Relationships Friendships

All I want for Christmas is a grumpy Santa in my stocking… Despite having the misfortune to be called Mistletoe, I love everything about the festive season – from dressing the tree to baking the cake to wrapping the presents, even though I can’t afford half the things I know my ten-year-old son, Finn, wishes for. When the primary school where I work asks me to find someone to play Santa at the Christmas fair, I’m happy to oblige. Suddenly, though, every person I know is conveniently busy. The only guy available has the least amount of festive spirit of anyone I’ve ever met. Alex ...

She never thought she'd fall for a younger man, but with Cee, it was so easy... There aren't enough hours in the day, and struggling single mom Jes just can't make it alone. Fortunately, a fantastic nanny just became available. Stacey is the perfect candidate: Young, college educated, glowing references... Trouble is, the nanny is a manny! The last thing Jes expects is a tall, muscular, handsome stranger on her porch looking for work as a nanny. The last thing Jess wants is a new man complicating her life. But Jes needs the help and there's no one better for the job than Stacey "Cee" Cook. ...

After Maeve finds a pack of tarot cards while cleaning out a closet during her in-school suspension, she quickly becomes the most sought-after diviner at St. Bernadette’s Catholic school. But when Maeve’s ex-best friend, Lily, draws an unsettling card called The Housekeeper that Maeve has never seen before, the session devolves into a heated argument that ends with Maeve wishing aloud that Lily would disappear. When Lily isn’t at school the next Monday, Maeve learns her ex-friend has vanished without a trace.

Harriet Manners is a geek. As if the Oxford English Dictionary on her nightstand isn't enough of a clue, there are also the weird looks she gets at school, and the way no one appreciates her extensive trivia knowledge. So when her friend Nat drags her along to a fashion show and Harriet is accidentally discovered by a modeling agent, she leaps at the chance to reinvent herself.

Fifteen-year-old Reed Brennan wins a scholarship to Easton Academy---the golden ticket away from her pill-popping mother and run-of-the-mill suburban life. But when she arrives on the beautiful, tradition-steeped campus of Easton, everyone is just a bit more sophisticated, a bit more gorgeous, and a lot wealthier than she ever thought possible. Reed realizes that even though she has been accepted to Easton, Easton has not accepted her.

Jason Carrillo is a jock with a steady girlfriend, but he can't stop dreaming about sex...with other guys. Kyle Meeks doesn't look gay, but he is. And he hopes he never has to tell anyone - especially his parents. Nelson Glassman is "out" to the entire world, but he can't tell the boy he loves that he wants to be more than just friends. Three teenage boys, coming of age and out of the closet.

Five months ago, Valerie Leftman's boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but was implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things she and Nick hated. The list he used to pick his targets. Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year.

Liz Lighty has always believed she’s too black, too poor, too awkward to shine in her small Midwestern town. But it’s okay - Liz has a plan that will get her out of Campbell, Indiana: attend the uber-elite Pennington College, play in their world-famous orchestra, and become a doctor. But when the financial aid she was counting on unexpectedly falls through, Liz’s plans come crashing down...until she’s reminded of her school’s scholarship for prom king and queen.

Discover the unexpected ways friends influence our personalities, choices, emotions, and even physical health in this fun and compelling examination of friendship, based on the latest scientific research and ever-relatable anecdotes. Why is dinner with friends often more laughter-filled and less fraught than a meal with family? Although some say it's because we choose our friends, it's also because we expect less of them than we do of relatives.

Hotshot pilot Vesper dreams of becoming a captain, but when she loses her spot to a wisecracking boy from the wrong side of the asteroid belt, she begins to question everything she thought she knew. Trapped on the toxic planet Deva, Cormak will take any chance he can to join the Academy—even if he has to steal someone's identity to get there. Arran was always an outcast on icy Chetire and is looking for a place to belong. He just never thought it would be in the arms of the hottest guy in the galaxy.

Coming out can be awkward enough. Now try it as a Catholic schoolboy in 1970s Ohio. In this fearless and funny true story, the host and founder of the hit podcast RISK! shares all. From first grade through junior high, twelve-year-old Kevin and his best friend, Ben, were inseparable. But when Kevin divulged his biggest secret, Ben froze him out. The pint-size cold war lasted two years - until they went head-to-head for student council president. Team Ben’s smear campaign began. The school took sides. And Kevin decided to run with it.

Chronic overachiever Prudence Daniels is always quick to cast judgment on the lazy, rude, and arrogant residents of her coastal town. Her dreams of karmic justice are fulfilled when, after a night out with her friends, she wakes up with the sudden ability to cast instant karma on those around her.

Freshman footballers Jason Roddin and Tom Jefferson are a perfect pair: Jason is a blazing-fast wide-receiver, while his best friend Tom has all the skills a standout quarterback needs. After summer football camp at an elite sports-focused boarding school, the boys are thrilled to be invited back with full-ride scholarships. But on day one of practice, they're shocked when the team's coaching staff makes Tom, a black kid, a receiver and Jason, a white kid, a quarterback.

An anxiety disorder disrupts 14-year-old Audrey’s daily life. She has been making slow but steady progress with Dr. Sarah, but when Audrey meets Linus, her brother’s gaming teammate, she is energized. She connects with him. Audrey can talk through her fears with Linus in a way she’s never been able to do with anyone before. As their friendship deepens and her recovery gains momentum, a sweet romantic connection develops, one that helps not just Audrey but also her entire family.

All Teagan’s life she has been searching for peace. She tried finding it with her grandmother, but it only lasted a while before she died of natural causes. She tried to find it in her little brother, Kaylus, but he was looking for something else. He didn’t want peace. So, she joined a gang and hoped to find it there but that didn’t happen. However, everything comes full circle when her gift made room for her to open a tattoo shop. Peace was there, but now there was another search. Love entered the atmosphere. How will Teagan handle love while still holding on to peace?

Tomi was born in Hawaii. His grandfather and parents were born in Japan and came to America to escape poverty. World War II seems far away from Tomi and his friends, who are too busy playing ball on their eighth-grade team, the Rats. But then Pearl Harbor is attacked by the Japanese, and the United States declares war on Japan. Japanese men are rounded up, and Tomi’s father and grandfather are arrested. It’s a terrifying time to be Japanese in America. But one thing doesn’t change: the loyalty of Tomi’s buddies, the Rats.

Now that Joy is back in Rocky Ridge, she’s hoping she’s made the right decision. Though life with her husband in LA had been turbulent, she’d at least had a job and a steady income. Now she’s got to rebuild from the ground up and jobs aren’t as plentiful in the small mountain town as they were in the city. Her daughter is depending on her, so this move to her home town has to work. Running into Joy was the last thing Aaron expected. She’d been his best friend and his biggest crush back in the day. They tried to date once. He’d been smitten and she’d decided that a guy with ...

Claire Jamieson has moved back home to Boxwood Hills... And, she's not alone. Trailing behind her overworked laundry basket is her husband and their energetic twin boys. Claire had always thought that once she'd left the nest, she'd never return. Now that she has, she's wondering what type of bird that makes her... Cuckoo? When she has a moment to pause and catch her breath, she'll let you know. Tales from the Laundry Pile, an engaging, thoughtful story of motherhood, family tangles, new friendships and self-discovery.

Contains volumes one and two of Reincarnated as a Familiar. A young teacher finds herself reborn with only fuzzy, damaged memories of her past life. Even worse, she's stuck in the body of a cat and can't remember her own name. Summoned by a young mage girl named Lesti, she takes up the name Astria and becomes the girl's familiar.

"I live in the loneliest city in America. I don't have a friend in this town." "I want to crawl into a hole and die." These sentiments and other statements like these are being said daily by friends and foes alike. There is such loneliness, such despair, such feelings of lack that is being expressed at this time due to the Covid-19 virus and additional factors as well. The church has an opportunity that should be expressed now to show care and compassion to reflect our concern. It can be our brightest hour. Biblical hospitality as reflected in the Bible and in early church tradition and ...