The love for the donut in the United States is longstanding and deep-rooted. Gourmet donut shops have popped up in trendy neighborhoods across the country and high-end restaurants are serving trios of donuts for dessert, while Dunkin' Donuts, Krispy Kreme, and Tim Hortons have amassed a devoted following. In this captivating guide to the delectable dessert, culinary historian, chef, and donut lover Michael Krondl has put together an entertaining social history of the donut throughout the ages and from around the world. Among the interesting facts Krondl brings up are the donut's surprising role, not only as a traditional prelude to Lent, but in Hanukkah and Ramadan as well; the serving of donuts to American doughboys in the trenches of World War I; and the delivery by Red Cross Clubmobiles of essential comforts of home to World War II soldiers such as music, movies, magazines and—what else?—donut machines. Mindful that the information might have readers itching to run to their nearest bakery, Krondl also offers a baker's dozen of international donut recipes—with accompanying color photos—including those for Chocolate-Glazed Bismarcks with Marshmallow Filling, Nutella Bombolocini, Frittelle di Carnevale, and Dulce de Leche Raised Donuts with a Salty Caramel Glaze, among others.

A colorful look at the true story behind one sea captain’s scrumptious legacy that has become one of our favorite snacks. In 1843, fourteen-year-old Hanson Gregory left his family home in Rockport, Maine, and set sail as a cabin boy on the schooner Achorn, looking for high-stakes adventure on the high seas. Little did he know that a boatload of hungry sailors, coupled with his knack for creative problem-solving, would yield one of the world’s most prized and beloved pastries. Lively and inventive cut-paper illustrations add a taste of whimsy to this sweet, fact-filled story that includes an extensive bibliography, author's note, and timeline. “A lively offering for reading and sharing that will encourage the youngest of researchers to wonder and learn about other everyday items in their world.”—School Library Journal

Stretching from end to end of the thirteen original colonies, from Fort Kent, Maine, to Key West, Florida, the connecting sections of the Atlantic Coast Highway, known as United States Route No. 1, have formed a highway of history for three hundred years. Washington traveled it repeatedly in peace and war. Now the 94-mile section between New York and Philadelphia carries a heavier average traffic than any other road of equal length in the world. Route 1 connects New York, Princeton and Philadelphia, the three cities at which the capital was established in the early years of the Republic, with Washington, the final choice; and it passes near or through nearly all of the Revolutionary battlefields and many of those of the Civil War. It grew from blazed footpaths of the settlement era to its present condition, which the Bureau of Public Roads of the United States Department of Agriculture reports as surfaced for 84 percent of the distance, graded but unsurfaced for 15 percent, and unimproved for less than 1 percent. Work is proceeding on the less improved sections. The motorist traveling the road today is reminded frequently of the life and customs of the early days by the old towns and villages through which Route 1 passes; but they also cannot miss the unique places of interest—coffee shops, gift shops, restaurants, stores, museums, parks, and scenic turnouts—to be found along its whole length. A tour down Route 1 is a trip of history and nostalgia, as well as a slice across American culture, with all its quirks and eccentricities in full bloom.

There is a peace to be found in eating what you love that I havent found in any other way. Not everyone can relate to this connection, but for me, its fully correlated. For so long, I struggled with being at peace with my body that the angst manifested in my obsession with food. I wanted to fix my criticism of my body and my internal unease by eating better, restricting, dieting, getting control. It was no surprise I never fixed myself by dieting. It cant be fixed by dieting. I had to start to eat with love to make any headway on my crippling anxiety. I had to eat what I loved and make peace with my cravings to address the deeper issues. For so long, I struggled with what I should eat or shouldnt eat. It was a wonderful way to distract myself from feeling anything else or thinking about uncomfortable topics. Food obsession always reveals a deeper worry. To eat in peace allows us to get honest about what we really feel. The new mantra had to become What would I really love to eat today? I wanted to eat a lot of things, and I wanted doughnuts. I assumed other people wanted to eat doughnuts too. I started making them for myself and getting them out there to the masses. This permission to myself to eat doughnuts turned into a multimillion dollar businessa sign that making decisions out of love can have great results.

Donuts are America's favorite treat and, in Donut Nation, Ellen Brown travels the United States in search of the best donut shops. From beloved mom-and-pop establishments and roadside cafes to innovative boutiques and artisanal restaurants, there are more than seventy hand-crafted donut shops to take you from Maine to Arizona. Perfect for the cross-country explorer or home chef, it also includes mouthwatering recipes for donuts like Orange-Pistachio Cake, Maple Bacon, and Strawberry-Buttermilk. Donut Nation is a one-of-a-kind trip to the heart of an American classic.

Zelda Rising tells the story of an empathetic young woman named Crystine who runs afoul of a perverse male stranger as she works to create a cozy refuge for booklovers in a Chicago space she calls Zelda Rising Books, in honor of writer F. Scott Fitzgerald's wife. The novel Zelda Rising revolves around this world of books that mean much more than reading, for very lives end up depending on them. It offers up a range of colorful characters from Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood who are drawn into the center of Crystine's bookstore, for better or worse, and must face their own unfulfilled dreams and mortality after she is gaslighted and dies tragically. Mystery pervades Zelda Rising until violence becomes the only solution. Definitely an engrossing, succinct read.

Early summer, Portland, Maine… Eleven months after young policewoman Dee Rommel’s mysterious and life-altering on-the-job injury. Her medical leave is nearly up, and the Police Department and her ex-training officer, newly-single Detective Donato, expect her to reinstate. But her decision is postponed when she’s challenged to step in for her godfather - private investigator Gordy Greer - to investigate the disappearance of a brilliant high-tech heiress, Lucy Claren, who has announced hasty wedding plans that could derail her father’s empire. Life is further complicated when Dee’s good friend, Karla, is physically assaulted by a sadist that Dee had helped put behind bars. Newly released, he decides to turn his sights on justice-driven Dee, making it his personal mission to ensure her failure – and demise. Dee dangerously navigates through the two worlds of crime – determined to survive them both… in just ten days.

The Left is bulldozing through American history. We the People are the only ones who can stop them. America is on the verge of another Civil War. Socialism is on the rise. Free Speech is under assault. People of Faith are facing persecution. Gun owners are in the crosshairs. Our public schools have been turned into indoctrination centers. A leftist mob made up of socialist politicians, academic elites, raging feminists, and effete Pajama Boys has partnered with Antifa, illegal aliens, and other radical groups to finish what President Obama started—a fundamental transformation of our nation. Can America be saved? Political columnist, commentator, author, and radio host Todd Starnes addresses this issue and more in Culture Jihad. He believes that if good-hearted patriots rise up together we can stop the jihad. It is possible to keep America great.

Growing up in poverty made a lasting impression on Rachel. As a result, she is determined to never again go through the pain and humiliation of being poor. The first step in her strategy for wealth and success is an internship with the reclusive Emerson Watson, investment broker extraordinaire. Learning his strategies will take her to the top – exactly where she wants to be! What she doesn’t anticipate is finding “Jack” along the way. A simple handyman, he makes her laugh and sigh with pleasure. He makes her forget her goals. But with his meager lifestyle, Jack cannot be in her future. Emerson Jackson Watson spies the lovely Rachel coming around the corner in her sexy, red heels. And he promises himself that he is going to have her. Unfortunately, the lovely Rachel is looking for the other side of him – the side he doesn’t want to show her. She wants Emerson – the debonair wizard of Wall Street – when he knows what she really needs is Jack – the down-to-earth jack of all trades. How can he show her that the life she thinks she wants isn’t what she needs? That she needs him…