"...engaging, intelligent, and surprisingly suspenseful." —Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love The unforgettable New York Times best-selling journey of self-discovery and finding one's true calling in life Kathleen Flinn was a thirty-six-year-old middle manager trapped on the corporate ladder - until her boss eliminated her job. Instead of sulking, she took the opportunity to check out of the rat race for good - cashing in her savings, moving to Paris, and landing a spot at the venerable Le Cordon Blue cooking school. The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry is the funny and inspiring account of her struggle in a stew of hot-tempered, chefs, competitive classmates, her own "wretchedly inadequate" French - and how she mastered the basics of French cuisine. Filled with rich, sensual details of her time in the kitchen - the ingredients, cooking techniques, wine, and more than two dozen recipes - and the vibrant sights and sounds of the markets, shops, and avenues of Paris, it is also a journey of self-discovery, transformation, and, ultimately, love.

Like most people, I have had much Love, Laughter, and Tears in my life. I cherish the Love and Laughter but, the Tears are hard to forget.

Annette Stanzione was born into a Catholic-Italian family in the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx in the 1950s. In Through My Laughter and Tears, Annette relays anecdotes from her childhood to her first job working for the FBI, becoming a paralegal at forty-seven, getting married and then divorced, raising two daughters, dating, living upstate for three decades, and then eventually returning home to the Bronx. Annette's story is an engaging mix of humor and gravitas as she wends her way through triumphs and difficulties. Although she's still looking for love -- and loving the process of finding it -- she perseveres with charm, wit, and warmth. You'll be drawn into Annette's world and wish she was your best friend.

A tragicomic story of bad dates, bad news, bad performances, and one girl's determination to find the funny in high school from the author of Denton Little's Deathdate. Winnie Friedman has been waiting for the world to catch on to what she already knows: she's hilarious. It might be a long wait, though. After bombing a stand-up set at her own bat mitzvah, Winnie has kept her jokes to herself. Well, to herself and her dad, a former comedian and her inspiration. Then, on the second day of tenth grade, the funniest guy in school actually laughs at a comment she makes in the lunch line and asks her to join the improv troupe. Maybe he's even . . . flirting? Just when Winnie's ready to say yes to comedy again, her father reveals that he's been diagnosed with ALS. That is . . . not funny. Her dad's still making jokes, though, which feels like a good thing. And Winnie's prepared to be his straight man if that's what he wants. But is it what he needs? Caught up in a spiral of epically bad dates, bad news, and bad performances, Winnie's struggling to see the humor in it all. But finding a way to laugh is exactly what will see her through. **A Junior Library Guild Selection**

Candy Fury was born and raised in Riverside, California. She developed the love of writing as a young teen, and began to transition her skills into the world of poetry. Being raised with four brothers and one sister gave her wonderful insight, not only into her own experiences, but the lives of others around her. She has experienced everything from heartache and heartbreak through lost loves and the loss of loved ones, as well as joy and happiness through the love and faith of family and friends. We invite you to join Candy on her journey of love, laughter and tears as she guides you through her world of poetry. Candy will introduce you to the many amazing people from her life (past and present) and before you know it, you too will become part of the family. This book is a compilation of thoughts, prayers and memories to share and treasure, just like Candy cherishes each of her inspirations. Your travels here will brighten your heart, touch your soul and allow you to reflect on those in your life that are just as important to you as these people are to Candy. Whether it is the loss of a loved one, a wedding, graduation or someone saying goodbye, you will experience the sincere heartfelt words that have touched Candy's heart, like we are sure it will touch yours.

Love, Laughter, and Tears is a book based on feeling and emotions in a poetic format. These feelings and emotions are mainly based on thoughts or things I have experienced rather throughout my life or from others I lived around. Some of the poems you will come across deals with pain and suffering, religion, forgiveness, heart-filled moments,and destruction. If you are true to yourself then there is most likely a poem that you can relate to in your life or others around you. I hope my words touch you like they have thousands already.