One boring day, Sally goes down to the pond where she meets a new friend who is "really something."

A moving and beautifully written story about a British poet’s conversion from staunch atheism to Catholicism in the space of nine electric months. In 2010, Sally Read was heralded as one of the bright young writers of the British poetry scene. Feminist, atheist and deeply anti-Catholic, she was writing a book about women’s reproduction and sexuality when, during her research, she spoke with a Catholic priest. That mysterious encounter led Read on a dramatic journey of spiritual quest and discovery which ended up at the Vatican itself, where she was received into the Catholic Church in December of that year. This story is one that, unsurprisingly, has the vivid flavor and beauty of poetry. Read relates her encounters with the Father, the Spirit and then the Son, exactly in the way they were given to her—timely, revelatory and compelling. These transforming events throw new light onto the experiences of her past—her father’s death, her work as a psychiatric nurse, her life as a single woman in London, as a mother and as a writer. She reveals how she developed a close intimacy with the new love that erupted into her life, Christ himself, and how she comes to embrace a doctrine she had previously rejected as bigoted and stifling. Sally Read’s story is a testimony to the powerhouse of Christianity: divine love and the life-changing encounter with Christ.

Summers on The Cape in A Place Like This When newly engaged Sally Buffington is introduced to Craigville, she meets an expansive Cape Cod cottage that is virtually a family member itself. She quickly finds herself competing for airtime among the talkative, assured band of brothers and her new mother-in-law-the cottage's lively and confounding matriarch. Sally, a Cape Cod local, soon wonders how she'll ever maintain her independence, let alone her sense of self when the day's agenda and every detail is already set in stone. But, she navigates her new life with quiet persistence and a boundless curiosity that guides her to explore life through the creative lens of her camera and her pen. Sally writes with a whimsical candor that is both honest and humorous. Through poetic prose and heart-felt reflection, A Place Like This reveals the beauty of Cape Cod and shows us that sometimes the simplest of moments bring us the most lasting joy.

Court intriguers are beginning to sense that young King Louis XV, after seven years of marriage, is tiring of his Polish wife. The race is on to find a mistress for the royal bed. The King's scheming ministers push Louise, the eldest of the aristocratic Nesle sisters, into the arms of the King. Over the following decade, of the five Nesle sisters-- Louise, Pauline, Diane, Hortense, and Marie-Anne-- four will become mistresses to King Louis XV. All will conspire, betray, suffer, and triumph in a desperate fight for both love and power.

NOW AN EMMY-NOMINATED HULU ORIGINAL SERIES • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE • “A stunning novel about the transformative power of relationships” (People) from the author of Conversations with Friends, “a master of the literary page-turner” (J. Courtney Sullivan). “[A] novel that demands to be read compulsively, in one sitting.”—The Washington Post ONE OF ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY’S TEN BEST NOVELS OF THE DECADE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: People, Slate, The New York Public Library, Harvard Crimson Connell and Marianne grew up in the same small town, but the similarities end there. At school, Connell is popular and well liked, while Marianne is a loner. But when the two strike up a conversation—awkward but electrifying—something life changing begins. A year later, they’re both studying at Trinity College in Dublin. Marianne has found her feet in a new social world while Connell hangs at the sidelines, shy and uncertain. Throughout their years at university, Marianne and Connell circle one another, straying toward other people and possibilities but always magnetically, irresistibly drawn back together. And as she veers into self-destruction and he begins to search for meaning elsewhere, each must confront how far they are willing to go to save the other. Normal People is the story of mutual fascination, friendship, and love. It takes us from that first conversation to the years beyond, in the company of two people who try to stay apart but find that they can’t. WINNER: The British Book Award, The Costa Book Award, The An Post Irish Novel of the Year, Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times, The New York Times Book Review, Oprah Daily, Time, NPR, The Washington Post, Vogue, Esquire, Glamour, Elle, Marie Claire, Vox, The Paris Review, Good Housekeeping, Town & Country

“Second First Impressions is the warmest, coziest, sweetest book of the year, an absolutely perfect blend of humor and heart. I want to live inside Sally Thorne’s brain.” —Emily Henry, New York Times bestselling of Beach Read From the USA Today bestselling author of The Hating Game, soon to be a movie starring Lucy Hale and Austin Stowell, and 99 Percent Mine comes the clever, funny, and unforgettable story of a muscular, tattooed man hired as an assistant to two old women—under the watchful eye of a beautiful retirement home manager. Dazzle (n): Brightness that blinds someone temporarily. Position Vacant: Two ancient old women residing at Providence Retirement Villa seek male assistant for casual exploitation and good-natured humiliation. Duties include boutique shopping, fast-food fetching, and sincerely rendered flattery. Good looks a bonus—but we aren’t picky. An advertisement has been placed (again!) by the wealthy and eccentric Parloni Sisters. The salary is generous and the employers are 90 years old, so how hard could the job be? Well, none have lasted longer than a week. Most boys leave in tears. Ruthie Midona will work in Providence’s front office, and be at the Parloni’s beck and call, forever. That’s sort of her life plan. If Ruthie can run the place in her almost-retired bosses’ absence, with no hijinks/hiccups, she has a shot at becoming the new manager. She might also be able to defend her safe little world from Prescott Development, the new buyer of the prime site. Maybe after all that, she can find a cute guy to date. All she needs to do is stay serious—and that’s what she does best. Until, one day, someone dazzling blows into town. Teddy Prescott devotes his life to sleeping, tattooing, and avoiding seriousness. When Teddy needs a place to crash, he makes a deal with his developer dad. Teddy can stay in one of Providence’s on-site maintenance cottages—right next door to an unimpressed Ruthie—but only if he works there and starts to grow up. Ruthie knows how this sweetly selfish rich boy can earn his keep—and be out of her hair in under a week. After all, there is a position vacant…

From asthma to diabetes to food allergies and more... everyone has something slightly askew. No need to be put off by them. If everyone were the same, life would be so very plain.A jaunty, rhyming romp with a handful of kids as they discover the differences in people and are reminded to: "Enjoy yourself... just as you are!" If you like the books of Dr. Seuss, Mo Willems, Sandra Boynton, Suzy Spafford, Jane O'Connor, the Berenstains, Felicia Bond, Laura Numeroff, and P.D. Eastman, you will love EVERYBODY HAS SOMETHING SLIGHTLY ASKEW!

Can a boy be “trapped” in a girl’s body? Can modern medicine “reassign” sex? Is our sex “assigned” to us in the first place? What is the most loving response to a person experiencing a conflicted sense of gender? What should our law say on matters of “gender identity”? When Harry Became Sally provides thoughtful answers to questions arising from our transgender moment. Drawing on the best insights from biology, psychology, and philosophy, Ryan Anderson offers a nuanced view of human embodiment, a balanced approach to public policy on gender identity, and a sober assessment of the human costs of getting human nature wrong. This book exposes the contrast between the media’s sunny depiction of gender fluidity and the often sad reality of living with gender dysphoria. It gives a voice to people who tried to “transition” by changing their bodies, and found themselves no better off. Especially troubling are the stories told by adults who were encouraged to transition as children but later regretted subjecting themselves to those drastic procedures. As Anderson shows, the most beneficial therapies focus on helping people accept themselves and live in harmony with their bodies. This understanding is vital for parents with children in schools where counselors may steer a child toward transitioning behind their backs. Everyone has something at stake in the controversies over transgender ideology, when misguided “antidiscrimination” policies allow biological men into women’s restrooms and penalize Americans who hold to the truth about human nature. Anderson offers a strategy for pushing back with principle and prudence, compassion and grace.

Wodehouse has written a very interesting book with the Adventures of Sally. In this case, the interest is created by Sally herself, as her story unfolds, even though she is surrounded by most every mundane stock character available during that time period. Yet still, Sally shines as an entirely human beacon of life, light and hope, in a world that seems doomed to be run with comedic austerity. Quite a unique perspective. You can almost feel the Great Depression looming ominously beyond the horizon, as the Sallys tale begins with dreamy plans for financial gains and burdens of familial financial loss. Almost immediately, Sally is whisked away to a less widely known vacation spot in Roville, France, where she meets love interests Mr. Two and Mr. Three (already engaged to Mr. One). Sallys sparked interest in Mr. Two, lets call him Ginger, begins the basic premise for the plot. The rest of the book involves rejection from Mr. One in favor of Miss Two, and offering scorn to Mr. Three in reponse to his offers of love, predictably because he was immediately and always disliked. This is all sandwiched between the financial adventures of Sallys brother Fillmore as he competes for financial independance by taking up multiple ludicrous failing schemes. Now, while unpredictable, the plot offers little in intrigue directly itself, but it does offer us something that few plots do: a feeling of reality. The repeated financial failures of friends and family members do happen, and seeing it portrayed here does a lot for the emotional involvment in the story. A nagging depression is the offshoot of this approach; always knowing that things are not going well, cannot go well, and will not go well does that to you. During these traumatic events, we see Sally, as she is portrayed as a real flesh and blood human being. Still trapped in the mannerisms of the day, the etiquette that covers up much of her true feelings, but also alone and dismal. One scene stands out to me more than anything. Sally receiving that Dear Jane letter from Mr. One, knowing what it must contain, sitting on the floor in the bathroom and burning it. But not just burning it, but throwing a lit match at it and letting it burn on top of it, and repeating that process until it was nothing more than a dirty spot on the floor. Very memorable. While the basic plot, as Ive outlined it seems simple, it is actually more complicated. There are reasons why each of the three love interests are considered and of interest, at least for a short time, and this is an example of the plots creativity. Also, spicing up the plot, is the basic itinerary, which includes London, NYC, Chicago, Detroit, and the already mentioned Roville, France and these diverse locations add much to the flavor. Combine that with including three main characters of British descent, and you have a recipe for intrigue. Other story elements of interest include thetrical productions, boxers, and dance instructors (think Tina Turners Private Dancer and you get the picture better). These so fit the persona of urban America at the time, and if you like any of these bits of Americana, this book would be considered a must read. As with most of the classics there are bits of historical flavor which make them real gems. Overall, a very good book from a very good author who has a very unique style of writing you are sure to find refreshing. Highly Recommended.

Updated with a brand-new selection of desserts and treats, the fully illustrated Sally's Baking Addiction cookbook offers more than 80 scrumptious recipes for indulging your sweet tooth—featuring a chapter of healthier dessert options, including some vegan and gluten-free recipes. It's no secret that Sally McKenney loves to bake. Her popular blog, Sally's Baking Addiction, has become a trusted source for fellow dessert lovers who are also eager to bake from scratch. Sally's famous recipes include award-winning Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Cookies, No-Bake Peanut Butter Banana Pie, delectable Dark Chocolate Butterscotch Cupcakes, and yummy Marshmallow Swirl S'mores Fudge. Find tried-and-true sweet recipes for all kinds of delicious: Breads & Muffins Breakfasts Brownies & Bars Cakes, Pies & Crisps Candy & Sweet Snacks Cookies Cupcakes Healthier Choices With tons of simple, easy-to-follow recipes, you get all of the sweet with none of the fuss! Hungry for more? Learn to create even more irresistible sweets with Sally’s Candy Addiction and Sally’s Cookie Addiction.