The acclaimed actress and dedicated activist shares her personal journey of discovery, and destroys outdated ideas about partnership, love and family that will resonate with anyone in an unconventional life situation. Actress and activist Maria Bello made waves with her essay, “Coming Out as a Modern Family,” in the New York Times popular “Modern Love” column, in which she recalled telling her son that she had fallen in love with her best friend, a woman—and her relief at his easy and immediate acceptance with the phrase “Whatever Mom, love is love.” She made a compelling argument about the fluidity of partnerships, and how families today come in a myriad of designs. In her first book, Bello broadens her insights as she examines the idea of partnership in every woman’s life, and her own. She examines the myths that so many of us believe about partnership—that the partnership begins when the sex begins, that partnerships are static, that you have to love yourself before you can be loved, and turns them on their heads. Bello explores how many different relationships—romantic, platonic, spiritual, familial, educational—helped define her life. She encourages women to realize that the only labels we have are the ones we put on ourselves, and the best, happiest partnerships are the ones that make your life better, even if they don’t fit the mold of “typical.” Throughout this powerful and engaging read, Bello shares intimate stories and lessons on how she has come to discover her happiest self, accept who she is, and live honestly and freely, and tells the stories of those who came to her after her Times’ columns, grateful that someone gave voice to their life choices. Whatever...Love Is Love is not a memoir about an actress. It is a frank, raw, and honest book about the way every woman questions the roles she plays in love, work, and life, filled with wisdom, questions, and insights relevant to us all.

This is a book about discovering what we really need. There are a lot of second-best options, but we weren’t made to live a second-best life. Finding what we actually need is different than what we are often offered. There are many books full of opinions, steps and programs. This isn’t one of them. This is about craving the things that matter. Things that don’t just work, but last. In a life that may seem to be all fun and games with an endless supply of balloons, author Maria Goff shows how this life is also lived with intentionality, passionate purpose, and a little planning—all of which make a life rich in legacy. But she had to figure out the help she needed first in order to live the beautiful life God wanted for her and wants for us. Love Lives Here is a collection of stories that include the ways Maria and her husband, Bob, navigated family their way, without clear instructions or a road map. It’s about what they learned to make their lives meaningful and whimsical and how they created a space for their family to grow together while they reached outward. "What a gift to read Love Lives Here and find within it a friend who is as authentic and inviting as Maria Goff. Through her earnest telling of the stories of her life, she provides greater meaning to all our lives. We were thrilled to read this book." Donald Miller (bestselling author of Blue Like Jazz and Scary Close) with Betsy Miller "Grace is a contagious force we all crave and Maria contains so much grace it floods you from just a short time with her. May these pages overwhelm you with God’s love, and hope that Maria knows so well." Jennie Allen, Founder of IF: Gathering and Author of Nothing to Prove

A guide to using astrology, numerology, and palmistry to find friendship and love.

Pura Belpre Honor winner for The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano and one of America's most influential Hispanics--'Maria' on Sesame Street--delivers a beautifully wrought coming-of-age memoir. Set in the 1970s in the Bronx, this is the story of a girl with a dream. Emmy award-winning actress and writer Sonia Manzano plunges us into the daily lives of a Latino family that is loving--and troubled. This is Sonia's own story rendered with an unforgettable narrative power. When readers meet young Sonia, she is a child living amidst the squalor of a boisterous home that is filled with noisy relatives and nosy neighbors. Each day she is glued to the TV screen that blots out the painful realities of her existence and also illuminates the possibilities that lie ahead. But--click!--when the TV goes off, Sonia is taken back to real-life--the cramped, colorful world of her neighborhood and an alcoholic father. But it is Sonia's dream of becoming an actress that keeps her afloat among the turbulence of her life and times. Spiced with culture, heartache, and humor, this memoir paints a lasting portrait of a girl's resilience as she grows up to become an inspiration to millions.

A fresh, joyful YA novel that is layered with themes of immigration, cultural identity, and finding your voice in any language. Sixteen-year-old Ana is a poet and a lover of language. Except that since she moved to New Jersey from Argentina, she can barely find the words to express how she feels. At first Ana just wants to return home. Then she meets Harrison, the very cute, very American boy in her math class, and discovers the universal language of racing hearts. But when she begins to spend time with Neo, the Greek Cypriot boy from ESL, Ana wonders how figuring out what her heart wants can be even more confusing than the grammar they’re both trying to master. After all, the rules of English may be confounding, but there are no rules when it comes to love. With playful and poetic breakouts exploring the idiosyncrasies of the English language, Love in English is witty and effervescent, while telling a beautifully observed story about what it means to become “American.”

Maria Lawton, known as the "Azorean Green Bean," is proud to announce the arrival of her debut cookbook, "Azorean Cooking: From My Family Table to Yours," a collection of more than 50 recipes that celebrates the traditions of Azorean cooking, culture, and family. "For more than four years, I have made it my mission to preserve my family recipes," said Lawton. "At first, I just wanted to make sure they would be passed down to my children and future generations - but now, I want to share them with everyone who might miss their Azorean mother or grandmother's cooking, or whoever wants to know how to recreate the tastes and smells of the past. This has been a wonderful journey home for me, and I hope this helps others on their journey, too." In the book, Lawton shares powerful memories of her family and cooking experiences as she walks readers through an array of recipes, ranging from popular Azorean dishes - including Arroz Doce (Sweet Rice Pudding), Massa Sovada (Sweet Bread) and Sopa de Couve (Kale Soup) - to classics like Cozido (Boiled Dinner), Cacoila (Marinated Pork), and Camarao Mozambique (Shrimp Mozambique). Throughout the collection, Lawton makes the cooking process simple, educational, and enjoyable, with a constant focus on a delicious end result. Lawton was born on the semi-tropical island of Sao Miguel, the largest of nine islands that make up the Azores, an autonomous region of Portugal located nearly a thousand miles off its coast in the Atlantic Ocean. At age six, Lawton moved to the United States with her family and settled in a Portuguese community in southeastern Massachusetts. Growing up, Lawton was teased with a number of names like "Portagee," "Fava Bean" and "Greenhorn," but would always answer with, "Thank you - I'm proud of it!" Her nickname today of "Azorean Green Bean" is an embrace of these cultural elements and a reflection of pride.