When Willie's Uncle Bill comes to babysit, they have excellent adventures making icky stew, getting a haircut at Hair by Pierre, and jamming with a band.

Beloved TV host Bill Geist pens a reflective memoir of his incredible summers spent in the heart of America in this New York Times bestseller. Before there was "tourism" and souvenir ashtrays became "kitsch," the Lake of the Ozarks was a Shangri-La for middle-class Midwestern families on vacation, complete with man-made beaches, Hillbilly Mini Golf, and feathered rubber tomahawks. It was there that author Bill Geist spent summers in the Sixties during his school and college years working at Arrowhead Lodge -- a small resort owned by his bombastic uncle -- in all areas of the operation, from cesspool attendant to bellhop. What may have seemed just a summer job became, upon reflection, a transformative era where a cast of eccentric, small-town characters and experiences shaped (some might suggest "slightly twisted") Bill into the man he is today. He realized it was this time in his life that had a direct influence on his sensibilities, his humor, his writing, and ultimately a career searching the world for other such untamed creatures for the Chicago Tribune, the New York Times, and CBS News. In Lake of the Ozarks, Emmy Award-winning CBS Sunday Morning correspondent Bill Geist reflects on his coming of age in the American Heartland and traces his evolution as a man and a writer. He shares laugh-out-loud anecdotes and tongue-in-cheek observations guaranteed to evoke a strong sense of nostalgia for "the good ol' days." Written with Geistian wit and warmth, Lake of the Ozarks takes readers back to a bygone era, and demonstrates how you can find inspiration in the most unexpected places.

Willie & Joe: Back Home brilliantly chronicles the struggles and disillusionments of these early post-WWII years and, in doing so, tells Bill Mauldin’s own extraordinary story of his journey home to a wife he barely knew and a son he had only seen in pictures. The drawings capture the texture and feel, the warp and woof, of this confusing time: the ubiquitous hats and cigarettes, the domestic rubs, the rising fear of another war, and new conflicts over Civil Rights, civil liberties, and free speech. This second volume of Fantagraphics’ series reprinting Mauldin’s greatest work identifies and restores the dozens of cartoons censored by Mauldin’s syndicate for their attacks on racial segregation and McCarthy-style “witch hunts.” Mauldin pleaded with his syndicate to let him out of his contract so that he could return to the simple quiet life so desired by Willie & Joe. The syndicate refused, so Mauldin did battle, as always, through pen and ink.

DIVBased on the author’s compelling true story of being freed from years of sexual abuse by her brother and forgiving him, Scars Don’/div

Allow me to make some introductions. My name is Carl Prichard. I would like you to meet Silent Agony, the first of three novels dealing with the fictional crime lords of my hometown Detroit, Michigan. The forces that drive corruption seem hell bent on bringing together powerful men committed to destroy each other. Monkey Sharpe, the ex-con looking for stability by creating a chosen lifestyle in the trafficking of narcotics; The Ghost, a cold-blooded killer whose chosen profession allowed him to wear a peacekeeper's badge; Amps, the sick degenerate who collects his victim's ears to decorate his apartment; Sledgehammer, the ex-professional boxer and ex-con who contracted to kill; and Wee Willie Witchum, whose personal demons tormented him until he finally does the unthinkable to preserve his arch enemy in silent agony. The action is fast paced, the romance is steamy, and the characters are believable enough to be feared. Silent Agony serves up a man-sized story that will keep you up reading all night, and looking over your shoulder all day.

According to biblical doctrine, God first created people in the universe with a hierarchy of holy angels, with the highest order being identified as "cherubim." One of them, who was anointed and perhaps the most elitist cherub amongst them, knew he was created beautiful and perfect in his ways. Alternately, with pride and arrogance at the forefront, that same being became the supreme architect and advocate for sin, evil and untold suffering. Henceforth, the diabolical Satan was loosed upon the world. Tragically, from time to time, beauty is in the fabled beast. Handsome man and beautiful women may be pleasing to the eyes and their good looks may even grant them unearned favor but their inner nature is a virtual mystery. They might be evil incarnated. Meanwhile, the not-so attractive individuals are oftentimes ignored and generally devalued, all dependent upon the beholder. But possibly, the inner core of that select person could render him or her almost angelic-like. Life's long and winding road is lined with so-called beautiful and so-called unattractive people. However, through faith and God's grace (and not the naked eye), the lonely traveler may be able to distinguish which is which. And that'll make life's journey worthwhile. All too often, a young man fathers a child and assumes that that, in itself, validates his manhood. Initially, as a new dad, he might even feel that all is right with the new world, and his future looms bright. In many cases, it's a heartfelt euphoria that defies description. However, when the novelty wears off and reality returns, a rather lengthy journey commences. To the mother's credit and merit, she usually accompanies her offspring on life's long and winding road but, far too frequently, the once proud father falters or completely vanishes along the way. Arguably so, it's serious and impactuous tragedy for the mother, the absentee father, the child and sometimes, the world at large. The good news is this, however, "One-size-fits-all" meager, gloomy or dire it might be, does not necessarily dictate their impending future. Through their own resilience, paired with a burning desire to overcome their childhood's deficiencies, they, alternately, walk a pathway less hazardous. And sometimes, when sincere loved ones step forward, it renders life's journey well worthwhile and almost superlative. And that's a road well worth embarking upon.

Surveys the life of African-American artist William H. Johnson as his young niece might have told it. The artist's paintings provide the illustrations.