In Nora Zelevansky's hilarious debut, Semi-Charmed Life, an Upper West Side naïf, Beatrice Bernstein, gets swept up in the seemingly magical life of famous-for-nothing twenty-something, Veruca Pfeffernoose, while ghost writing her blog. Veruca's glitteringly opulent world soon seduces Beatrice away from her own insular, arty family with a promise of fancy parties, travel outside Manhattan (for once) and one desperately cute guy. But when her new glitzy lifestyle starts to take on dark undertones, Beatrice has to decide who she is—once and for all. With her own magical touch, Zelevansky deftly explores the world of rarified Manhattan in this sparkling modern fairy tale of first love, finding one's voice and growing up.

Do you ever find yourself looking up and asking the question, 'Why me?' You are not alone. We all struggle with turbulence now and then and Georgia Chirbas' My Semi-Charmed Life paints a colorful picture of a life that has seen rigid upbringing, death, abuse, spirituality and its fair share of tragedy. Through the loss of friends, family, lovers and pets, Georgia slowly realized that everything happens for a reason and that life is merely an opportunity for her to learn her soul's real purpose. Eventually, by changing her attitude, she was able to realize that she is a child of the most high God, and that he is always working for good. She learned to make the most of every day and instead of asking 'Why Me?' asks, 'Why not me?' In this autobiographical look at spirituality and life, Georgia asserts that grievances only make us stronger and that coming through hard times will build up the spirit. Though her journey is not yet over, Georgia sees the growth in her own experiences and invites readers to take a glimpse into her Semi-Charmed Life. Georgia Chirbas is the president and founder of her own corporate event planning company, as well as proud mother of two teenage boys and one canine daughter. She has a very small circle of family and friends whom she loves.

In its 114th year, Billboard remains the world's premier weekly music publication and a diverse digital, events, brand, content and data licensing platform. Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivaled reporting about the latest music, video, gaming, media, digital and mobile entertainment issues and trends.

Debut albums are among the cultural artefacts that capture the popular imagination especially well. As a first impression, the debut album may take on a mythical status, whether the artist or group achieves enduring success or in rare cases when an initial record turns out to be an apogee for an artist. Whatever the subsequent career trajectory, the debut album is a meaningful text that can be scrutinized for its revelatory signs and the expectations that follow. Please Allow Me to Introduce Myself: Essays on Debut Albums tells the stories of 23 debut albums over a nearly fifty year span, ranging from Buddy Holly and the Crickets in 1957 to The Go! Team in 2004. In addition to biographical background and a wealth of historical information about the genesis of the album, each essay looks back at the album and places it within multiple contexts, particularly the artist’s career development. In this way, the book will be of as much interest to sociologists and historians as to culture critics and musicologists.

What is joy? What isn’t joy? And most important, how can we experience it?After all, isn’t that what we long for—something that goes beyond a smiley face and takes hold of the fullness Jesus promised his followers? C. S. Lewis said he was “surprised by joy,” but the reality is that most Christians today are just plain confused by it. While paying lip service to joy, we replace it in favor of a cheap substitute—happiness. In The Myth of Happiness, Rich Wagner dispels our misconceptions and reveals the true nature of biblical joy. He wrestles honestly with the tough questions many of us wonder but haven’t known how to ask. Is joy anything more than a plastic smile? Can we experience joy while battling fear and uncertainty? Are Christians honestly expected to “count it all joy,” rejoicing in the midst of turmoil and tragedy? Can real joy possibly live up to the hype?Joy transforms. It’s God’s most tangible gift available to believers this side of heaven. Wagner debunks the myth of happiness and helps us receive the unquenchable joy Christ promises.

In its 114th year, Billboard remains the world's premier weekly music publication and a diverse digital, events, brand, content and data licensing platform. Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivaled reporting about the latest music, video, gaming, media, digital and mobile entertainment issues and trends.