In Hello, It’s Me, pop culture historian Chris Epting celebrates the cultural touchstones of the past 40 years—the music, movies, television, hobbies, and fads that have defined recent generations. Whether it’s shooting hoops with NBA legend Elgin Baylor, drinking whiskey in a Radio City Music Hall broom closet with Ron Wood and Rod Stewart while thousands of fans scream from below, sharing a milkshake with Jerry Lewis, running into Alfred Hitchcock’s stomach as a young child, or jumping on a trampoline with Sally Struthers, Chris Epting takes us on his own strange trip through time, space and hula hoops. Beginning in the 1970s and continuing through the 1980s, 1990s, and up to the present day, Epting writes about the humorous, ironic, poignant, and inspiring moments he’s experienced with a host of pop-culture icons—Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Jay Leno, Johnny Thunders, Edward Albee, John Cheever, Milton Berle, etc.—as well as his personal memories of the era’s most famous pop-culture fads, products, and gimmicks—Pet Rocks, lava lamps, mood rings, 8-track tapes, bootleg records, Zotz, halter tops, strawberry wine. . . .

Love is calling... Wait for the beep! A widowed mother of two, Annie Harlowe has a secret: She likes to call her late husband's cell phone just to hear his voice, even if it is only a recording. Then one night she dials-and something extraordinary happens... Thomas Brannock IV has had his life mapped out since he was a kid, but a free-spirited woman with flowing hair and sun-kissed cheeks is about to change all that. Still reeling from her heart-to-heart with the other side-and wondering if she's so lonely she's gone off her rocker-Annie literally bumps into Thom at the posh soiree she's catering at his family's Southampton mansion. From the moment she looks into his eyes she feels like she's experiencing a true heavenly intervention-as two people from totally different worlds begin to make the most passionate connection of all... With a little help from above!

As I continue to learn the importance of self love, I now understand that I create my world; little did I know or understand it's just that easy. Love comes from within. It's deep, it's beautiful, it's freedom. A freedom from loneliness, fear, self-doubt, shame and abandonment. I truly understand and now know the truth, that choice is the key to everything; the key to unlock your life, and the key to freedom! We only ever have to choose. That's the greatest thing about free will and choice. I ask you to ask yourself, do you want to be free? Or do you want to be held in the imprisonment of the linear life, and controlled by the ego conditioned mind, continuing the third-dimensional matrix? Or are you ready to break free of all linear aspects?

I had no reason to question the life I was living. I did everything I was supposed to do to live an amazing life - great education, great career, married, mother, home-owner, nice-car owner, fancy vacation taker - or so I thought. I was just rushing to cross things off my to-do list one after another, never stopping to ask myself if all this doing was making me happy. None of my checklists said find joy, be fulfilled, authentically align with my soul. But then through a series of serendipitous circumstances, perfectly orchestrated by the Universe, it all came crashing in on me. I was forced to realize that none of the life I created made me happy. My life was amazing on the outside. But on the inside, I longed for something deeper, meaningful, more. So, I scheduled a breakdown.Hello Universe, It's Me is not just my wakeup call. It's yours too. I take you on my journey but as I do I provide you with the tools you need to see that your story matters, the way you navigate your life matters, and finding who you are meant to be and what you are meant to offer this world matters too.

Confessions of a Serial Songwriter is an amusing and poignant memoir about songwriter Shelly Peiken's journey from young girl falling under the spell of magical songs to working professional songwriter writing hits of her own. It's about growing up, the creative process – the highs and the lows, the conflicts that arise between motherhood and career success, the divas and schemers, but also the talented and remarkable people she's found along the way. It's filled with stories and step-by-step advice about the songwriting process, especially collaboration. And it's about the challenge of staying relevant in a rapidly changing and youth-driven world. As Shelly so eloquently states in Confessions of a Serial Songwriter: “If I had to come up with one X factor that I could cite as a characteristic most hit songs have in common (and this excludes hit songs that are put forth by an already well-oiled machine...that is, a recording artist who has so much notoriety and momentum that just about anything he or she releases, as long as it's 'pretty good ' will have a decent shot at succeeding), I would say it would be: A universal sentiment in a unique frame.” Peiken has tapped the universal sentiment again and again; her songs have been recorded by such artists as Christina Aguilera, Natalie Cole, Selena Gomez, Celine Dion, the Pretenders, and others. In Confessions of a Serial Songwriter, she pulls the curtain back on the music business from the perspective of a behind-the-scenes hit creator and shares invaluable insight into the craft of songwriting.

The life of Harry Chapin, charismatic musician and iconic humanitarian, was unexpectedly and tragically taken on July 16, 1981. He was 38 years old. A human dynamo whose sheer tenacity landed him on the Billboard charts, on Broadway, in the White House, and at the forefront of the world hunger movement, Chapin lived by the mantra of "When in doubt, do something." In following this mentality, Chapin's 10-year solo career encompassed more than 2,000 concerts, nine studio albums, the creation of global nonprofit World Hunger Year (now WhyHunger), and the love and respect of fans, fellow musicians, and key political influencers alike. Hailed as a consummate musical storyteller, Chapin is best known for his character-driven tunes - "Taxi," "Sniper," "W-O-L-D," "A Better Place to Be," "30,000 Pounds of Bananas," and "Cat's in the Cradle" included. Yet despite having only four Top 40 hits to his name, Chapin's songs remain one of a kind - elevating him to the same artistic status as classic singer-songwriters of the era like James Taylor, Jim Croce, Gordon Lightfoot, and John Denver. Now, nearly 40 years after his death, the following 10-chapter oral history seeks to tell Harry Chapin's story through the firsthand, on-the-record testimonies of the "characters" who knew him best - more than 60 family members, friends, business associates, and musical contemporaries. The result is a well-rounded retrospective of a man whose life, being, sense of accomplishment, and legacy remain unsurpassed to this day.

In a word: hilarious. . . . These are some of the funniest stories I have ever read and they're also some of the most unexpectedly heartfelt--Laura Zigman, author of "Animal Husbandry."

Margaret Simon has a lot of things to think about--making friends in a new school, boys and dances and parties, growing physically "normal" and choosing a religion. "With sensitivity and humor, Judy Blume has captured the joys, fears, and uncertainties that surround a girl approaching adolescence."--"Publishers Weekly." Great Stone Face Award winner. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

Now a major motion picture starring Rachel McAdams and Kathy Bates! A Time Best YA Book of All Time Margaret shares her secrets and her spirituality in this iconic Judy Blume novel, beloved by millions. Margaret Simon, almost twelve, likes long hair, tuna fish, the smell of rain, and things that are pink. She’s just moved from New York City to Farbook, New Jersey, and is anxious to fit in with her new friends—Nancy, Gretchen, and Janie. When they form a secret club to talk about private subjects like boys, bras, and getting their first periods, Margaret is happy to belong. But none of them can believe Margaret doesn’t have religion, and that she isn’t going to the Y or the Jewish Community Center. What they don’t know is Margaret has her own very special relationship with God. She can talk to God about everything—family, friends, even Moose Freed, her secret crush. Margaret is funny and real. As you read her story, you’ll know why this book has been the favorite of millions of readers. It’s as if Margaret is talking right to you, sharing her secrets with a friend.

An engrossing memoir-meets-investigative report that takes a fresh, frank look at how we treat depression. Depression is a havoc-wreaking illness that masquerades as personal failing and hijacks your life. After a major suicide attempt in her early twenties, Anna Mehler Paperny resolved to put her reporter’s skills to use to get to know her enemy, setting off on a journey to understand her condition, the dizzying array of medical treatments on offer, and a medical profession in search of answers. Charting the way depression wrecks so many lives, she maps competing schools of therapy, pharmacology, cutting-edge medicine, the pill-popping pitfalls of long-term treatment, the glaring unknowns and the institutional shortcomings that both patients and practitioners are up against. She interviews leading medical experts across the US and Canada, from psychiatrists to neurologists, brain-mapping pioneers to family practitioners, and others dabbling in strange hypotheses—and shares compassionate conversations with fellow sufferers. Hello I Want to Die Please Fix Me tracks Anna’s quest for knowledge and her desire to get well. Impeccably reported, it is a profoundly compelling story about the human spirit and the myriad ways we treat (and fail to treat) the disease that accounts for more years swallowed up by disability than any other in the world. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, help is available. Contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.