Divorce

The first business Monday of the new year is known as "Divorce Monday," because so many divorces begin on this day, after the stress of the holiday season drives unhappy couples even further apart.  Here are ten books on the topic of divorce.

Conscious Uncoupling: 5 Steps to Living Happily Even After by Katherine Woodward Thomas - We enter our romantic relationships with great love, hope, and excitement--we've found the 'one', so we plan and forge our futures together.  But sometimes, for many different reasons, relationships come undone, they don't work out. Commonly, we view this as a personal failure, rather than an opportunity. And instead of honoring what we once meant to each other, we hoard bitterness and anger, stewing in shame and resentment.  Sometimes even lashing out in destructive and hurtful ways, despite the fact that we're good people at heart. That's natural: we're almost biologically primed to respond this way.
 Yet there is another path to the end of a relationship--one filled with mutual respect, kindness, and deep caring.  Katherine Woodward Thomas's groundbreaking method, Conscious Uncoupling, provides the valuable skills and tools for you to travel this challenging terrain with these five thoughtful and thought-provoking steps:
Step 1: Find Emotional Freedom
Step 2: Reclaim Your Power and Your Life
Step 3: Break the Pattern, Heal Your Heart
Step 4: Become a Love Alchemist
Step 5: Create Your Happy Ev e n After Life
 This paradigm-shifting guide will steer you away from a bitter end and toward a new life that's empowered and flourishing.

Crazy Time: Surviving Divorce and Building a New Life by Abigail Trafford - Thoroughly revised and updated for a new generation, the essential guide for men and women to help them weather the turmoil of divorce and build rich, rewarding lives.
There is nothing easy about the breakup of a marriage, from coping with loss and failure to dealing with the uncertainty of the future. In this intelligent and insightful book, Abigail Trafford charts this emotional journey, identifying the common phases in the evolution from marriage to separation to divorce, and eventually to a new life.
Based upon her personal experience, extensive research, and interviews with hundreds of divorced men and women. Trafford offers individuals a better understanding of their own experiences and the message that they are not alone in their pain and confusion. Crazy Time is also an investment in the future--Trafford reveals the telltale signs of a marriage in crisis, and discusses what determines whether a relationship will survive over time.
This revised edition includes the most up-to-date research on the personal and economic effects of divorce in adults and children's lives, addresses the special challenges of becoming single again in the age of the Internet, and broadens the experience of divorce to the breakup of all committed relationships. For anyone who has divorced or is considering taking that step, Crazy Time offers a sense of hope and confidence that this transition is not only an ending but can also be a valuable beginning.

Divorce Poison: How to Protect Your Family From Bad-Mouthing and Brainwashing by Richard A. Warshak - Your ex-spouse is bad mouthing you to your children, constantly portraying you in a negative light, perhaps even trying to turn them against you. If you handle the situation ineffectively, your relationship with your children could suffer. You could lose their respect, lose their affections-even, in extreme cases, lose all contact with them. The conventional advice is to do nothing, that fighting fire with fire will only result in greater injury to the children. But after years of consulting parents who heeded such advice with no success, Dr. Richard Warshak is convinced that this approach is wrong. It doesn't work, and parents are left feeling helpless and hopeless. DIVORCE POISON instead offers a blueprint for effective response. In it, you will learn how to distinguish different types of criticism, how and why parents manipulate their children, how to detect these maneuvers, and how these practices damage children. Most importantly, you'll discover powerful strategies to preserve and rebuild loving relationships with your children.
DIVORCE POISON is a time-tested work that gives parents powerful strategies to preserve and rebuild loving relationships with their children-and provides practical advice from legal and mental-health professionals to help their clients and safeguard the welfare of children. Whether they are perpetrators of divorce poison, victims of it, or both, parents who heed Dr. Warshak's advice will enable their children to maintain love and respect for their parents-even if their parents no longer love and respect each other.

The Good Karma Divorce: Avoid Litigation, Turn Negative Emotions into Positive Actions, and Get On With the Rest of Your Life by Michele Lowrance - The Good Karma Divorce is that rare guidebook that offers a concrete path to transforming painful experience into positive action. Family Judge Michele Lowrance, who experienced her parents' divorce and two of her own, has developed what Karen Mathis, past president of the American Bar Association, describes as an "inspired and uplifting alternative to the agonizing divorce process." Over the past four years, Judge Lowrance has seen literally one hundred percent of divorcing couples who applied the practices described in The Good Karma Divorce avoid trial. Firmly entrenched in real-world applicability, The Good Karma Divorce is a must-read not only for people in any phase of a divorce, but for psychologists, psychiatrists, attorneys, judges, and social workers, as well.

If You're In My Office, It's Already Too Late: A Divorce Lawyer's Guide to Staying Together by James J. Sexton - If You're in My Office, It's Already Too Late. James Sexton knows this. After dealing with more than a thousand clients whose marriages have dissolved over everything from an ill-advised threesome with the nanny to the uneven division of carpool duties, he also knows all of the what-not-to-dos for couples who want to build--and consistently work to preserve--a lasting, fulfilling relationship. Described by former clients as a "courtroom gunslinger" and "the sociopath you want on your side," Sexton tells the unvarnished truth about relationships, diving straight into the most common marital problems. These usually derive from dishonest--or nonexistent--communication. Even when the alleged reason for separation is one spouse's new "personal trainer," there's likely a communication problem that predates the fitness kick. Symptom and root cause get confused all the time. Sexton has spent his career working with spouses-to-be-no-longer. Reverse engineering a relationship can help to identify and fix what does not work. Ever feel like you're holding back criticism of your spouse because you just can't have that fight right now? Sexton will tell you to "Hit Send Now." Maybe you aren't as adventurous as you used to be, or need some "you time," but for some reason it seems weird or exhausting to change up the routine now. Sexton knows where that mentality leads and offers viable alternative paths to take. Though he deals constantly with the heartbreak of others, he still believes in romance and the transformative power of love. This book is his opportunity to use what he has learned to help couples that aren't so far gone get back on track.

The Optimist's Guide to Divorce: How to Get Though Your Breakup and Create a New Life You Love by Suzanne Riss & Jill Sockwell - Close to 50 percent of marriages in America fail, leading to about 1.5 million divorces a year. But for Suzanne Riss and Jill Sockwell, who've been there and done that, there's no comfort in statics, only community. Community is the one thing that can turn the shattering experience of divorce into a tolerable one-and, finally, a positive one. And community is what the authors offer in their inspiring and brilliantly helpful book, The Optimist's Guide to Divorce. This is the girlfriend-to-girlfriend guide that belongs in the hands of every one of those 1.5 million divorcing women. It's the book that draws on real women's experiences-not only the authors' but ten other women from the support group the authors started who all share their stories, insights, and wisdom. It's the book that gets into the trenches at the beginning of the process, in the section called Deal, which focuses on what readers need to know right away - including how to tell the kids, confront the financial issues, figure out where to live, find legal help, and emotionally get through the day. From there it moves to Heal, which helps readers work through their anger, loss, and sadness and develop an action plan for the future. And, finally, Reveal, when it's time to celebrate the hard work and a new, stronger self. Because-in the succinct words of the book's underlying promise-the best time to find yourself is after losing him. Direct, warm, friendly, humorous, it's the book that will get every reader into a better relationship with the one person she'll be with for the rest of her life-herself.

Splitting: Protecting Yourself While Divorcing Someone With Borderline or Narcissistic Personality Disorder by Bill Eddy & Randi Kreger - Divorce is difficult under the best of circumstances. When your spouse has borderline personality disorder (BPD), narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), or is manipulative, divorcing can be especially complicated. While people with these tendencies may initially appear convincing and even charming to lawyers and judges, you know better-many of these "persuasive blamers" leverage false accusations, attempt to manipulate others, launch verbal and physical attacks, and do everything they can to get their way. Splitting is your legal and psychological guide to safely navigating a high-conflict divorce from an unpredictable spouse. Written by Bill Eddy, a family lawyer, therapist, and divorce mediator, and Randi Kreger, coauthor of the BPD classic Stop Walking on Eggshells, this book includes all of the critical information you need to work through the process of divorce in an emotionally balanced, productive way. Turn to this guide to help you: Predict what you spouse may do or say in court; Take control of your case with assertiveness and strategic thinking; Choose a lawyer who understands your case; Learn how e-mails and social networking can be used against you.

Talking to Children About Divorce: A Parent's Guide to Healthy Communication At Each Stage of Divorce by Jean McBride - In Talking to Children About Divorce, Jean McBride provides you with the tools and encouragement to effectively communicate with your child about divorce. McBride brings her more than twenty-five years of specializing in divorce to guide you through crucial but difficult conversations and cultivate an environment of love and support throughout the divorce process. You'll learn how to have honest conversations about different situations and emotions that may arise during divorce--from breaking the news to understanding resistance.
Whether you're beginning the divorce process, or have been working through it for a while, Talking to Children About Divorce offers practical advice that will contribute positively to your child's emotional wellbeing.
Learn to initiate open communication, with:
Concrete actions to help your children weather the emotions of divorce.
Useful scripts to guide you through a variety of situations throughout the divorce process.
Simple steps to improve communication, both with your former spouse and with your children.
10 tips to maintain co-parenting success and promote healthy, happy, well-adjusted children.

Will I Ever Be Free of You?: How to Navigate a High-Conflict Divorce From a Narcissist, and Heal Your Family by Karyl McBride - Author of the bestseller Will I Ever Be Good Enough? Healing the Daughters of Narcissistic Mothers Dr. Karyl McBride draws on her expertise in treating children and partners damaged by narcissists in this practical new guide to divorce and its aftermath. With more than three decades of experience as a licensed marriage and family therapist, Dr. McBride guides you through the emotional fallout and challenges of being married to and divorcing a narcissist. The court system assumes that both parties in most high-conflict divorces are at fault, but a narcissist can wreak havoc in the divorce process. Dr. McBride shows how to navigate this kind of divorce and how you and your children can heal afterward. Written for those considering or already going through divorce, as well as the professionals working with them, Will I Ever Be Free of You? has three parts: Recognizing the Problem, Breaking Free, and Healing from the Debilitating Impact of Narcissistic Relationships. You begin by learning exactly what narcissism is, how to identify it, and how it affects relationships, then how to begin and carry on through a divorce and make the best decisions for you and your children. Dr. McBride lays out a roadmap of trauma recovery for the whole family, offering a step-by-step program for recognizing and healing from the particular emotional damage that narcissism causes. This guide offers new therapeutic strategies and practical guidance for protecting yourself and your children through this difficult time.

You Can Be Right (Or You Can Be Married): Looking for Love in the Age of Divorce by Dana Adam Shapiro - Why does love die--and what can we do to prevent it from happening?
It all began as a self-help journey in the purest sense. A serial monogamist for more than two decades, Shapiro had just ended his fifth three-year relationship and wanted to know why the honeymoon phase never lasted until the actual honeymoon. Believing that you learn more from failure than from success, he spent the next four years interviewing hundreds of divorced people, living vicariously through the romantic tragedies of others, hoping to become so fluent in the errors of Eros that he would be able to avoid them in his own love life.
The result is a timely treasure trove of marital wisdom--a provocative look inside the hearts, minds, beds, and e-mails of regular people who'd thought they found "The One" and lived to tell the tales of what went wrong. Shockingly intimate, universally relevant, and profoundly personal, this is a page-turning, voyeuristic peek into the private lives of our friends and neighbors that is as racy as it is revelatory. But ultimately, You Can Be Right (or You Can Be Married) is a hopeful investigation of modern love and a practical guide for any couple looking to beat the roulette-level odds of actually staying together forever.

Fiction set in San Francisco

Today in history - January 5th, 1933 - Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge begins.  Here are ten novels set in San Francisco.

1st to Die by James Patterson - Each one holds a piece of the puzzle: Lindsay Boxer is a homicide inspector in the San Francisco Police Department, Claire Washburn is a medical examiner, Jill Bernhardt is an assistant D.A., and Cindy Thomas just started working the crime desk of the San Francisco Chronicle.
But the usual procedures aren't bringing them any closer to stopping the killings. So these women form a Women's Murder Club to collaborate outside the box and pursue the case by sidestepping their bosses and giving each other a hand. The four women develop intense bonds as they pursue a killer whose crimes have stunned an entire city. Working together, they track down the most terrifying and unexpected killer they have ever encountered-before a shocking conclusion in which everything they knew turns out to be devastatingly wrong. Book 1 in the Women's Murder Club series

Family of Lies by Mary Monroe - After growing up poor in Texas, Vera Lomax used every gold-digging trick in the book to land a rich husband. Now living in the lap of luxury in San Francisco, her only job is to fawn over her much-older husband, so it's been easy for her to balance a life of shopping and affairs with younger men with a major secret: the sixteen-year bribery of one of her husband's mistresses to keep her pregnancy under wraps. Vera figures that a little hush money every month will ensure her husband's fortune is hers alone. . . Unfortunately for Vera, Sarah Cooper is the child Kenneth Lomax always wanted. When the father she never knew shows up at her mother's funeral to claim her, it's a fairy tale journey from the ghetto to a mansion on a hill. But Sarah's life is not as carefree as her father wants it to be . . .because Sarah knows from the start that her step-mother is as two-faced as they come. And after losing all the family she's ever known, she wants a life that's richer than what Vera's got planned for her. Neither woman can be sure who will win Kenneth's heart and fortune. But as Vera and Sarah scheme to get what they want, everyone they know will be choosing sides, taking chances, and gambling it all to come out on top.

In Places Hidden by Tracie Peterson - 1905. Caleb Coulter, a lawyer, went missing three months ago. His sister, Camriann, heads to San Francisco to find him. She meets Judith and Kenzie, who also have mysteries to solve in the booming West Coast city. Camri's search leads her deep into the political corruption of the city-- and into the acquaintance of Patrick Murdock, an Irishman who Caleb saved from a false murder charge. Together they see the truth, will Patrick be able to protect Camri from the dangers of the city? Book 1 in the Golden Gate Secrets series 

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh - A mesmerizing, moving, and elegantly written debut novel, The Language of Flowers beautifully weaves past and present, creating a vivid portrait of an unforgettable woman whose gift for flowers helps her change the lives of others even as she struggles to overcome her own troubled past.
The Victorian language of flowers was used to convey romantic expressions: honeysuckle for devotion, asters for patience, and red roses for love. But for Victoria Jones, it's been more useful in communicating grief, mistrust, and solitude. After a childhood spent in the foster-care system, she is unable to get close to anybody, and her only connection to the world is through flowers and their meanings.
Now eighteen and emancipated from the system, Victoria has nowhere to go and sleeps in a public park, where she plants a small garden of her own. Soon a local florist discovers her talents, and Victoria realizes she has a gift for helping others through the flowers she chooses for them. But a mysterious vendor at the flower market has her questioning what's been missing in her life, and when she's forced to confront a painful secret from her past, she must decide whether it's worth risking everything for a second chance at happiness.

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren - Macy Sorensen works hard as a new pediatrics resident, plans a wedding to an older, financially secure man, and keeps her heart tucked away. When she runs into Elliot Petropoulos, the first and only love of her life, the careful bubble she's constructed begins to dissolve. As teenagers, Elliot and Macy spent lazy summers together in a house outside of San Francisco devouring books, sharing favorite words, and talking through their growing pains and triumphs. As adults, they have become strangers until their chance reunion. Will they overcome the past to revive a faith in the possibility of an all-consuming love?

Murder at the Palace by Margaret Dumas - When Nora Paige's movie-star husband leaves her for his latest co-star, she flees Hollywood to take refuge in San Francisco at the Palace, a historic movie theater that shows the classic films she loves. There she finds a band of misfit film buffs as well as some shady financial dealings, a ghost of a 1930's usherette, and the body of a murdered stranger. Book 1 in the Movie Palace Mysteries 

Nocturnal by Scott Sigler - Homicide detective Bryan Clauser is losing his mind.
 How else to explain the dreams he keeps having--dreams that mirror, with impossible accuracy, the gruesome serial murders taking place all over San Francisco? How else to explain the feelings these dreams provoke in him--not disgust, not horror, but excitement?
 As Bryan and his longtime partner, Lawrence "Pookie" Chang, investigate the murders, they learn that things are even stranger than they at first seem. For the victims are all enemies of a seemingly ordinary young boy--a boy who is gripped by the same dreams that haunt Bryan.  Meanwhile, a shadowy vigilante, seemingly armed with superhuman powers, is out there killing the killers.  And Bryan and Pookie's superiors--from the mayor on down--seem strangely eager to keep the detectives from discovering the truth.
 Doubting his own sanity and stripped of his badge, Bryan begins to suspect that he's stumbled into the crosshairs of a shadow war that has gripped his city for more than a century--a war waged by a race of killers living in San Francisco's unknown, underground ruins, emerging at night to feed on those who will not be missed.
 And as Bryan learns the truth about his own intimate connections to the killings, he discovers that those who matter most to him are in mortal danger...and that he may be the only man gifted--or cursed--with the power to do battle with the nocturnals.

Special Circumstances by Sheldon Siegel - Meet Mike Daley. Ex-priest. Ex-public defender. Ex-husband. And as of yesterday, ex-partner at Simpson & Gates, one of San Francisco's most prominent law firms. Today he's out on his own, setting up a private practice on the wrong side of town. Then his best friend and former colleague is charged with a brutal double murder. Daley has his first client--and is instantly catapulted into a high-profile case involving the prestigious law firm that just booted him.
The victims are one of Simpson & Gates's most powerful partners and a beautiful young associate. There's a suicide note on the partner's computer, but neither the police nor the ambitious district attorney believe it's authentic--and they think the man they've arrested is the killer. It's up to Mike Daley to prove them wrong, but time is very short.
As Daley prepares his case, he begins to uncover the firm's dirtiest secrets--and dirty they are--but he also discovers that his friend, too, has a lot to hide. Even as the trial is under way, Daley and his investigators are still frantically digging for evidence that will clear their client. Against a chorus of morning press reports and nightly TV commentaries picking apart each day's session, Daley comes to realize that ambition, politics, greed, and long-standing grudges will play just as important a role in the outcome as truth and justice. This is the real world of law practice at work, and it's as ruthless as it is startling. Book 1 in the Mike Daley / Rosie Fernandez series 

Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin - Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City has blazed a singular trail through popular culture -- from a groundbreaking newspaper serial to a classic novel to a television event that entranced millions around the world. The first of six novels about the denizens of the mythic apartment house at 28 Barbary Lane, Tales is both a wry comedy of manners and a deeply involving portrait of a vanished era. Book 1 in the Tales of the City series 

Unsub by Meg Gardiner - A riveting psychological thriller inspired by the never-caught Zodiac Killer, about a young detective determined to apprehend the serial murderer who destroyed her family and terrorized a city twenty years earlier. Caitlin Hendrix has been a Narcotics detective for six months when the killer at the heart of all her childhood nightmares reemerges: the Prophet. An UNSUB--what the FBI calls an unknown subject--the Prophet terrorized the Bay Area in the 1990s and nearly destroyed her father, the lead investigator on the case. The Prophet's cryptic messages and mind games drove Detective Mack Hendrix to the brink of madness, and Mack's failure to solve the series of ritualized murders--eleven seemingly unconnected victims left with the ancient sign for Mercury etched into their flesh--was the final nail in the coffin for a once promising career. Twenty years later, two bodies are found bearing the haunting signature of the Prophet. Caitlin Hendrix has never escaped the shadow of her father's failure to protect their city. But now the ruthless madman is killing again and has set his sights on her, threatening to undermine the fragile barrier she rigidly maintains for her own protection, between relentless pursuit and dangerous obsession. Determined to decipher his twisted messages and stop the carnage, Caitlin ignores her father's warnings as she draws closer to the killer with each new gruesome murder. Is it a copycat, or can this really be the same Prophet who haunted her childhood? Will Caitlin avoid repeating her father's mistakes and redeem her family name, or will chasing the Prophet drag her and everyone she loves into the depths of the abyss? Book 1 in the Unsub series 

Trivia

Happy Trivia Day!  Enjoy these ten books of various trivia topics.

147 Things: My User's Guide to the Universe, From Black Holes to Belly Buttons by Jim Chapman - Nothing gives you a sense of perspective like finding out just how weird. I'm an extremely curious chap and with this book I wanted to share the content of my noggin, because I think these are the 147 things that have helped me through this thing we call life. Sometimes because it shows how lucky we are to be here at all, but often because I'm a moron and learned whatever lesson it taught me the hard way, and I'd like to save you the pain of making the same mistakes (I refer here to the waxing of my pubic hair). Ever wondered if first times are over-rated (hint: they are), whether you'll ever find the one (hint: there are 7 billion of us) or pondered the sheer unlikelihood of the you who is you being in the world right now? If so, then YouTube superstar and fact-obsessed, over-sharer Jim Chapman is here to explain it all - whether it's why your heart actually aches after a break-up, what's happening when you get hangry, or why people are just so plain RUDE online. Along the way, we'll find out how much fun he has when Tanya's sleep-talking and why he looked like a gangly T-rex with wonky teeth when he was a teenager. As with his videos, no subject is off-limits, as Jim lifts the lid on his life and his relationships, sharing embarrassing stories and things he's learnt along the way (trust us, the thing about kangaroos will really freak you out).

Ask An Astronaut: My Guide to Life in Space by Tim Peake - Was it fun to do a space walk? How squashed were you in the capsule on the way back? What were your feelings as you looked down on Earth for the first time? Were you ever scared? Where to next--the Moon, Mars, or beyond?
Based on his historic mission to the International Space Station, Ask an Astronaut is Tim Peake's guide to life in space, and his answers to the thousands of questions he has been asked since his return to Earth. With explanations ranging from the mundane--how do you wash your clothes or go to the bathroom while in orbit?--to the profound--what's the point?--all written in Tim's characteristically warm style, Tim shares his thoughts on every aspect of space exploration.
From training for the mission to launch, to his historic spacewalk, to re-entry, he reveals for readers of all ages the cutting-edge science behind his groundbreaking experiments, and the wonders of daily life on board the International Space Station.
The public was invited to submit questions using the hashtag #askanastronaut, and a selection are answered by Tim in the book, accompanied with illustrations, diagrams, and never-before-seen photos.

Basketball (And Other Things): A Collection of Questions Asked, Answered, Illustrated by Shea Serrano - Who is the greatest dunker of all time? Which version of the Michael Jordan was the best Michael Jordan/ What is allowed and absolutely not allowed in a game of pickup basketball/ Basketball (and Other Things) presents readers with a whole new set of pivotal and ridiculous fan disputes from basketball history, providing arguments and answers, explained with the wit and wisdom that is unique to Shea Serrano. Serrano breaks down debates that NBA fans didn't even know they needed, from the classic (How many years during his career was Kobe Bryant actually the best player in the league?) to the fantastical (If you could assign different values to different shots throughout basketball history, what would they be and why?). With incredible art from Arturo Torres, this book is a must-have for anyone who has ever stayed up late into the night debating basketball's greatest moments, what-ifs, stories, and legends, or for those who are discovering the mythology of basketball for the first time.

The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World From the Periodic Table of the Elements by Sam Kean - The periodic table of the elements is a crowning scientific achievement, but it's also a treasure trove of passion, adventure, obsession, and betrayal. These tales follow carbon, neon, silicon, gold, and all the elements in the table as they play out their parts in human history. The usual suspects are here, like Marie Curie (and her radioactive journey to the discovery of polonium and radium) and William Shockley (who is credited, not exactly justly, with the discovery of the silicon transistor)--but the more obscure characters provide some of the best stories, like Paul Emile François Lecoq de Boisbaudran, whose discovery of gallium, a metal with a low melting point, gives this book its title: a spoon made of gallium will melt in a cup of tea.

Does It Fart?: The Definitive Field Guide to Animal Flatulence by Nick Caruso & Dani Rabaiotti - Dogs do it. Millipedes do it. Dinosaurs did it. You do it. I do it. Octopuses don't (and nor do octopi). Spiders might do it: more research is needed. Birds don't do it, but they could if they wanted to. Herrings do it to communicate with each other. In 2017 zoologist Dani Rabaiotti's teenage brother asked her a most teenaged question: Do snakes fart? Stumped, Rabaiotti turned to Twitter. The internet did not disappoint. Her innocent question spawned the hashtag #doesitfart and it spread like a noxious gas. Dozens of noted experts began weighing in on which animals do and don't fart, and if they do, how much, how often, what it's made of, what it smells like, and why. Clearly, the public demands more information on animal farts. Does it Fart? fills that void: a fully authoritative, fully illustrated guide to animal flatulence, covering the habits of 80 animals in more detail than you ever knew you needed. What do hyena farts smell especially bad? What is a fossa, and does it fart? Why do clams vomit but not fart? And what is a fart, really? Pairing hilarious illustrations with surprisingly detailed scientific explanations, Does it Fart? will allow you to shift the blame onto all kinds of unlikely animals for years to come.

The Encyclopedia of Misinformation: A Compendium of Imitations, Spoofs, Delusions, Simulations, Counterfeits, Impostors, Illusions, Confabulations, Skullduggery, Frauds, Pseudoscience, Propaganda, Hoaxes, Flimflam, Pranks, Hornswoggle, Conspiracies & Miscellaneous Fakery by Rex Sorgatz - Slingshotting through conspiracy theories, internet and popular culture, and perplexing psychological phenomena, this compendium illuminates deliriously diverse subjects: Artificial Intelligence, Auto-Tune, Chilean Sea Bass, Claques, Clickbait, Cognitive Dissonance, Cryptids, Dark Matter, False Flag Operations, Gaslighting, Gerrymandering, Kayfabe, Laugh Tracks, Milli Vanilli, Phantom Time Hypothesis, Photoshopping, Potemkin Villages, Rachel Dolezal, Strategery, Truthiness, and the Uncanny Valley. Encyclopedic in scope, but with an incisive voice tuned to these bedeviling times, this is the modern reference book to engage a world rife with artifice and deception.

Infinity in the Palm of Your Hand: Fifty Wonders That Reveal an Extraordinary Universe by Marcus Chown - So much of our world seems to make perfect sense, and scientific breakthroughs have helped us understand ourselves, our planet, and our place in the universe in fascinating detail. But our adventures in space, our deepening understanding of the quantum world, and our leaps in technology have also revealed a universe far stranger than we ever imagined. With brilliant clarity and wit, bestselling author Marcus Chown examines the profound science behind fifty remarkable scientific facts that help explain the vast complexities of our existence.

The Phantom Atlas: The Greatest Myths, Lies and Blunders on Maps by Edward Brook-Hitching - The Phantom Atlas is a guide to the world not as it is, but as it was imagined to be. It's a world of ghost islands, invisible mountain ranges, mythical civilizations, ship-wrecking beasts, and other fictitious features introduced on maps and atlases through mistakes, misunderstanding, fantasies, and outright lies. This richly illustrated book collects and explores the colorful histories behind a striking range of real antique maps that are all in some way a little too good to be true. Author Edward Brooke-Hitching investigates the places where exploration and mythology meet, using gorgeous atlas images as springboards for tales of the deranged buccaneers, seafaring monks, heroes, swindlers, and other amazing stories behind cartography's greatest phantoms.

Storm in a Teacup: The Physics of Everyday Life by Helen Czerski - A physicist explains daily phenomena from the mundane to the magisterial. Take a look up at the stars on a clear night and you get a sense that the universe is vast and untouchable, full of mysteries beyond comprehension. But did you know that the key to unveiling the secrets of the cosmos is as close as the nearest toaster? In Storm in a Teacup, Helen Czerski provides the tools to alter the way we see everything around us by linking ordinary objects and occurrences, like popcorn popping, coffee stains, and fridge magnets, to big ideas like climate change, the energy crisis, or innovative medical testing. She guides us through the principles of gases ("Explosions in the kitchen are generally considered a bad idea. But just occasionally a small one can produce something delicious"); gravity (drop some raisins in a bottle of carbonated lemonade and watch the whoosh of bubbles and the dancing raisins at the bottom bumping into each other); size (Czerski explains the action of the water molecules that cause the crime-scene stain left by a puddle of dried coffee); and time (why it takes so long for ketchup to come out of a bottle). Along the way, she provides answers to vexing questions: How does water travel from the roots of a redwood tree to its crown? How do ducks keep their feet warm when walking on ice? Why does milk, when added to tea, look like billowing storm clouds? In an engaging voice at once warm and witty, Czerski shares her stunning breadth of knowledge to lift the veil of familiarity from the ordinary. You may never look at your toaster the same way.

Terrible But True: Awful Events in American History by Dinah Williams - Think American history is all boring battles and snooze-worthy old dudes? Think again!Welcome to Terrible But True, where you'll dig deep into America's forgotten past to uncover some creepy, disgusting, and just plain bizarre stories. From America's first serial killers and deadly vampire-like diseases to haunted ghost ships and vicious river pirates, our nation's history is weirder than you could have ever imagined. So dive in and prepare to be shocked, because sometimes the truth is even stranger than fiction.

My Personal Faves Read in 2019!

So, I don't typically include my personal opinions on this blog.  I like to stick to list topics and the general opinion of the reading world, as rated by Goodreads users.  But today to wrap up 2019 I'd like to share with you my ten favorite books / series I read this year.  Back to our regular type of list tomorrow, today lets talk about my interest in sci fi / fantasy romance!  I'm only going to include one book or series by an author if I've read more by them, but I'll mention the others I've read too.

Captive of the Horde King by Zoey Draven - On the unforgiving planet of Dakkar, I did what all the humans in our village did: kept my head down, worked to provide for my family, and I certainly didn’t break any Dakkari laws to risk inciting the alien race’s merciless wrath.
Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for my brother and one careless mistake brings a horde of the nomadic, barbarian Dakkari straight to our doorstep, led by their powerful horde king—a cold, ruthless, battle-scarred warrior demanding retribution.
In order to save my brother’s life, I do the unthinkable.
I sell myself to the horde king as his war prize. I agree to warm his furs, to travel with his horde across the wild lands of Dakkar, and to never see my family again.
But as I struggle with my new reality, I discover that the surly, mysterious, dominant horde king never intended for me to be his concubine…
He wants me as his queen.  Book 1 of the Horde Kings of Dakkar series 

I decided to take a chance on Audible this year in about October.  I had a baby in May and haven't been able to read as much as I wanted to since then.  Getting Audible was a REVELATION.  I also invested in some Airpods and suddenly I'm tearing through 4-5 books a week.  It's wonderful.  Anyway, Captive of the Horde King was the first book I got on Audible and I instantly loved it.  Barbarian aliens?  I am soooo in.  This book had great world building, a wonderful romance, and a plot that kept me listening up late.  As I'm writing this I just realized that book two (Claimed by the Horde King) recently came out and I'm hoping that it's coming to audiobook soon too.

The Choosing by Lucy Varna - Ziri Mokuru has lived her entire life in the rural village of Arden Hollow on the planet Tersi. While her parents are off having adventures and being Very Important People, she's struggled simply to find a place where she belongs. One night, she investigates a disturbance in her home and discovers an armor-clad man sorting through her belongings. Her first thought is for her parents' safety, not to question why this man is in her home late at night without even the courtesy of knocking. After all, no one among the trusting Tersii breaks into someone else's home without a good reason.
Ryn abid Alna has an excellent reason for sneaking into Ziri's home. After years spent scraping together enough vud for the bride price, he's finally ready to steal a wife. One look at Ziri's sweet smile and Ryn decides no other woman will do. She can fix anything she touches, so why not the loneliness he's lived with since he was enslaved as a young boy?
Though Ziri longs for love, she's not so sure she's ready to settle down with the man who kidnapped her, especially after he jumps her into a nest of Sweepers, a sinister alien race bent on mayhem and destruction. As the day draws near when she faces Ryn's family on the Choosing field, Ziri ponders the hardest decision of her life: Fight for Ryn and the place he's made for her in his heart or choose another man as a life mate and risk never knowing love. Book 1 of the Pruxnae series

I got this book as a free review copy on Audiofreebies.com not being sure if I would like it.  Boy did it blow me away.  I loooved it.  I'm a sucker for alien abduction romances and I don't know what weird thing that says about me.  This book had a really interesting culture in it, and the world (galaxy?) building was neat too.  I put the other books in the series on my wishlist!

A Demon and His Witch by Eve Langlais - Burning alive is nothing compared to the heat of his touch.
There are better ways to break up with a girl than having her roasted at the stake as a witch. Is it any wonder Ysabel has trust issues? She got her revenge, though, and it only cost her a slightly tarnished soul.
Working for Lucifer isn't all bad, until her ex-boyfriend escapes the bowels of Hell and she's forced to team up with a womanizing demon to fetch the jerk back.
As a minion in Lucifer's legion, Remy's seen a lot of things, but nothing can prepare him for the witch with the acerbic tongue - and voluptuous figure. The more she pushes him away, the more determined he becomes to seduce her. However, what's a poor demon to do when he accidentally falls in love and wants to keep her forever?
Welcome to Hell where you're screwed if you do and damned if don't. And just so you know, Lucifer has a special spot reserved for you... Book 1 in the Welcome to Hell series

EVE LANGLAIS! My new author crush!  I read A LOT by her but I picked the Welcome to Hell series as my favorite.  So far I've read books 1-4.  Looking at her other series I think this may be a sequel series to one or more of her other series, but I never felt like I was missing any important information reading these.  They are very funny and very sexy.  I know I keep saying this about all the books... but I loved the world building.  The concept of hell in these books is interesting. 
Close second to these books were the Alien Abduction series, of which I read books 1-5.  Also I'm currently reading the Furry United Coalition books.  I'm on book 3 and they are very fun as well.  I love you Eve Langlais, can't wait to read more!

Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri - The Amrithi are outcasts; nomads descended of desert spirits, they are coveted and persecuted throughout the Empire for the power in their blood. Mehr is the illegitimate daughter of an imperial governor and an exiled Amrithi mother she can barely remember, but whose face and magic she has inherited.
When Mehr's power comes to the attention of the Emperor's most feared mystics, she must use every ounce of will, subtlety, and power she possesses to resist their cruel agenda.
Should she fail, the gods themselves may awaken seeking vengeance.... Book 1 in the Books of Ambha

Here is one that I actually did read the print version of rather than the audiobook.  I picked up this book while on a very quiet shift at the very small library branch I work at and I think I had binged over a hundred pages before I even left work.  This is a richly detailed fantasy with some romance too, but it wasn't as much the focus in this book as a lot of the other books I read this year.  I haven't gotten to the second book yet, but it's definitely on my radar.  Oh and Tasha Suri is a great follow on twitter!

How to Date Your Dragon by Molly Harper - Anthropologist Jillian Ramsay's career has taken a turn south.
Concerned that technology is about to chase mythological creatures out into the open (how long can Sasquatch stay hidden from Google maps?), the League for Interspecies Cooperation is sending Jillian to Louisiana on a fact-finding mission. While the League hopes to hold on to secrecy for a little bit longer, they're preparing for the worst in terms of human reactions. They need a plan, so they look to Mystic Bayou, a tiny town hidden in the swamp where humans and supernatural residents have been living in harmony for generations. Mermaids and gator shifters swim in the bayou. Spirit bottles light the front porches after twilight. Dragons light the fires under crayfish pots.
Jillian's first assignment for the League could be her last. Mystic Bayou is wary of outsiders, and she has difficulty getting locals to talk to her. And she can't get the gruff town sheriff, Bael Boone, off of her back or out of her mind. Bael is the finest male specimen she's seen in a long time, even though he might not be human. Soon their flirtation is hotter than a dragon's breath, which Bael just might turn out to be.... Book 1 in the Mystic Bayou series

Dragons are one of my absolute favorite character types, so this book caught my eye easy.  Add in the fun quirky southern town and a paranormal mystery and I was hooked.  I also read book 2 (Love and Other Wild Things) and I desperately want pie from Bathtilda's Pie Shop.

Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon - You'd think being abducted by aliens would be the worst thing that could happen to me. And you'd be wrong. Because now, the aliens are having ship trouble, and they've left their cargo of human women - including me - on an ice planet.
And the only native inhabitant I've met? He's big, horned, blue, and really, really has a thing for me... Book 1 in the Ice Planet Barbarians series

More sexy aliens!  This time with blue skin!  I don't think I would like to visit not-Hoth, not being a fan of cold and snow myself, but Ruby Dixon almost makes it sound worth it with these swoony and fun blue barbarian aliens.  So far I've read 11 of these and I currently have book 12 queued up to read soon.  Also by Ruby Dixon I read book 1 of Fireblood Dragons (Fire in His Blood) - again, sucker for dragons.  And SUPER SPECIAL MENTION - I read Bound to the Battle God and I freaking loved this book sooo sooo much.  So much so that I almost put that as the header here for Ruby instead of IPB.  Seriously, it is so good.  I'm really hoping that turns into a series rather than just a stand alone.  I will be waiting!

Polaris Rising by Jessie Mikalik - In the far-distant future, the universe is officially ruled by the Royal Consortium, but the High Councillors, the heads of the three high houses, wield the true power. As the fifth of six children, Ada von Hasenberg has no authority; her only value to her high house is as a pawn in a political marriage. When her father arranges for her to wed a noble from House Rockhurst, a man she neither wants nor loves, Ada seizes control of her own destiny. The spirited princess flees before the betrothal ceremony and disappears among the stars.
Ada eluded her father's forces for two years, but now, her luck has run out. To ensure she cannot escape again, the fiery princess is thrown into a prison cell with Marcus Loch. Known as the Devil of Fornax Zero, Loch is rumored to have killed his entire chain of command during the Fornax Rebellion, and the Consortium wants his head.
When the ship returning them to Earth is attacked by a battle cruiser from rival House Rockhurst, Ada realizes that if her jilted fiance captures her, she'll become a political prisoner and a liability to her house. Her only hope is to strike a deal with the dangerous fugitive: a fortune if he helps her escape.
But when you make a deal with an irresistibly attractive devil, you may lose more than you bargained for.... Book 1 in the Consortium Rebellion

Ada is my number 1 bad ass space princess...followed closely...or tied with... her sister Bianca in book 2 (Aurora Blazing)  These books are everything I want in a space opera romance and more.  These two I both read in print version rather than in audio, having discovered them before I starting using Audible, but I'm tempted to grab the audio versions just to revisit these wonderful ladies.  Also, Jessie Mihalik is another great follow on twitter!  Can't wait for book 3!

Tamed by the Troll by Tracy Lauren - Once the belle of her village, life took a dark turn for Adelaide upon her parent's death. Plagued by lingering grief, there was not a soul who didn't turn their back on her. They called her angry and spiteful...hell, they called her a monster.
One fateful day Adelaide finds herself alone, lingering on the edge of the perished woods - a cursed and evil place. Without warning, an orc army attacks.
Her village ablaze, Adelaide races into the perished woods, seeking refuge in a place of nightmares. With orcs at her heels, she's desperate to escape. But when the young woman crosses an aging stone bridge in the middle of the cursed forest she's met with an even more fearsome enemy. A troll...one who is determined to save her. Book 1 in the Perished Woods series

This was my second read on Audible!  This is an interesting take on fairy tale creatures and tales in this book and I am totally here for it.  Besides that, this was a great exploration of grief.  I see now that book 2 is out now too, so that will be going on my wishlist.  Also Tracy Lauren has an alien series?  The TBR list never ends....

Wild Blood by Naomi Lucas - Dommik was a monster, a Monster Hunter, and an alpha. Part of an elite group that dealt with the horrors of the universe. At least that was what everyone at the spaceport was whispering as he walked by.
A Cyborg, a hunter, a beast with eyes as dark as the pits of Hell and the stride of a predator. Katalina was a nobody who was intimate with death. It clung to her like a shroud, It followed her like the plague, and infected her like a parasite.
When she overheard that the Monster Hunter needed an assistant, she took the job. And when the Cyborg's eyes caught hers, she knew getting closer to death might just bring her back to life. The Cyborg didn't scare her. So she followed him and left fate up to chance. Book 1 in the Cyborg Shifters series

So...this book actually did make me blush when I tried to explain the premise to my husband.  It's a romance with a cyborg shifter who is part..spider?  It sounds very weird when I try to explain it...but I loved it.  Dommik gives me very Dom vibes and I am here for that.  I also read books 2 & 3, but book 4 doesn't seem to be on Audible from what I remember..but is on my TBR list too.

The Winter King by C. L. Wilson - After three long years of war, starkly handsome Wynter Atrialan will have his vengeance on Summerlea's king by taking one of the man's beautiful, beloved daughters as his bride. But though peace is finally at hand, Wynter's battle with the Ice Heart, the dread power he embraced to avenge his brother's death, rages on.
Khamsin Coruscate, Princess of Summerlea and summoner of Storms, has spent her life exiled to the shadows of her father's palace. Reviled by her father, marriage to Wintercraig's icy king was supposed to be a terrible punishment, but instead offers Kham her first taste of freedom - and her first taste of overwhelming passion.
As fierce, indomitable Wynter weathers even Khamsin's wildest storms, surprising her with a tenderness she never expected, Kham wants more than Wynter's passion - she yearns for his love. But the power of the Ice Heart is growing, dangerous forces are gathering, and a devastating betrayal puts Khamsin and Wynter to the ultimate test. Book 1 in the Mystral series

This was a truly epic fantasy! I loved it! The romance had a lot of ups and downs and will they / won't they that made me verrrry anxious but I was rewarded for making it through.  Book 2, The Sea King is on my radar for 2020!




Wow ok I don't usually write this much of my own opinion and I am feeling verrrry anxious about this, but I hope you've enjoyed hearing about what I enjoyed in 2019.  See you tomorrow with a new list! 

Texas

December 29th, 1845 - Texas becomes the 28th state in the United States of America.  Here are ten books about Texas.

All the Agents and Saints: Dispatches from the U.S. Borderlands by Stephanie Elizondo Griest - After a decade of chasing stories around the globe, intrepid travel writer Stephanie Elizondo Griest followed the magnetic pull home -- only to discover that her native South Texas had been radically transformed in her absence. Ravaged by drug wars and barricaded by an eighteen-foot steel wall, her ancestral land had become the nation's foremost crossing ground for undocumented workers, many of whom perished along the way. The frequency of these tragedies seemed like a terrible coincidence, before Elizondo Griest moved to the New York / Canada borderlands. Once she began to meet Mohawks from the Akwesasne Nation, however, she recognized striking parallels to life on the southern border.

The Autobiography of an Execution by David R. Dow - Near the beginning of The Autobiography of an Execution, David Dow lays his cards on the table. "People think that because I am against the death penalty and don't think people should be executed, that I forgive those people for what they did. Well, it isn't my place to forgive people, and if it were, I probably wouldn't. I'm a judgmental and not very forgiving guy. Just ask my wife."
It this spellbinding true crime narrative, Dow takes us inside of prisons, inside the complicated minds of judges, inside execution-administration chambers, into the lives of death row inmates (some shown to be innocent, others not) and even into his own home--where the toll of working on these gnarled and difficult cases is perhaps inevitably paid. He sheds insight onto unexpected phenomena-- how even religious lawyer and justices can evince deep rooted support for putting criminals to death-- and makes palpable the suspense that clings to every word and action when human lives hang in the balance.

Backroads and Byways of Texas: Drives, Day Trips, & Weekend Excursions by Amy K. Brown - Soak up the breathtaking Lone Star State, one drive at a time From the rustic charm of the Hill Country to the mountains, deserts, and stunning sunsets of West Texas, the plains and canyons of the Panhandle to the sandy dunes of the Gulf Coast, the diversity of Texas will astound you. This revised third edition highlights places of natural beauty, cultural heritage, and historical significance, all the while introducing you to some of the friendliest folks you'll ever meet. There's more to see, do, and taste in Texas than anyone could ever experience in a lifetime, but with this guide you'll never lack for trying! Drives include: " The Rio Grande Valley " The Texas Coast " The Panhandle Plains and Canyons " The Best BBQ in Texas 100 color images and 15 maps.

Big Wonderful Thing: A History of Texas by Stephen Harrigan - The story of Texas is the story of struggle and triumph in a land of extremes. It is a story of drought and flood, invasion and war, boom and bust, and the myriad peoples who, over centuries of conflict, gave rise to a place that has helped shape the identity of the United States and the destiny of the world.
"I couldn't believe Texas was real," the painter Georgia O'Keeffe remembered of her first encounter with the Lone Star State. It was, for her, "the same big wonderful thing that oceans and the highest mountains are."
Big Wonderful Thing invites us to walk in the footsteps of ancient as well as modern people along the path of Texas's evolution. Blending action and atmosphere with impeccable research, New York Times best-selling author Stephen Harrigan brings to life with novelistic immediacy the generations of driven men and women who shaped Texas, including Spanish explorers, American filibusters, Comanche warriors, wildcatters, Tejano activists, and spellbinding artists--all of them taking their part in the creation of a place that became not just a nation, not just a state, but an indelible idea.
Written in fast-paced prose, rich with personal observation and a passionate sense of place, Big Wonderful Thing calls to mind the literary spirit of Robert Hughes writing about Australia or Shelby Foote about the Civil War. Like those volumes, it is a big book about a big subject, a book that dares to tell the whole glorious, gruesome, epically sprawling story of Texas.

Called to Rise: A Life in Faithful Service to the Community that Made Me by David O. Brown with Michelle Burford - The Dallas police chief who inspired a nation with his response to the killing of five of his officers shares his personal story and his faith in America's potential to unite communities through a dedication to transparency and trust. "The real deal: a real Christian, a real man, a real leader."--Whoopi Goldberg, The View "A front-row seat to the tension between law enforcement and minority residents nationwide."--TheDallas Morning News On July 7, 2016, protesters marched in the streets of Dallas to demonstrate against the killings of unarmed black men by the police. As the peaceful event drew to a close, a sniper opened fire, targeting white cops and killing five of them. Into this charged situation stepped Dallas police chief David O. Brown, who, with a historic new tactical approach, quickly ended the gunman's siege and calmed his community and the nation. In this powerful memoir, Chief Brown takes us behind the scenes of that tragedy and shares intimate moments from his early life: his childhood, in which he was raised by a single mom in a neighborhood poor in resources but rich in love and faith; his college years--cut short when he felt called to save his hometown from its descent into drug-related violence; and, as he moved up the ranks, a series of deeply personal tragedies. His first partner on the job was killed in the line of duty; his younger brother was murdered by drug dealers; and during Brown's first month as chief of police, his mentally ill son was killed by a cop after taking two other lives. Called to Rise charts how, over his thirty-three-year career, Brown evolved from a "throw 'em in jail and let God sort 'em out" beat cop into a passionate advocate for community-oriented law enforcement, rising from crime scene investigator to S.W.A.T. team leader to the head of a municipal police department widely regarded as one of America's finest. Now retired, "America's chief" wants to bring his hard-earned knowledge of Dallas--emphasizing outreach, accountability, and inclusion--to help encourage unity in the nation's hurting communities. Chief Brown believes that we have to band together to engage in the kind of dialogue that can lead to solutions. In place of complaining, we all have to take action--and one first great step is to tune in to what is being said.Called to Rise explores the keys to that dialogue--trust, transparency, and compassion--that have made Brown a leader on the front lines of social change in America.

God Save Texas: A Journey Into the Soul of the Lone Star State by Lawrence Wright - With humor and the biting insight of a native, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Looming Tower explores the history, culture, and politics of Texas, while holding the stereotypes up for rigorous scrutiny. God Save Texas is a journey through the most controversial state in America. It is a red state in the heart of Trumpland that hasn't elected a Democrat to a statewide office in more than twenty years; but it is also a state in which minorities already form a majority (including the largest number of Muslim adherents). The cities are blue and among the most diverse in the nation. Oil is still king but Texas now leads California in technology exports. The Texas economic model of low taxes and minimal regulation has produced extraordinary growth but also striking income disparities. Texas looks a lot like the America that Donald Trump wants to create. And Wright's profound portrait of the state not only reflects our country back as it is, but as it was and as it might be.

The Homesick Texan Cookbook by Lisa Fain - When Lisa Fain, a seventh-generation Texan, moved to New York City, she missed the big sky, the bluebonnets in spring, Friday night football, and her family's farm. But most of all, she missed the foods she'd grown up with.
After a fruitless search for tastes of Texas in New York City, Fain took matters into her own hands. She headed into the kitchen to cook for her friends the Tex-Mex, the chili, and the country comfort dishes that reminded her of home. From cheese enchiladas drowning in chili gravy to chicken-fried steak served with cream gravy on the side, from warm bowls of chile con queso to big pots of fiery chili made without beans, Fain re-created the wonderful tastes of Texas she'd always enjoyed at potlucks, church suppers, and backyard barbecues back home.
In 2006, Fain started the blog Homesick Texan to share Texan food with fellow expatriates, and the site immediately connected with readers worldwide, Texan and non-Texan alike. Now, in her long-awaited first cookbook, Fain brings the comfort of Texan home cooking to you.
Like Texas itself, the recipes in this book are varied and diverse, all filled with Fain's signature twists. There's SalpicÓn, a cool shredded beef salad found along the sunny border in El Paso; Soft Cheese Tacos, a creamy plate unique to Dallas; and Houston-Style Green Salsa, an avocado and tomatillo salsa that is smooth, refreshing, and bright. There are also nibbles, such as Chipotle Pimento Cheese and Tomatillo JalapeÑo Jam; sweet endings, such as Coconut Tres Leches Cake and Mexican Chocolate Chewies; and fresh takes on Texan classics, such as Coffee-Chipotle Oven Brisket, Ancho Cream Corn, and Guajillo-Chile Fish Tacos.
With more than 125 recipes, The Homesick Texan offers a true taste of the Lone Star State. So pull up a chair-everyone's welcome at the Texas table!

Sam Houston and the Alamo Avengers: The Texas Victory That Changed American History by Brian Kilmeade - March 1836: The story of the Alamo is familiar to most: more than two hundred Texians trapped in an adobe mission, and massacred. Though the rallying cry of "Remember the Alamo" rang across the country, Houston knew it was poor strategy to aggressively retaliate immediately. One month after the massacre, he and his army of underdog Texians soundly defeated Santa Anna's troops in under eighteen minutes at the Battle of San Jacinto, and in doing so won the independence for which so many had died. Kilmeade brings one of the most pivotal moments in American history to life.

The True American: Murder and Mercy in Texas by Anand Giridharadas - Days after 9/11, an avowed "American terrorist" named Mark Stroman, seeking revenge, walks into the Dallas minimart where Raisuddin Bhuiyan, a former Bangladesh Air Force officer, has found temporary work and shoots him, nearly killing him. Giridharadas traces the making of these two men, Stroman and Bhuiyan, and of their fateful encounter, following them as they rebuild shattered lives. Ten years after the shooting, an Islamic pilgrimage seeds in Bhuiyan a strange idea: if he is ever to be whole, he must reenter Stroman's life. He publicly forgives Stroman, and wages a legal and public-relations campaign to have his attacker spared from the death penalty.

Turning Texas Blue: How to Break the GOP's Grip on America's Reddest State by Mary Beth Rogers - In the 2014 midterm election, Democrats in Texas did not receive even 40 percent of the statewide vote; Republicans swept the tables both in Texas and nationally. But even after two decades of democratic losses, there is a path to turn Texas blue, argues Mary Beth Rogers - if Democrats are smart enough to see and follow it.
Rogers is the last person to successfully campaign-manage a Democrat, Governor Ann Richards, to the statehouse in Austin. In a lively narrative, Rogers tells the story of how Texas moved so far to the right in such a short time and how Democrats might be able to move it back to the center. And, argues Rogers, that will mean a lot more of an effort than simply waiting for the state's demographics to shift even further towards Hispanics - a risky proposition at best. Rogers identifies a ten-point path for Texas Democrats to win at the statewide level and to build a base vote that would allow Texas to become a swing-vote player in national politics once again. One part of that shift starts with local Democratic candidates in local Republican communities making the connection between controversial local issues or problems and the statewide Republican policies that ignore or create them. For example, in a 2014 election in Denton-a Republican suburb-voters approved Texas's first ban on hydraulic fracking. The next day, though, a Republican Texas agency official announced that Texas would not honor the town's vote to ban. No democratic candidate picked up the issue.
Change won't come easily, argues Rogers. But if Texas shifts to even a pale shade of purple, it changes everything in American politics today.