After two heartbreaking losses, Luna wants adventure. Something and somewhere very different from the affluent, sheltered home in California and Hawaii where she grew up. An adventure in which she can also make some difference. She ends up in place where she gets more than she bargained for.Lucien, a worldly, well-traveled young architect, finds a stranger's journal at a café. He has qualms and pangs of guilt about reading it. But they don't stop him. His decision to go on reading changes his life.Months later, Luna and Lucien meet at a bookstore where Luna works and which Lucien frequents. Fascinated by his stories and adventurous spirit, Luna goes to a rural rice-growing village in a country steeped in an ancient culture and a deadly history. What she finds there defies anything she could have imagined. Will she leave this world unscathed?An epistolary tale of courage, resilience of the human spirit, and the bonds that bring diverse people together.

Vee and Sanaa are the best of friends. Under a full mango tree, they play, dream, and plan for a future spent together, always. However, life can change quickly, and the girls must face the challenge of separation when Vee moves away. Join Vee and Sanaa as they learn how powerful friendship can be and how far it can reach.

One day, a little boy plants a seed and hopes the tree will grow big and provide fruit for many people. And with the proper care, it does prosper. The mango tree grows and grows in the familys garden, bringing much enjoyment to family and friends for many years. Humans eat its fruit and make tasty eats like pickles and chutney. Birds build nests in its branches and raise their families among its leaves. Other small animals seek shelter in its expanse. Based on a true story of a mango seed planted by a little boy in India, The Story of a Mango Tree offers a picture book for children that teaches about the life of a mango tree, its fruit, and the important role it plays in the lives of both humans and animals alike.

“It’s a compelling, gleeful premise, and Porter has created a good over-arching plot, which hops from one continent to another with a kind of delighted ease. However, it is the characters that really make the novel. They’re wellobserved, clearly differentiated and great company... One wonders how many of them are drawn from his own experience... Porter is a really good writer.”

The Study of Plants in a Whole New Light “Matt Candeias succeeds in evoking the wonder of plants with wit and wisdom.” ―James T. Costa, PhD, executive director, Highlands Biological Station and author of Darwin's Backyard #1 New Release in Nature & Ecology, Plants, Botany, Horticulture, Trees, Biological Sciences, and Nature Writing & Essays In his debut book, internationally-recognized blogger and podcaster Matt Candeias celebrates the nature of plants and the extraordinary world of plant organisms. A botanist’s defense. Since his early days of plant restoration, this amateur plant scientist has been enchanted with flora and the greater environmental ecology of the planet. Now, he looks at the study of plants through the lens of his ever-growing houseplant collection. Using gardening, houseplants, and examples of plants around you, In Defense of Plants changes your relationship with the world from the comfort of your windowsill. The ruthless, horny, and wonderful nature of plants. Understand how plants evolve and live on Earth with a never-before-seen look into their daily drama. Inside, Candeias explores the incredible ways plants live, fight, have sex, and conquer new territory. Whether a blossoming botanist or a professional plant scientist, In Defense of Plants is for anyone who sees plants as more than just static backdrops to more charismatic life forms. In this easily accessible introduction to the incredible world of plants, you’ll find: • Fantastic botanical histories and plant symbolism • Passionate stories of flora diversity and scientific names of plant organisms • Personal tales of plantsman discovery through the study of plants If you enjoyed books like The Botany of Desire, What a Plant Knows, or The Soul of an Octopus, then you’ll love In Defense of Plants.