The cockroach could not have scuttled along, almost unchanged, for two hundred and fifty million years – some two hundred and forty-nine before man evolved – unless it was doing something right. It would be fascinating as well as instructive to have access to the cockroach’s own record of its life on earth, to know its point of view on evolution and species domination over the millennia. Such chronicles would perhaps radically alter our perceptions of the dinosaur’s span and importance – and that of our own development and significance. We might learn that throughout all these aeons, the dominant life form has been, if not the cockroach itself, then certainly the insect. Attempts to chronicle the cockroach’s intellectual and emotional life have been made only within the last century when a scientist titled his essay on the cockroach "The Intellectual and Emotional World of the Cockroach", and artists as radically different as Franz Kafka and Don Marquis created equally memorable cockroach protagonists. At least since Classical Greece, authors have brought cockroach characters into the foreground to speak for the weak and downtrodden, the outsiders, those forced to survive on the underside of dominant human cultures. Cockroaches have become the subjects of songs (La Cucaracha), have competed in "roachraces" and have even ended up in recipes. In this accessible, sympathetic and often humorous book, Marion Copeland examines the natural history, symbolism and cultural significance of this poorly understood and much-maligned insect.

Singularity gathers award-winning writer Melanie Tem’s most important short fiction, highlighting her diversity and mastery of her art. The sixty stories collected here range from "Sitting with the Driver," a western with a dark woman at its center, to "Little Shit," a contemporary tale of a woman who uses her deceptive appearance and psychic power to trap those who prey on the helpless. The child in "Corn teeth" longs not only to become a part of an alien family, but also to become an alien. And in the title tale, a man studies singularities and strin theory to both understand and blind himself to the truth about the woman he loves. Although the story is not science fiction, its exploration of physics is as rigorous as that found in the best sf. Here you will find no triumphant warriors, no powerful and beautiful protagonists, no monsters from beyond the dark cold void or madmen bent on conquest. Tem's characters are mothers and siblings, orphans and lonely seniors. Her stories are often about family, and always about relationships. Even though Kelly is the only character in "Iced in," the bitter truth that lies at the story's heart is that she is doomed by her failure to maintain relationships. Melanie Tem's stories are often haunted by ghosts and monsters, ghosts and monsters revealed as all too human. In Singularity, she explores the love and terror that lie deep within all of us.

Mystery shopper Josie Marcus unlocks a DIY murder case when her new house’s “good bones” takes on multiple meanings... Josie’s been busy with a personal shopping project—scouring suburban St. Louis for a starter home for her and her newlywed husband, Dr. Ted Scottsmeyer. So she’s thrilled when Ted’s veterinary partner, Dr. Christine Cormac, hooks them up with a beautiful house, which her flaky sister, Rain, inexplicably abandoned months earlier. But before they’ve even picked out the paint, Josie and Ted discover Rain’s body beneath their backyard gazebo and Christine is immediately boxed up for murder. Now, Josie’s new home is a crime scene and Christine is headed for the big house...unless Josie steps in. Good thing she’s handy around a murder investigation, because she’ll need all her sleuthing skills to unpack the clues, flip the case, and nail the real killer.

You'll laugh so hard you'll puke! Step right up and enjoy a hilarious compendium of giggles and guffaws! The Grossest Joke Book Ever Written . . . Only Grosser! is a fresh pile of hilarity that will delight any jokester and disgust all your friends and unlucky strangers. With hundreds of yucky knock-knocks and fart jokes galore, this book will be sure to ruin any polite setting, such as teatime, quiet time, or time-out. Complete with eye-popping illustrations that are gross (but not too gross), this heap of rude-ish humor and goofy gags will delight readers everywhere! - LOL about boogers, wedgies, poop, and air biscuits - Become the best comedian around with hilarious one-liners, riddles, and quips - Enjoy silly family-friendly illustrations for endless laughs

Originally published in 1941, this pocket-sized treasury preserves the language of diners and roadside restaurants during their golden age in the '30s and '40s. From "all hot" (baked potato) and "dog soup" (water) to "perk" (coffee) and "first lady" (spare ribs), the long-lost terms are fascinating, funny, and sometimes politically incorrect by today's standards. Historic photos from the Library of Congress add nostalgic appeal.

Stefani is a criminal defense attorney and has it all. But when her husband of 10 years walks out and her mother dies unexpectedly, Stefani is crushed. Will Stefani finally learn what is truly important? Jasmine is Stefani's younger sister and is sick of living in her sisters shadow. On top of that the husband she has loved for half her life has gotten on her last nerve. Will Jasmine be able to keep the flame burning? Veronica is devastated by the fact that she is not a mother and has taken to scheduling sex for the sake of getting pregnant. Her husband wants to let nature takes its course. Is Veronica prepared to lose her husband to become a mother? Denise is a stay-at-home mom who is struggling with the decision to return to work. After a serious medical scare Denise decides that she must make some changes. Will Denise be able to manage motherhood and a career? Charmaine has suppressed a painful part of her past that suddenly and unexpectedly bubbles to the surface. Revenge is Charmaine's new passion and it threatens to send her over the edge. Will Charmaine let her past ruin her future? Follow along as these women support each other as only a sister-friend can.

GET READY FOR A WHIRLWIND OF DARING ENCOUNTERS... TOUGH DECISIONS... DRAMATIC SITUATIONS... EVERYTHING YOU HAVE ALWAYS LOOKED FOR IN A BOOK...AND MORE! Non-stop adventure, suspense and romance spanning two continents and three generations! From the Nazi occupation of Poland to the slum riverfront buildings of lower Manhattan – this is a chilling, fast-paced story of patriotism, faith, courage, addiction, and unrequited love. Imagine dreaded Nazi segregation plans against Polish and Jewish people, a stash of diamonds, Underground espionage resistance efforts using a secret Krakow hideout, harsh Siberian imprisonment, a voyage aboard a dilapidated ship through a raging Atlantic, confinement in a convent, unsolved murder; and the witness of a brutal Mafia massacre! AN UNFORGETABLE NOVEL YOU “CAN’T PUT DOWN” AND ONE YOU WILL LONG REMEMBER!!!

A candid memoir of fame, strength, family, and friendship from the lead singer of TLC As the lead singer of Grammy-winning supergroup TLC, Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins has seen phenomenal fame, success, and critical acclaim. But backstage, she has lived a dual life. In addition to the balancing act of juggling an all-consuming music career and her family, Tionne has struggled her whole life with sickle-cell disease—a debilitating and incurable condition that can render her unable to perform, walk, or even breathe. A Sick Life chronicles Tionne’s journey from a sickly young girl in Des Moines who was told she wouldn’t live to see 30 through her teen years in Atlanta to how she broke into the music scene and became the superstar musician and sickle-cell disease advocate she is today. Through Tionne’s tough, funny, tell-it-like-it-is voice, she shares how she found the inner strength, grit, and determination to live her dream, despite her often unpredictable and debilitating health issues. She dives deep into never-before-told TLC stories, including accounts of her friendship with Lisa “Left-Eye” Lopes and her tragic death. Tionne’s unvarnished discussion of her remarkable life, disease, unending strength, and ability to power through the odds offers a story like no other.

Every kid's favorite subject: bathroom humor! Inside the Jokiest Joking Bathroom Joke Book Ever Written . . . No Joke! are over a thousand knee-slapping bathroom jokes for kids, along with hundreds of silly illustrations! How can you distinguish your dad’s poop from others? It’s really corny. Why did the turd never get anything done? Because he was pooped. What do you call a kid with a bad case of the runs? Down in the dumps. Hilarious and more!

Recollections in Tranquility is a sequel to Immigrantss Son. OPrey examines his fifteen years in religious life, comments upon his training, and compares his eight years teaching in parochial schools with his twenty-nine in public education. His conclusions are pertinent, poignant, sometimes perturbing, but always relevant. With honesty and humor he cites contrasts and similarities, and ultimately concludes that the essence of his life has been his family. Marriage to a supportive wife, parenthood, and now grandparenthood have enriched his life. Retirement provided the chance to reflect and write. This resulting chronicle portrays a life of satisfaction and his descriptions evoke images of personal success.