Where in Providence can you…pay homage to the birth of sideburns?...visit a Vampire grave….? view North America’s largest collection of fresco paintings?...see a tree that “ate” a state founder?...get a glimpse of a 58-foot blue bug?...discover the origin of the Seabee?...spend the afternoon at the home of America’s longest-played baseball game?...explore a castle in the middle of the city? You’ll find all these unique—and often little-known—landmarks, attractions and hidden gems and more inside Secret Providence: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure. Whether you’re interested in Rhode Island’s haunted, hysterical, surprising or somber, Secret Providence gives you insider access to all the mysteries you never knew the city was holding and takes you on a tour like none you’ve seen before. Founded to establish a community of and home for visionaries looking to break free of rules and the status quo, Rhode Island has a deeply rebellious history and those who call it home have always celebrated its spirit of individuality and embraced its welcoming of the offbeat and unique. This scavenger-hunt type guide to the state’s capital city and beyond is an exploration of the weird, wonderful and obscure odds and ends that continue to make it an idyllic spot for uncommon living.

What’s on your travel wish list? Immersing yourself in local culture? Enjoying world class dining, exhilarating outdoor activities, and eclectic museums? How about experiencing all these things, and much more, in a city that is as exciting as it is welcoming? Providence, Rhode Island, dubbed the Creative Capital, is a small city with unlimited potential for adventure. Visitors of every age and interest will find themselves falling in love with the city’s rich historical, cultural, and entertainment offerings. This second edition of 100 Things to Do in Providence Before You Die is the guide to introduce you to all of it, whether you’re looking for the perfect romantic weekend, a family trip to make lifetime memories, or a place to get away from it all with your best friends. And, if you’re a Rhode Islander, you’ll want to make this book your ultimate Providence bucket list. Inside these pages is all you need to know to make your time in Providence the time of your life.

From sunrise in the shadow of the Beavertail lighthouse to sunset on the deck of the Coast Guard House, 100 Things to Do in Rhode Island Before You Die will fill your days with experiences of a lifetime in the Ocean State. Fuel up for adventure with “only in Rhode Island” treats like Del’s lemonade, coffee “cabinets,” and New York System Wieners, then set course for a 12-meter yacht sail on Narragansett Bay, a day trip to Block Island to collect glass orbs and scale the Mohegan Bluffs, and a walk on the wild side of historic Newport’s Cliff Walk. You’ll meet polo ponies, harbor seals, and some leafy green animals by day, and fill your nights with the sounds of live music at the Ocean Mist beach bar and the Rhythm and Roots festival and take in the sights (and smells) of Providence’s Waterfire. Author Robert Curley has always lived within hailing distance of the sea, moving from his native Long Island to Rhode Island more than two decades ago and quickly falling in love with the quirky character and rich history of his adopted home. His carefully curated attractions and itineraries are your personal “Rhode Trip” for creating big memories in the littlest state.

Where can you join in a pirate parade, see live mermaids, and catch a flamenco dance performance at the oldest and largest Spanish restaurant in America? Where does the spirit of an ancient Tocobaga shaman allegedly continue to protect the area from the forces of nature? Where can you wander through secret gardens, listen to bagpipe music, take a class in fire spinning, and sample a seemingly endless variety of local craft beers, all on the same day? The answer, of course, is Tampa Bay. Secret Tampa Bay: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure provides a deeper dive into the local culture, history, art, and one-of-a-kind attractions as alternatives to the usual beaches and theme parks. Whether it’s an abandoned island fort from the Spanish-American War, a dolphin famous for its prosthetic tail, a love story captured on a tombstone, or a town of circus sideshow performers, whatever natural or unnatural wonder you’re seeking, you are sure to find it here. Join author Joshua Ginsberg as he explores Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and the surrounding areas in search of hidden history, strange monuments, museums, oddities, antiques, and the very best Cuban sandwich. From gangsters to gators to ghost stories, it’s sure to be a memorable experience.

This gorgeous illustrated picture book features a brand-new My Little Pony underwater adventure, and includes an exclusive art poster! When Twilight Sparkle receives an invitation to visit the underwater city of Aquastria, she invites all her pony friends and Spike to travel with her. The ponies are welcomed by the ruler of Aquastria, King Leo, who sits on the Cosmic Council alongside his cousin, Princess Celestia. There is a long-held rivalry between the seaponies and the mermares. The two groups compete each year in a race for the grand prize, which is a beautiful pearl. Join the ponies and Spike as they confront danger, make new friends and race to the finish in this shimmering new world!

Sex. Race. Scripture. Sovereignty. The book of Ruth entails them all. So readers shouldn't be fooled by its age, says Pastor John Piper. Though its events happened over 3,000 years ago, the story holds astounding relevance for Christians in the twenty-first century. The sovereignty of God, the sexual nature of humanity, and the gospel of God's mercy for the undeserving-these massive realities never change. And since God is still sovereign, and we are male or female, and Jesus is alive and powerful, A Sweet and Bitter Providence bears a message for readers from all walks of life. But be warned, Piper tells his audience: This ancient love affair between Boaz and Ruth could be dangerous, inspiring all of us to great risks in the cause of love.

The guide of choice for anyone who plans to die someday--are YOU ready for the AFTERLIFE? To find out, take this simple quiz: 1. Like Earth, the Afterlife has celebrities, outcasts, deadheads, losers, and busybodies. True False 2. Is there an Afterlife after the Afterlife? Yes No 3. When you first arrive on "the Other Side," you will be given: a) a set of wings b) a toaster c) a copy of A Newcomer's Guide to the Afterlife Don't worry if you're not sure how to respond. A Newcomer's Guide to the Afterlife has answers to these questions and more--and if you're lucky, some of them may turn out to be right! An irreverent, one-of-a-kind compendium from the award-winning author of Ishmael, A Newcomer's Guide to the Afterlife can be read as a parable, an allegory, a work of fiction--or exactly what it claims to be: a helpful handbook for the recently deceased. It is filled with uncommon wisdom, bizarre imaginings, uncanny perceptions, and unexpected humor. Is it fantastic escapism or a seminal event in human history? Read it and find out.... Face it. The Afterlife is the ultimate test. You might as well study.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER Soon to be a major motion picture "Jon Swift + Witches of Eastwick + Kelly 'Get In Trouble' Link + Mean Girls + Creative Writing Degree Hell! No punches pulled, no hilarities dodged, no meme unmangled! O Bunny you are sooo genius!" —Margaret Atwood, via Twitter "A wild, audacious and ultimately unforgettable novel." —Michael Schaub, Los Angeles Times "Awad is a stone-cold genius." —Ann Bauer, The Washington Post The Vegetarian meets Heathers in this darkly funny, seductively strange novel from the acclaimed author of 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl and Rouge "We were just these innocent girls in the night trying to make something beautiful. We nearly died. We very nearly did, didn't we?" Samantha Heather Mackey couldn't be more of an outsider in her small, highly selective MFA program at New England's Warren University. A scholarship student who prefers the company of her dark imagination to that of most people, she is utterly repelled by the rest of her fiction writing cohort--a clique of unbearably twee rich girls who call each other "Bunny," and seem to move and speak as one. But everything changes when Samantha receives an invitation to the Bunnies' fabled "Smut Salon," and finds herself inexplicably drawn to their front door--ditching her only friend, Ava, in the process. As Samantha plunges deeper and deeper into the Bunnies' sinister yet saccharine world, beginning to take part in the ritualistic off-campus "Workshop" where they conjure their monstrous creations, the edges of reality begin to blur. Soon, her friendships with Ava and the Bunnies will be brought into deadly collision. The spellbinding new novel from one of our most fearless chroniclers of the female experience, Bunny is a down-the-rabbit-hole tale of loneliness and belonging, friendship and desire, and the fantastic and terrible power of the imagination. Named a Best Book of 2019 by TIME, Vogue, Electric Literature, and The New York Public Library

A page-turning novel that is also an exploration of the great philosophical concepts of Western thought, Jostein Gaarder's Sophie's World has fired the imagination of readers all over the world, with more than twenty million copies in print. One day fourteen-year-old Sophie Amundsen comes home from school to find in her mailbox two notes, with one question on each: "Who are you?" and "Where does the world come from?" From that irresistible beginning, Sophie becomes obsessed with questions that take her far beyond what she knows of her Norwegian village. Through those letters, she enrolls in a kind of correspondence course, covering Socrates to Sartre, with a mysterious philosopher, while receiving letters addressed to another girl. Who is Hilde? And why does her mail keep turning up? To unravel this riddle, Sophie must use the philosophy she is learning—but the truth turns out to be far more complicated than she could have imagined.