A book that feels like a diary with a hint of poetry. You might relate to one story or another. In the end, we are all humans, and we experience similar things. Enjoy these messages from the soul.

On the edge of adulthood, self-discovery, coming out; in university towns, Europe, Vancouver, Toronto, Sydney, the protagonists of "Calendar Boy" unravel cultural heritage, community, identity on the road to -- they hope -- love, happiness, and self-acceptance. Set around the globe, sixteen adventurous stories weave fiction with real-life smarts, guts and oomph underpinning them. Quan shifts gears effortlessly from street-smart colloquial voice to rapid-fire monologue to bemused, exhilarated tone of immigrants new to Canada or to gay male culture. With one foot in urban Canadian life and the other in the global village, "Calendar Boy" will hit home even as it makes you see the world in new ways.

NPR “Best Books of 2013” BookPage Best Books of 2013 Library Journal Best Books of 2013: Memoir Flavorwire 10 Best Nonfiction Books of 2013 A vivid, funny, and poignant memoir that celebrates the distinct lure of the camaraderie and community one finds drinking in bars. Rosie Schaap has always loved bars: the wood and brass and jukeboxes, the knowing bartenders, and especially the sometimes surprising but always comforting company of regulars. Starting with her misspent youth in the bar car of a regional railroad, where at fifteen she told commuters’ fortunes in exchange for beer, and continuing today as she slings cocktails at a neighborhood joint in Brooklyn, Schaap has learned her way around both sides of a bar and come to realize how powerful the fellowship among regular patrons can be. In Drinking with Men, Schaap shares her unending quest for the perfect local haunt, which takes her from a dive outside Los Angeles to a Dublin pub full of poets, and from small-town New England taverns to a character-filled bar in Manhattan’s TriBeCa. Drinking alongside artists and expats, ironworkers and soccer fanatics, she finds these places offer a safe haven, a respite, and a place to feel most like herself. In rich, colorful prose, Schaap brings to life these seedy, warm, and wonderful rooms. Drinking with Men is a love letter to the bars, pubs, and taverns that have been Schaap’s refuge, and a celebration of the uniquely civilizing source of community that is bar culture at its best.

A visionary work that combines speculative fiction with deep philosophical inquiry, The Sparrow tells the story of a charismatic Jesuit priest and linguist, Emilio Sandoz, who leads a scientific mission entrusted with a profound task: to make first contact with intelligent extraterrestrial life. The mission begins in faith, hope, and beauty, but a series of small misunderstandings brings it to a catastrophic end. Praise for The Sparrow “A startling, engrossing, and moral work of fiction.”—The New York Times Book Review “Important novels leave deep cracks in our beliefs, our prejudices, and our blinders. The Sparrow is one of them.”—Entertainment Weekly “Powerful . . . The Sparrow tackles a difficult subject with grace and intelligence.”—San Francisco Chronicle “Provocative, challenging . . . recalls both Arthur C. Clarke and H. G. Wells, with a dash of Ray Bradbury for good measure.”—The Dallas Morning News “[Mary Doria] Russell shows herself to be a skillful storyteller who subtly and expertly builds suspense.”—USA Today

"The book is about the stories of our students; teachers; essential workers and local businesses during the Lock Down Restrictions. It also includes articles, poems, and reflections written by the students; and interviews with some inspiring figures, including Chris Hipkins, Minister of Health and Dr Ashley Bloomfield, Director-General of Health. Nadia Lim, former All Black Kieran Read, James Lowe and Shane Cameron also share their thoughts on the year the world came to a standstill"--Back cover.

THERE'S A KILLER ON THE LOOSE, AND HE WANTS TO PLAY . . . Discover the runaway bestselling Richard & Judy pick, the gripping first thriller in the million copy bestselling Twin Cities series 'A tremendously suspenseful story . . . had me frantically turning the pages' 5***** READER REVIEW Want to play a game? _______ A small American town. A brutally cold autumn. A killer is at work. Two bodies are found; two slayings that the police treat as unrelated. But games-creator Grace MacBride knows different. The murders are exact copies of those in a game she's designing - one that already has hundreds of eager players. As the copycat killings mount up, Grace knows that she is both suspect and potential victim. And with the serial killer getting closer, she is drawn into a murderous game of cat and mouse . . . _______ 'A real page-turner . . . You'll be biting your nails' 5***** Reader Review 'The thriller debut of the year' Harlan Coben 'A cracking thriller . . . I simply could not put the book down' 5***** Reader Review 'A fast-paced, gripping read with devilish twists' Guardian _______ Want to Play? introduces P.J. Tracy's cult thriller characters Grace MacBride and Detectives Gino and Magozzi. Follow their journeys in the rest of the series: Live Bait, Dead Run, Snow Blind, Play to Kill, Two Evils, Cold Kill, Nothing Stays Buried and The Guilty Dead.