Gilmore Girls meets My Big Fat Greek Wedding in this humorous, multi-generational story about a mother and daughter who discover that life happens when you least expect it. Gabi Bloom doesn't believe in signs. She believes in photographic evidence, the view through her camera lens, and the snap of the shutter. It's why she traveled to Europe—to satisfy her wanderlust and to kick off her photography career. But in Ireland, all of that changed when Gabi gazed into the impossibly blue eyes of an American bartender. She wasn’t prepared for their intense and immediate attraction, or the fact that she’d be bringing Ethan home with her . . . as her fiancé. Gabi's upcoming marriage is the cherry on top of her mother's current predicament. Stumbling toward forty, Alissa is a pastry chef who raised her daughter single-handedly while Gabi’s father traveled the globe. Now her baby girl is getting married after a whirlwind romance and Alissa—well, Alissa is pregnant. Again. And not only is her ex the father, he wants her back. For good. Until she can figure out that part of the puzzle, Alissa is hiding her big little secret even as she helps Gabi plan a happily-ever-after wedding. But somewhere between disaster and hope, life might just bloom in a way that is breathtakingly unexpected . . .

A rousing, funny, straight-talking, inspirational and generally awesome book from social entrepreneur Lucy Bloom, part memoir, part life-lessons, which urges us all to find our courage, take joy in life and celebrate our extraordinary ordinariness... Stirring, straight-talking, incredibly inspiring, funny and full-on - Lucy Bloom is one of a kind, and so is her memoir. Lucy's openhearted interest in the world has taken her from jillarooing on a cattle farm to maternity hospitals in Ethiopia, from marshalling a cross-country carnival in northern Uganda to CEO briefings in the back of a tuk-tuk in Cambodia. Hers has been a life of fighting for the underdog only to find out that, sometimes, the underdog is actually her. Taking all dramatic life-turns, side-steps and face-plants in her stride, Lucy has rebuilt her life every time, with love and adventure at its heart, plus a side order of mischief. Rollicking, rude, brimful with joy, and written with a take-no-prisoners, bare-all honesty, this book is a call to arms - a book to make you laugh out loud, nod your head in recognition, re-charge your life and let loose. 'My deepest wish is that reading this book makes you want to do cool stuff, make plans, launch that business, pack your bags, shave your head, ride that horse, date that hottie, apply for that job, chuck that party - and, most of all, get your girls out, whatever that means for you.' 'This memoir is so full of life and its ups and downs, you will start reading it again as soon as you finish. We are all richer for knowing Lucy.' Wendy Whiteley OAM 'Lucy tells powerful stories of human tenacity and love; she inspires all with her insight into the human spirit.' Bernard Salt AM

Practical advice from a Christian viewpoint about the internal and external changes experienced by teenage girls, touching on everything from shopping wisely to good hygiene to eating disorders.

Laura Bloom has such a unique talent for modern historical fiction and this time it was a joy to be catapulted back to the 1970s. When I turned the last page I was so sad to say goodbye to her beautifully observed characters. A delight from start to finish!' Liane Moriarty Three friends. Three marriages left behind. Life begins in earnest. It's 1977, and warm, bohemian Libby - stay-at-home mother, genius entertainer and gifted cook - is lonely. When she meets Carol, who has recently emigrated from London with her controlling husband and is feeling adrift, and Anna, who loves her career but not her marriage, the women form an unexpected bond. Their husbands aren't happy about it, and neither are their daughters. Set against a backdrop of inner-city grunge and 70s glamour, far-out parties and ABBA songs, The Women and The Girls is a funny, questioning and moving novel about love, friendship, work, family, and freedom. The Women and the Girls explores the price, and the rewards, of family and friendship in the Age of Aquarius - at the dawning of the Age of Divorce. 'In this light hearted novel, Laura Bloom rejects the traditional rom-com, opting instead to follow a more contemporary journey of self-reckoning. Fans of Liane Moriarty will enjoy this friendship-driven romp.' - Books+Publishing

From the author of Curls and Glow comes a joyfully poetic board book that delivers an ode to African American girls as naturally beautiful in our human garden. those girls bloom these do too we bloom like flowers how about you? Introduce young readers to the idea of self-love in a simple, playful rhythm with this luminous story where each little girl is as unique and beautiful as a blossoming flower.

From the makeup artist on TLC’s What Not to Wear, a full color make-up book that shows teenagers how to embrace their own inner beauty. Carmindy gives teens the beauty basics and best skincare practices needed to grow up gorgeous. Instead of teaching them to cover up their “flaws,” she demonstrates how to emphasize their best features in the most effortless and teen-budget-friendly ways possible. Along with easy-to-follow makeup application tips, this book features beautiful, transformational photos of real-life girls as they get “Carmindized” in age-appropriate make-overs. Carmindy also offers inspiring advice for dealing with a wide range of self-esteem and image issues: from zits and glasses to bullying and peer pressure. Throughout, Carmindy reminds readers to always face the world, and everyone in it, with grace and a positive outlook.

Between 1985 and 2008, female suicide bombers committed more than 230 attacks—about a quarter of all such acts. Women have become the ideal stealth weapon for terrorist groups. They are less likely to be suspected or searched and as a result have been used to strike at the heart of coalition troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. This alarming tactic has been highly effective, garnering extra media attention and helping to recruit more numbers to the terrorists' cause. Yet, as Mia Bloom explains in Bombshell: Women and Terrorism, female involvement in terrorism is not confined to suicide bombing and not limited to the Middle East. From Northern Ireland to Sri Lanka, women have been engaged in all manner of terrorist activities, from generating propaganda to blowing up targets. What drives women to participate in terrorist activities? Bloom—a scholar of both international studies and women's studies—blends scrupulous research with psychological insight to unearth affecting stories from women who were formerly terrorists. She moves beyond gender stereotypes to examine the conditions that really influence female violence, arguing that while women terrorists can be just as bloodthirsty as their male counterparts, their motivations tend to be more intricate and multilayered. Through compelling case studies she demonstrates that though some of these women volunteer as martyrs, many more have been coerced by physical threats or other means of social control. As evidenced by the March 2011 release of Al Qaeda's magazine Al Shamikha, dubbed the jihadi Cosmo, it is clear that women are the future of even the most conservative terrorist organizations. Bombshell is a groundbreaking book that reveals the inner workings of a shocking, unfamiliar world.

Girls with names ranging from Aliki to Zoe imagine themself in various fun and creative professions.

"The perfect book right now for young readers searching for hope, strength, inspiration — and just a little horticultural havoc."—New York Times The first book in a can't-put-it-down, can't-read-it-fast-enough action-thriller trilogy that's part Hatchet, part Alien! The invasion begins--but not as you'd expect. It begins with rain. Rain that carries seeds. Seeds that sprout--overnight, everywhere. These new plants take over crop fields, twine up houses, and burrow below streets. They bloom--and release toxic pollens. They bloom--and form Venus flytrap-like pods that swallow animals and people. They bloom--everywhere, unstoppable. Or are they? Three kids on a remote island seem immune to the toxic plants. Anaya, Petra, Seth. They each have strange allergies--and yet not to these plants. What's their secret? Can they somehow be the key to beating back this invasion? They'd better figure it out fast, because it's starting to rain again....

A sharp and funny, rueful, and uncompromisingly real tale of growing up—from National Book Award finalist Amy Bloom A chubby girl with smudged pink harlequin glasses and a habit of stealing Heath Bars from the local five-and-dime, Elizabeth Taube is the only child of parents whose indifference to her is the one sure thing in her life. When her search for love and attention leads her into the arms of her junior-high-school English teacher, things begin to get complicated. And even her friend Mrs. Hill, a nearly blind, elderly black woman, can't protect her when real love—exhilarating, passionate, heartbreaking—enters her life in the gorgeous shape of Huddie Lester. With her finely honed style and her unflinching sensibility, Bloom shows us how profoundly the forces of love and desire can shape a life.