A ghost saved twelve-year-old Maddie’s life when she was an infant, her Granny Lane claims, so Maddie must always remember that she is special. But it’s hard to feel special when you’ve spent your life shuffled from one foster home to another. And now that she’s at the East Tennessee Children’s Home, Maddie feels even less special. She longs for a place to call home. She even has a “book of houses” in which she glues pictures of places she’d like to live. Then one day, a new girl, Murphy, shows up at the Home armed with tales about exotic travels, being able to fly, and boys who recite poetry to wild horses. When Murphy offers Maddie something she has never had before, Maddie begins to wonder if she has finally found someone who feels like home.

A #2 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From a massively successful stand-up comedian and co-host of chart-topping podcasts “2 Bears 1 Cave” and “Your Mom’s House,” hilarious real-life stories of parenting, celebrity encounters, youthful mistakes, misanthropy, and so much more. Tom Segura is known for his twisted takes and irreverent comedic voice. But after a few years of crazy tours and churning out podcasts weekly, all while parenting two young children, he desperately needs a second to himself. It’s not that he hates his friends and family — he’s not a monster — he’s just beat, which is why his son’s (ruthless) first full sentence, “I’d like to play alone, please,” has since become his mantra. In this collection of stories, Tom combines his signature curmudgeonly humor with a revealing look at some of the ridiculous situations that shaped him and the ludicrous characters who always seem to seek him out. The stories feature hilarious anecdotes about Tom's time on the road, including some surreal encounters with celebrities at airports; his unfiltered South American family; the trials and tribulations of parenting young children with bizarrely morbid interests; and, perhaps most memorably, experiences with his dad who, like any good Baby Boomer father, loves to talk about his bowel movements and share graphic Vietnam stories at inappropriate moments. All of this is enough to make anyone want some peace and quiet. I’D LIKE TO PLAY ALONE, PLEASE will have readers laughing out loud and nodding in agreement with Segura's message: in a world where everyone is increasingly insane, sometimes you just need to be alone.

Do you support the idea of self-selected reading? Do you think kids should choose their own books to read rather than be limited to a range of levels? Colorful photos and rhyming text in this short picture book help you share the "student reading choice" philosophy with colleagues and parents.

I’d Like You More If You Were More like Me takes on one of life’s most important questions: How can I get closer to God and other people? We were created for deep connections. When people have deep connections, says John Ortberg, they win in life. When they don’t have deep connections, they cannot win in life. I’d Like You More if You Were More like Me offers help in overcoming one of the biggest obstacles to making deep connections: the fact that we’re so different. Different from God and different from each other. The good news is that connectedness is not based on similarity, but on shared experiences. When one person invites another to share an experience, they’re connected. It can be sharing a beautiful sunset or a meal, having a great conversation over cup of coffee, going for walk, or even teasing somebody. And when we share those same experiences with God, we get closer to him, too. God wants to connect with us—so much that he sent his son to live as a human being. God took on flesh and shared every human experience. So we don’t have to wonder what a close relationship with God looks like anymore. An intimate relationship with God and other people doesn’t have to be a cliché, it can be a daily way of life.

A humorously self-deprecating memoir; This book is a rollercoaster through the ADHD mind of a father trying to time-capsule his brain before a drunk t-bones him off the Hoan Bridge.

Finalist for the National Jewish Book Awards Finalist, National Translation Award in Prose An exquisitely original collection of darkly funny stories that explore the panorama of Jewish experience in contemporary Poland, from a world-class contemporary writer “These small, searing prose pieces are moving and unsettling at the same time. If the diagnosis they present is right, then we have a great problem in Poland.” —Olga Tokarczuk, Nobel Prize laureate and author of Flights Mikołaj Grynberg is a psychologist and photographer who has spent years collecting and publishing oral histories of Polish Jews. In his first work of fiction—a book that has been widely praised by critics and was shortlisted for Poland’s top literary prize—Grynberg recrafts those histories into little jewels, fictionalized short stories with the ring of truth. Both biting and knowing, I’d Like to Say Sorry, but There’s No One to Say Sorry To takes the form of first-person vignettes, through which Grynberg explores the daily lives and tensions within Poland between Jews and gentiles haunted by the Holocaust and its continuing presence. In “Unnecessary Trouble,” a grandmother discloses on her deathbed that she is Jewish; she does not want to die without her family knowing. What is passed on to the family is fear and the struggle of what to do with this information. In “Cacophony,” Jewish identity is explored through names, as Miron and his son Jurek demonstrate how heritage is both accepted and denied. In “My Five Jews,” a non-Jewish narrator remembers five interactions with her Jewish countrymen, and her own anti-Semitism, ruefully noting that perhaps she was wrong and should apologize, but no one is left to say “I’m sorry” to. Each of the thirty-one stories is a dazzling and haunting mini-monologue that highlights a different facet of modern Poland’s complex and difficult relationship with its Jewish past.

My name is Dovey Coe and I reckon it do’'t matter if you like me or not. I’m here to lay the record straight, to let you know them folks saying I done a terrible thing are liars. I aim to prove it, too. I hated Parnell Caraway as much as the next person, but I didn’t kill him. Dovey Coe says what’s on her mind, so it’s no secret that she can’t stand Parnell Caraway. Parnell may be the son of the richest man in town, but he’s mean and snobby, and Dovey can’t stand the fact that he’s courting her sister, Caroline, or the way he treats her brother, Amos, as if he were stupid just because he can’t hear. So when Parnell turns up dead, and Dovey’s in the room where his body is discovered, she soon finds herself on trial for murder. Can the outspoken Dovey sit still and trust a city slicker lawyer who’s still wet behind the ears to get her out of the biggest mess of her life?

Do you have to be religious to be spiritual? Can you have a spiritual life and not believe in God? These and other profound questions are explored by Dr. Twerski in I'd Like To Call For Help But I Don't Know the Number: The Search for the Spirituality in Everyday Life. He shows us how to open ourselves up to the deeper aspects of our lives that are often obscured by concerns about success and material wealth. True spiritual discovery, Dr. Twerski suggests, involves more than overcoming selfishness or dependency; it also requires a journey of self-improvement, character development, and respect for others. Inspired by the Alcoholics Anonymous groups he encountered in his clinical practice, Dr. Twerski outlines a twelve-step program for spiritual growth through self-awareness, service, and self-management. He illustrates his program throughout with true success stories he has witnessed over the years. "Abe Twerski provides us with an understanding of our spiritual side . . . It's like a conversation with a warm and trusted friend." - Betty Ford

Spend a few quiet moments leafing through the pages of this book. Like everyone else, you'll discover that 42 Gifts I'd Like to Give You contains terrific advice, inspiring ideas, and reassuring messages from cover to cover.

Get the Summary of Tom Segura's Id Like to Play Alone Please in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Tom Segura's book "I'd Like to Play Alone, Please" offers a candid look into his life, family, and career as a comedian. His father, a retired Marine Corps Captain, is known for his abrupt social exits and explicit discussions about his digestive health, while his mother, a Peruvian immigrant, is polite yet direct. Tom's childhood dreams of a medical career were dashed after witnessing surgeries, and his passion for hip-hop and sports shaped his identity. His experiences in Peru, where he spent summers, helped him embrace his Peruvian heritage and taught him the value of using personal strengths to overcome challenges. Segura's encounters with celebrities like Bruce Bruce and Big Daddy Kane highlight his journey in the comedy world, where he faced the realities of cultural appropriation and the challenges of building a fan base. Despite setbacks, Segura's persistence led to success with his Netflix special and his popular podcast, "Your Mom's House." The book also delves into his personal life, including his relationship with his wife and the unique personalities of his two sons. Segura's reflections on language, parental love, and the unpredictability of life offer a humorous yet poignant perspective on the complexities of navigating fame, family, and personal growth.