The Joy of Reading
These books will give you a lift, inspire you & make you smile.
The magical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who travels the world in search of treasure. He journeys to the markets of Tangiers and across the Egyptian desert to a fateful encounter with the Alchemist. The story of the treasures Santiago finds along the way teaches us, as only a few stories have done, about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, learning to read the omens strewn along life's path and, above all, following our dreams.
This uplifting story is told through the eyes of a very human-like dog that helps his beloved family through trials and tribulations. It's heart-wrenching and deeply funny; a story of loyalty, hope and the wonders and absurdities of life, as only a dog could tell it. It is an engaging inspirational tale that encourages people to go after your dreams.
You'll never look at Humpty Dumpty in quite the same way again. Rapunzel, Jack Spratt, the Gingerbread Man and many others take on new personalities that are quite different than the fairy tale images we grew up with. It's the perfect mix of absurdist humor, mystery, drama and suspense.
Heartwarming, insightful and often laugh-out-loud funny, this book is not only the emotional and hilarious story of a dog's many lives, but also a dog's-eye commentary on human relationships and the unbreakable bonds between man and man's best friend. This moving and beautifully crafted story teaches us that love never dies, that our true friends are always with us and that every creature on earth is born with a purpose.
Eddie is an old wounded war veteran who thinks he's lived an uninspired life. His job is fixing rides at a seaside amusement park. On his 83rd birthday, he dies trying to save a little girl from a falling cart. He awakens in the afterlife. He learns that heaven is not a destination, it's a place where your life is explained to you by five people, some who you knew, others who were strangers. The book's message is that no matter who, each person's life has purpose and reason
This classic science fiction novel takes hilarity and imagination to a whole new level. Seconds before Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Together they journey through space aided by a galaxy of unique travelers. The imagination it must have taken to create this sci-fi adventure is incredible. This book has a huge fan base, and after reading it, it's not hard to see why.
Meet Poppy Wyatt, who's riding a lucky wave, about to marry her ideal man. But in one afternoon her happily ever after begins to fall apart. Not only has she lost her engagement ring in a fire drill but in the panic that follows, her phone is stolen. She spots an abandoned phone in a trash can. Perfect! Except, the phone's owner, businessman Sam Roxton, wants his phone back and doesn't appreciate Poppy wading into his personal life. What ensues is a hilarious and unpredictable turn of events as Poppy and Sam increasingly upend each other's lives through emails and text messages.
Patrick F. McManus's gently comic stories about outdoor life have earned him millions of fans worldwide. With Kerplunk!, McManus delivers a collection of folksy, wonderfully wise depictions of country life worthy of Mark Twain. In these tall tales, McManus and his buddies learn how not to net a fish, why you should never get your hair cut by someone who's mad at you, what to do when a deer wanders into camp but your sleeping bag has frozen shut and how to avoid bird-dog flatulence. These wry, hilarious tales appeal to real outdoorsmen and the armchair variety alike.
All young Jenny Lawson ever wanted was to fit in. But, her fantastically unbalanced father and a wildly eccentric childhood cut that dream short. The adult Jenny's long-suffering husband and sweet daughter help her discover that the most terribly human moments - the ones we want to pretend never happened - make us the people we are today.
A funny, gentle romance between the very British retired Maj. Ernest Pettigrew and Jasmina Ali, the Pakistani owner of the local convenience store. The two are thrown together in an unlikely romance that everyone in town has an opinion about. This thoroughly charming novel wraps Old World sensibility around a story of multicultural conflict involving two widowed people who assume they're done with love. The result is a smart romantic comedy about decency and good manners in a world threatened by all things modern.
American born Bill Bryson takes readers on an amusing farewell-to-Britain tour, traveling from the south of England to the northern tip of Scotland. He retells experiences that we all can relate to but can be glad never happened to us. All of Bryson's books are highly entertaining and will have you laughing out loud.
Ever wonder what your dog would look like underwater? In more than 80 portraits, award-winning pet photographer's images of leaping Labs and diving Dachshunds are guaranteed to make you smile.
One of the best in classic literature, this is a remarkable tale of survival and heroism. On the surface, the story is an engaging tale about a group of outcast rabbits who leave their warren, but in reality it's an epic novel of adventurers who venture forth against all odds on a quest for a new home and a sturdier future. It's full of hope, friendship and love. You can learn a lot from these rabbits about morality and humanity and, in a way, how important it is to stand up to the people who would keep you down.