An outrageously funny, heartbreaking read – when Ruby finds out she has cancer on the brink of her 50th birthday, she decides to start living instead of complying... Ruby has always been the generous mediator among her friends, family and colleagues, which is why they've all turned up to celebrate her 50th birthday. But after too many glasses of champers, Ruby takes her moment in the spotlight to reveal what she really thinks of every one of them. She accuses her husband of having an affair and lambasts her mother for a lifetime of playing her three daughters against each other – it's blisteringly brutal. As the stunned gathering gawks at Ruby, the birthday girl reveals that she has terminal cancer, and has cashed in her life savings to take her two estranged sisters cruising into the sunset for a dose of HRT – Husband Replacement Therapy. But is Ruby being courageous or ruthlessly selfish? Praise for Kathy Lette: 'Fabulous, fast-paced, funny & unapologetically female. Nobody does it better.' DEBORAH FRANCES-WHITE, THE GUILTY FEMINIST 'Deliciously rude and darkly funny, but with compassion and humanity at its heart. Read with relish.' NICOLE KIDMAN 'Kathy Lette can turn from raunchy farce to the most tender emotion in a trice.' STEPHEN FRY

One of the most hard-hitting menopause books in its critique of the way the medical establishment views and treats menopause, its purpose is two-fold. Firstly, to tell the "real story" about hormone replacement therapy, its dangers, and why doctors are pushing it; and secondly to offer alternative treatments based on looking at the body and aging from the point of view of health, not pathology. This is an incredibly important book for transforming the myths of aging and bringing women's healing back into the hands of women.

Why do men like intelligent women? Because opposites attract. That's what Shelly Green thinks when she meets Kit Kincaide...on their wedding day. Unwittingly entered by her students in a Desperate and Dateless reality show contest, Shelly, a London music teacher, is caught off guard when she wins. Although the show's computer has predicted that she and Kit would make the perfect match -- physically, emotionally, and intellectually -- Shelly has some serious doubts about the hunky, boisterous American when she joins him at the altar. But not for long. A steamy limo ride proves that they have at least one thing in common. Suddenly, amid all the hype, there seems to be some hope for Shelly and Kit's ramshackle marriage, or at least for their honeymoon. Cut to the tropical island of Réunion where newlywed Kit seems to be spending a lot of time on his own or with a French floozy...anywhere but with Shelly. Will Shelly discover the truth about Kit? Can she find romance in spite of a civil war, a natural disaster, and a crew of television staffers of the most dubious character? Do she and Kit have a chance for a real marriage in the surreal world of reality TV? Clever, racy, and laugh-out-loud funny, Dead Sexy proves that love may be blind, but marriage is a real eye-opener.

Many women are confused about the treatments available for menopause. While they may be experiencing severe symptoms, the news about Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) use is not encouraging. HRT may increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, breast cancer, and blood clots in the lungs and legs. On the other hand, there is lesser known treatment-Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT)-that can help effectively diminish menopausal symptoms without the dangers of synthetic drugs. In her new book, Dr. Amy Lee Hawkins provides women with a complete guide to understanding and using BHRT to diminish or eliminate the symptoms of menopause. What You Must Know About Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy is written in easy-to-understand language. It covers the basics of hormones, discusses the controversy surrounding hormone replacement, details hormone treatment principles, and provides a guide to maintaining a healthy weight and metabolism. Each discussion is supported by up-to-date scientific articles published in respected research journals and medical texts. In addition, the book's appendix includes numerous questionnaires that can help you understand your personal situation. If you are struggling with the symptoms of menopause, you want to choose the safest and most effective route to feeling better. What You Must Know About Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy provides the information you need to make the best possible decisions about your health.

What do you do when you're told you've got terminal cancer at 50? Take up crochet, convert to religion and bow out gracefully? Or ditch your husband of 20 years, abandon your demanding kids, leave your job, desert your bossy mother, cash in your savings and take your two sisters on a luxury cruise? Ruby has always been the generous mediator among her friends, family and colleagues, which is why they have all turned up to celebrate her 50th birthday. But after a few too many glasses of champers, Ruby's speech doesn't exactly go to plan. Instead of delivering the witty and warm words her guests are expecting, Ruby takes her moment in the spotlight to reveal what she really thinks of every one of them. She also accuses her husband, Harry, of having an affair. Saving the best till last, Ruby lambasts her octogenarian mother for a lifetime of playing her three daughters against each other. It's blisteringly brutal. As the stunned gathering gawks at Ruby, the birthday girl concludes her bravura monologue with the throwaway comment that she has terminal cancer. She has cashed in her life savings and plans on taking her two sisters cruising into the sunset for a dose of Husband Replacement Therapy. Courageous? Or ruthlessly selfish? But do they even want to go with her now that she's cast herself off into social Siberia?

Query: would it be a serious breach of etiquette to run out on my own wedding? This is the question Becky Steele finds herself asking, on the morning of her very own wedding. Having finally managed to fit into her meringue dress after weeks of drinking only skimmed water, she is suddenly uncertain about what exactly she wants.

An updated edition of Germaine Greer's revolutionary discussion of menopause, which the New York Times Book Review called "a brilliant, gutsy, exhilarating, bruising, exasperating fury of a book." A quarter of a century after the first publication of Germaine Greer's now canonical look at women's experience later in life, the renowned feminist and prolific author updates and expands her essential book, The Change. Despite improvements over the last few years, discussions about menopause are still hampered by a huge variance in conventional wisdom about what happens, when it happens, when it can be said to be over, and how to deal with it. After decades, the same misinformation and ineffective methods are still being widely touted and proliferating at an alarming rate due to the rise of the Internet. In this updated edition of her groundbreaking book, Greer debunks stubborn myths and presents a vital new perspective on the emotional and physical changes--including up-to-date medical details--women face today when they go through what's known as "the change." Greer also addresses cultural changes that surround female aging today, launching a clear and necessary protest against the notion that women should shrink into the background as they grow older. She argues that menopause marks the point in a woman's life when she should be able to stop apologizing and bask in the freedom and joy that come with her later years. Witty, wise, and timely, this new edition of The Change offers a crucial twenty-first-century guide to the change that every woman faces.

"The Secret Female Hormone is a must read for women today! Hormones should always be evaluated in unity, and testosterone is almost always overlooked. The authors tell the truth about how hormone imbalances truly affect women - not only their energy, their vitality and their libido but also their family relationships and self-esteem. This book will be a resource for women for years to come!" - Marcelle Pick, author of Is It Me or My Hormones? and The Core Balance Diet Leading experts show why testosterone hormone imbalance could be the vital connecting factor in a wide variety of health issues for women in midlife. You know the experiences all too well. You can’t sleep, so you start your day feeling exhausted. Seemingly overnight, you can’t remember names, places, appointments—things you could previously recite at the drop of a hat. You want to be more active, but you have zero energy for that. And sex? Forget it! By now, you’ve probably been told this is "normal," or that it’s the "natural" course of aging. And you might even believe it, because so many women approaching midlife have the exact same symptoms. In fact, millions of women worldwide are undiagnosed and untreated for hormone imbalance deficiency. As one of the country’s leading experts on hormonal balance—and as a woman who experienced these symptoms herself—Dr. Kathy Maupin has identified a debilitating and overlooked health condition: testosterone deficiency syndrome, or TDS. Most people associate testosterone with men, but it’s one of the most vital hormones in women, and one of the first hormones that women begin to lose as they enter their 40s. And Dr. Maupin’s own research has shown that the symptoms of aging—fatigue, memory loss, moodiness, low libido, and so much more—are initiated and accelerated by testosterone loss. In this book, Dr. Maupin and therapist Brett Newcomb show how testosterone replacement can radically improve your life. They share the history and background of hormone replacement therapy, the latest research on treatment options, as well as: • Tips for dealing with mood swings, changes in sex drive, and maintaining healthy relationships • Surprising information on the long-term effects and health risks of testosterone loss • Common myths and misconceptions regarding estrogen and testosterone replacement therapy • Questionnaires to help you determine your individual hormone deficiencies • Real stories and personal experiences Dr. Maupin’s patients share clear, practical, and easy-to-use, this authoritative guide sheds light on the importance of testosterone and will help you reclaim your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.

Meet Merlin. He's Lucy's bright, beautiful son - who just happens to be autistic. Since Merlin's father left them in the lurch, Lucy has made Merlin the centre of her world. Struggling with the joys and tribulations of raising her adorable yet challenging child (if only Merlin came with operating instructions), Lucy doesn't have room for any other man in her life. By the time Merlin turns ten, Lucy is seriously worried that the Pope might start ringing her up for tips on celibacy, so resolves to dip a toe back into the world of dating. Thanks to Merlin's candour and quirkiness, things don't go quite to plan... Then, just when Lucy's resigned to singledom once more, Archie - the most imperfectly perfect man for her and her son - lands on her doorstep. But then, so does Merlin's father, begging for a second chance. Does Lucy need a real father for Merlin - or a real partner for herself?