Sam Venable is a humor columnist for the Knoxville News Sentinel. The winner of numerous writing awards, he is the author of ten books, including Id Rather be Ugly than Stuppid, From Ridgetops to Riverbottoms: A Celebration of the Outdoor Life in Tennessee, and You Gotta Laugh to Keep from Cryin: A Baby Boomer Contemplates Life beyond Fifty.

As seen through the eyes of Sam Venable, the world is indeed bizarre and filled with nuttiness. The archives of the Knoxville News Sentinel offer ample evidence that Venable is a bit of the former and has made a career out of drawing attention to the latter. For his latest book, Venable has gathered and organized 139 of his newspaper columns—his biggest collection yet—to create a trove of wit and wisdom. In the spirit of “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” he points a finger at human nature, the environment, civil rights and wrongs, and an eclectic mix of other targets, drawing our attention to the foibles, failings, and just plain absurdities that surround us all. As a native son and treasured institution in East Tennessee, Venable has earned the right to poke fun at its local history, habits, and happenings. He takes full, loving advantage of this license in essays such as “How to Tawlk Good,” “Shall We Gather with a Reptile,” and “The Good, the Bad, the Kudzu.” He takes on the government in a section titled “A Two-Ring Circus with Elephants and Donkeys,” and in another called “Still Waiting for Y2K,” he offers up “A Lesson in Dollars and Sense” and “Blowing the Budget for Bowser.” Some have called him a modern-day Mark Twain, others the Dave Barry of Knoxville; but while there may be some similarities, Sam Venable is wonderfully unique. He sees—and sees through—the pervasive silliness and stupidity in our world. It evokes wonder in him, and with many a deft turn of phrase, he interprets that wonder for us. Warning! This Product Contains Nuttiness will make you smile, certainly, but it will also make you think and sometimes even touch your heart.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel comes to high school in acclaimed author Katie Henry’s coming-of-age YA contemporary about a girl who accidentally falls into the world of stand-up comedy. Perfect for fans of John Green and Becky Albertalli! Sixteen-year-old Izzy is used to keeping her thoughts to herself—in school, where her boyfriend does the talking for her, and at home, where it’s impossible to compete with her older siblings and high-powered parents. When she mistakenly walks into a stand-up comedy club and performs, the experience is surprisingly cathartic. After the show, she meets Mo, an aspiring comic who’s everything Izzy’s not: bold, confident, comfortable in her skin. Mo invites Izzy to join her group of friends and introduces her to the Chicago open mic scene. The only problem? Her new friends are college students—and Izzy tells them she’s one, too. Now Izzy, the dutiful daughter and model student, is sneaking out to perform stand-up with her comedy friends. Her controlling boyfriend is getting suspicious, and her former best friend knows there’s something going on. But Izzy loves comedy and this newfound freedom. As her two parallel lives collide—in the most hilarious of ways—Izzy must choose to either hide what she really wants and who she really is, or finally, truly stand up for herself. * Rise: A Feminist Book Project Book of the Year * A YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Book of the Year *

"Inspired me to ask myself why and to stop postponing the forgotten dreams." —Geneen Roth, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Women Food and God and This Messy Magnificent Life Full of inspirational insights and advice, lifehacks, and real-world examples, Someday is Not a Day in the Week is CEO Sam Horn’s motivational guide to help readers get what they want in life today rather than "someday." Are you: • Working, working, working? • Busy taking care of everyone but yourself? • Wondering what to do with the rest of your life? • Planning to do what makes you happy someday when you have more time, money, or freedom? What if someday never happens? As the Buddha said, “The thing is, we think we have time.” Sam Horn is a woman on a mission about not waiting for SOMEDAY ... and this is her manifesto. Her dad’s dream was to visit all the National Parks when he retired. He worked six to seven days a week for decades. A week into his long-delayed dream, he had a stroke. Sam doesn’t want that to happen to you. She took her business on the road for a Year by the Water. During her travels, she asked people, “Do you like your life? Your job? If so, why? If not, why not?” The surprising insights about what makes people happy or unhappy, what they’re doing about it (or not), and why...will inspire you to carve out time for what truly matters now, not later. Life is much too precious to postpone. It’s time to put yourself in your own story. The good news is, there are “hacks” you can do right now to make your life more of what you want it to be. And you don’t have to be selfish, quit your job, or win the lottery to do them. Sam Horn offers actionable, practical advice in short, snappy chapters to show you how to get started on your best life — now.

Gabriel and I have the possibility of a second chance. But it’s not one that I think I can take. I never dreamed of having a family. I never had a good one to begin with. I was a pawn, a toy, and all I ever dreamed of was having some power over my own life. My marriage to Dean Blackmoor, and the sons I’d give him, would have given me that. Now I’m pregnant, and alone—except for the Devil’s Son who wants to make me his. Who is willing to do anything to keep me, and has proven that, over and over again. When he finds out I’m going to have his baby, there’s no question in his mind that I’m going to keep it. Only in mine. No matter how much he argues, I can’t see a way forward for us. He’s a biker. He lives a rough and dangerous life, and I can’t see a place for me in it. Gabriel says he wants to learn how to love me the way I deserve. How to treat me like the princess I used to be. He wants the chance for the family neither of us ever had. And he’ll do anything to convince me it’s possible. First, all I wanted was power. Then revenge. But now? What if I want Gabriel—and the future we could have together? Loving Winter is the third installment in the Blackmoor Revenge series, featuring Winter and Gabriel. This is a DARK romance, and sensitive readers should be aware that there are no heroes or heroines in this story. This book contains material which may be difficult for some readers, and features characters that are damaged, and morally grey at best.