I used to think I didn't fit in, but now I realise I do. We all have our place; some just never find it. When awkward teenager Charlie Hudson is beaten up during a family holiday at the beach, beautiful Tess Bailey rescues him – and sets the unusual course for his life. In this startling debut novel, Matt Nable follows the fortunes of Charlie, Tess and their families and neighbours. Their lives intertwine, unravel, straighten, and become tangles again. A father tries to relive his football career through his son; a mother deserts her children in an attempt to find herself; a daughter purges to take control of her life. This is a portrait of plans gone wrong, a lament for what could have been, a salute to the power of redemptive love, and a brave examination of contemporary society.

"A painfully funny series of autobiographical essays, centered around the relationship between comedian Dave Hill and his dad, in the wake of his mother's death, as father and son redefine their relationship--and Dave, finally, becomes a man"--

Millions of men and (no doubt many) women have watched famed black porn queen Debbie Dare—she of the blond wig and blue contacts—“do it” on television and computer screens in every combination of partners and positions imaginable. But after an unexpected and thunderous on-set orgasm catches her unawares, Debbie returns home to find her porn-producer husband dead, electrocuted in their hot tub in the midst of “auditioning” an aspiring young starlet. Burdened with massive debt—incurred by her husband, and which various L.A. heavies want to collect on—Debbie must find a way to extricate herself from the peculiar subculture of the porn industry and reconcile herself to sacrifices she’s made along the way. In Debbie Doesn’t Do it Anymore, the creator of the Easy Rawlins series has painted a moving portrait of a resilient soul in search of salvation and a cure for grief.

"Very positive and in tune with our needs today." LEO BUSCAGLIA Alan Cohen's story is an inspiration. From his roots as an Orthodox Jew, he took a mind-expanding tour of the teachings of Jesus, Ram Dass, Zen, Jung, the Esalen Institute, and Einstein, to name a few. In this extraordinary collection of lyrical, challenging essays, Cohen synthesizes what he has learned from these masters, and shares his journey with all of us. He discusses overcoming limitations, creating fulfilling relationships, tuning into the flow of life, transformation, finding a personal path, and the greatest gift of all, love. Read it straight through, or essay by essay, for daily meditations on the mysteries of God, love, and the spiritual path.

Andre Dubus's short stories and novellas illuminate the lives of women and men cast against harrowing and heartrending circumstances. The gripping themes of Dubus's uvre-faith and family, violence and loyalty, guilt and morality-have earned him comparisons to master storytellers such as Raymond Carver, Flannery O'Connor, and Anton Chekhov. With a deft touch, Dubus tackles nearly unspeakable subjects. Yet, without succumbing to sentimentality he imbues his characters with a quiet dignity in stories infused with an unerring belief that even the most complicated moments of our lives contain the possibility of grace. Dubus is a shrewd student of people who come to accept pain as a fair price for pleasure, and to view right and wrong as a matter of degree... Dubus ... continues to introduce us to ourselves, to see into the private worlds of everyday people as they live, dream and act, taking soundings that are deep and true. Book jacket.

A nationally prominent first-amendment advocate and authority on the religious right tells of his break with fundamentalism and the growth of intellectual and moral freedom. Skipp Porteous was "saved" at the age of eleven by people who thought they were doing him - and God - a favor. Their actions sent him on a long, arduous inner journey. Porteous embraced fundamentalism because it provides simplistic solutions - the Bible purportedly contains answers for everything - and, like millions of others, he needed to believe that he had found the one true religion. A leave of absence became his first step in walking away. Removed from the extreme fundamentalist viewpoint, with its narrow world view, his mind cleared. Reason and logic emerged, and for the first time in his life he was free and happy. In Jesus Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Porteous explains how he was deceived into becoming a born-again Christian; what he endured for so many years; how he got out; and finally, why he fights so hard against the movement today. Using the knowledge he has obtained in monitoring the religious right, he also outlines in detail what we can expect from the movement in the next decade.

What would happen if The Unthinkable blindsided you, requiring everything be put on hold to become a full time caregiver for a loved one? At the very least, it would reshape your life. Without a survival guide, it could even destroy it.Barb Owen delivers precisely that survival guide in NORMAL Doesn "t Live Here Anymore: An Inspiring Story of Hope for Caregivers. She weaves a story, through the first two parts of the book, based on her life-changing experience as primary caregiver for her elderly parents. Following each chapter a bit of wisdom gained from Barb "s experience is summarized as a Reflection. The third part of NORMAL Doesn "t Live Here Anymore addresses the critical need for self-care for the new and seasoned caregiver alike. Specific suggestions abound for Me Time ”how to find it ”what to do with it ”and how very important it is for sustaining oneself throughout the often arduous caregiving-marathon. This truly inspiring book is one part parable, one part autobiography and all survival guide, illuminating a path for the more than 65 million caregiving Americans. SEverything hinges on your ability to care for both yourself and your loved one, says Owen. SThis maxim is of great consequence ”heed it, and you will endure. Dismiss it, and you will have trouble surviving. Take care of yourself, your loved one and keep the faith, because you "re not alone. ----- EXCERPT FROM: NORMAL Doesn "t Live Here Anymore - Chapter 21; The morning after I brought my 90-year-old Dad home from the hospital, Mom called me to say that he was not feeling at all well. My nagging intuition insisted that I visit Dad and spend some private time with him. Finding Dad awake and resting in his bed, I struggled to find my voice. Sitting beside him, I asked, SHow are you feeling this morning? SOh, I "m so-so, he sighed, as a tear rolled from his eye on to the pillow that cradled his head. SReally tired of all of this and worried about your mother. She "s having a hard time with everything. We stayed there in silence ”just being together for a few moments.Holding his hand, the heavy words finally left my mouth. SYou know, Dad, you can trust me to be sure that Mom is okay. I will take care of her, no matter what. He responded quietly, SI know. Studying and caressing my dad "s hand, I knew there was one more important conversation that the voice in my heart insisted upon. SDad, I know that this is getting to be really tough for you. If staying here becomes too hard, it "s okay to let go... During the following few weeks I watched my 89 year old Mom experience a renewed sense of purpose and increased strength as she doted on my dad and met his needs, as best she could. Some days were better than others. Most nights were difficult when Dad "s heart pain was significantly worse and his level of anxiety escalated. Often my mom would pass the hours by reading to Dad. Although her eyesight was clouding, she still managed to read the newspaper, column by column, or inspirational short stories she found in the stack of magazines beside their bed. Amazingly, dawn nearly always brought ease and comfort for them both. And so the nights and days continued ----- REFLECTION; Difficult subjects sometimes need to be discussed. You might be asked by others to deliver bad news ”news of someone "s death, a life-altering diagnosis, or even the necessity for a change in residence. Each conversation carries the potential for unleashed emotions. My advice? No matter how difficult or emotional, don "t leave words left unsaid. People, if capable of understanding, deserve information. Often, they are much stronger than we realize.Words are powerful. They carry courage, condemnation, reassurance or permission. Choose them wisely as your words may be the ones that bring freedom from pain or suffering. It "s tough, but I know you can do it and if you listen to that voice inside, you will know exactly the right time and the right words.Be Strong!

Establishing the household as the central institution of southern society, Edwards delineates the inseparable links between domestic relations and civil and political rights in ways that highlight women's active political role throughout the nineteenth century. She draws on diaries, letters, newspaper accounts, government records, legal documents, court proceedings, and other primary sources to explore the experiences and actions of individual women in the changing South, demonstrating how family, kin, personal reputation, and social context all merged with gender, race, and class to shape what particular women could do in particular circumstances.

From the bestselling authors of "What Brothers Think, What Sistahs Know" comes the powerful fiction debut ("Booklist") about a young couple struggling to balance career and love.