NED HICKSON is an award winning, nationally syndicated humor columnist, headquartered at the Siuslaw News in Florence, Oregon. This, his first book, shows why his popularity is growing across the country. From the dangers of family forays in the kitchen (Flaming Pop Tarts), and the careful maneuvering of male-female relations (Women are From Venus, and Men Won't Ask for Directions), to the dangers of working as an under-appreciated JURNALIST, Ned takes us through day-to-day misadventures we can all relate to. What editors and readers are saying behind Ned's back... "It is fascinating following the workings of Ned Hickson's clever mind as he deftly turns ordinary daily happenings into pure hilarity. Hickson reminds us that life can be very funny indeed, especially when viewed through his lens. We snapped up his humor column in about one minute, we thought it was that good. He has developed many fans here in the Atlanta area." - Gay Shook - Editor of The Weekly - Gwinette, Georgia "A lot of people think they are funny these days. Many aren't. Ned Hickson's weekly humor column is a notable exception. Hickson not only gets it, but he can write it. As an editor, I feel I know what it takes to write well. Hickson not only writes well, but does so in a genre that very few do so successfully." - Andrew Scot Bolsinger - Editor of Ashland Daily Tidings - Ashland, Oregon "Hey Mister: Yer humor has me laughfing [sic] way down in Cedar Bluff, Alabama. Drive truck for paycheck and drop off The Post all over S.E. states. Thanks for keepin' me smiling. - "Stretch" (Sent on a post card from Chattanooga, Tennessee)

From award winning author Carol Weston comes an uplifting, heartfelt tale of bravery and strength in the face of loss and grief, perfect for tweens, teens and adults alike. "I will eagerly place it on my daughter's bookshelf, so that she, like Sofia, can find her own resilience and voice in our painful, joyful, speeding world."—New York Times Sofia lost her mother eight months ago, and her friends were 100% there for her. Now it's a new year and they're ready for Sofia to move on. But being a motherless daughter is hard to get used to, especially when you're only fourteen. Problem is, Sofia can't bounce back, can't recharge like a cellphone. She decides to write Dear Kate, an advice columnist for Fifteen Magazine, and is surprised to receive a fast reply. Soon the two are exchanging emails, and Sofia opens up and spills all, including a few worries that are totally embarrassing. Turns out even advice columnists don't have all the answers, and one day Sofia learns a secret that flips her world upside down. 2018 Best Fiction for Young Adults - American Library Association A 2018 Best Children's Book of the Year - Bank Street College of Education 2017 Best Fiction for Older Readers - Chicago Public Library 2019–2020 Young Hoosier Book Award Longlist Four STARRED Reviews Read the first page from Speed of Life: WARNING: This is kind of a sad story. At least at first. So if you don't like sad stories, maybe you shouldn't read this. I mean, I'd understand if you put it down and watched cat videos instead. I like cat videos too. Then again, this book is already in your hands. It starts and ends on January 1, and I was thinking of calling it The Year My Whole Life Changed. Or Life, Death, and Kisses. Or maybe even The Year I Grew Up. For me, being fourteen was hard. Really hard. Childhood was a piece of cake. Being a kid in New York City and spending summers in Spain, that was all pretty perfect, looking back. But being fourteen was like climbing a mountain in the rain. In flip-flops. I hoped I'd wind up in a different place, but I kept tripping and slipping and falling and wishing it weren't way too late to turn around. This book does have funny parts. And I learned two giant facts: Number one: everything can change in an instant—for worse, sure, but also for better. Number two: sometimes, if you just keep climbing, you get an amazing view. You see what's behind you and what's ahead of you and—the big surprise—what's inside you.

"Jagodowski and Pasquesi, award-winning master improvisers from Chicago's legendary comedy scene, are internationally known for their acclaimed, two-man longform show, TJ & Dave. [This is] their authoritative and entertaining look at techniques, principles, theory, and ideas behind their approach"--Cover.

Using client case studies, individual testimonials, and a lighthearted writing style, this book promotes the hottest new idea process for business--from a comedy theater.

Like many ambitious New York City teenagers, Craig Gilner sees entry into Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School as the ticket to his future. Determined to succeed at life—which means getting into the right high school to get into the right college to get the right job—Craig studies night and day to ace the entrance exam, and does. That's when things start to get crazy. At his new school, Craig realizes that he isn't brilliant compared to the other kids; he's just average, and maybe not even that. He soon sees his once-perfect future crumbling away.

The tragedy on September 11, 2001 killed many and hurt many more. David Sylvester tried to make sense of that senseless moment by jumping on his bicycle and connecting with people. His message to the people he met across three continents was simple: "Find your bike." It translates to finding your passion and now, ten years later, after pedaling across deserts, down dirt roads and highways, and over the mountains of Africa, Asia, and North America, David spreads his inspirational message on the pages of this book. Whether relaying stories of tragedy or triumph David writes with a degree of honesty, humor and passion that will make you want to 'find your own bike' and go for a ride.

You don't have to live overwhelmed by stuff—you can get rid of clutter for good! Decluttering expert Dana White identifies the emotional challenges that make it difficult to declutter and provides workable solutions to break through and make progress. While the world seems to be in love with the idea of tiny houses and minimalism, many of us simply can't purge it all and start from nothing. Yet a home with too much stuff is difficult to maintain, so where do we begin? Add in paralyzing emotional attachments and constant life challenges, and it can feel almost impossible to make real decluttering progress. In Decluttering at the Speed of Life, decluttering expert and author Dana White identifies the mindsets and emotional challenges that make it difficult to declutter. In her signature humorous approach, she provides workable solutions to break through these struggles and get clutter out—for good! Not only does Dana provide strategies, but she dives deep into how to implement them, no matter the reader's clutter level or emotional resistance to decluttering. She helps identify procrasticlutter—the stuff that will get done eventually so it doesn't seem urgent—as well as how to make progress when there's no time to declutter. In Decluttering at the Speed of Life, Dana’s chapters cover: Why You Need This Book (You Know Why) Your Unique Home Decluttering in the Midst of Real Life Change Your Mind, Change Your Home Breaking Through Your Decluttering Delusions Working It Out Room by Room Helping Others Declutter As long as we're living and breathing, new clutter will appear. The good news is that by following Dana’s advice, decluttering will get easier, become more natural, and require significantly fewer hours, less emotional bandwidth, and little to no sweat to keep going.

"Acting students all over the United States have the three steps of Tim Mooney's Hamlet exercise indelibly imprinted in their brain! In a brief two-hour session, this workshop completely upends the way performers look at dialogue! With Acting at the Speed of Life, Mooney goes beyond his hugely successful master class, to share Secrets of Theatrical Power! The results are immediate, for anyone seeking to boost the power of their 'presence' in public!" -- Back cover.

The first installment in the Ava and Pip series, perfect for aspiring writers and anyone that loves palindromes and word play. Ava and Pip is a funny and heartfelt story of Ava, an outgoing girl who wants to help her sister come out of her shell, and become a writer when she grows up. "A love letter to language."—The New York Times Meet outgoing Ava Wren, a fun fifth grader who tries not to lose patience with her shy big sister. She can't understand why Pip is so reserved and never seems to make friends with others, and decides to use her writing talents to help her sister overcome her shyness. She writes a short story based on the girl that ruined her sister's birthday party ... but it doesn't quite go over like she wanted it to. Can Ava and her new friend help Pip come out of her shell? And can Ava get out of the mess she has made, and really be a real writer like she always dreamed? Great for parents, educators and librarians looking for: A heartwarming read that has messages of sisterhood, identity, and friendship Funny books for girls ages 9 to 12 A story that incorporates word play (especially palindromes!) A story with a character wants to be a writer, perfect for aspiring young authors

Twins Crystal and Amber have the same goal: to be the first in their family to graduate high school and make something of their lives. When one gets pregnant during their junior year, they promise to raise the baby together. It’s not easy, but between their after-school jobs, they’re scraping by. Crystal’s grades catch the attention of the new guidance counselor, who tells her about a college that offers a degree in automotive restoration, perfect for the car buff she is. When she secretly applies—and gets in—new opportunities threaten their once-certain plans, and Crystal must make a choice: follow her dreams or stay behind and honor the promise she made to her sister.