What's Normal Anyway?


Book Description

What's Normal Anyway? is a comic that discusses the trans male experience through the story of Mel, who takes the big risk of being himself and transitioning from female to male. This comic aims to add another voice representing a part of the wide spectrum of human diversity. And be funny about it too.




What's Normal Anyway? Celebrities' Own Stories of Mental Illness


Book Description

Nobody is immune from mental ill health, not even celebrities . . . We all know someone who suffers from mental illness. It may be a family member, friend, neighbour, or colleague. Now or in the future, it might be you. Here, for the first time, ten celebrities share their experiences of conditions including depression and anxiety, bipolar disorder and OCD, eating disorders and body dysmorphia. From Premiership footballer Dean Windass, to TV presenter Trisha Goddard, their candid first-person accounts detail the day-to-day reality of living with a mental health disorder, as well as the nervous breakdowns, stays in psychiatric hospitals, and suicide attempts. They also show that, ultimately, mental illness need not limit achievement, happiness, and fulfilment in life. These frank and honest stories help us to better understand mental illness, offer practical coping strategies, and give encouragement and solace for everyone out there who feels they are suffering alone. What’s Normal Anyway? shows that nobody is immune from mental ill health and shares powerful messages of positivity and hope. Contributors include: Bill Oddie, Alicia Douvall, Alastair Campbell, Stephanie Cole, Kevan Jones, Dean Windass, Trisha Goddard, Charles Walker, Tasha Danvers and Richard Mabey.




Am I Normal?


Book Description

*As heard on BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour* *A Blackwell's and Waterstones Best Popular Science Book of 2022* 'Excellent ... one of those rare pop-science books that make you look at the whole world differently' The Daily Telegraph ***** 'Riveting' Mail on Sunday ***** 'Captivating' Guardian, Book of the Day 'Compelling' Observer Sarah Chaney takes us on an eye-opening and surprising journey into the history of science, revisiting the studies, landmark experiments and tests that proliferated from the early 19th century to find answers to the question: what's normal? These include a census of hallucinations - and even a UK beauty map (which claimed the women in Aberdeen were "the most repellent"). On the way she exposes many of the hangovers that are still with us from these dubious endeavours, from IQ tests to the BMI. Interrogating how the notion and science of standardisation has shaped us all, as individuals and as a society, this book challenges why we ever thought that normal might be a desirable thing to be.




Austensibly Ordinary


Book Description

Steaming, funky, and thoroughly modern, Austin, Texas, isn't much like the gardened country estates of Jane Austen's work. But there might be a few similarities in its inhabitants. . . Cate Kendall is no stranger to daydreams of brooding men and fancy parties--after all, she teaches one of her beloved Jane Austen novels in her English classes every year. But as for romance or adventure in her own life, the highlight of most weeks is Scrabble with her cute coworker, Ethan, and he draws the line at witty banter. But Cate is ready for a change. When she finds a mysterious journal that seems to have a link to the soul of the great Jane Austen herself, she knows it's her chance. And she grabs on with both hands. . . Before she knows it, Cate has invented an alter ego with an attitude, attended some seriously chic soirees, and gotten tangled up with a delicious mystery man. And she's uncovered enough unexpected secrets about Ethan that her Scrabble partner has taken to brooding looks and unfathomable silences. It's a positively Austenite predicament, and Cate is sure she'll land in hot water and heartbreak--but maybe not with Jane herself to guide her. . . "Sexy, saucy, fun! Jane Austen would be proud!" --Sophie Jordan, New York Times bestselling author Praise for Austentatious "Frothy, fun, and full of juicy secrets, Alyssa Goodnight's Austen-inspired romp is no Plain Jane." --Erin Blakemore "Will appeal to all Austen fans while bringing a fresh twist with its magic journal." --Booklist "Kept me turning the pages way past my bedtime." --Cindy Jones, author of My Jane Austen Summer




Idiots


Book Description

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER A fresh, hilarious, and relatable collection of essays about everything from motherhood and marriage to sobriety and work-life balance (or imbalance) from the nationally bestselling author of the “honest, complicated” (SheKnows) Idiot. TRIGGER WARNING: TORN EVERYTHING! In her first book, Idiot, bestselling author Laura Clery gave us mind-blowingly personal life stories about addiction, toxic relationships, and recovery—establishing herself as the preeminent voice of infinite conviction meets zero impulse control. Here she is two kids later asking, “How did we get here?” Sex. Sex is how we got here. Laura’s life has changed a great deal since she wrote Idiot, but her hilarious candor has only increased with motherhood—plus she tells some of the stories she was too scared to tell in her first book (which is really saying something). In Idiots, Laura shares more than anyone ever asked for about: -Mucus plugs, vacuum extraction, and adult diapers -Dousing doulas, VagTime, and pelvic organ prolapse -Vaginismus, laxative overdose, and accidental lactivism -Placenta pills, mom brain, and vibrator manifestation -Nipple-twisting orgies and flinging a butt burrito in your doctor’s face -ADHD, autism, postpartum depression, and the wisdom of a ninety-eight-year-old sage named Anne -Unsolicited dick, sexual assault, and sister-drugging -Stephen’s cheating, Laura’s cheating, fights, and forgiveness -Choosing love over fear and healing the world Laura does not hold back when it comes to sharing stories of screw-ups, triumphs, and learning from her mistakes. Whether she’s crying into a diaper in a Whole Foods parking lot or desperately soliciting advice from a random elderly stranger (who has most certainly considered a restraining order), Laura is able to laugh at herself even during her worst moments—more important, she makes us laugh, cry, and feel less alone in the world.




Any Way You Cut it


Book Description

Many rural communities attract meat, poultry and fish processing plants owned by transnational corporations. They often bring social disorder in their wake (incoming workers). This work offers anthropological, geographical, sociological, journalist and industrial perspectives on the issue.




Against My Better Judgment


Book Description

When freshman year at the University of Alabama draws to a close, Sara Donovan finds herself grappling with the same old question—listen to her head or follow her heart. What she ends up doing is purchasing an Egyptian souvenir funerary mask, and after a mysterious phone call, she's certain a ring of antiquities smugglers are operating in Tuscaloosa. With finals never far from her mind and her return to 'Bama hanging in the balance, she should be studying. Instead she launches her own investigation to prove her mask is indeed a stolen artifact, and not a cheap trinket. When it comes time to snoop, Sara is more than ready, or at least she was until a hot new teaching assistant moves in next door. Suddenly she learns things are never as they seem. Ever.




A Normal Pig


Book Description

This charming picture book celebrates all our differences while questioning the idea that there is only one way to be “normal.” Pip is a normal pig who does normal stuff: cooking, painting, and dreaming of what she’ll be when she grows up. But one day a new pig comes to school and starts pointing out all the ways in which Pip is different. Suddenly she doesn’t like any of the same things she used to...the things that made her Pip. A wonderful springboard for conversations with children, at home and in the classroom, about diversity and difference.




Mullah Nasruddin


Book Description

How do you stop yourself from being blown away all the way to China? How do you get top-notch services out of snooty Turkish bath attendants? Why do camels not have wings? As thirteen-year-old Shashank the Sad pores over his math homework, a little doodle appears and Mulla Nasruddin—MN to his friends—comes alive! MN’s never-ending stream of stories enthralls Shashank but make him wonder if his new friend is completely crazy. Then one day, Shashank finds himself trapped in a magic grid. Is there a connection between MN’s madcap stories and Shashank’s way out of the grid? Taking the much-loved tales of Mulla Nasruddin into a young boy’s richly imaginative world, Sampurna Chattarji’s retelling is one that will entertain and move both adults and children alike.




Any Way the Wind Blows


Book Description

New York Times bestselling author Rainbow Rowell's epic fantasy, the Simon Snow trilogy, concludes with Any Way the Wind Blows. In Carry On, Simon Snow and his friends realized that everything they thought they understood about the world might be wrong. And in Wayward Son, they wondered whether everything they understood about themselves might be wrong. Now, Simon and Baz and Penelope and Agatha must decide how to move forward. For Simon, that means choosing whether he still wants to be part of the World of Mages — and if he doesn't, what does that mean for his relationship with Baz? Meanwhile Baz is bouncing between two family crises and not finding any time to talk to anyone about his newfound vampire knowledge. Penelope would love to help, but she's smuggled an American Normal into London, and now she isn't sure what to do with him. And Agatha? Well, Agatha Wellbelove has had enough. Any Way the Wind Blows takes the gang back to England, back to Watford, and back to their families for their longest and most emotionally wrenching adventure yet. This book is a finale. It tells secrets and answers questions and lays ghosts to rest. The Simon Snow Trilogy was conceived as a book about Chosen One stories; Any Way the Wind Blows is an ending about endings—about catharsis and closure, and how we choose to move on from the traumas and triumphs that try to define us.