Real, Raw, Honest, Unfiltered Essays on Motherhood Social media has made us feel like we must do all the things and do them perfectly. Be the perfect mom, post the perfect pictures, and have perfect, well-behaved children. But what if you're not perfect? When everyone else is putting their best face forward, I decided to write about the hidden side of motherhood. The uncomfortable parts I'm not proud to share. As a mom for the last twenty-one years, I have felt utterly alone at times. I wrote the book that I needed when I felt like I was drowning in failure. Mistakes don't make you a bad mom, they make you a real mom. I wrote this book for every mom who has ever felt like she failed her children. For every mom who has ever made a mistake. For every mom who has ever felt the isolating loneliness of motherhood, even when surrounded by tiny humans. For every mom scrolling through her social media feed thinking she is the only one who's not so perfect. For every mom everywhere, no matter how you choose to parent. This book will take you on an emotional rollercoaster, from very heavy topics to light and funny. Hang on tight, because you are in for a ride.

So far, life for fourteen-year-old Phoebe Trask has been picture perfect. Her parents are successful; her older sister, Shyla, is on track to becoming the youngest lawyer in Texas; and her sixteen-year-old brother, Zane, the all-American best brother ever, is a star on the high school swim team. Then Phoebe's mother, Beth, becomes the traveling spokeswoman for Bee Beautiful Cosmetics, a job that keeps her away from home indefinitely, and Phoebe's father, a respected judge, finds himself embroiled in a trial that has the whole town choosing sides. What's more, the new next-door neighbor is a gorgeous widow who seems to want to take Beth's place in the family. All of a sudden Phoebe's once-solid family is on very shaky ground. In the year that follows, Phoebe is pushed to her limit as she struggles to cope with the changes in her life that just keep coming, ready or not -- and as she learns what it really means to love...and to forgive.

THE INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING AUTHOR 'Picoult is a master manipulator, weaving gripping, dramatic plotlines. We defy you not to be gripped.' Glamour A woman is found in a graveyard in Los Angeles, unable to remember anything about herself or her life. No one is more surprised than she when her husband comes to the police station to take her home - and turns out to be Hollywood's leading film star. Bewildered by the perfect life that has been suddenly thrust upon her, Cassie finds herself living a dream. But there is something dark and disturbing behind this glamorous façade - and it is only as her memory gradually returns that it will all come crumbling down . . . THE BOOK OF TWO WAYS, Jodi's stunning new novel about life, death and missed opportunities is available to pre-order now.

The comic strip Stone Soup has been endearing itself to millions of newspaper and online readers for more than ten years. Stone Soup follows the not-so-perfect lives of an extended, blended family. In Book Five the Stones have expanded into two households living just across the fence from one another. Readers will find some of their favorite episodes including: Joan and Wally adjust to married life and a blended family Val organizes her famous Book Club with women from other comic strips Gramma learns to paint... nudes. Stone Soup is unabashed, hilarious and addictive. Enjoy!

It was just a selfie. At least, that's what Kordale Lewis thought when he snapped a picture of him and his partner caught in their morning ritual of brushing their daughters' hair. But when he followed the precedent of his straight-couple friends and posted the family photo on his social media accounts, he did not anticipate the response. The image0́4two gay, black dads parenting their young daughters like, God forbid, any other couple0́4went viral. Kordale and Kaleb were instantly overwhelmed with the overnight backlash of negativity and the warmth of support that came with their worldwide Internet recognition.If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the viral buzz that surrounded the photo only scratches the surface. Picture Perfect? is an honest, soul-bearing memoir that pulls back the curtain on the story behind a family picture that went viral. With inspiring candor, Kordale Lewis describes his struggles with childhood sexual abuse, a drug-addicted mother, suicide, the trials teen fatherhood, and more. His story provides a bold challenge for readers to redefine their own meaning of a perfect family.

“A fantastically smart, funny, and thoughtful thriller.”—Nicola Yoon, #1 New York Times best-selling author of Everything, Everything and The Sun Is Also a Star The year is 1998: Titanic just won six Oscars, boy bands are dominating MTV’s airwaves, and like any other teenager Jess Flynn is just trying to survive high school. Between a crush on her childhood best friend, overprotective parents, and her sister’s worsening health, the only constant is her hometown of Swickley, which feels smaller by the day. Jess is resigned to her small-town life, until the day she discovers a mysterious device with an apple logo, causing her to question everything and everyone she’s ever known. As more cracks appear in Jess’s world, she faces a choice: can she live the rest of her life knowing it’s a lie, or should she risk everything for the truth? A fast-paced, mind-bending YA thriller packed with ’90s pop culture references and perfect for fans of Riverdale, This Is Not the Jess Show will keep readers guessing until the very end. Now with an excerpt from the explosive and thrilling conclusion, This Is Not the Real World!

Being a parent in the modern world is tough. We are often overwhelmed with fear about damaging our children, guilt about our imperfections, and confusion about our role. Harriet Connor knows these feelings well. But hers is not just another parenting book full of "shoulds and shouldn'ts" to make you feel worse. Rather, she invites you to step back and consider the bigger picture: What is the purpose of life and parenthood? What are our human limitations? How can we cope with our guilt and fear? What are our family's values and how do we pass them on? What is our family's structure and place within the wider community? When she was desperate for answers, Harriet Connor turned to the ancient wisdom of her ancestors--the Bible. She went looking for little pieces of grandmotherly advice, but what she found was a grand vision--a big picture--that made sense of both life and parenthood. Whether you are new to the Bible or have read it before, you will not regret taking time to reflect on its message, which has given comfort and guidance to generations of parents just like you.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Pierce Brown’s relentlessly entertaining debut channels the excitement of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. “Red Rising ascends above a crowded dys­topian field.”—USA Today ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR—Entertainment Weekly, BuzzFeed, Shelf Awareness “I live for the dream that my children will be born free,” she says. “That they will be what they like. That they will own the land their father gave them.” “I live for you,” I say sadly. Eo kisses my cheek. “Then you must live for more.” Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations. Yet he toils willingly, trusting that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children. But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and lush wilds spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class. Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity’s overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society’s ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies . . . even if it means he has to become one of them to do so. Praise for Red Rising “[A] spectacular adventure . . . one heart-pounding ride . . . Pierce Brown’s dizzyingly good debut novel evokes The Hunger Games, Lord of the Flies, and Ender’s Game. . . . [Red Rising] has everything it needs to become meteoric.”—Entertainment Weekly “Ender, Katniss, and now Darrow.”—Scott Sigler “Red Rising is a sophisticated vision. . . . Brown will find a devoted audience.”—Richmond Times-Dispatch Don’t miss any of Pierce Brown’s Red Rising Saga: RED RISING • GOLDEN SON • MORNING STAR • IRON GOLD • DARK AGE • LIGHT BRINGER

Why does your toddler get upset when his or her routine is disrupted? Why do they follow you from room to room and refuse to play on their own? Why are daily routines such as mealtimes, bath time, and bed time such a struggle? This accessible guide demystifies the difficult behaviors of anxious toddlers, offering tried-and-tested practical solutions to common parenting dilemmas. Each chapter begins with a real life example, clearly illustrating the behavior from the parent's and the toddler's perspective. Once the toddler's anxious behavior has been demystified and explained, new and effective parenting approaches are introduced to help parents tackle everyday difficulties and build up their child's resilience, independence, and coping mechanisms. Common difficulties with bath time, toileting, sleep, eating, transitions, social anxiety, separation anxiety, and sensory issues are solved, along with specific fears and phobias, and more extreme behaviors such as skin picking and hair pulling. A must-read for all parents of anxious toddlers, as well as for the professionals involved in supporting them.

Ellen is obsessed with the idea of creating the perfect Christmas card to send to all their family and friends. She’s making a list and she’s checking it twice. Perfect holiday outfits? Check. Perfect holiday decorations? Check. Her husband’s troubled teenage niece crashing at their house the night before the big photo shoot? Wait – that wasn’t on the list! Will a scheduling conflict, a sullen houseguest, and a family crisis derail Ellen’s plans for a perfect photo shoot, or will she learn that perfection isn’t so important after all?