Every day is filled with opportunities to seize joy. Yet true joy cannot be forced. It springs from the hearts of those who are content, grateful, and at peace with themselves, with others, and with God. Though trials and challenges are a part of every life, joy can be developed, cultivated, and then practiced on a daily basis. Karen O'Connor offers seven keys to finding true joy in Squeeze the Moment. Learn how to look at life in a fresh way, full of gratitude to God, and to squeeze the moments--the happy ones, the tragic ones, the predictable ones, and the unexpected ones--for all they're worth.

Every day is filled with opportunities to seize joy. Yet true joy cannot be forced. It springs from the hearts of those who are content, grateful and at peace with themselves, with others and with God. Though trials and challenges are a part of every life, joy can be developed, cultivated, and then practiced on a daily basis. Karen O’Connor offers seven keys to finding true joy in Squeeze the Moment. Learn how to look at life in a fresh way, full of gratitude to God, and to squeeze the moments—the happy ones, the tragic ones, the predictable ones and the unexpected ones—for all they’re worth.

“If you could use some wild escapism right now, Hiaasen is your guy.” —Janet Maslin, The New York Times From the author of Skinny Dip and Razor Girl, a hilarious, New York Times best-selling novel of social and political intrigues, set against the glittering backdrop of Florida’s gold coast. It's the height of the Palm Beach charity ball season: for every disease or cause, there's a reason for the local luminaries to eat (minimally), drink (maximally), and be seen. But when a prominent high-society dowager suddenly vanishes during a swank gala, and is later found dead in a concrete grave, panic and chaos erupt. Kiki Pew was notable not just for her wealth and her jewels--she was an ardent fan of the Winter White House resident just down the road, and a founding member of the POTUSSIES, a group of women dedicated to supporting their President. Never one to miss an opportunity to play to his base, the President immediately declares that Kiki was the victim of rampaging immigrant hordes. This, it turns out, is far from the truth. The truth might just lie in the middle of the highway, where a bizarre discovery brings the First Lady's motorcade to a grinding halt (followed by some grinding between the First Lady and a love-struck Secret Service agent). Enter Angie Armstrong, wildlife wrangler extraordinaire, who arrives at her own conclusions after she is summoned to the posh island to deal with a mysterious and impolite influx of huge, hungry pythons . . . Carl Hiaasen can brighten even the darkest of days and Squeeze Me is pure, unadulterated Hiaasen. Irreverent, ingenious, and highly entertaining, Squeeze Me perfectly captures the absurdity of our times.

This little book of fun, insightful "mind bytes." Savor the messages, share them, and discover wonderful ways to plump up your life and soul!

A feline shifter finds a man who makes her roar in a novel by the New York Times-bestselling author who has “a gift with words and humor” (USA Today). Growing up on the tough Philly streets, Gwen O'Neill knows how to fend for herself. But what is she supposed to do with a nice suburban Jersey boy who has a tendency to turn into a massive Grizzly? Despite his menacing growl and four-inch claws, Gwen finds Lachlan "Lock" MacRyrie cute and really sweet. He actually watches out for her, and unlike the rest of her out-of-control family, manages not to morbidly embarrass her. Too bad cats don't believe in forever. At nearly seven feet tall, Lock is used to people responding to him in two ways: screaming or running away. Gwen--half lioness, half tigress, all kick-ass--does neither. She's sexy beyond belief and smart as hell, but she's so busy protecting her family and friends that she's forgetting about her own safety. Lock probably shouldn't get involved, but he can't simply walk away. Not when Gwen means absolutely everything to him. “With a sharp eye for detail, Laurenston manages to combine Animal Planet and The Sopranos with bonus life-altering roller derby. Fans of the series will enjoy this latest addition.”—Publishers Weekly Praise for Shelly Laurenston's novels "Bear Meets Girl is hilarious, sexy fun."--Heroes and Heartbreakers "Fast-paced action and smoking hot love scenes." --RT Book Reviews Top Pick on Wolf with Benefits

Travel to all seven continents and the oceans, too, with an energetic yoga sequence set to an irresistible original song. Sweet illustrations guide children into more than a dozen yoga poses, some mimicking a distinctive animal from each global region, others paired with modes of transportation to connect them all. Written by a children’s yoga expert, the playful story concludes with step-by-step instructions for each yoga pose and a world map with a fun fact about each animal. Includes audio and animation.

A collection of poems that explore the sweet and sour experiences of childhood.

No other instrument has witnessed such a dramatic rise to popularity--and precipitous decline--as the accordion. Squeeze This! is the first history of the piano accordion and the first book-length study of the accordion as a uniquely American musical and cultural phenomenon. Ethnomusicologist and accordion enthusiast Marion Jacobson traces the changing idea of the accordion in the United States and its cultural significance over the course of the twentieth century. From the introduction of elaborately decorated European models imported onto the American vaudeville stage and the instrument's celebration by ethnic musical communities and mainstream audiences alike, to the accordion-infused pop parodies by "Weird Al" Yankovic, Jacobson considers the accordion's contradictory status as both an "outsider" instrument and as a major force in popular music in the twentieth century. Drawing on interviews and archival investigations with instrument builders and retailers, artists and audiences, professionals and amateurs, Squeeze This! explores the piano accordion's role as an instrument of community identity and its varied musical and cultural environments. Jacobson concentrates on six key moments of transition: the Americanization of the piano accordion, originally produced and marketed by sales-savvy Italian immigrants; the transformation of the accordion in the 1920s from an exotic, expensive vaudeville instrument to a mass-marketable product; the emergence of the accordion craze in the 1930s and 1940s, when a highly organized "accordion industrial complex" cultivated a white, middle-class market; the peak of its popularity in the 1950s, exemplified by Lawrence Welk and Dick Contino; the instrument's marginalization in the 1960s and a brief, ill-fated effort to promote the accordion to teen rock 'n' roll musicians; and the revival beginning in the 1980s of the accordion as a "world music instrument" and a key component for cabaret and burlesque revivals and pop groups such as alternative experimenters They Might Be Giants and polka rockers Brave Combo. Loaded with dozens of images of gorgeous instruments and enthusiastic performers and fans, Squeeze This! A Cultural History of the Accordion in America represents the accordion in a wide range of popular and traditional musical styles, revealing the richness and diversity of accordion culture in America.

George MacDonald (1824-1905) was a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister. He was a pioneering figure in the field of fantasy literature and the mentor of fellow writer Lewis Carroll. This edition includes: George MacDonald by Annie Matheson Fantasy Fiction: The Princess and the Goblin The Princess and Curdie Phantastes At the Back of the North Wind The Lost Princess: A Double Story The Day Boy and the Night Girl The Flight of the Shadow Lilith: A Romance Adela Cathcart The Portent and Other Stories Dealings with the Fairies Stephen Archer and Other Tales Realistic Fiction: David Elginbrod (The Tutor's First Love) Alec-Forbes of Howglen (The Maiden's Bequest) Robert Falconer (The Musician's Quest) Ranald Bannerman's Boyhood Wilfrid Cumbermede Gutta Percha Willie St. George and St. Michael Mary Marston (A Daughter's Devotion) Warlock o' Glenwarlock (The Laird's Inheritance) Weighed and Wanting (A Gentlewoman's Choice) What's Mine's Mine (The Highlander's Last Song) Home Again (The Poet's Homecoming) The Elect Lady (The Landlady's Master) A Rough Shaking Heather and Snow (The Peasant Girl's Dream) Salted with Fire (The Minister's Restoration) Far Above Rubies Malcolm The Marquis of Lossie (The Marquis' Secret) Sir Gibbie (The Baronet's Song) Donal Grant (The Shepherd's Castle) Annals of a Quiet Neighbourhood The Seaboard Parish The Vicar's Daughter Thomas Wingfold, Curate (The Curate's Awakening) Paul Faber, Surgeon (The Lady's Confession) There and Back (The Baron's Apprenticeship) The Poetical Works of George MacDonald A Hidden Life and Other Poems A Book of Strife, in the Form of the Diary of an Old Soul Rampolli: Growths from a Long-planted Root Theological Writings: Unspoken Sermons The Miracles of Our Lord The Hope of the Gospel ...

One of TIME’s Best New Books to Read This Summer “Brilliant—a keen, elegantly written, and scorching account of the American family today. Through vivid stories, sharp analysis and wit, Quart anatomizes the middle class’s fall while also offering solutions and hope.” — Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Nickel and Dimed Families today are squeezed on every side—from high childcare costs and harsh employment policies to workplaces without paid family leave or even dependable and regular working hours. Many realize that attaining the standard of living their parents managed has become impossible. Alissa Quart, executive editor of the Economic Hardship Reporting Project, examines the lives of many middle-class Americans who can now barely afford to raise children. Through gripping firsthand storytelling, Quart shows how our country has failed its families. Her subjects—from professors to lawyers to caregivers to nurses—have been wrung out by a system that doesn’t support them, and enriches only a tiny elite. Interlacing her own experience with close-up reporting on families that are just getting by, Quart reveals parenthood itself to be financially overwhelming, except for the wealthiest. She offers real solutions to these problems, including outlining necessary policy shifts, as well as detailing the DIY tactics some families are already putting into motion, and argues for the cultural reevaluation of parenthood and caregiving. Writtenin the spirit of Barbara Ehrenreich and Jennifer Senior, Squeezed is an eye-opening page-turner. Powerfully argued, deeply reported, and ultimately hopeful, it casts a bright, clarifying light on families struggling to thrive in an economy that holds too few options. It will make readers think differently about their lives and those of their neighbors.