Download or read book Mean Baby written by Selma Blair and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2023-05-09 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Selma Blair has played many roles: Ingenue in Cruel Intentions. Preppy ice queen in Legally Blonde. Muse to Karl Lagerfeld. Advocate for the multiple sclerosis community. But before all of that, Selma was known best as … a mean baby. In a memoir that is as wildly funny as it is emotionally shattering, Blair tells the captivating story of growing up and finding her truth. "Blair is a rebel, an artist, and it turns out: a writer."—Glennon Doyle, Author of the #1 New York Times Bestseller Untamed and Founder of Together Rising The first story Selma Blair Beitner ever heard about herself is that she was a mean, mean baby. With her mouth pulled in a perpetual snarl and a head so furry it had to be rubbed to make way for her forehead, Selma spent years living up to her terrible reputation: biting her sisters, lying spontaneously, getting drunk from Passover wine at the age of seven, and behaving dramatically so that she would be the center of attention. Although Selma went on to become a celebrated Hollywood actress and model, she could never quite shake the periods of darkness that overtook her, the certainty that there was a great mystery at the heart of her life. She often felt like her arms might be on fire, a sensation not unlike electric shocks, and she secretly drank to escape. Over the course of this beautiful and, at times, devasting memoir, Selma lays bare her addiction to alcohol, her devotion to her brilliant and complicated mother, and the moments she flirted with death. There is brutal violence, passionate love, true friendship, the gift of motherhood, and, finally, the surprising salvation of a multiple sclerosis diagnosis. In a voice that is powerfully original, fiercely intelligent, and full of hard-won wisdom, Selma Blair’s Mean Baby is a deeply human memoir and a true literary achievement.

Download or read book Folded Notes from High School written by Matt Boren and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2018-04-03 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A status-obsessed senior unexpectedly falls for a freshman because of his Danny Zuko audition in their high school's production of Grease in this outrageously funny epistolary novel set in 1991. "Matt Boren brilliantly captures the voices of students way back in 1992 with humor and wit and a unique ability to shift from freshman to senior, boy to girl, cheerleader to theater geek. In this hilarious novel, Boren adeptly proves that the more things change, the more things stay the same." --Kelly Ripa The folded notes collected for this book represent correspondence surrounding one Tara Maureen Murphy, senior at South High c. 1991-1992. It's 1991, and Tara Maureen Murphy is finally on top. A frightening cross between Regina George and Tracy Flick, Tara Maureen Murphy is any high school's worst nightmare, bringing single-minded ambition, narcissism, manipulation, and jealousy to new extremes in this outrageous, satirical twist on the coming-of-age novel. She's got a hot jock boyfriend in Christopher Patrick Caparelli, her best friend Stef Campbell by her side, and she's a SENIOR, poised to star as Sandy in South High's production of Grease. Clinching the role is just one teensy step in Tara's plot to get out of her hometown and become the Broadway starlet she was born to be. She's grasping distance from the finish line--graduation and college are right around the corner--but she has to remain vigilant. "This dumb town, as we know, can be a very tricky place." --Tara Maureen Murphy It gets trickier with the arrival of freshman Matthew Bloom, whose dazzling audition for the role of Danny Zuko turns Tara's world upside down. Freshmen belong in the chorus, not the spotlight! But Tara's outrage is tinged with an unfamiliar emotion, at least to her: adoration. And what starts as a conniving ploy to "mentor" young Matt quickly turns into a romantic obsession that threatens to topple Tara's hard-won status at South High....

Download or read book Some Days We written by Julie A. Stamm and published by . This book was released on 2020-02-26 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Follow Wyatt and his Mom, Anne, as they navigate through the unpredictable obstacles of a chronic illness. With love and imagination, they can overcome anything.

Download or read book Princess Daisy and the Dragon and the Nincompoop Knights written by Steven Lenton and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Another fabulously funny picture book for every little girl who knows that she can save the day better than any boy! This paperback edition includes a free audio reading.

Download or read book Resilience in the Face of Multiple Sclerosis written by Brandon Beaber and published by . This book was released on 2021-09-17 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There are nearly 1,000,000 Americans living with MS, but their personal stories are rarely told. Resilience in the Face of Multiple Sclerosis is a narrative non-fiction book about incredible people who suffer from MS, and I seek to share the wisdom implicit in their lives and achievements. My five subjects include a neurologist, a psychiatrist, a political activist, a young blind man, and a woman with advanced multiple sclerosis, all who live productive and fulfilling lives despite significant adversity. The biographies are intimate, emotional, heart-wrenching, and heart-warming. They reflect the triumph, not of modern medicine, but of unique individuals. We see contributions from five psychologists including Dr. John Forsyth and Dr. Mark Katz as well as an interview with Mabel Katz, an expert in the Hawaiian philosophy of Ho'oponopono.

Download or read book Fighting Infertility written by Samantha Busch and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2021-03-30 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "As Samantha's and Kyle Busch's public lives grew more pronounced, their private life was being torn apart. The frustrations and uncertainty of their fertility problems took a toll on them as individuals and as a couple, creating a cyclone of emotions that threatened everything they had worked so hard for. Through these trials, they learned how to build a stronger relationship, foster a deeper faith, and find humor through the tears. They also discovered a passion for helping other couples gain access to fertility treatments. In this memoir, Samantha uses her voice to break the silence and stigma that surround the infertility community. By sharing practical advice as well as candid and inspiring stories of her journey, she provides support, validation, community, and education for others experiencing similar tribulations"--

Download or read book A Piece of Cake written by Cupcake Brown and published by Crown. This book was released on 2006-02-28 with total page 607 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The heart-wrenching, uplifting tale about a woman named Cupcake “[Cupcake] Brown’s confessional . . . memoir is one you can’t easily put down. Her life is nothing short of a miracle.”—Chicago Sun-Times There are shelves of memoirs about overcoming the death of a parent, childhood abuse, rape, drug addiction, miscarriage, alcoholism, hustling, gangbanging, near-death injuries, drug dealing, prostitution, and homelessness. Cupcake Brown survived all these things before she’d even turned twenty. And that’s when things got interesting. . . Orphaned by the death of her mother and left in the hands of a sadistic foster parent, young Cupcake Brown learned to survive by turning tricks, downing hard liquor, and ingesting every drug she could find while hitchhiking up and down the California coast. She stumbled into gangbanging, drug dealing, hustling, prostitution, theft, and, eventually, the best scam of all: a series of 9-to-5 jobs. A Piece of Cake is unlike any memoir you’ll ever read. Moving in its frankness, this is the most satisfying, startlingly funny, and genuinely affecting tour through hell you’ll ever take. Praise for A Piece of Cake “[Brown] reflects now with insight and honesty on her experiences. . . . An engaging account . . . of a remarkable life filled with pain and wisdom, hope and redemption.”—San Fracisco Chronicle “Dazzles you with the amazing change that is possible in one lifetime.”—Washington Post

Download or read book Year of the Tiger written by Alice Wong and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2022-09-06 with total page 409 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NATIONAL BESTSELLER • ONE OF USA TODAY'S MUST-READ BOOKS • This groundbreaking memoir offers a glimpse into an activist's journey to finding and cultivating community and the continued fight for disability justice, from the founder and director of the Disability Visibility Project “Alice Wong provides deep truths in this fun and deceptively easy read about her survival in this hectic and ableist society.” —Selma Blair, bestselling author of Mean Baby In Chinese culture, the tiger is deeply revered for its confidence, passion, ambition, and ferocity. That same fighting spirit resides in Alice Wong. Drawing on a collection of original essays, previously published work, conversations, graphics, photos, commissioned art by disabled and Asian American artists, and more, Alice uses her unique talent to share an impressionistic scrapbook of her life as an Asian American disabled activist, community organizer, media maker, and dreamer. From her love of food and pop culture to her unwavering commitment to dismantling systemic ableism, Alice shares her thoughts on creativity, access, power, care, the pandemic, mortality, and the future. As a self-described disabled oracle, Alice traces her origins, tells her story, and creates a space for disabled people to be in conversation with one another and the world. Filled with incisive wit, joy, and rage, Wong’s Year of the Tiger will galvanize readers with big cat energy.

Download or read book The Selma of the North written by Patrick D. Jones and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2009-01-01 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Between 1958 and 1970, a distinctive movement for racial justice emerged from unique circumstances in Milwaukee. A series of local leaders inspired growing numbers of people to participate in campaigns against employment and housing discrimination, segregated public schools, the membership of public officials in discriminatory organizations, welfare cuts, and police brutality. The Milwaukee movement culminated in the dramaticÑand sometimes violentÑ1967 open housing campaign. A white Catholic priest, James Groppi, led the NAACP Youth Council and Commandos in a militant struggle that lasted for 200 consecutive nights and provoked the ire of thousands of white residents. After working-class mobs attacked demonstrators, some called Milwaukee Òthe Selma of the North.Ó Others believed the housing campaign represented the last stand for a nonviolent, interracial, church-based movement. Patrick Jones tells a powerful and dramatic story that is important for its insights into civil rights history: the debate over nonviolence and armed self-defense, the meaning of Black Power, the relationship between local and national movements, and the dynamic between southern and northern activism. Jones offers a valuable contribution to movement history in the urban North that also adds a vital piece to the national story.

Download or read book Disability Visibility Adapted for Young Adults written by Alice Wong and published by Delacorte Press. This book was released on 2021-10-26 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Disabled young people will be proud to see themselves reflected in this hopeful, compelling, and insightful essay collection, adapted for young adults from the critically acclaimed adult book, Disability Visibility: First Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century that "sheds light on the experience of life as an individual with disabilities, as told by none other than authors with these life experiences." --Chicago Tribune, "Best books published in summer 2020" (Vintage/Knopf Doubleday edition). The seventeen eye-opening essays in Disability Visibility, all written by disabled people, offer keen insight into the complex and rich disability experience, examining life's ableism and inequality, its challenges and losses, and celebrating its wisdom, passion, and joy. The accounts in this collection ask readers to think about disabled people not as individuals who need to be “fixed,” but as members of a community with its own history, culture, and movements. They offer diverse perspectives that speak to past, present, and future generations. It is essential reading for all.

Download or read book A Year of Weeks written by Erica Root and published by Hachette UK. This book was released on 2021-04-27 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Full of charming illustrations and inspiring prompts, A Year of Weeks is an interactive, imagination-sparking road map for a year of trying new things—broken into fifty-two exciting, achievable activities. From drinking enough water to trying out hand lettering, readers will delight in the engaging challenges and perspective-expanding activities curated by artist Erica Root in A Year of Weeks. Drawing on a wide range of prompts—from the practical to the dreamy—each week offers opportunities to try new things. And with each day broken down to bite-sized morsels and accomplishable goals, like dusting small corners or learning how to draw animal mugs, this adorable book has a little something for everyone in search of inspiration—from those who love decluttering to those who love lists. Through engaging activities and imagination-sparking illustrations, A Year of Weeks offers endless opportunities for enriching your life—one week at a time.

Download or read book Enduring the Cure written by Rachel Carter and published by . This book was released on 2019-10 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Harrowing" . . . "Gripping" . . . "A medical miracle!" How do you live when all you can feel is pain? The best word to describe Rachel Carter's life was "fearless." She rode a motorcycle in high school, she worked in a cannery in Alaska at 20, and then backpacked solo through Europe. When she finally "settled down," she married Josh and pursued a career in sales. She lived a picture-perfect life--then Multiple Sclerosis caught up with her. After two years of rapid decline, Rachel found herself lying on the floor, writhing in agony, hoping to die. In Enduring the Cure, Rachel Carter shares how she overcame her struggle with the debilitating disease. It's a story of pain, decline, an experimental treatment, and healing. But most of all, it's a story of inspiration, determination, and hope for anyone who has suffered a debilitating disease or diagnosis.

Download or read book Legally Blonde written by Amanda Brown and published by Diversion Books. This book was released on 2015-11-15 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The funny romantic comedy about an unlikely law student with big dreams that inspired the blockbuster movie and the Broadway musical. Elle Woods, California University senior, seems to have it all. President of Delta Gamma sorority, a star in the classroom (her major: sociopolitical jewelry design)—and is on the verge of becoming the much-envied Mrs. Warner Huntington III. Too bad Warner, bound for Stanford Law, dumps her with the explanation that he now needs a more “serious” woman at his side. Faced with this unexpected reversal of fortune, Woods doesn't get depressed, she gets busy. Thanks to a creative application and a demand for “diversity” at Stanford Law, Elle gets her acceptance letter. Soon she's packing up her convertible—as well as her miniature Chihuahua—determined to win back her man, and to prove to herself that dreaming big is the only way to dream. Smart, fast, and funny. Legally Blonde proves just how much fun blondes really can have.

Download or read book Backstory written by Avani Gregg and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2021-09-28 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this funny, vulnerable, and genuine memoir, award-winning content creator and actress Avani Gregg takes you behind the scenes of her incredible life, sharing how a girl from small-town Indiana went on to become TikToker of the Year. With more than fifty million followers on social media; invitations to glamorous events around the world; awards, magazine covers, and even her own makeup line—Avani Gregg never imagined this wild ride for herself. After all, she was just from a small town, spending her time hanging with friends and family and combing thrift-store racks for finds. It only took one video—her famous “Clown Girl Check”—and she suddenly found herself vibing as one of the original Hype House creators. “People think I exploded overnight,” the eighteen-year-old TikTok sensation says. “But they don’t know the half of it. They don’t know what came before or after. They don’t know my Backstory.” In this eye-opening memoir, Avani shares the ups and down of her remarkable life, including the devastating back injury that forced her to retire from gymnastics and abandon her dreams of Olympic gold. In the aftermath, struggling to make sense of it all, she found her calling: creating jaw-droppingly dramatic makeup looks on social media that leave her “Bebs” begging for more. Diving deep into topics like mental health, relationships, bullying, and more, Avani shares her private sketchbook and most intimate thoughts: “There’s a lot we all think and feel but are afraid to say out loud. Well, I’m saying it…and it’s gonna get deep.” This is the unfiltered, revealing, and deeply inspiring Backstory of someone with big dreams and how she worked to achieve them. And Avani is not holding back.

Download or read book Cruel Intentions written by Roger Kumble and published by Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment. This book was released on 1999-01-01 with total page 97 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Press kit includes 2 pamphlets and 8 photographs.

Download or read book Fall Down Laughing written by David L. Lander and published by Tarcher. This book was released on 2000 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The former "Laverne and Shirley" sitcom actor David Lander recounts his life and career, particularly his battle with multiple sclerosis, which he kept secret for fifteen years.

Download or read book Hellboy written by Yvonne Navarro and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2004-02-23 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Born in the flames of hell and brought to Earth as an infant to perpetrate evil, Hellboy was rescued from sinister forces by the benevolent Dr. Broom, who raised him to be a hero. In Dr. Broom's secret Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (B.P.R.D.), Hellboy creates an unlikely family consisting of the telepathic Mer-Man Abe Sapien and Liz Sherman, the woman he loves who can control fire. Hidden from the very society that they protect, they stand as the key line of defense against an evil madman who seeks to reclaim Hellboy to the dark side and use his powers to destroy mankind.