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Happier Hour

Cassie Holmes

Description

Our most precious resource isn’t money. It’s time. We are allotted just twenty-four hours a day, and we live in a culture that keeps us feeling “time poor.” Since we can’t add more hours to the day, how can we experience our lives as richer?

Based on her wildly popular MBA class at UCLA, Professor Cassie Holmes demonstrates how to immediately improve our lives by changing how we perceive and invest our time. Happier Hour provides empirically based insights and easy-to-implement tools that will allow you to:

-Optimally spend your hours and feel confident in those choices
-Sidestep distractions
-Create and savor moments of joy
-Design your schedule with purpose
-Look back on your years without regrets

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Homemade

Carol Endler Sterbenz

Description

Offering an abundance of information and inspiration, Homemade is a revelatory addition to the craft world—the ultimate reference book on crafting and also a warm, engagingly written book that combines history and personal narrative with the science that makes a craft possible and the passion that inspires it. 

Carol Endler Sterbenz is a crafter, a teacher, a homemaker, a wife, and a mother. Raised by immigrant parents who taught her the enduring value of resourcefulness and creativity, she makes her lifetime of experience and infinite enthusiasm the foundation for Homemade. Sterbenz provides readers with not only practical information and direction but also a philosophy and methodology of crafting that build confidence and ability, making it easy to achieve truly professional results. 

Teeming with clear, reliable, and thorough information on everything from tools and materials to techniques, Homemade is an essential guide to seven of the most beloved crafts: beading, the flower arts, paper crafting, hand printing, decoupage, decorative embellishing, and children’s arts and crafts. 

Crafters—beginners and veterans alike—can turn to Homemade to learn which glues and finishes to use, how to form a perfect beaded loop, assemble a miniature robot, hollow out an egg, emboss paper, make a hand-tied bouquet, or transform a chandelier. Overflowing with hundreds of techniques; easy-to-follow step-by-step directions supported by more than eight hundred beautiful and precise hand-drawn illustrations, diagrams, and patterns; and countless insider secrets and troubleshooting tips, Homemade is an indispensable go-to reference no crafter should be without.

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Learn To Code Html And Css

Shay Howe

Description

HTML and CSS can be a little daunting at first but fear not. This book, based on Shay Howe's popular workshop covers the basics and breaks down the barrier to entry, showing readers how they can start using HTML and CSS through practical techniques today. They'll find accompanying code examples online, while they explore topics such as the different structures of HTML and CSS, and common terms. After establishing a basic understanding of HTML and CSS a deeper dive is taken into the box model and how to work with floats. The book includes an exercise focused on cleaning up a web page by improving the user interface and design, solely using HTML and CSS. With a few quick changes the web page changes shape and comes to life. Interactive, technically up-to-the-minute and easy-to-understand, this book will advance a student's skills to a professional level.

 

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Cricut: 14 Books in 1 - The Most Complete Guide to Master Your Cricut Machine with 200+ Projects Ideas - Top Secret Tips and Tricks to Effortlessly Become Your Friends’ & Family’s Favorite Crafter!

Olita Design

Description

Have you just bought your brand-new Cricut dream machine and have no idea where to start?

Are you struggling with it and are looking for the easiest way to learn to use it with confidence?

If yes, you are in the right place…

Cricut crafts are amazing to look at, and the Cricut machine and Cricut Design Space software give you the option to make just about anything.

The problem is that in order to accomplish all this cool stuff, the level of complexity is far from trivial, so we risk leaving our Cricut machine in the closet gathering dust.

But no need to worry! This all-inclusive 14-in-1 bundle has been crafted exactly for you!

Here is a tiny fraction of what you will find inside:

  • How to set up your machine quickly and easily, so you don't have to go crazy before you get started
  • All the details, technicalities, and differences you need to know about Cricut Joy, Maker, Maker 3, Explore Air 2 and Explore 3
  • A list of the most common mistakes and issues with the Cricut machine and how to avoid/solve them
  • A simple guide to Cricut software thanks to which you can use it smoothly and know right away what all the optimal settings are for your specific project
  • The best materials and tools to use with each specific Cricut machine, so you know right away what to buy
  • 21 must have accessories to make each of your projects a stunning decoration for your home, a fantastic gift, or why not, a desirable sale item on Etsy
  • Hundreds of project ideas for all levels, from beginner to advanced, so you can be sure that you always have great options, especially given that you can make most of them once and be able to wing them or freestyle to your own liking the next time
  • Simple and fun Cricut projects for kids to help them develop their creativity and fantasy from an early age
  • How to start your DIY Cricut business and monetize your art through specific tips on how to find gaps in the market and what platforms to use
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Artisan Air-Dry Clay

Radka Hostasova

Description

No Kiln? No Problem! 

Learn to make beautifully textured home décor accents with inexpensive air-dry clay! The process is easy, and the results are surprisingly stylish when you follow the tips, advice, and instruction from author and clay artist-designer Radka Hostasova. 

Aimed at absolute beginners—this book starts with an overview of the tools and materials needed to produce the best results. A comprehensive "Getting Started" chapter teaches essential home pottery techniques such as rolling slab, coiling, sculpting, and pinching. Also included are creative ideas for adding color with acrylic paint, watercolor, and metallics. At the book's heart are a range of beautiful projects, including trinket bowls, napkin rings, wall hangings, coasters, and others. Each lesson comes with a detailed reference photograph and easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions. 
 

  • Roll, coil, sculpt and carve air-dry clay to create beautiful projects
  • Make modern and stylish projects such as coasters, trinket dishes, home décor accents, kid's projects, and more
  • Use easy home pottery as a mode of relaxation and stress relief
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Beginner's Guide to Self Sufficiency Projects for the Home

Editors of Cool Springs Press

Description

Build a self-sufficient life with these 40+ photo-illustrated projects for growing and preserving your own food, keeping animals, harnessing alternative energy, and more.

Learning to do more things yourself is healthy, rewarding, and fulfilling, and benefits the environment. Whether you live in the suburbs or have 80 acres in the mountains, this new and affordable edition adapted from the best-selling Step-by-Step Projects for Self-Sufficiency guides your way with clear plan drawingsprecise instructions, and detailed photos.

Beginner’s Guide to Self-Sufficiency Projects for the Home is organized into the categories Chickens & Other Creatures, Nourishing Your Garden, Garden Projects, Food Preparation & Preservation, Homestead Amenities, and Outbuildings & Fences, with projects that include:

  • A portable chicken ark
  • Two types of beehives
  • Solar cookers
  • Firewood storage
  • A potato-growing box
  • Hoophouses and greenhouses
  • Raised planting beds
  • Rain barrels
  • A cider press
  • Compost bins
  • Drying racks
  • And more


With these easy-to-follow projects, make progress, step by step, toward your goal of more independent living.

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Write a Must-Read

AJ Harper

Description

A book is not about something. A book is for someone.

You want to write a nonfiction book that matters. A book readers love and rave about. A book they underline, dog-ear, and highlight. A must-read.

How do you do that, when you’ve never written a book like that before? When you aren’t sure what content to include in a nonfiction book, or how to organize it? And when you’re not sure if your idea is worth pursuing in the first place?

At the heart of the answers to all these questions is a craft created by AJ Harper, ghostwriter and editor for some of the foremost thought leaders of our time. The foundation of that craft is a simple, yet powerful philosophy: Reader First. When you learn how to put your reader first at every stage of book development, writing, and editing, you can create the connection and trust required to transform their lives.

In these pages, Harper reveals the proven methods and frameworks she has used for nearly two decades to write and edit perennial bestsellers. It’s not the easy way, or the fast way; it’s the effective way. The payoff for doing this important work: a must-read book, and a massive readership who serve as ambassadors for your message and your brand.

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True Brews

Emma Christensen

Description

You can make naturally fermented sodas, tend batches of kombucha, and brew your own beer in the smallest apartment kitchen with little more equipment than a soup pot, a plastic bucket, and a long-handled spoon. All you need is the know-how.  
             
That’s where Emma Christensen comes in, distilling a wide variety of projects—from mead to kefir to sake—to their simplest forms, making the process fun and accessible for homebrewers. All fifty-plus recipes in True Brews stem from the same basic techniques and core equipment, so it’s easy for you to experiment with your favorite flavors and add-ins once you grasp the fundamentals.  
             
Covering a tantalizing range of recipes, including Coconut Water Kefir, Root Beer, Honey–Green Tea Kombucha, Pear Cider, Gluten-Free Pale Ale, Chai-Spiced Mead, Cloudy Cherry Sake, and Plum Wine, these fresh beverages make impressive homemade offerings for hostess gifts, happy hours, and thirsty friends alike.

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Bookcraft

Heather Weston

Description

From heirloom memories to unique journals, albums, and altered books—or simple tag books for your kids—Bookcraft contains all the skills you will ever need.

Books are a central part of life, and have been with us for around 2,000 years. Although most books we use are produced commercially, many of us are drawn to the book form in its various guises, and are interested in exploring how to make books of our own, whether as a vehicle for telling stories, as scrapbooks, or as notebooks and journals.

This guide provides the essential ingredients for designing and making your own books, from simple binding and finishing techniques to complex complete products. Projects are designed to suit a variety of skill levels from beginner to advanced, and use a step-by-step approach to learning the necessary skills.

Each project begins with basic techniques and progresses through to thought-provoking applications of those techniques. Each technique includes an example of a finished book that fully and beautifully utilizes the methods described by the techniques.

This book explores more experimental binding and page treatment techniques, and has a comprehensive gallery of ideas outlining the skills and materials needed to apply techniques often reserved for professionals.

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DIY Thrift Flip

April Yang

Description

Flip it, Make it, Love it!

In DIY Thrift Flip: Sewing Techniques for Transforming Old Clothes into Fun, Wearable Fashions, expert thrift flipper April Yang, aka Coolirpa, gives you the ultimate guide to turning secondhand finds into trendy, one-of-a-kind fashions. 

Perfect for anyone with big fashion dreams and a small budget, whether you’re looking to slay your style game or create an Insta-worthy wardrobe makeover, this book has everything you need to go from “meh” to “OMG!” 

  • Getting Started. Essential materials and tools, setting up a workspace, organizing supplies, sewing machine basics, and choosing fabric.
  • How to Shop for Alterable Clothes. Where to shop, what types of clothes to look for, what can and can’t be fixed, and how to gauge size when you can’t try something on.
  • Altering Basics. How to use patterns to alter clothes or parts of garments, techniques for altering without using patterns, the basics of garment altering, adding sleeves, hems, and pockets, and how to custom-tailor an altered piece for a great fit.
  • Projects. A variety of beginner- to intermediate-level projects inspire and guide you along your own thrift flips.
  • QR codes give you access to techniques, tutorials, and project details.


If you’re all about saving cash, helping the planet with sustainable style, and showing off your personal flair, DIY Thrift Flip is your new BFF. It’s time to create, elevate, and SLAY!

Ready to make your thrifting dreams a reality? Start flipping today!

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Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master's Guide (Core Rulebook, D&D Roleplaying Game)

Dungeons & Dragons

Description

Weave legendary stories in the world’s greatest roleplaying game. 
 
All you need to run a Dungeons & Dragons game is your imagination, some dice, and this book. The Dungeon Master’s Guide teaches you how to how to run D&D adventures for your players— how to invent monsters for them to fight, mysteries for them to solve, and fantasy worlds for them to explore. 

• The Dungeon Master’s Guide is one of the three main Dungeons & Dragons books, along with the Player’s Handbook and Monster Manual. It’s a reference used by the Dungeon Master (the game’s narrator) to create adventures—to run Dungeons & Dragons games and fill them with characters and stories. 
 
• The Dungeon Master’s Guide (DMG) is full of tools to help you immerse players in the game. What’s the demon lord’s secret weakness? Are the orcish invaders a criminal enterprise, or traitorous allies? Dozens of tables throughout the book help inspire your decisions and keep the game flowing smoothly. 
 
• In the Dungeon Master’s Guide (DMG), even the tables tell tales. A legendary sword takes five decades to craft. Who created it, and why? A tavern-crawling gnome has an eye twitch. How did she get it, and when? In every detail is an architecture for narrative—and the Dungeon Master’s Guide has all the tools you need to flesh it out with ease. 
 
• In Dungeons & Dragons, you and your friends coauthor your own legend. Guided by a Dungeon Master, you create characters and play their roles in a story, rolling dice and navigating maps as you unfold a tale as limitless as your imagination. 
 
• Dungeons & Dragons is the world’s greatest roleplaying game. Created in 1974, D&D transformed gaming culture by blending traditional fantasy with miniatures and wargaming.

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The Mindful Art of Space Making

April Scott Tandy

Description

Are you dreaming of a serene, clutter-free home but feeling overwhelmed by the chaos around you? The Mindful Art of Space Making is your ultimate guide to transforming your living space--and your life--through mindful decluttering. Join April Scott Tandy, a seasoned expert in home transformation, as she introduces her proven Space Maker Method. Her innovative approach to decluttering goes beyond merely getting rid of things; it's about curating your home with intention and purpose. Inside, you'll learn how to: go at your own pace, making decisions you won't regret; use quick wins to build your confidence; handle emotional and sentimental items with care; build unstoppable momentum through focused effort. This book isn't just a collection of tips and tricks; it's a transformative journey that empowers you to take control of your home and your life. Imagine a home where you have space for a cozy reading nook, an inspiring arts and crafts area, or simply room to breathe. This is the essence of Space Making - to make space for what you love!

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Knit Yourself Calm

Lynne Rowe

Description

Knitting is a relaxing and therapeutic pastime, and this winning combination focuses on mindfulness and the perfect stress-busting knitting projects. Whether you choose a portable project to knit on the go, a group project to do with friends, or one that introduces new skills to stimulate a creative mind, this book is the perfect path to keeping calm. 

The book is aimed at beginners as well as more advanced knitters, but does not include anything more complex than basic knit and purl stitches, increasing, decreasing and some simple colourwork. 

Lynne Rowe covers the essential techniques at the start of the book, followed by projects that have been specifically designed for mindfulness. The projects themselves are split into five sections: Quick and Easy, Portable, Group, Big, and New Skills. Within these sections, you can choose to make things such as a wash cloth, a hat, a blanket, a shawl and an evening bag, amongst others. 

Every single one has been designed to promote calm and mindfulness and all the projects are beautifully photographed with clear and simple knitting patterns. 

The Introduction is written by Betsan Corkhill, an experienced healthcare professional who founded the community interest company stitchlinks.com in 2005. It has grown into a global online community for those who enjoy the therapeutic benefits of craft, and in particular, knitting. Betsan has also advised on the projects included in the book and repetitive techniques to promote a calm state. 

The five sections have different ways of promoting calm and the feelgood factor: 

Quick and Easy: the projects in this section are designed for when you when you feel like a quick fix to raise your mood. Use your favourite colours and textures to enhance the benefits of the rhythmic movements and the feelgood effects. The feeling of success you experience will motivate and inspire you. 

Portable: These smaller projects are even more portable, so keep one in your bag at all times. Use it to manage stress on the go, on your commute to work, in your lunch break, when travelling or at any other time when life is getting a bit much and you need to feel calm. 

Group: Getting together with friends to knit, chat and laugh over a cuppa is one of lifes joys. Supportive friends help us to live longer, healthier, happier lives so why not combine the calming nature of knitting with the support of being with friends? Its a powerful way to switch off your stress fight-or-flight response and switch on a bit of fun, play and laughter. 

Big: Its a lovely cosy feeling to sit quietly at home with your Big project on your lap, keeping you warm as you knit. Let it be your constant friend, the one you turn to to find calm and consistency when the world around you feels a bit frantic. As you get into the flow of the pattern, its familiarity will enable you to settle into a soothing rhythm whenever you need to knit yourself calm. 

New Skills: Learning new skills on a regular basis is essential for nurturing a healthy brain, opening new neural pathways and even encouraging the growth of new brain cells right into old age. This section focuses on a range of new skills to encourage you to experiment with different stitch patterns and combinations of colour and textures. They are designed specifically to stimulate your creative mind. 

Whatever your skill level, there are plenty of projects in this book to help you achieve calm, bust those stress levels and enjoy a pastime which is creative, fun and produces beautiful projects to wear, or for the home.

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Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff

Matt Paxton

Description

Your boxes of photos, family’s china, and even the kids' height charts aren’t just stuff; they’re attached to a lifetime of memories--and letting them go can be scary. With empathy, expertise, and humor, Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff, written in collaboration with AARP, helps you sift through years of clutter, let go of what no longer serves you, and identify the items worth keeping so that you can focus on living in the present.

For over 20 years, Matt Paxton has helped people from all walks of life who want to live more simply declutter and downsize. As a featured cleaner on Hoarders and host of the Emmy-nominated Legacy List with Matt Paxton on PBS, he has identified the psychological roadblocks that most organizational experts routinely miss but that prevent so many of us from lightening our material load. Using poignant stories from the thousands of individuals and families he has worked with, Paxton brings his signature insight to a necessary task. 

Whether you’re tired of living with clutter, making space for a loved one, or moving to a smaller home or retirement community, this book is for you. Paxton’s unique, step-by-step process gives you the tools you need to get the job done.

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It's about Time

Valorie Burton

Description



 

Discover the eternal value of your finite time--and intentionally choose the meaningful over the urgent every single day.

Our culture makes it so that even the most organized and efficient among us feels the pressure of the ticking clock and the possibility and regret of missing out. Modern life has evolved in a way that sets us up for stress, pressure, and overload. New norms and attitudes tap into deeply-wired psychological impulses that make it harder than ever to take control of your time. Many of us also have innate personality traits that make the struggle even worse.

No wonder time can become a tyrant that leaves us chronically stressed and discontented. Unlock an approach to life that bestselling author Valorie Burton calls "living timelessly." You will come to understand

1) the gradual changes that have led us to a place where having too much to do and too little time to do it is the norm,

2) the vision for what it could look like if you were free from the stress of time and how to blast through the obstacles to those possibilities, and

3) the practical steps to choosing the meaningful over the urgent so that your life is unhurried yet purposeful and reflects the values and impact that are unique to you.

It's About Time helps you reimagine a life that is meaningful, at a pace that is natural, with a load that is doable and equips you with the tools to make it happen.

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The Joy of Well-Being

Colleen Wachob

Description

In this empowering and accessible collection of health and wellness advice, the co-founders of mindbodygreen challenge our definition of wellness, health, and self-improvement by revealing what a healthy lifestyle looks like at the fundamental level-and it's not what we think. What does a healthy lifestyle actually look like on the most fundamental level? Across the board, there's so much pressure to pick a health identity to define us. But that's not the reality of how health works. There is no "one size fits all" solution to being healthy, and there are countless studies that support this point of view when it comes to what you eat, your mental health, and how you choose to live. The only universal principle is that you have got to be happy: happy with the choices you are making, happy with the life you are living, and those choices need to work with your body to promote your somatic needs for happiness. Happiness and Healthiness go hand in hand, and who couldn't use a little more of both these days? In The Joy of Well-Being, co-founders of mindbodygreen, one of the largest wellness lifestyle websites, Colleen and Jason Wachob help us tap into the health we already have and guide us through making intentional choices about the life we live today. We're encouraged to make health choices that are right for us as we learn to embrace intentionalism--a way of seeing our health that informs what wellbeing means to us in what we eat, how we sleep, how we breathe, how we take care of our mental health, and every other dimension of our lives.

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Inner Workout

Taylor Elyse Morrison

Description

Caring for yourself is essential. But we need both direction and intention if we want to find out what we truly need in the moment. This is where Inner Workout comes in: First by redefining what self-care truly is and then by diving deep into areas where you might need some help. Addressing issues like body positivity, burnout, brain fog, self-confidence, and more, this guide offers a variety of practices, prompts, and actionable advice to strengthen your connection to each aspect of yourself.

Think of this as a choose your own self-care adventure: Take the Take Care Assessment and find out which practices you deeply need right now. Flip to a section that resonates with you. Or read through each chapter to discover what each dimension of care can offer you. The guidance within these pages isn't meant to change who you are, but to strengthen the wisdom you already have within. Whether new to self-care or wanting to deepen the connection you've cultivated with yourself, this book is here for you at every step in your wellness journey.

ACTIONABLE SELF-CARE FOR EVERYONE: Self-care, in all its forms, remains a powerful and popular topic. It seems only natural to refer to our mental health care as a workout: Something we practice every day in little and big ways to address our whole selves. Inner Workout offers lots of prompts, inspiration, and ideas to keep your self-care practice fresh and applicable at every stage of life. 

THE ANSWER TO BURNOUT, BRAIN FOG, AND MORE: Each section of Inner Workout tackles a key area of self-care and helps to alleviate common wellness concerns:

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Slow Productivity

Cal Newport

Description

Our current definition of “productivity” is broken. It pushes us to treat busyness as a proxy for useful effort, leading to impossibly lengthy task lists and ceaseless meetings. We’re overwhelmed by all we have to do and on the edge of burnout, left to decide between giving into soul-sapping hustle culture or rejecting ambition altogether. But are these really our only choices?

Long before the arrival of pinging inboxes and clogged schedules, history’s most creative and impactful philosophers, scientists, artists, and writers mastered the art of producing valuable work with staying power. In this timely and provocative book, Cal Newport harnesses the wisdom of these traditional knowledge workers to radically transform our modern jobs. Drawing from deep research on the habits and mindsets of a varied cast of storied thinkers – from Galileo and Isaac Newton, to Jane Austen and Georgia O’Keefe – Newport lays out the key principles of “slow productivity,” a more sustainable alternative to the aimless overwhelm that defines our current moment. Combining cultural criticism with systematic pragmatism, Newport deconstructs the absurdities inherent in standard notions of productivity, and then provides step-by-step advice for cultivating a slower, more humane alternative.

From the aggressive rethinking of workload management, to introducing seasonal variation, to shifting your performance toward long-term quality, Slow Productivity provides a roadmap for escaping overload and arriving instead at a more timeless approach to pursuing meaningful accomplishment. The world of work is due for a new revolution. Slow productivity is exactly what we need.

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Keep Sharp

Sanjay Gupta

Description

Throughout our life, we look for ways to keep our minds sharp and effortlessly productive. Now, globetrotting neurosurgeon Dr. Sanjay Gupta offers “the book all of us need, young and old” (Walter Isaacson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Code Breaker) with insights from top scientists all over the world, whose cutting-edge research can help you heighten and protect brain function and maintain cognitive health at any age.

Keep Sharp debunks common myths about aging and mental decline, explores whether there’s a “best” diet or exercise regimen for the brain, and explains whether it’s healthier to play video games that test memory and processing speed, or to engage in more social interaction. Discover what we can learn from “super-brained” people who are in their eighties and nineties with no signs of slowing down—and whether there are truly any benefits to drugs, supplements, and vitamins. Dr. Gupta also addresses brain disease, particularly Alzheimer’s, answers all your questions about the signs and symptoms, and shows how to ward against it and stay healthy while caring for a partner in cognitive decline. He likewise provides you with a personalized twelve-week program featuring practical strategies to strengthen your brain every day.

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Don't Overthink It

Anne Bogel

Description

You are not doomed to a life of overthinking. 

We've all been there: stuck in a cycle of what-ifs, plagued by indecision, paralyzed by the fear of getting it wrong. Nobody wants to live a life of constant overthinking, but it feels like something we just can't escape. But is it?

Anne Bogel's answer is no. Not only can you overcome negative thought patterns that are repetitive, unhealthy, and unhelpful, you can replace them with positive thought patterns that will bring more peace, joy, and love into your life. 

In Don't Overthink It, she teaches you how to 

● adopt a framework for making choices that uses an appropriate amount of energy
● build a solid foundation to set yourself up for success and avoid overwhelm
● understand the destructive effects of overthinking
● apply strategies for dealing with questions both small and large
● implement practices to stop unhealthy thought patterns

With this book, you can be free to focus on what really matters and stop overthinking.

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Get a Hobby!

Tina Barseghian

Description

Is your daily grind taking the joy out of life? Don't get glum—get a hobby!

In this entertaining, information-packed guide, journalist and ReadyMade contributing editor Tina Barseghian invites you to explore 101 thoroughly absorbing diversions, from conventional to downright wacky, that'll satisfy every taste, talent, and timetable. The bonus: Practicing a hobby boosts your all-around mental and physical health, as longtime family practitioner Dr. Miguel Figueroa reveals in the Foreword.

Are you an independent, nature-loving, outdoorsy type? Consider beachcombing, caving, or mushroom hunting. Crafty, meticulous, and patient? You might enjoy needlework, knotting, or growing bonsai. Just take the personality quiz to identify those hobbies that best match your aptitude, interests, and even your mood, then it's on to the hobbies. Each hobby entry provides a playful mix of information: overviews, histories, and sample projects to help you get your hobby on, plus profiles of dedicated hobbyists and resources that'll help take you to the next level. Get a Hobby! might just be the inspiration you've been looking for.

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The Adventures of Penguin and Panda: Surprise!

Brenda J. Maier

Description

Penguin and Panda should not be friends. The very idea is absurd. Penguin likes to build things and Panda likes to nap. Panda munches bamboo and Penguin gobbles cheese puffs and jam-banana sandwiches. Penguin never powers down and Panda has a hard time powering up. There is no way their friendship would ever work. Except somehow, it does.

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Chip Gets Swimmer Shivers

Maddie Frost

Description

Chip is starting swim school and he really isn’t looking forward to it.

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Frank's Red Hat

Sean E Avery

Description

Frank is a penguin with ideas. Mostly terrible ones.

That's why his fellow penguins are nervous when he shows them his strange new creation. It was something they'd never seen or expected to see in their cold and colorless Antarctic world—a red hat.

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Pascal the Very Hungry Penguin

Nishani Reed

Description

When Pascal the penguin tries Nabil's delicious biriyani rice, Pascal decides to leave the zoo and go home with him! But Nabil will be in BIG TROUBLE if his mom finds out. And Pascal is EVERYWHERE - honking, dancing, bouncing on the bed and making a HUGE bubbly mess in the bathroom . . . Will Nabil's parents let Pascal stay?


 

 

 

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Waiting for Mama

Gianna Marino

Description


"When everyone is sleeping, all I can hear is Papa's heart. Boom-Boom-Boom. My papa loves me."

It's deep winter in the Antarctic and a little penguin baby waits in the cold and snow for its mama to return from her long journey to find food. But all the while, the baby is protected and kept warm by its papa, until Mama returns with food . . . and love.

 

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Jonty Gentoo: The Adventures of a Penguin

Julia Donaldson

Description

Excited by his aunts' stories of the South Pole, plucky penguin Jonty Gentoo sneaks out of the zoo and sets off to find the land of the gentoo penguins. However, the world is a very big place for a little gentoo penguin and enthusiastic Jonty swims... in the wrong direction! 

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Penguin and Ollie

Salina Yoon

Description

Penguin is searching the ocean for treasure when he meets Ollie, a shy octopus who is curious about Penguin's adventure. So curious that he can't stay camouflaged for long!

But as the two meet other sea creatures during their search, Ollie is still too shy and hides again. Worried about his new friend, Penguin recruits the other animals to help look for Ollie, and they discover a treasure more precious than jewels.

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A Quilt for Christmas

Melody Carlson

Description

Cuddle up with this cozy story of giving and forgiving--with a little bit of romance

Christmas should be celebrated with family, but for Vera Swanson, that's not an option this year. Widowed and recently relocated, she is lonely in her condo-for-one--until little Fiona Albright knocks on her door needing help. 

With her mother seriously ill and her father out of town, Fiona enlists Vera's aid, and when she finds out her new neighbor is a quilter, she has a special request--a Christmas quilt for Mama.

Vera will have to get a ragtag group of women together to fulfill the request. Between free-spirited artist Tasha, chatty empty nester Beverly, retired therapist Eleanor, and herself, Vera has hopes that Christmas for the Albright family will be merry, after all. And she may even find herself a new family of friends along the way.

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Christmas Presents

Lisa Unger

Description

Instead of presents this Christmas, a true crime podcaster is opening up a cold case...

Madeline Martin has built a life for herself as the young owner of a thriving business, The Next Chapter Bookshop, despite her tragic childhood and now needing to care for her infirm father. When Harley Granger, a failed novelist turned true crime podcaster, drifts into her shop in the days before Christmas, he seems intent on digging up events that Madeline would much rather forget. She's the only surviving victim of Evan Handy, the man who was convicted of murdering her best friend Steph, and is suspected in the disappearance of two sisters, also good friends of Madeline's, who have been missing for nearly a decade. It's an investigation that has obsessed her father Sheriff James Martin right up until his stroke took his faculties.

Harley Granger has a gift for seeing things that others miss. He wasn't much of a novelist, but his work as a true crime author and podcaster has earned him fame and wealth--and some serious criticism for his various unethical practices. Still, visiting Little Valley to be closer to his dying father has caused him to look into a case that many people think is closed--and some want reopened. And he has a lot of questions about the night Stephanie Cramer was killed, Ainsley and Sam Wallace disappeared, and Madeline Martin was left for dead, bleeding out on a riverbank.

Since Evan Handy went to jail, three other young women have gone missing, most recently a young college dropout named Lolly. Five young women missing in the same area in a decade. Are they connected? Was Evan Handy innocent after all? Or was there some else there that night? Someone who is still satisfying his dark appetites?

As Christmas approaches and a blizzard bears down, Madeline and her childhood friend Badger return to a past they both hoped was dead--to find the missing Lolly and to answer questions that have haunted them both, discovering that the truth is more terrible and much closer to home than they think.

Coupling a picturesque, cozy setting with a deeply unsettling suspenseful plot, Christmas Presents is a chilling seasonal novella that can be enjoyed all year long.

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A Royal Christmas

Melody Carlson

Description

Adelaide Smith is too busy for fairy tales. 

She's been working hard to put herself through law school, and she's determined to stay focused on her goals. Then she receives a letter notifying her that she is a direct descendant of King Maximillian Konig V, the ruler of a small European principality called Montovia. 

What? No. That's the stuff of cheesy made-for-TV movies, not real life.

Still, curiosity gets the best of her, leading to a Christmas break trip chock-full of surprises, including a charming village, an opulent palace, family mysteries, royal jealousies, a handsome young member of Parliament, and the chance at a real-life fairy tale romance.

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Mistletoe in Paradise

Jill Shalvis

Description

Problem Number One – Getting There
Old childhood friends each fly separately to join their
families on what’s been an annual holiday themed yacht adventure. Secret ex-lovers,
Hannah and James are determined to make the best of things…

Problem Number Two – Getting Stuck.
When everyone but Hannah and James gets held up in an
airport snarl, it leaves them stuck together for four days, making Hannah’s
already problematic trip a whole lot harder to face. Especially because she
comes bearing more than just gifts…

Problem Number Three -- Falling In Love (again)
As the former lovers try to make the best of the Christmas
snafu, they soon realize that the best things in life can’t be planned and
sometimes love is sweeter the second time around. 

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The Christmas Guest

Peter Swanson

Description

Ashley Smith, an American art student in London for her junior year, was planning on spending Christmas alone, but a last-minute invitation from fellow student Emma Chapman brings her to Starvewood Hall, country residence of the Chapman family. The Cotswold manor house, festooned in pine boughs and crammed with guests for Christmas week, is a dream come true for Ashley. She is mesmerized by the cozy, firelit house, the large family, and the charming village of Clevemoor, but also by Adam Chapman, Emma's aloof and handsome brother.

But Adam is being investigated by the local police over the recent brutal slaying of a girl from the village, and there is a mysterious stranger who haunts the woodland path between Starvewood Hall and the local pub. Ashley begins to wonder what kind of story she is actually inhabiting. Is she in a grand romance? A gothic tale? Or has she wandered into something far more sinister and terrifying than she'd ever imagined?

Over thirty years later the events of that horrific week are revisited, along with a diary from that time. What began in a small English village in 1989 reaches its ghostly conclusion in modern-day New York, many Christmas seasons later.

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A Quilt for Christmas

Melody Carlson

Description

Cuddle up with this cozy story of giving and forgiving--with a little bit of romance

Christmas should be celebrated with family, but for Vera Swanson, that's not an option this year. Widowed and recently relocated, she is lonely in her condo-for-one--until little Fiona Albright knocks on her door needing help. 

With her mother seriously ill and her father out of town, Fiona enlists Vera's aid, and when she finds out her new neighbor is a quilter, she has a special request--a Christmas quilt for Mama.

Vera will have to get a ragtag group of women together to fulfill the request. Between free-spirited artist Tasha, chatty empty nester Beverly, retired therapist Eleanor, and herself, Vera has hopes that Christmas for the Albright family will be merry, after all. And she may even find herself a new family of friends along the way.

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Under the Texas Mistletoe

Karen Witemeyer

Description

In this 3-in-1 novella collection, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer presents the new story "A Texas Christmas Carol," in which a town's wealthy, Scrooge-like bachelor finds his world invaded by a woman set on earning his donation for helping the local poor, and by the penetrating questions of three mysterious visitors. 

It also includes, for the first time in print, "An Archer Family Christmas." When the Archer clan gathers for the Christmas holiday, an unexpected request for help leaves Cassandra Archer directly in the path of a dangerous outlaw. Desperate to protect the woman he loves, Jim Archer races to the rescue, only to find that Cassie's life is not the only one in peril. It will take a Christmas miracle--and the entire Archer clan--to keep a second Archer Christmas from ending in disaster.

In previously published "Gift of the Heart," a widow and her young daughter move to Hope Springs for a fresh start. But with no money to secure a home, Ruth must convince a wealthy resort owner to accept her heirloom brooch as collateral. Will the pin that brought love to three generations soften the heart of a wounded recluse and give Ruth a second chance at love as the holidays draw near?

Sprinkled throughout the collection, you'll find a hope-filled Christmas devotion, Witemeyer holiday recipes, and fun facts about nineteenth-century Christmas celebrations!

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The Santa Suit

Mary Kay Andrews

Description

When newly-divorced Ivy Perkins buys an old farmhouse sight unseen, she is definitely looking for a change in her life. The Four Roses, as the farmhouse is called, is a labor of love—but Ivy didn't bargain on just how much labor. The previous family left so much furniture and so much junk, that it's a full-time job sorting through all of it. 

At the top of a closet, Ivy finds an old Santa suit—beautifully made and decades old. In the pocket of a suit she finds a note written in a childish hand: it's from a little girl who has one Christmas wish, and that is for her father to return home from the war. This discovery sets Ivy off on a mission. Who wrote the note? Did the man ever come home? What mysteries did the Rose family hold?

Ivy's quest brings her into the community, at a time when all she wanted to do was be left alone and nurse her wounds. But the magic of Christmas makes miracles happen, and Ivy just might find more than she ever thought possible: a welcoming town, a family reunited, a mystery solved, and a second chance at love.

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A Winter Dream

Richard Paul Evans

Description

 From wonderful storyteller and author of the bestselling phenomenon. The Christmas Box, a new holiday novel based on the story of Joseph and the coat of many colors. Joe is forced out of the family business by his jealous siblings. Moving on to a? Other company, he soon becomes chief advisor to the CEO. Then the economy turns, and Joe's siblings need his help to save the family business. Based on the Old Testament story about Joseph and the coat of many colors and including a love story, A Winter Dream can be embraced for its message of forgiveness by believers and nonbelievers alike.

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The Christmas Train

David Baldacci

Description

Disillusioned journalist Tom Langdon must get from Washington, D.C., to L.A. in time for Christmas. Forced travel by train, he begins a journey of rude awakenings, thrilling adventures, and holiday magic. He has no idea that the locomotives pulling him across America will actually take him into the rugged terrain of his own heart, as he rediscovers people's essential goodness and someone very special he believed he had lost. 

David Baldacci's THE CHRISTMAS TRAIN is filled with memorable characters who have packed their bags with as much wisdom as mischief...and shows how we do get second chances to fulfill our deepest hopes and dreams, especially during this season of miracles.
 

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The Twelve Topsy-turvy, Very Messy Days of Christmas

James Patterson

Description

At Christmastime, the Sullivans are missing someone dear to them ... until unexpected guests begin to arrive at their empty brownstone in Harlem--and they keep coming. And they stay. For twelve long, hard, topsy-turvy, messy days. But that's when the Sullivans discover that the moments in life that defy hope, expectation, or even imagination, might be the best gifts of all. 

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Winter in the Blood

James Welch

Description

During his life, James Welch came to be regarded as a master of American prose, and his first novel, Winter in the Blood, is one of his most enduring works. The narrator of this beautiful, often disquieting novel is a young Native American man living on the Fort Belknap Reservation in Montana. Sensitive and self-destructive, he searches for something that will bind him to the lands of his ancestors but is haunted by personal tragedy, the dissolution of his once proud heritage, and Montana's vast emptiness. Winter in the Blood is an evocative and unforgettable work of literature that will continue to move and inspire anyone who encounters it.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

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Murder on the Orient Express

Agatha Christie

Description

“The murderer is with us—on the train now . . .”

Just after midnight, the famous Orient Express is stopped in its tracks by a snowdrift. By morning, the millionaire Samuel Edward Ratchett lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. Without a shred of doubt, one of his fellow passengers is the murderer.

Isolated by the storm, detective Hercule Poirot must find the killer among a dozen of the dead man's enemies, before the murderer decides to strike again.

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Small Things Like These

Claire Keegan

Description

Small Things Like These is award-winning author Claire Keegan's landmark new novel, a tale of one man's courage and a remarkable portrait of love and family

It is 1985 in a small Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and family man faces into his busiest season. Early one morning, while delivering an order to the local convent, Bill makes a discovery which forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church.

An international bestseller, Small Things Like These is a deeply affecting story of hope, quiet heroism, and empathy from one of our most critically lauded and iconic writers.

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Skipping Christmas

John Grisham

Description

Imagine a year without Christmas. No crowded malls, no corny office parties, no fruitcakes, no unwanted presents. That’s just what Luther and Nora Krank have in mind when they decide that, just this once, they’ll skip the holiday altogether. 

Theirs will be the only house on Hemlock Street without a rooftop Frosty, they won’t be hosting their annual Christmas Eve bash, they aren’t even going to have a tree. They won’t need one, because come December 25 they’re setting sail on a Caribbean cruise. But as this weary couple is about to discover, skipping Christmas brings enormous consequences—and isn’t half as easy as they’d imagined.

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The Christmas House

Beverly Lewis

Description

With the holidays approaching, Liz Lantz is dedicated to using her Hickory Hollow buggy tour business to share God's love with the Englisher tourists who visit her Lancaster County community. But when her father and brother are called away for a while, Dat finds a young Amishman to assist her on the tours in her brother's place, much to Liz's dismay. Regardless, the popularity of her Christmas House Buggy Tour means she could use the help, so as the countdown to Christmas begins, she works alongside Matthew Yoder, who quickly takes a genuine interest in the tour customers--and Liz. 

As an Englisher family in Hickory Hollow expresses their festive spirit with a lavishly decorated house for the second year running, Liz's Amish community becomes increasingly concerned about attracting unwanted traffic and attention, and Liz wonders if there is any way to bridge the gap to help the new neighbors feel welcome. At the same time, she grapples with her growing feelings for Matt, whose position with her is only temporary. Can she find a way to bring harmony to Hickory Hollow in time for Christmas? 

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Snowflakes and Starlight

Debbie Macomber

Description

'Tis the season for cozy stories of falling in love

Here Comes Trouble by Debbie Macomber

After rival columnist Nolan Adams writes an unflattering piece about rookie journalist Maryanne Simpson, she decides to make some big life changes. She needs to show the tough, streetwise Nolan that she deserves his respect. When they end up as neighbors, Maryanne discovers that she can't resist Nolan's gruff charm, and although he doesn't seem to be an appropriate match for a socialite, Maryanne has other ideas!

Once Upon a Wedding by JoAnn Ross

Desiree Marchand doesn't have time for any complications ahead of her friend's wedding--especially not her ex-boyfriend, rock star Bastien Broussard. Unfortunately, the wedding is down a singer...and whether Desiree likes it or not, Bastien is the perfect man for the job.

An Alaskan Christmas Homecoming by Jennifer Snow

The only thing Griffin Geller wants for Christmas is to reconcile with his family, which would take a real miracle. They haven't spoken to him in the three months he's been back in Wild River, Alaska. But when Jade Frazier walks into his tattoo shop, determined to decorate the front window, she helps remind Griffin that Christmas can be a season for second chances...in life as well as love.

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The Christmas Tree Farm

Laurie Gilmore

Description

Kira North hates Christmas. Which is unfortunate since she just bought a Christmas tree farm in a town that's too cute for its own good.

Bennett Ellis is on vacation in Dream Harbor trying to take a break from both his life and his constant desire to fix things.

But somehow fate finds Ben trapped by a blanket of snow at Kira's farm, and, despite her Grinchiest first impressions, with the glow of the fairy lights twinkling in the trees, and the promise of a warming hot chocolate, maybe, just maybe, these two lost souls will have a Christmas they'll remember forever...

The Christmas Tree Farm is a spicy romantic mystery with a HEA guaranteed, perfect to curl up with this winter!

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Finding Perfect

Colleen Hoover

Description

Finding Perfect is a novella that brings back several of Colleen Hoover's most beloved characters. Told from the point of view of Daniel from Finding Cinderella, readers will finally get the conclusion they've been hoping for. For the best reading experience, make sure you've read all four books that come together to make up this heartwarming story; Hopeless, Losing Hope, Finding Cinderella and All Your Perfects.

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This Winter

Alice Oseman

Description

It can be a hard time of year... It's another Christmas for the Spring family. Which means a lot af relatives, a lot of food, a lot of chaos, and a lot of chances for people to say or do the wrong thing. Tori Spring knows her brother Charlie is overwhelmed by it all. She wants to help... But how? Charlie isn't certain he can stay in his own house as things get into full swing. His boyfriend Nick's house is an obvious refuge. But he's also unsure about ruining Nick's Christmas with his own concerns. Sometimes the only path to comfort and joy is through honesty, sharing... and banding together to find the warmth in winter.

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The Christmas Stranger

Richard Paul Evans

Description

Sometimes the universe sends us exactly who we need...

Three years after losing his family in a Christmas Eve accident, grief-stricken Paul Wanlass hasn’t just given up on Christmas, he’s given up on life. He can’t imagine anything to keep him here—not his work as a computer repairman, not the residents in his Salt Lake City neighborhood, and certainly not the idea of connecting with someone new. When a stranger knocks on his door, claiming to be picking up a laptop, Paul allows him in—but discovers the man has a very different mission in mind.

Paul wakes the next morning unsure if his encounter with the stranger really happened or was just a dream–but when the stranger shows up again, Paul challenges him to give him just one reason to live. The stranger agrees to the challenge but warns Paul not to expect a path he would have guessed or chosen.

As the stranger promised, Paul’s life takes a wild and fateful turn. A robbery connects him with a woman who has also lost the love of her life, and, in a seemingly unrelated incident, Paul rescues a young boy from bullying, only to find the boy needs a different kind of rescue. The twists leave Paul wondering what these people have in common, and why they were brought together. Who—or what—really is this Christmas stranger, and how will Paul find meaning once again?

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This Winter

Alice Oseman

Description

It can be a hard time of year... It's another Christmas for the Spring family. Which means a lot af relatives, a lot of food, a lot of chaos, and a lot of chances for people to say or do the wrong thing. Tori Spring knows her brother Charlie is overwhelmed by it all. She wants to help... But how? Charlie isn't certain he can stay in his own house as things get into full swing. His boyfriend Nick's house is an obvious refuge. But he's also unsure about ruining Nick's Christmas with his own concerns. Sometimes the only path to comfort and joy is through honesty, sharing... and banding together to find the warmth in winter.

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The Mistletoe Mystery

Nita Prose

Description

Molly Gray has always loved the holidays. When Molly was a child, her gran went to great lengths to make the season merry and bright, full of cherished traditions. The first few Christmases without Gran were hard on Molly, but this year, her beloved boyfriend and fellow festive spirit, Juan Manuel, is intent on making the season Molly’s mofinst joyful yet.

But when a Secret Santa gift exchange at the Regency Grand Hotel raises questions about who Molly can and cannot trust, she dives headfirst into solving her most consequential—and personal—mystery yet. Molly has a bad feeling about things, and she starts to wonder: has she yet again mistaken a frog for a prince?

A heartwarming, magical story about the true spirit of the season, The Mistletoe Mystery reminds us that love is the greatest mystery of all.

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Everything Is Tuberculosis

John Green

Description

Tuberculosis has been entwined with hu­manity for millennia. Once romanticized as a malady of poets, today tuberculosis is seen as a disease of poverty that walks the trails of injustice and inequity we blazed for it.

In 2019, author John Green met Henry Reider, a young tuberculosis patient at Lakka Government Hospital in Sierra Leone. John be­came fast friends with Henry, a boy with spindly legs and a big, goofy smile. In the years since that first visit to Lakka, Green has become a vocal advocate for increased access to treatment and wider awareness of the healthcare inequi­ties that allow this curable, preventable infec­tious disease to also be the deadliest, killing over a million people every year.

In Everything Is Tuberculosis, John tells Henry’s story, woven through with the scientific and social histories of how tuberculosis has shaped our world—and how our choices will shape the future of tuberculosis.

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Astrophysics for People in a Hurry

Neil deGrasse Tyson

Description

What is the nature of space and time? How do we fit within the universe? How does the universe fit within us? There’s no better guide through these mind-expanding questions than acclaimed astrophysicist and best-selling author Neil deGrasse Tyson.

But today, few of us have time to contemplate the cosmos. So Tyson brings the universe down to Earth succinctly and clearly, with sparkling wit, in tasty chapters consumable anytime and anywhere in your busy day.

While you wait for your morning coffee to brew, for the bus, the train, or a plane to arrive, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry will reveal just what you need to be fluent and ready for the next cosmic headlines: from the Big Bang to black holes, from quarks to quantum mechanics, and from the search for planets to the search for life in the universe.

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The Radium Girls

Kate Moore

Description

As World War I raged across the globe, hundreds of young women toiled away at the radium-dial factories, where they painted clock faces with a mysterious new substance called radium. Assured by their bosses that the luminous material was safe, the women themselves shone brightly in the dark, covered from head to toe with the glowing dust. With such a coveted job, these "shining girls" were considered the luckiest alive--until they began to fall mysteriously ill. As the fatal poison of the radium took hold, they found themselves embroiled in one of America's biggest scandals and a groundbreaking battle for workers' rights. The Radium Girls explores the strength of extraordinary women in the face of almost impossible circumstances and the astonishing legacy they left behind.

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The Art Thief

Michael Finkel

Description

For centuries, works of art have been stolen in countless ways from all over the world, but no one has been quite as successful at it as the master thief Stéphane Breitwieser. Carrying out more than two hundred heists over nearly ten years—in museums and cathedrals all over Europe—Breitwieser, along with his girlfriend who worked as his lookout, stole more than three hundred objects, until it all fell apart in spectacular fashion.

In The Art Thief, Michael Finkel brings us into Breitwieser’s strange and fascinating world. Unlike most thieves, he never stole for money, keeping all his treasures in a single room where he could admire them to his heart’s content. Possessed of a remarkable athleticism and an innate ability to assess practically any security system, Breitwieser managed to pull off a breathtakingly number of audacious thefts. Yet these strange talents bred a growing disregard for risk and an addict’s need to score, leading Breitwieser to ignore his girlfriend’s pleas to stop—until one final act of hubris brought everything crashing down.

This is a riveting story of art, crime, and an insatiable hunger to possess beauty at any cost.

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Patience and Fortitude

Scott G. Sherman

Description

In a series of cover stories for The Nation magazine, journalist Scott Sherman uncovered the ways in which Wall Street logic almost took down one of New York City's most beloved and iconic institutions: the New York Public Library.

In the years preceding the 2008 financial crisis, the library's leaders forged an audacious plan to sell off multiple branch libraries, mutilate a historic building, and send millions of books to a storage facility in New Jersey. Scholars, researchers, and readers would be out of luck, but real estate developers and New York's Mayor Bloomberg would get what they wanted.

But when the story broke, the people fought back, as famous writers, professors, and citizens' groups came together to defend a national treasure.

Rich with revealing interviews with key figures, Patience and Fortitude is at once a hugely readable history of the library's secret plans, and a stirring account of a rare triumph against the forces of money and power.

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Wonderland

Nicole Treska

Description

Nicole Treska was born to a family of gangsters. In the 1970s, during Boston’s mob wars, her grandfather’s diner was an unofficial headquarters for Whitey Bulger and other members of the Winter Hill Gang. Nicole’s father was also an associate of the gang: there was talk that, before Nicole could walk, her stroller was used as a decoy to sell drugs. In 1985, her father was arrested and tried—sentenced to two years in prison for federal drug trafficking.

Wanting to offer a better life to her children, Nicole’s mother moved her and her sister out of Boston. As an adult, Nicole strove to separate herself from her past, establishing a career as a writer and professor in New York City. But when she learns her father’s sister has passed away, she returns to her hometown and reunites with her dad—now stooped and struggling to walk on a bad knee. As she gets reacquainted with him and the old neighborhood, Nicole is forced to reconcile with her harrowing childhood and its lingering impact.

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To Show and to Tell

Phillip Lopate

Description

Distinguished author Phillip Lopate, editor of the celebrated anthology The Art of the Personal Essay, is universally acclaimed as “one of our best personal essayists” (Dallas Morning News). Here, combining more than forty years of lessons from his storied career as a writer and professor, he brings us this highly anticipated nuts-and-bolts guide to writing literary nonfiction. A phenomenal master class shaped by Lopate’s informative, accessible tone and immense gift for storytelling, To Show and To Tell reads like a long walk with a favorite professor—refreshing, insightful, and encouraging in often unexpected ways.

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The Stranger in the Woods

Michael Finkel

Description

In 1986, a shy and intelligent twenty-year-old named Christopher Knight left his home in Massachusetts, drove to Maine, and disappeared into the forest. He would not have a conversation with another human being until nearly three decades later, when he was arrested for stealing food. Living in a tent even through brutal winters, he had survived by his wits and courage, developing ingenious ways to store edibles and water, and to avoid freezing to death. He broke into nearby cottages for food, clothing, reading material, and other provisions, taking only what he needed but terrifying a community never able to solve the mysterious burglaries. Based on extensive interviews with Knight himself, this is a vividly detailed account of his secluded life—why did he leave? what did he learn?—as well as the challenges he has faced since returning to the world. It is a gripping story of survival that asks fundamental questions about solitude, community, and what makes a good life, and a deeply moving portrait of a man who was determined to live his own way, and succeeded.

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Haatchi & Little B

Wendy Holden

Description

When Owen met Haatchi, the lives of one adorable little boy and one great, big dog were destined to change forever.

Owen-known to his family as "little buddy" or "Little B"-has a rare genetic disorder that leaves him largely confined to a wheelchair. Before being united with Haatchi, Little B was anxious and found it difficult to make friends.

Haatchi-an adorable Anatolian Shepherd puppy-was abused and left for dead on railroad tracks. He was struck by an oncoming train, and although his life was saved, his leg and tail were partially severed. Haatchi was left massively disabled and totally dispirited.

But kind-hearted Will and Colleen Howkins, Little B's father and step-mother, decided to introduce the big dog and the little boy to each other, and an unbelievable bond was formed that transformed both boy and dog in miraculous ways.

Wendy Holden's Haatchi & Little B is the true story of an astonishing little boy, a very special dog, and the inspiring, inseparable pair that they make together.

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The After

Michael Ramos

Description

When Michael Ramos enlisted in the Navy and was assigned to serve as a chaplain's bodyguard thirteen days before 9/11, he had no idea he would soon be sent to Iraq. But he embraced the posting, combat service, and career for a decade, until, at age thirty-four, the military told him his skill set was no longer relevant. Through divorce and remarriage, his son's choice to enlist in the Marines, the loss of friends to war and suicide, and his inability to sleep or rest, Michael struggled with the return to civilian life, and particularly with civilian attitudes toward veterans.

In twenty-four concussive, embodied, and nonlinear essays, Michael creates a challenging and complex portrait of what it means to be a warrior, civilian, veteran, father, husband, and teacher--for he ultimately uses the skills he developed in the military to help others find meaning in their lives. While this may sound like a redemption story, it is instead a brutally honest portrayal that refuses easy answers and seeks to help other war veterans realize they're not alone as they search for their place in the world.

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Joy Is the Justice We Give Ourselves

J. Drew Lanham

Description

In gorgeous and timely pieces, Joy Is the Justice We Give Ourselves is a lush journey into wildness and Black being. Lanham notices nature through seasonal shifts, societal unrest, and deeply personal reflection and traces a path from bitter history to the present predicament. Drawing canny connections between the precarity of nature and the long arm of racism, the collection offers reconciliation and eco-reparation as hopeful destinations from our current climate of division. In Joy is the Justice We Give Ourselves, Lanham mines the deep connection to ancestors through the living world and tunes his unique voice toward embracing the radical act of joy.

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Fun Home

Alison Bechdel

Description

A fresh and brilliantly told memoir from a cult favorite comic artist, marked by gothic twists, a family funeral home, sexual angst, and great books.

This breakout book by Alison Bechdel is a darkly funny family tale, pitch-perfectly illustrated with Bechdel's sweetly gothic drawings. Like Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis, it's a story exhilaratingly suited to graphic memoir form.

Meet Alison's father, a historic preservation expert and obsessive restorer of the family's Victorian home, a third-generation funeral home director, a high school English teacher, an icily distant parent, and a closeted homosexual who, as it turns out, is involved with his male students and a family babysitter. Through narrative that is alternately heartbreaking and fiercely funny, we are drawn into a daughter's complex yearning for her father. And yet, apart from assigned stints dusting caskets at the family-owned "fun home," as Alison and her brothers call it, the relationship achieves its most intimate expression through the shared code of books. When Alison comes out as homosexual herself in late adolescense, the denouement is swift, graphic -- and redemptive.

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The Girl who Drew Butterflies

Joyce Sidman

Description

In this beautiful nonfiction biography, a Robert F. Sibert Medal winner, the Newbery Honor-winning author Joyce Sidman introduces readers to one of the first female entomologists and a woman who flouted convention in the pursuit of knowledge and her passion for insects.

One of the first naturalists to observe live insects directly, Maria Sibylla Merian was also one of the first to document the metamorphosis of the butterfly.

Richly illustrated throughout with full-color original paintings by Merian herself, The Grew Who Drew Butterflies will enthrall young scientists.

Bugs, of all kinds, were considered to be "born of mud" and to be "beasts of the devil." Why would anyone, let alone a girl, want to study and observe them? The Girl Who Drew Butterflies answers this question.

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The Soul of an Octopus

Sy Montgomery

Description

In pursuit of the wild, solitary, predatory octopus, popular naturalist Sy Montgomery has practiced true immersion journalism. From New England aquarium tanks to the reefs of French Polynesia and the Gulf of Mexico, she has befriended octopuses with strikingly different personalities—gentle Athena, assertive Octavia, curious Kali, and joyful Karma. Each creature shows her cleverness in myriad ways: escaping enclosures like an orangutan; jetting water to bounce balls; and endlessly tricking companions with multiple “sleights of hand” to get food.

Scientists have only recently accepted the intelligence of dogs, birds, and chimpanzees but now are watching octopuses solve problems and are trying to decipher the meaning of the animal’s color-changing techniques. With her “joyful passion for these intelligent and fascinating creatures” (Library Journal Editors’ Spring Pick), Montgomery chronicles the growing appreciation of this mollusk as she tells a unique love story. By turns funny, entertaining, touching, and profound, The Soul of an Octopus reveals what octopuses can teach us about the meeting of two very different minds.

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What If?

Randall Munroe

Description

From the creator of the wildly popular webcomic xkcd, hilarious and informative answers to important questions you probably never thought to ask.

Millions of people visit xkcd.com each week to read Randall Munroe's iconic webcomic. His stick-figure drawings about science, technology, language, and love have a large and passionate following.

Fans of xkcd ask Munroe a lot of strange questions. What if you tried to hit a baseball pitched at 90 percent the speed of light? How fast can you hit a speed bump while driving and live? If there was a robot apocalypse, how long would humanity last?

In pursuit of answers, Munroe runs computer simulations, pores over stacks of declassified military research memos, solves differential equations, and consults with nuclear reactor operators. His responses are masterpieces of clarity and hilarity, complemented by signature xkcd comics. They often predict the complete annihilation of humankind, or at least a really big explosion.

The book features new and never-before-answered questions, along with updated and expanded versions of the most popular answers from the xkcd website. What If? will be required reading for xkcd fans and anyone who loves to ponder the hypothetical.

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A Briefer History of Time

Stephen Hawking

Description

Stephen Hawking’s worldwide bestseller A Brief History of Time remains a landmark volume in scientific writing. But for readers who have asked for a more accessible formulation of its key concepts—the nature of space and time, the role of God in creation, and the history and future of the universe—A Briefer History of Time is Professor Hawking’s response.
 
Although “briefer,” this book is much more than a mere explanation of Hawking’s earlier work. A Briefer History of Time both clarifies and expands on the great subjects of the original, and records the latest developments in the field—from string theory to the search for a unified theory of all the forces of physics. Thirty-seven full-color illustrations enhance the text and make A Briefer History of Time an exhilarating and must-have addition in its own right to the great literature of science and ideas.

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The Comfort Book

Matt Haig

Description

“It is a strange paradox, that many of the clearest, most comforting life lessons are learnt while we are at our lowest. But then we never think about food more than when we are hungry and we never think about life rafts more than when we are thrown overboard.”

THE COMFORT BOOK is Haig’s life raft: it’s a collection of notes, lists, and stories written over a span of several years that originally served as gentle reminders to Haig’s future self that things are not always as dark as they may seem. Incorporating a diverse array of sources from across the world, history, science, and his own experiences, Haig offers warmth and reassurance, reminding us to slow down and appreciate the beauty and unpredictability of existence.

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The Little Book of Hygge

Meik Wiking

Description

Embrace Hygge (pronounced hoo-ga) and become happier with this definitive guide to the Danish philosophy of comfort, togetherness, and well-being.

Why are Danes the happiest people in the world? The answer, says Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, is Hygge. Loosely translated, Hygge—pronounced Hoo-ga—is a sense of comfort, togetherness, and well-being. "Hygge is about an atmosphere and an experience," Wiking explains. "It is about being with the people we love. A feeling of home. A feeling that we are safe."

Hygge is the sensation you get when you’re cuddled up on a sofa, in cozy socks under a soft throw, during a storm. It’s that feeling when you’re sharing comfort food and easy conversation with loved ones at a candlelit table. It is the warmth of morning light shining just right on a crisp blue-sky day.

The Little Book of Hygge introduces you to this cornerstone of Danish life, and offers advice and ideas on incorporating it into your own life, such as:

  • Get comfy. Take a break.
  • Be here now. Turn off the phones.
  • Turn down the lights. Bring out the candles.
  • Build relationships. Spend time with your tribe.
  • Give yourself a break from the demands of healthy living. Cake is most definitely Hygge.
  • Live life today, like there is no coffee tomorrow.

From picking the right lighting to organizing a Hygge get-together to dressing hygge, Wiking shows you how to experience more joy and contentment the Danish way.

 

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The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

Marie Kondo

Description

Despite constant efforts to declutter your home, do papers still accumulate like snowdrifts and clothes pile up like a tangled mess of noodles?

Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you’ll never have to do it again. Most methods advocate a room-by-room or little-by-little approach, which doom you to pick away at your piles of stuff forever. The KonMari Method, with its revolutionary category-by-category system, leads to lasting results. In fact, none of Kondo’s clients have lapsed (and she still has a three-month waiting list). 

With detailed guidance for determining which items in your house “spark joy” (and which don’t), this international bestseller will help you clear your clutter and enjoy the unique magic of a tidy home—and the calm, motivated mindset it can inspire.

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The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning

Margareta Magnusson

Description

In Sweden there is a kind of decluttering called döstädning, meaning “death” and städning meaning “cleaning.” This surprising and invigorating process of clearing out unnecessary belongings can be undertaken at any age or life stage but should be done sooner than later, before others have to do it for you. In The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, artist Margareta Magnusson, with Scandinavian humor and wisdom, instructs readers to embrace minimalism. Her radical and joyous method for putting things in order helps families broach sensitive conversations, and makes the process uplifting rather than overwhelming.

Margareta suggests which possessions you can easily get rid of (unworn clothes, unwanted presents, more plates than you’d ever use) and which you might want to keep (photographs, love letters, a few of your children’s art projects). Digging into her late husband’s tool shed, and her own secret drawer of vices, Margareta introduces an element of fun to a potentially daunting task. Along the way readers get a glimpse into her life in Sweden, and also become more comfortable with the idea of letting go.

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Our Planet! There's No Place Like Earth

Stacy McAnulty

Description

Meet Earth. Planet Awesome! And your awesome home! Actually, Earth is home to all the plants and all the animals in the solar system, including nearly eight billion people. Humans have accidentally moved Earth's climate change into the fast lane, and she need your help to put on the brakes. Earthlings need Earth, and Earth needs Earthlings, so let’s save Earth together!

With characteristic humor and charm, Stacy McAnulty channels the voice of Earth in this next celestial "autobiography" in the Our Universe series. Rich with kid-friendly facts and beautifully brought to life by David Litchfield, this is an equally charming and irresistible picture book.

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The Magic and Mystery of Space

Shoshana Weider

Description

Children will love to learn about the planets in our Solar System and distant black holes as they discover incredible facts and journey through space. This space guide features fascinating topics, like how stars die, what scientists do in space, and what life could look like on other planets.

The Magic and Mystery of Space brings the cosmos closer to home. Children will see incredible views from space telescopes, discover what it's like walking on the Moon, and learn how to star-gaze. They'll even get to meet some of the animals who have been to space! Filled with facts and fun, this book presents a beautiful and new take on space and is perfect for any young space lovers or future astronauts.

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Solar System

Steve Jenkins

Description

Through infographics and illustrations readers will learn about the unfathomably huge and fascinating topic of solar systems. Explore the galaxy that surrounds our planet through astounding numbers, facts, and figures.
 

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Stars! Stars! Stars!

Nancy Elizabeth Wallace

Description

Minna is a stargazer. She looks at the nighttime sky and wonders, What are stars? Minna's friends wonder about stars too. How far away are they? Are they really shaped like stars? Is the sun a star? At the Children's Museum, Minna and her friends visit STAR SPACE. The children learn . . . and wonder . . . learn . . . and wonder. Then they go outside and stargaze! Recipes for star-shaped food and an activity page are included.

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Just Right: Searching for the Goldilocks Planet

Curtis Manley

Description

Do you wonder 
if humans
are the only beings who wonder
if they are alone 
in the universe?

Our sun is a star.
In the night sky are all kinds of stars,
and orbiting those stars
are planets like the ones in our own solar system.

Could those planets have life
like we do on Earth?

Planet Earth is not too big,
not too small, not too hot,
and not too cold. It’s just right.
Our very own Goldilocks planet . . . .

Follow a young girl
as she explores these questions
in this gorgeous book about the wondrous search
for another Goldilocks planet.

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The Planets

Gail Gibbons

Description

From the burning surface of Venus to the freezing darkness of Neptune, Gail Gibbons takes children on a tour of our solar system—which are very different from each other in size, shape, orbit, and even weather. 

Since its original publication in 1993, The Planets has been a home and classroom staple for introducing our solar system to the youngest readers. With her signature blend of clear, bright illustrations and accessible text, Gail Gibbons takes readers on a tour of our planetary neighbors, near and far.

This updated edition brings the latest scientific understanding of the planets of our solar system to young readers. The bodies in our solar system are named, described, and illustrated in clear, well-labeled spreads that give a strong sense of shape and scale to our skies. Each entry is full of intriguing details about their composition, behavior, and moons.

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Planets

Martha E. H. Rustad

Description

Simple text and full-color photographs describe the planets.

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How Many Planets Circle the Sun?

Mary Kay Carson

Description

Why is there life on earth? How did Saturn get its rings? Which planet is biggest, which ones hottest--and which has a cloud named Scooter? Take a trip into outer space to learn about the asteroid belt, Martian volcanoes, dwarf planets, and other fascinating facts about our universe.

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The Dwarf Planets

Steve Kortenkamp

Description

They're round and orbit the Sun. But they're not planets. What makes a dwarf planet different? Get up-close to the five dwarf planets that call our solar system home.

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XO, Exoplanet

Deborah Underwood

Description

It was an ordinary day for Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, (and don't forget Pluto, the dwarf planet). The planets were circling the Sun, staring into space, until suddenly they spot something else in their Solar System. What could it be? Who could it be? The planets have no idea but they're circling to find out. Whatever it is that something is most definitely, absolutely, without a doubt NOT a planet. So begins an out-of-this-world pen pal exchange between the planets and an exoplanet: Dear Exoplanet, We are excited to have you in the galaxy! XO, Planets Dear Planets, It is nice to hear from you! But what is an exoplanet? Does it mean "excellent planet"? XO, Exoplanet Paired with vibrant illustrations from Jorge Lacera, this STEM-friendly story, told mainly through letters, reminds readers what happens when we consider another person's point of view.

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Pluto Gets the Call

Adam Rex

Description

Pluto loves being a planet. That is, until the day he gets a call from some Earth scientists telling him he isn’t a planet anymore! You probably wanted to meet a real planet, huh? So, Pluto takes the reader on a hilarious and informative journey through the solar system to introduce the other planets and commiserate about his situation along the way. Younger readers will be so busy laughing over Pluto’s interactions with the other planets, asteroids, moons, and even the sun, they won’t even realize just how much they’re learning about our solar system!

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The Crayons Love Our Planet

Drew Daywalt

Description

Our planet has all of us…
In many shapes, colors, and sizes. 

The Crayons love our planet and are proud of their contributions. White ice caps, Green trees, Blue oceans and skies, Brown soil...and more! Even Beige is proud of his contribution: Wheat! This humorous book shows the beauty of our planet—and why it needs all of us to be celebrated and complete.

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The Boy Whose Head was Filled with Stars

Isabelle Marinov

Description

This is the story of Edwin Hubble, a boy fascinated by the stars who surmounted many hurdles to follow his dreams of becoming an astronomer. Using the insights of great mathematicians and endlessly observing the sky, he succeeded in confirming two things that altered human life forever: that there are more galaxies than our own, and that the universe is always expanding. Hubble's message to us is to find peace in the vastness of the mystery surrounding us, and to be curious. "We do now know why we are born into the world," he said, "but we can try to find out what sort of world it is."

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Space Watch

Chris Oxlade

Description

This book not only introduces young readers to the planets in our solar system, it also explains how these planets were discovered and studied throughout history. Young readers will be captivated by the full-color photographs and fascinating information presented in this valuable book. A science project is included to further develop the reader's understanding of our planets.

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The Planets of Our Solar System

Steve Kortenkamp

Description

Venus is a sweltering, spinning rock. Jupiter is a huge ball of gas. But they are both planets. Get up-close to the eight planets that orbit around our solar system.

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Astronomical!

Sophie Allan (Physics teacher)

Description

Mind-blowing new images made possible by the latest technology can now take us to the heart of the Universe-from swirling dust devils on Mars, to emerging stars in nebulas, supermassive storms on Jupiter, as well as galaxies, comets, asteroids, and much more.

This space book for children offers:

  • Fast facts and amazing stats that highlight the mind-blowing wonders of the Solar System and the Universe.
  • A collection of spectacular images captured by the latest space telescope, the James Webb, as well as mesmerizing images from Hubble and other spacecraft.
  • Content endorsed and authenticated by Smithsonian.

Every double page features a magnificent celestial body alongside fascinating and informative text that brings to life the wonder of outer space. Additional facts and comparisons provide readers with key information at a glance.

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Wow in the World: Wow in Space

Mindy Thomas

Description

Calling all space cadets!

Are you ready to explore the solar system, see the stars, and experience life in a world beyond ours?! Blast off with bestselling authors Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz, hosts of the mega-popular podcast Wow in the World, as they take you on an intergalactic tour of outer space.

  • Zip through astronaut training school!
  • Slip into a black hole!
  • Apply for a job as a NASA astronaut!
  • Learn what it takes to be a STAR!
  • Get the recipe to build your own galaxy!
  • Meet the animals who made it to space!

And that's just the beginning! Jam-packed with eye-popping illustrations, jaw-dropping facts, jokes, quizzes, comics, and everything else that makes up our universe, this is your one-stop shop for all things space. The who, what, when, where, why, how, and WOW--all in one place!

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The Mysteries of the Universe

Will Gater

Description

Space is so much bigger than young minds can fathom and there is always more to learn. The Mysteries of the Universe is a stunning space encyclopedia for young readers to explore, with reference pages packed with fascinating information, little learners will be captivated as they journey through the vastness of the Universe. From planets and asteroids to black holes and galaxies, every page of this enthralling space book reveals the secrets behind more than 100 celestial objects, and will inspire  youngsters as they journey through the vastness of the Universe. Each celestial body is shown both photographically and illustrated, and children will love poring over the detailed close-up images.

Get ready to explore fun facts and exciting new scientific discoveries as this best-selling picture book will illuminate imaginations and spark curious minds to explore the vastness of space. The engaging storybook-style descriptions and simple text shed a light on facts, myths, and key discoveries about the universe, perfect for children aged 7-9  to explore the wonders of our solar system and beyond.

This space encyclopedia for children is the perfect blend of storybook style text with out of this world illustrations which makes it a fantastic space book for children who can't get enough of the solar system. Encourage early learners to go on a journey to explore a world of information, making this the ideal first reference book for kids aged 7 and older to enjoy for hours on end, whether reading with the family or reading alone, this fun fact book also doubles up as the perfect gift for curious kids who love to learn. 

 

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Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, I Know Exactly What You Are

Julia Kregenow

Description

Do you know why stars twinkle? It's time to find out! Written to the classic melody of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" by an expert in astrophysics, is the perfect primer for learning exactly what those twinkling little stars are doing way up high in the sky. Discover how stars are created, what they're made of, and even what makes them look like they're twinkling.

Stars are not only great for wishing upon, but they are also spectacular examples of scientific magic. From atmospheric turbulence to fusing atoms, these delightful (more accurate!) lyrics will become your new favorite version of this classic tune. Instead of wondering what stars are, you will know for sure!

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Stargazers

Gail Gibbons

Description

After the sun sets, on clear nights points of light begin to appear in the sky. But when we look up at the night sky, what are we seeing? 

Vetted by an expert, this new and updated edition introduces scientific facts about the stars, as well as how we look at and learn about them, through simple text and bold illustrations. From ancient names for constellations to modern innovations in telescope technology, this book covers a broad range of ideas without overwhelming the reader. It introduces and reinforces important vocabulary for the aspiring astronomer, explaining everything in clear, simple phrases. 
 

This book includes a brief timeline of major advances in astronomy, written in concise, kid-friendly language, and a wealth of fun facts and trivia about the stars.

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The Complete Make-Ahead Cookbook

America's Test Kitchen

Description

An impressive collection of 500 recipes at your fingertips!  Make the recipe all at once, if you have time; or, use the accompanying suggestions on what parts are best to make ahead separately if you’re short on time that day. Every recipe has been tested thoroughly on what’s best to make when, and how to store it, to give your results a just-made flavor.  Included in this compendium of new recipes are a few fan favorites that have been thoroughly re-tested and adjusted for the best results if you need to make a component in advance.  You'll find classic, international and modern flavors with recipes such as Breakfast Strata, Mini Chicken Empanadas, Olive Oil-Sea Salt Pita Chips, Chickpea Cakes, Cauliflower Gratin, Stuffed Eggplant, Mexican Lasagna with Turkey, Tequila-Lime Turkey Chili, Moroccan Chicken Salad, Beef Tamale Pie, Smoked Salmon and Leek Tarts, Blueberry Streusel Bars, Maple Pecan Pie, Flourless Chocolate Cake and Bourbon Whipped Cream.

In addition you’ll find information basics for refrigerator and freezer storage, how to freeze egg yolks and egg whites properly, and the ultimate guide to storage containers – all to help give you the best tasting results!

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Platters and Boards: Beautiful, Casual Spreads for Every Occasion (Appetizer Cookbooks, Dinner Party Planning Books, Food Presentation Books)

Shelly Westerhausen

Description

Platters and Boards is the guide to entertaining with effortless style. Author Shelly Westerhausen shares the secrets to creating casually chic spreads anyone can make and everyone will enjoy (and envy). Organized by time of day, 40 contemporary arrangements are presented with gorgeous photography, easy-to-prepare recipes, suggested meat and drink pairings, and notes on preparation and presentation.

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My Drunk Kitchen

Hannah Hart

Description

One day, sad cubicle dweller and otherwise bored New York transplant Hannah Hart decided, as a joke, to make a fake cooking show for her friend back in California. She turned on the camera, pulled out some bread and cheese, and then, as one does, started drinking. (Doesn't everyone cook with a spoon in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other?) The video went viral and an online sensation was born.

My Drunk Kitchen includes recipes, stories, full color photos, and drawings to inspire your own culinary adventures in tipsy cooking. It is also a showcase for Hannah Hart's great comedic voice. Hannah offers key drink recommendations, cooking tips (like, remember to turn the oven off when you go to bed) and shares never-before-seen recipes such as:

  • The Hartwich (Knowledge is ingenuity! Learn from the past!)
  • Can Bake (Inventing things is hard! You don't have to start from scratch!)
  • Latke Shotkas (Plan ahead to avoid a night of dread!)
  • Tiny Sandwiches (Size doesn't matter! Aim to satisfy.)
  • Saltine Nachos (It's not about resources! It's about being resourceful.)

This is a book for anyone who believes they have what it takes to make a soufflé for the holiday party and show up the person who apparently has nothing better to do than bake things from scratch. It also recommends the drink you'll need to accompany any endeavor of this magnitude. In the end, My Drunk Kitchen may not be your go-to guide for your next dinner party . . . but it will make you laugh and drink . . . I mean think . . . about life.

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Good Lookin' Cookin'

Dolly Parton

Description

“Hey, good lookin’—what ya got cookin’?”

This is what Dolly Parton sings to her sister Rachel Parton George whenever she walks into her kitchen. It’s what you do when a love for good music and good food runs in the family. 

In Good Lookin’ Cookin’ Dolly and Rachel share tips for hosting events all year long, including twelve multi-course menus of cherished recipes for New Year’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and more. You’ll learn how much butter or whipped cream goes into a “Dolly Dollop,” what condiment is almost always on the table at Parton family meals, and what special dish Rachel makes at Dolly’s request every year for her birthday. Recipes include American classics such as Country Ham and Biscuits, Barbecue Spare Ribs, Family Favorite Meatloaf, Slaw of Many Colors, Watermelon Fruit Salad, Mac and Cheese, and Strawberry Shortcake.

Filled with more than 80 delicious dishes as well as photographs of Dolly and Rachel cooking and hosting all year long, Good Lookin’ Cookin’ is a treasured cookbook that will make you feel like part of the Parton family. With their trademark warmth and sisterly love, Dolly and Rachel remind you that cooking doesn’t need to be serious—it should be fun! And always good lookin’!

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My Drunk Kitchen Holidays!

Hannah Hart

Description

In a world where everyone is looking for some good news and something to celebrate, Hannah Hart is there with almost fifty ideas, arranged into twelve months of themes and recipes for how to celebrate with family and friends.

A collection of recipes, activities, and suggestions about hilarious and joyous ways to celebrate with family, friends, pets, and your entire community, My Drunk Kitchen Holidays! will commemorate holidays from Valentine's Day to Graduation, Pride Month and International Left-Handers’ Day (really!). The book will culminate with the fall holidays that get much deserved attention: recipes for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and a celebration of Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Christmas that is festive, inclusive, and incredibly hilarious.

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Everyday Grand

Jocelyn Delk Adams

Description

Jocelyn Delk Adams believes every day deserves to be celebrated, from seemingly mundane weekdays to exuberant weekends and holidays. Her approachable take on comfort food features Southern-steeped recipes that are jazzed-up, remixed classics, all sprinkled with the vibrant, colorful personality she’s best known for.

Each flavor-packed recipe suggests a reason to celebrate, a reminder that events big and small can have a moment of culinary gratitude. Try the Georgia Peach Salad with Candied Pecans and Cornbread Croutons on that perfect summer day or the Mojito-Marinated Skirt Steak with Chimichurri for a backyard date night (BYO blanket and bubbly). Or enjoy a Southern Sunday supper of spicy Hot Sauce Chipotle-Fried Chicken and whip up the Turkey and Mustard Greens Enchiladas to deliver to your bestie “just because.” Don’t forget gooey Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies for a really good hair day (because yes, you deserve to celebrate this!).

Everyday Grand shows readers how to cultivate their inner joy through affirmations, thankfulness, and most important, ridiculously good food.

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Seriously Good Chili Cookbook

Brian Baumgartner

Description

No one takes chili more seriously than Brian Baumgartner, whose character as Kevin Malone became a household name in the Emmy-winning TV series, The Office. In real life, Brian is a true chili master and aficionado who is just as serious as his fictional counterpart about making the most perfect pot of chili. Featuring 177 chili recipes stamped with Brian's "seriously good" approval rating, Seriously Good Chili Cookbook contains new and inventive ways to spice up chili for all occasions, all year long. Written in the humorous and friendly tone Brian Baumgartner is known and loved for, this engaging cookbook opens with an introduction from Brian about how an infamous 60-second scene from the show transformed him into a chili icon, his passion for chili, and a fascinating account of the history of his all-time favorite comfort food. Each section that follows showcases specific styles of chili -- from Texas chili and Cincinnati chili to turkey chili, chili verde, vegetarian, and other regional and international variations. Every mouth-watering recipe has been contributed by renowned chefs, world championship chili cook-off winners, restaurant owners, TV celebrities, social media influencers, Brian himself, and his dedicated fan base. Also included are 50 championship-winning recipes from the International Chili Society's World Champion Chili Cook-Off spanning from 1967 to present day, a foreword by fellow The Office co-star, Oscar Nunez, and a bonus recipe of the official "Kevin's Famous Chili" from The Office! So strap on your apron, grab a spoon, and dig in with Brian Baumgartner as your ultimate chili guide!

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Turkuaz Kitchen

Betül Tunç

Description

Betül Tunç's love affair with dough began when she was just eight years old in Erzurum, a city nestled in northeastern Turkey known for its long and snowy winters. During the dark, frosty days, she found solace baking Turkish breads and desserts with her mother and sisters.

Betül's enthusiasm for baking, especially for creating sweet and savory doughs from scratch, followed her through her eventual move to the U.S. and the expansion of her family. While searching for a creative outlet to share her cooking in her new home, Betül began creating vintage-style videos on Instagram, garnering an audience that grew rapidly with each personal post she shared.

In Turkuaz Kitchen, her first cookbook, Betül shares eighty-five recipes for sweet and savory doughs and the dishes to make with them. With inspiration from traditional Turkish recipes, as well as recipes she discovered in her travels. 

Cooking for loved ones has always been one of Betül's greatest joys. With warm, achievable, and inspiring recipes for cooks of all skill levels, Turkuaz Kitchen invites readers into the kitchen to create their own food memories with those they cherish most.

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What Goes with What

Julia Turshen

Description

Julia Turshen is a home cook’s best friend. Known for her simple, no-frills, yet utterly satisfying recipes—as well as her authentic, relatable, problem-solving approach—hers are the cookbooks we all turn to when we want to know what else we can make with some ground turkey, or if we can pull off dessert with a few basic pantry ingredients. In essence, we look to Julia when we want to know What Goes with What: to understand how we can transform the seemingly boring contents of our fridge into an exciting meal.

Now, in her latest book, Julia offers readers a new way to think about cooking, one that focuses on mastering the alchemy of a meal—and then offers endless iterations. Organized into six sections (salads and sandwiches; soups, stews and braises; rice, more grains, and pasta; vegetables; mains; and baked goods), Julia arms readers with 20 charts and 100 recipes that teach them how to build a successful dish, while making ample room for creativity and personal preference.

For readers of tried and true cookbooks like Melissa Clark’s Dinner and Deb Perelman’s Smitten Kitchen series, as well as fans of Molly Baz and Alison Roman’s breezy yet craveable recipes, What Goes with What will become an instant classic and find its place as a foundational cookbook for a new generation of home cooks.

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