The Manny Files

The Manny Files
Author: Christian Burch
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 270
Release: 2010-05-11
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1439136181

Manny /ma·ne/ n A male nanny or babysitter, known to be handsome, fabulous, and a lover of eighties music. "Be interesting." That's what the manny tells Keats Dalinger the first time he packs Keats's school lunch, but for Keats that's not always the easiest thing to do. Even though he's the only boy at home, it always feels like no one ever remembers him. His sisters are everywhere! Lulu is the smart one, India is the creative one, and Belly...well, Belly is the naked one. And the baby. School isn't much better. There, he's the shortest kid in the entire class. But now the manny is the Dalinger's new babysitter, and things are starting to look up. It seems as though the manny always knows the right thing to do. Not everyone likes the manny as much as Keats does, however. Lulu finds the manny embarrassing, and she's started to make a list of all the crazy things that he does, such as serenading the kids with "La Cucaracha" from the front yard or wearing underwear on his head or meeting the school bus with Belly, dressed as limo drivers. Keats is worried. What if Lulu's "Manny Files" makes his parents fire the manny? Who will teach him how to be interesting then?

Rejuvenile

Rejuvenile
Author: Christopher Noxon
Publisher: Crown
Total Pages: 290
Release: 2006-06-20
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0307351777

Once upon a time, boys and girls grew up and set aside childish things. Nowadays, moms and dads skateboard alongside their kids and download the latest pop-song ringtones. Captains of industry pose for the cover of BusinessWeek holding Super Soakers. The average age of video game players is twenty-nine and rising. Top chefs develop recipes for Easy-Bake Ovens. Disney World is the world’s top adult vacation destination (that’s adults without kids). And young people delay marriage and childbirth longer than ever in part to keep family obligations from interfering with their fun fun fun. Christopher Noxon has coined a word for this new breed of grown-up: rejuveniles. And as a self-confessed rejuvenile, he’s a sympathetic yet critical guide to this bright and shiny world of people who see growing up as “winding down”—exchanging a life of playful flexibility for anxious days tending lawns and mutual funds. In Rejuvenile, Noxon explores the historical roots of today’s rejuveniles (hint: all roads lead to Peter Pan), the “toyification” of practical devices (car cuteness is at an all-time high), and the new gospel of play. He talks to parents who love cartoons more than their children do, twenty-somethings who live happily with their parents, and grown-ups who evangelize on behalf of all-ages tag and Legos. And he takes on the “Harrumphing Codgers,” who see the rejuvenile as a threat to the social order. Noxon tempers stories of his and others’ rejuvenile tendencies with cautionary notes about “lost souls whose taste for childish things is creepy at best.” (Exhibit A: Michael Jackson.) On balance, though, he sees rejuveniles as optimists and capital-R Romantics, people driven by a desire “to hold on to the part of ourselves that feels the most genuinely human. We believe in play, in make believe, in learning, in naps. And in a time of deep uncertainty, we trust that this deeper, more adaptable part of ourselves is our best tool of survival.” Fresh and delightfully contrarian, Rejuvenile makes hilarious sense of this seismic culture change. It’s essential reading not only for grown-ups who refuse to “act their age,” but for those who wish they would just grow up.

This Is My Life

This Is My Life
Author: Meg Wolitzer
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 277
Release: 2014-03-25
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0698159276

The early novel that established Meg Wolitzer’s career, later made into Nora Ephron’s first film as a director. The third book by New York Times-bestselling author Meg Wolitzer (originally published as This Is Your Life), a smart, witty and perceptive novel about the daughters of a female stand-up comic who watch as their mother struggles to balance her career with the needs of her children. Dottie Engels, comedienne extraordinaire, performs her act in Vegas and on late-night TV. Her two daughters, Opal and Erica, live on the periphery of her glittering life, seeing her on the television screen more often than they do at home. But when Dottie’s ratings begin to slide, it takes both her daughters to save Dottie from herself. Displaying Wolitzer’s signature style that combines keen observations, compassion for her characters, sharp humor, and a strong social hook, This Is My Life expertly captures the uncertainties of adolescence and the trials of growing up in the shadow of a mother who is caught between the conflicting pulls of fame and family.

Bad Dad Jokes

Bad Dad Jokes
Author: Bart King
Publisher: Gibbs Smith
Total Pages: 232
Release: 2020-06-16
Genre: Humor
ISBN: 1423652932

A goofy book celebrating the Dad Joke lifestyle — packed with jokes and wordplay for your favorite punster. Bad Dad Jokes covers every aspect of the most simultaneously loathed and beloved joke form of all time: the pun. Because “Dad Humor” should be practiced by everyone (regardless of age, gender, or family status) this book serves to encourage creative thinking and punning habits for everyone! Learn how to properly deliver a pun (whether written, visual, or verbal) and how to pretend you’re sorry for your Dad Joke (even when you’re not). Includes: quality pre-loaded puns, the taxonomy of the different types of wordplay, famous punsters, and Great Moments in Dad Joke History.

Barry Boyhound

Barry Boyhound
Author: Andy Spearman
Publisher: Yearling
Total Pages: 244
Release: 2009-02-04
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0307513777

This is the story of a boy named Barry. Some stuff happens, and overnight like magic he turns into a boyhound. Not a hound, but a boyhound—which means while he may still look like a boy, he is, in fact, a dog. And even in his boyhound brain, Barry knows there are lots of advantages to being a dog. You don't have to clean your room or use dental floss, for example. But things get crazy. He eats something too disgusting to mention. He's attacked by telepathic squirrels. An innocent squashed frog gets involved. Plus, his mother's pretty mad. And that's all before the really bad thing happens. . . .

TIME MACHINE: THE FANTASY ADVENTURE STORIES

TIME MACHINE: THE FANTASY ADVENTURE STORIES
Author: Adarsh Swaroop
Publisher: Blue Rose Publishers
Total Pages: 1112
Release: 2023-09-09
Genre: Fiction
ISBN:

Part - I A rebellion staged by superhuman androids brings a reluctant bounty hunter The tech company responsible for their engineering doubts the efficacy of his control methods and shows their concern with an android so realistic. Thirty years after Officer K unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what's left of society into chaos. K's discovery leads him on a quest to find, a former LAPD Time Machine Soldier Who has been missing for 30 years? PART - II The world is stunned when a group of time travellers arrive from the year 2051 to deliver an urgent message: Thirty years in the future, mankind is losing a global war against a deadly alien species. Part - III Adarsh must repair the damage to history by rekindling his parents' romance and - with the help of his eccentric inventor friend. Return from saving Adarsh's future son from disaster, only to discover their own time transformed. In this nightmarish version of Shimla, In this final chapter, obtains a 70-year-old message from the time-travelling Dr. in which he informs. Part - IV Time-travelling fighter pilot Aarav Khanna teams up with his 12-year-old self for a mission to save the future after unintentionally crash landing in 2023.

Matchmaker Mysteries Series The Complete Series

Matchmaker Mysteries Series The Complete Series
Author: elise sax
Publisher: 13 Lakes Publishing
Total Pages: 2220
Release: 2019-01-24
Genre: Fiction
ISBN:

Perfect for fans of Janet Evanovich and Jana DeLeon, Elise Sax’s wickedly funny Matchmaker Mysteries series proves that the road to love comes with a few dead ends. The complete Series Boxed Set is a page-turning beach read and a small town mystery romance of ten novels, two novellas, and the book of Grandma Zelda’s advice. "Elise Sax will win your heart."--New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis * "Sax will make you laugh. Her larger-than-life characters jump off the page and make crazy seem like a fun place to hang out."—New York Times bestselling author Christie Craig * “Elise Sax belongs on every bookshelf.”—New York Times bestselling author Melissa Foster * "With quirky characters reminiscent of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series and a small-town heroine redolent of Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse" --RT Book Reviews * "Fans of laugh-out-loud romantic suspense will enjoy this new author as she joins the ranks of Janet Evanovich."--Booklist, on An Affair to Dismember An Affair to Dismember: * Three months has been Gladie Burger’s limit when it comes to staying in one place. That’s why Gladie is more than a little skeptical when her Grandma Zelda—who is more than a little psychic—recruits her into the family’s matchmaking business in the quaint small town of Cannes, California. What’s more, Gladie is also highly unqualified, having a terrible track record with romance. Still, Zelda is convinced that her granddaughter has her clairvoyant “gift.” But when the going gets tough, Gladie wonders if this gift has a return policy. * When Zelda’s neighbor drops dead in his kitchen, Gladie is swept into his bizarre family’s drama. Despite warnings from the (distractingly gorgeous) chief of police to steer clear of his investigation, Gladie is out to prove that her neighbor’s death was murder. It’s not too long before she’s in way over her head—with the hunky police chief, a dysfunctional family full of possible killers, and yet another mysterious and handsome man, whose attentions she’s unable to ignore. Gladie is clearly being pursued—either by true love or by a murderer. Who will catch her first? * Citizen Pain: * Since joining the family matchmaking business run by her eccentric and psychic Grandma Zelda, Gladie is always looking for love. But when an unbearable toothache knocks her out of commission and into the dentist’s chair, she prays only for relief. No such luck. Emerging from an anesthetic haze, Gladie awakes to find that not only is her tooth still throbbing, but her dentist is dead—and the lead suspect in the murder, office receptionist Belinda, just so happens to be Gladie’s first real client. Now it’s up to Gladie to find Belinda a man and keep her from being locked up behind bars. * As if that weren’t enough distraction, two gorgeous men are vying for Gladie’s attention: Spencer, the playboy chief of police, and Holden, Gladie’s secretive, gorgeously muscled neighbor. Still, Gladie’s not complaining about having a helping hand or two when the case leads her to a dangerously bizarre cult. She may have met her match—and if she’s not careful, it could be her last. * The Wizard of Saws: * Five months have passed since Gladie Burger came to Cannes, California, to join her eccentric Grandma Zelda in the family matchmaking business, and Gladie is quickly mastering the rules of attraction. Her latest fix-up is still going strong and Gladie’s bank account is back in the black—until a rival matchmaker arrives in town and has both Gladie and Zelda seeing red. * Not only is self-proclaimed psychic Luanda Laughing-Eagle stealing Grandma Zelda’s clients, but Zelda is convinced that Luanda’s ESP is total BS. She tasks Gladie with exposing Luanda as a fraud, but Gladie’s attention is diverted when murder comes a-calling. Spencer Bolton, the gorgeous chief of police and Gladie’s on-again, off-again flame, wants her to stay out of the investigation–and away from the deliciously chiseled detective who also aims to win Gladie’s heart. But the one thing Gladie’s learned is that in business, love and murder . . . it’s always personal. * Field of Screams: * Since joining the family matchmaking business run by her eccentric and psychic Grandma Zelda, Gladie has had little success. Involved on one level or another—hot sex, almost committed, and crying in her pillow—with three men, Gladie distracts herself by giving up on matchmaking and starting a new career. But when Gladie stumbles on body parts of dead baseball players all over town, she’s dragged into solving yet another murder mystery. With her life in chaos and the killer getting closer, Gladie has to come to terms with the fact that love is murder. * From Fear to Eternity: * It’s still up in the air whether Gladie really has her psychic grandmother’s “gift,” but she’s determined to finally give matchmaking her best shot. She’s also determined to give her new relationship with hottie Police Chief Spencer Bolton a shot…that is, if she can find him. * Despite her good intentions, Gladie is being sued by a matchmaking client, but even with bankruptcy around the corner, that’s not her biggest problem. There seems to be a rash of dead senior citizens popping up at the tea shop owner’s family home. Gladie is recruited to find the murderer, but this time she may have met her match—and if she’s not careful, it could be her last. * West Side Gory: * Life is going great for Gladie Burger. She’s having lots of sex with her hottie boyfriend, Chief of Police Spencer Bolton, she’s settled into her matchmaking career, she’s got a new car, and it’s been over two weeks since she’s stumbled on a dead body. It seems like she’s finally got her life on track, since she moved in with her psychic grandmother to help her with her matchmaking business. * But when a stomach ache proves to be more serious, she finds herself in West Side Hospital, preparing for surgery. Befriending the woman in the next bed in her hospital room, she becomes distressed when the woman vanishes. Alerting the hospital staff, they tell her that the woman never existed. Has Gladie lost her mind, or is something more sinister happening at West Side Hospital? * Scareplane: * Gladie is nervous about her upcoming vacation with hottie police chief Spencer Bolton. She’s never flown before, and she’s not looking forward to the experience. Her fear is heightened when a plane crashes into the house across the street. But there’s little time to think about it because their town is hosting a law enforcement conference, where Southern California’s finest are coming to discuss law and order. Everything is going to plan. Spencer is hailed as a great police chief, and Gladie is fixing up half of the town…until one of the guests—a famous police czar—drops dead. Now everyone is a suspect, and Gladie is being prevented from investigating the death by the new police detective on the force…a hottie female cop who thinks Gladie is enemy #1 and Spencer is marriage material. * It Happened one Fright: * Spencer might have marriage on his mind, but Gladie is distracted by her best friend’s troubles and a busy matchmaking month. The father of Bridget’s baby is threatening to take custody away from her, and when he winds up murdered, Bridget becomes the top suspect. Now, Gladie must juggle her own love life, her matchmaking, and proving that Bridget is innocent, not to mention dealing with the town’s attempt to break the world record for the largest Easter egg hunt. But poking around is dangerous, and Gladie could be next on the killer’s hit list. * The Big Kill: * Progress is being made on Gladie’s house and her impending wedding. Meanwhile, her best friend Bridget is ready to give birth. But all of that takes a backseat to Gladie’s discovery in her grandmother’s attic about her father. It looks like her father’s motorcycle accident when she was a child was no accident, and now Gladie is thrust into her father’s world, where his best friends could have been his murderers. Will Gladie find the killer before she’s next? * It’s a Wonderful Knife: * It’s wedding time in Cannes. Gladie’s wedding. But once again, love has to take a backseat to murder. Will Gladie’s wedding go off without a hitch? Ha! Just kidding. Enjoy the mayhem as Gladie and Spencer finally say their vows and realize their happily ever after. * Ship of Ghouls: * Gladie and Spencer are finally married. After they’re gifted a honeymoon cruise, they’re on their way into international waters. But the ship is less than luxurious, and the ship’s crew isn’t what they seem. When Gladie stumbles on a dead body, the newlyweds are thrust into a life-or-death mystery. Gladie’s “gift” could come in handy to find the killer, but she might find herself overboard before justice is served. * Road to Matchmaker: * A month before Gladie Burger moves to the small town of Cannes, California to help in her grandmother’s matchmaking business, she’s busy moving from one temporary job to the next. Living in Los Angeles in a studio apartment over an Italian restaurant, she works in a used book store doing inventory, but she spends most of her time reading the collection of old murder mysteries. After an accident involving the books, Gladie has lost her memory and believes she’s the detective in the last book that she read. Determined to track down her arch nemesis, Gladie finds herself in a real-life mystery and an adventure of a lifetime. * Matchmaking Advice From Your Grandma Zelda: * The complete collection of Grandma Zelda’s matchmaking advice from the bestselling Matchmaking Mysteries series. All of her words of wisdom are here, and as a bonus, Yiddish definitions and introductions by Elise Sax and Grandma Zelda are included. Zelda’s humorous words of wisdom about love and life are a shot of happiness, sure to brighten anyone’s day.

She Was Like That

She Was Like That
Author: Kate Walbert
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2021-06
Genre: FICTION
ISBN: 147679944X

From a highly acclaimed, National Book Award nominee comes a dazzling, career-spanning collection of 12 new and selected stories.

Mystactral

Mystactral
Author: Syreeta Moore
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Total Pages: 282
Release: 2018-07-25
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1546252029

Long ago, the dragons were at peace with the rest of the island. When the dragons learned of a power they did not possess, wielded by a great dragon-like beast, they sought out the forest elves. The forest elves were the only creatures to know how to locate this beast and its power. The elves sealed the beast away in a sacred realm so he could never devour the world into darkness. When they didnt share what they knew with the dragons, most were destroyed. The only known survivor is a young elf named Thersel, who was abandoned at an orphanage and left with little. One thing he inherited was the realm key, which can unseal the beast. When a dragon is seen in the night sky, Thersel embarks on an adventure with his friends to prevent the key from ending up in the dragons talons. Will Thersel survive? The dragons already know where he is.