What's on your list? Do you dream of writing a novel someday? Or of recording an album of your own music? Would you spend a month backpacking through China if you could? Have you always secretly wanted to try skydiving? Or snorkeling? Or snowboarding? Whatever your personal goals or aspirations, no matter how humble or highfalutin, this revolutionary interactive handbook will help you jump-start life changes, and experience this world to the fullest. Perhaps your life is in transition-and, after all, whose isn't? Whether you're changing careers, planning for retirement, or just starting out after graduating from school . . . whether you're plotting to make your mark on the world, contemplating how you might best contribute, or simply wondering what's next in your life . . . 2Do Before I Die will help you set personal priorities, identify life goals, and realize your dreams. Less "how to" than "why not," 2Do Before I Die features eye-opening true stories of people who've changed their lives significantly in small ways (by learning to swim, growing a beard, working in a soup kitchen) or taken great, life-altering leaps (by starting a business, having a baby, traveling the world). With its provocative brainstorming exercises and ingenious practical tips, 2Do Before I Die encourages and enables you to create your own ultimate 2Do list -- one that can serve as your personal road map toward a uniquely rich life.

There's a strong interest in reading for pleasure or self-improvement in America, as shown by the popularity of Harry Potter, and book clubs, including Oprah Winfrey's. Although recent government reports show a decline in recreational reading, the same reports show a strong correlation between interest in reading and academic acheivement. This set provides a snapshot of the current state of popular American literature, including various types and genres. The volume presents alphabetically arranged entries on more than 70 diverse literary categories, such as cyberpunk, fantasy literature, flash fiction, GLBTQ literature, graphic novels, manga and anime, and zines. Each entry is written by an expert contributor and provides a definition of the genre, an overview of its history, a look at trends and themes, a discussion of how the literary form engages contemporary issues, a review of the genre's reception, a discussion of authors and works, and suggestions for further reading. Sidebars provide fascinating details, and the set closes with a selected, general bibliography. Reading in America for pleasure and knowledge continues to be popular, even while other media compete for attention. While students continue to read many of the standard classics, new genres have emerged. These have captured the attention of general readers and are also playing a critical role in the language arts classroom. This book maps the state of popular literature and reading in America today, including the growth of new genres, such as cyberpunk, zines, flash fiction, GLBTQ literature, and other topics. Each entry is written by an expert contributor and provides a definition of the genre, an overview of its history, a look at trends and themes, a discussion of how the literary form engages contemporary issues, a review of the genre's critical reception, a discussion of authors and works, and suggestions for further reading. Sidebars provide fascinating details, and the set closes with a selected, general bibliography. Students will find this book a valuable guide to what they're reading today and will appreciate its illumination of popular culture and contemporary social issues.

A revelation about how Dash may or may not have spent the summer before raises the stakes even higher in this second installment of the eerie and enthralling Black Sand Beach series, perfect for fans of Gravity Falls, Rickety Stich, and Fake Blood. Dash and his crew might have stumbled upon the source of the evil at Black Sand Beach when they stumbled into the abandoned and haunted lighthouse, but when Lily reveals that she found Dash's journal there, the news is anything but comforting. The book is full of Dash's reflections on his trip to Black Sand Beach the previous summer. Only Dash doesn't recognize the journal or have any memory of being there. As the friends read the entries aloud, through flashbacks Dash's unsettling encounter with two ghost girls, a truly terrifying monster, and a life changing event make one thing very clear: Black Sand Beach isn't done with them yet. Deliciously creepy and difficult to put down, Do You Remember the Summer Before? returns readers to a supernatural shore they'll never forget.