Russell Manning is handsome and intelligent; he always knows the right thing to say. As he goes about his days as a college student, Russell is completely unaware that a dead woman is in love with him. Amanda Bell-who has never seen another spirit since she died fifteen years earlier-has been following Russell since he was eight. She is always with him, watching as he matures, falls in and out of love, and learns independence. But when Russell strikes up a conversation with Tiffany Kendall, Amanda notices a man watching from a distance and realizes she has finally met another spirit. Vince, who is Tiffany's older brother, cannot stand Russell. As Russell and Tiffany's relationship progresses, Amanda and Vince embark on their own journey in which each discovers that although they are dead, their emotions are still very much alive. In this contemporary romance, two spirits desperate to see those they left behind find happiness soon realize that nothing can stop true love-even death.

Rock star, crowdfunding pioneer, and TED speaker Amanda Palmer knows all about asking. Performing as a living statue in a wedding dress, she wordlessly asked thousands of passersby for their dollars. When she became a singer, songwriter, and musician, she was not afraid to ask her audience to support her as she surfed the crowd (and slept on their couches while touring). And when she left her record label to strike out on her own, she asked her fans to support her in making an album, leading to the world's most successful music Kickstarter. Even while Amanda is both celebrated and attacked for her fearlessness in asking for help, she finds that there are important things she cannot ask for-as a musician, as a friend, and as a wife. She learns that she isn't alone in this, that so many people are afraid to ask for help, and it paralyzes their lives and relationships. In this groundbreaking book, she explores these barriers in her own life and in the lives of those around her, and discovers the emotional, philosophical, and practical aspects of The Art of Asking. Part manifesto, part revelation, this is the story of an artist struggling with the new rules of exchange in the twenty-first century, both on and off the Internet. The Art of Asking will inspire readers to rethink their own ideas about asking, giving, art, and love.

A love story and a journey through music. The exquisite and perfectly pitched new novel from the bestselling author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Perfect and The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy. It's 1988. The CD has arrived. Sales of the shiny new disks are soaring on high streets in cities across the England. Meanwhile, down a dead-end street, Frank's music shop stands small and brightly lit, jam-packed with records of every kind. It attracts the lonely, the sleepless, the adrift. There is room for everyone. Frank has a gift for finding his customers the music they need. Into this shop arrives Ilse Brauchmann--practical, brave, well-heeled. Frank falls for this curious woman who always dresses in green. But Ilse's reasons for visiting the shop are not what they seem. Frank's passion for Ilse seems as misguided as his determination to save vinyl. How can a man so in tune with other people's needs be so incapable of helping himself? And what will it take to show he loves her? The Music Shop is a story about good, ordinary people who take on forces too big for them. It's about falling in love and how hard it can be. And it's about music--how it can bring us together when we are divided and save us when all seems lost.

When a woman travels to Nigeria to attend the funeral of the father she never knew, she meets her extravagant family for the first time, a new and inspiring love interest, and discovers parts of herself she didn't know were missing, from Jane Igharo, the acclaimed author of Ties That Tether. Hannah Bailey has never known her father, the Nigerian entrepreneur who had a brief relationship with her white mother. Because of this, Hannah has always felt uncertain about part of her identity. When her father dies, she's invited to Nigeria for the funeral. Though she wants to hate the man who abandoned her, she’s curious about who he was and where he was from. Searching for answers, Hannah boards a plane to Lagos, Nigeria. In Banana Island, one of Nigeria's most affluent areas, Hannah meets the Jolades, her late father's prestigious family—some who accept her and some who think she doesn't belong. The days leading up to the funeral are chaotic, but Hannah is soon shaped by secrets that unfold, a culture she never thought she would understand or appreciate, and a man who steals her heart and helps her to see herself in a new light.

When Amanda found out her mother had sent in an application to ABC's The Bachelor on her behalf, she wasn't upset . . . but she was hesitant. As a divorced single mom on a long dating hiatus, she didn't think there was any way she could measure up against the competitors. In the back of her mind, her ex's hurtful message reared its ugly head: "You can't divorce me. You'll be 25 and divorced with two kids. No one will want you." The thought of starting over and putting herself out there was frightening. But despite the self-doubt, Amanda made it onto Season 20. What nobody knew at the time was that her on-camera date with Ben was her first in almost three years. Talk about pressure! Ever since she made it to the final four on The Bachelor and ended up engaged on Bachelor in Paradise, media outlets and millions of fans, eager to learn Amanda's story, have tried to track her down. What's he really like? What's the scoop on her? Was she telling the truth about him? Part-memoir, part girl's guide, Now Accepting Roses is full of never-before-told stories from behind the scenes of one of America's most popular television shows—but this book isn't just for fans of The Bachelor. This book is for anyone navigating the crazy and exciting world of finding real love. Amanda also reveals the valuable lessons for life and relationships that she learned after the world watched her look for love on television—three times. Everything she now knows about dating, she learned from being on The Bachelor. Amanda's unique experiences have left her with some hard-earned wisdom to share, including her own "rules" for dating and how to truly find yourself, as she has. Thanks to juggling dating, parenting, and life, she better understands the way dating works and shares how you can find love while prioritizing your own needs. Amanda's friendly, heartfelt guidance will feel like a good friend offering her most personal advice on life, love, and self-care—and her wild stories will rival the juiciest gossip you've ever heard. If you're looking for a love like you've seen on the silver-screen, that doesn't exist. The good news is that the real thing is so much better. Amanda is more confident than ever in her search for love, and she hopes that sharing her stories and insights will help you find it, too.

Dani and Shannon are blushing brides-to-be. Shannon's niece Amanda, along with bridal friends Claire and Jordan, will soon be witnesses to the forthcoming nuptials. Together, they're a party of five intent on having an unforgettable week in Las Vegas. Though far from home, none of them can outrun the pasts that have shaped their lives. Dani and Shannon each harbor a secret that could bankrupt their wedding dreams. Jordan, the self-avowed eternal bachelor, finds herself in an unexpected high stakes game of love. Claire, a doctor still grieving the loss of her long-time partner, hits a jackpot she isn't sure she wants. And Amanda, carrying a secret of her own, decides to gamble it all on love. It's a dizzying, exhilarating week of discovery, passion and surprises, and no one knows where the spinning wheel of love will stop. The stakes are high, the risks life changing and the pay offs beyond measure in this latest romantic tour de force from Tracey Richardson, author of The Candidate and No Rules of Engagement.

ONE OF NPR'S BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR • A sweeping debut novel that explores the intimate struggle for independence and success of a young descendant of Indian indentured laborers in Mauritius, a small multiracial island in the Indian Ocean. "The beauty of Busjeet's splendid, often breathtaking book is, like the best stories of journeys to young adulthood, the precious and well-observed and heartbreaking details of day-to-day life." --Edward P. Jones, Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Known World In the 1950s, Vishnu Bhushan is a young boy yet to learn the truth beyond the rumors of his family's fractured histories--an alliance, as his mother says, of two bankrupt families. In evocative chapters, the first two decades of Vishnu's life in Mauritius unfolds with heart wrenching closeness as he battles to experience the world beyond, and the cultural, political, and familial turmoil that hold on to him. Through gorgeous and precise language, Silent Winds, Dry Seas conjures the spirit and rich life of Mauritius, even as its diverse peoples live under colonial rule. Weaving the soaring hopes, fierce love, and heart-breaking tragedies of Vishnu's proud Mauritian family together with his country's turbulent path to gain independence, Busjeet masterfully evokes the epic sweep of history in the intimate moments of a boy's life. Silent Winds, Dry Seas is a poetic, powerful, and universal novel of identity and place, of the legacies of colonialism, of tradition, modernity, and emigration, and of what a family will sacrifice for its children to thrive.

“10 New Books We’re Dying to Read in September” --The Zoe Report In this deeply personal collection of essays, creator of the The Conversation Amanda de Cadenet shares the hard-won advice and practical insights she’s gained through her experiences as businesswoman, friend, wife, and mother. Amanda is on a mission to facilitate conversations that allow all women to be seen, heard, and understood. Through her multimedia platform The Conversation, she interviews some of today’s most bad ass women—from Hillary Clinton to Lady Gaga—in no-holds-barred conversations that get to the heart of what means to be female. Now, in It’s Messy, Amanda offers readers an extension of that conversation, inviting them into her life and sharing her own story. From childhood fame to a high-profile marriage (and divorce) to teen motherhood to the sexism that threatened to end her career before it started, Amanda shares the good, the bad, and the messy of her life, synthesizing lessons she’s learned along the way. Through it all, she offers an original perspective as a feminist on the front lines of celebrity culture. Edgy, irreverent, poignant and provocative, It’s Messy addresses the issues, concerns, and experiences relevant to women today.

Amanda, the governor's daughter, is an heiress. Her father is a very wealthy Spanish businessman who came from Spain. Her father became powerful in politics, as he became the governor in the city. She was the one and only child, with five personal attendants. She grew up surrounded with luxury, a woman who was born with privilege, and part of the wealthiest families in the city. She sacrificed all her wealth just to be with her true love. She was born in a mansion, but she embraced a simp