funny, moving novel is a model of inspiration and reinvention for anyone seeking to find what's next in life." --Katrina Kittle, author of The Blessings of the Animals"A warm, witty, and engaging debut that had me laughing out loud. Rouda has created a lovable and perceptive heroine who navigates her struggles with honesty and awe-inspiring determination to succeed. A fun and totally satisfying read." --Amy Hatvany, author of Best Kept Secret"A wonderfully warm read about finding happiness in yourself, Kaira Rouda's debut novel skillfully portrays the triumph of self-belief over society's threatening elements." --Talli Roland, author, The Hating Game"A must read for anyone who's had their own mid-life crisis, Here, Home, Hope reminds us that it's never too late to reinvent ourselves." --Liz Fenton, author of I'll Have Who She's Having and creator of Chick Lit is not Dead"Things to Change (T2C): Make more time to read -- starting with Kaira Rouda's Here, Home, Hope a story about how women can have it all if we own it all." --Kelly Meyer, mom, philanthropist and one of O Magazine's Power List"I found Kaira Rouda's debut novel, Here, Home, Hope, inspiring, empowering and fun to read. You'll want to share it with the women you care about in your life." --Roma Downey, actress/producer"An engaging read with something to offer every woman... married, single, widowed, or divorced. I couldn't put it down." --Jacklyn Zeman, actress, nurse Bobby on General Hospital"Delightful, insightful and spot on inspiring! Immensely enjoyable read!!" --Marla Pennington, actress About the AuthorKaira Rouda is an award-winning entrepreneur and author. She lives in Southern California with her husband and four children and is at work on her next novel. Connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, or KairaRouda.com. Views: 81
A powerful and true story of warfare and human survival that exposes a side of World War II that is unknown by many-- this is the story of Wolfram Aïchele, a boy whose childhood was stolen by a war in which he had no choice but to fight.Giles Milton has been a writer and historian for many years, writing about people and places that history has forgotten. But it took his young daughter's depiction of a swastika on an imaginary family shield - the swastika representing Germany - for Giles to uncover the incredible, dark story of his own family and his father-in-law's life under Hitler's regime.As German citizens during World War II, Wolfram and his Bohemian, artist parents survived one of the most brutal eras of history. Wolfram, who was only nine years old when Hitler came to power, lived through the rise and fall of the Third Reich, from the earliest street marches to the final defeat of the Nazi regime. Conscripted into Hitler's army, he witnessed... Views: 81
SUMMARY:In 1616, an English adventurer, Nathaniel Courthope, stepped ashore on a remote island in the East Indies on a secret mission - to persuade the islanders of Run to grant a monopoly to England over their nutmeg, a fabulously valuable spice in Europe. This infuriated the Dutch, who were determined to control the world's nutmeg supply. For five years Courthope and his band of thirty men were besieged by a force one hundred times greater - and his heroism set in motion the events that led to the founding of the greatest city on earth. A beautifully told adventure story and a fascinating depiction of exploration in the seventeenth century, NATHANIEL'S NUTMEG sheds a remarkable light on history. Views: 81
Bella's back! Long time fans of The Weddings by Bella series will enjoy another riotous look at Bella's crazy life as she and DJ open a second Club Wed in Splendora. Views: 80
From the author of the "bighearted . . . inspiring" (Vogue) memoir Kabul Beauty School comes a fiction debut as compelling as real life: the story of a remarkable coffee shop in the heart of Afghanistan, and the men and women who meet there--thrown together by circumstance, bonded by secrets, and united in an extraordinary friendship. After hard luck and some bad choices, Sunny has finally found a place to call home--it just happens to be in the middle of a war zone. The thirty-eight-year-old American's pride and joy is the Kabul Coffee House, where she brings hospitality to the expatriates, misfits, missionaries, and mercenaries who stroll through its doors. She's especially grateful that the busy days allow her to forget Tommy, the love of her life, who left her in pursuit of money and adventure.Working alongside Sunny is the maternal Halajan, who vividly recalls the days before the Taliban and now must hide a modern romance from her... Views: 80
A November windstorm smashes through the roof of the Bewitching Bedlam, and the damage exposes a hidden room containing a dark secret. An ancient force has been unleashed, and a curse is endangering everyone who Maddy loves, and everything she's worked for. With her loved ones in danger, Maddy must undergo an arcane ritual in order to lift the curse and exorcise the angry spirit. But, her magic is on the fritz, and without the use of her powers, will Maddy be able to face Ereshkigal, the goddess of the Underworld, and survive?NOTE: This is not a cozy series. Yes, there's nookie and hot-vampire play time. ;) Reading Order of the Series:.5: Blood Music1: Bewitching Bedlam1.5A: Blood Vengeance1.5B: Tiger Tails2: Maudlin's Mayhem3. Siren's Song4. Witches Wild5. Casting Curses Views: 80
Return once again to the enduring account of the Permian Panthers of Odessa — the winningest high school football team in Texas history. Views: 80
In The Sweet Hereafter, Russell Banks tells a story that begins with a school bus accident. Using four different narrators, Banks creates a small-town morality play that addresses one of life's most agonizing questions: when the worst thing happens, who do you blame? Views: 79
From Kabul to a home by the Mexican sea ... A life-affirming, sea-change memoir by the author of the international bestseller The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul.'I hadn't been planning on making Mexico my new home, but the little house on the sea was all that I had left.'When her family faces kidnap threats after the publication of her first book, Deborah Rodriguez is forced to flee Kabul, leaving behind her friends, her possessions, the beauty school she helped found and her two beloved businesses: a beauty salon and a coffee shop.But life proves no easier 'back home'. After a year living on top of a mountain in the Napa Valley and teetering on the edge of sanity, Deborah makes a decision. One way or another she's going to get the old Deb back. So, at the age of forty-nine, she packs her life and her cat Polly into her Mini Cooper and heads south to a pretty seaside town in Mexico. Home is now an unassuming little house on Carnaval Street. There she struggles to learn Spanish,... Views: 79
From Publishers WeeklyDanticat's collection of stories detailing daily life under dictatorship in Haiti was a finalist for the National Book Award. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. From School Library JournalYA?Danticat, born under Haitian dictatorship, moved to the U.S. 12 years ago. Many of the stories in this moving collection reflect the misery she has observed from afar and leave readers with a deep sadness for her native country. Survivors at sea in a too-small, leaky boat endure any indignity for the chance at escape. Selections about those remaining in Haiti have a dreamlike quality. A woman must watch her mother rot in prison for political crimes. A young father longs so much to fly that he gives his life for a few moments in the air. A prostitute plies her trade while her son sleeps. "New York Day Women" shows what life might be like in the U.S. for immigrants without resources. Through unencumbered prose, the author explores the effects of politics on people and especially the consequences of oppression on women, the themes of which figure into each of these vignettes.?Ginny Ryder, Lee High School, Springfield, VACopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. Views: 79
