The second book in this breakout series that's been called "charming and delectably sweet." (Zoraida Córdova, award-winning author of the Brooklyn Brujas series) Leonora Logroño has finally been introduced to her family’s bakery bruja magic—but that doesn’t mean everything is all sugar and spice. Her special power hasn’t shown up yet, her family still won’t let her perform her own spells, and they now act rude every time Caroline comes by to help Leo with her magic training. She knows that the family magic should be kept secret, but Caroline is her best friend, and she’s been feeling lonely ever since her mom passed away. Why should Leo have to choose between being a good bruja and a good friend? In the midst of her confusion, Leo wakes up one morning to a startling sight: her dead grandmother, standing in her room, looking as alive as she ever was. Both Leo and her abuela realize this might mean trouble—especially once they discover that Abuela isn’t the only person in town who has been pulled back to life from the other side. Spirits are popping up all over town, causing all sorts of trouble! Is this Leo’s fault? And can she reverse the spell before it’s too late? Anna Meriano’s unforgettable family of brujas returns in a new story featuring a heaping helping of amor, azúcar, and magia.

Hello. I am Homeless. Soon your head will be my home. No... Your head is already my home. My thoughts are inside of you as you read this. Therefore, I am inside of you now. Living inside you. Walking around in my boxer briefs. Scratching my balls. Rearranging the mental furniture inside your head. Opening the space up in case I feel like entertaining. I plan on entertaining. Thank you for letting me live inside your head. Thank you for giving me a warm place to stay. At least for now. I am Homeless. Hello. Hello...

HOMELESS is based out of New York City. He has the personality of a duct-taped Wiffle ball bat. His hobbies include staring into empty McDonald's bags, blowing his nose into empty McDonald's bags, and drawing on empty McDonald's bags. He's also the author of a novel, This Hasn't Been a Very Magical Journey so Far (Expat Press), and a forthcoming poetry collection, Ghost Crumbs (University of Hell Press). // "Richard Brautigan meets James Purdy while waiting in line at McDonald's."-the Hamburglar // "[Homeless] balances comedy, nihilism, and grief to tell a heartfelt story that amuses you with its absurdity and makes you laugh with [the] unexpected..."-HEAVY FEATHER REVIEW

Humorous, heartfelt, and endearing, My Heart Belongs in an Empty Big Mac Container Buried Beneath the Ocean Floor is the story of a young man (as empty as the Big Mac container itself) facing depression head on, and learning to find beauty and hope in a life mired by mental illness. Daniel has been stalked by six-foot-tall sad-looking blue whales since childhood. Exhausted and ravaged by their miserable company (and excessive crying), 31-year-old Daniel can't take it anymore. After breaking up with his girlfriend, Daniel, ever the fast food junkie, vows to end it all by burying his heart in an empty Big Mac container beneath the ocean floor--the only way, he feels, to responsibly end his life and keep his poisonous heart as far away from others as possible. With the help of a wayward sad-looking blue whale, Daniel steals his ex's boat and he and the whale set off into the ocean. But once out on the water, things don't go as planned and they soon become stranded. Fighting heat stroke and delirium, surreal events unfold around them, forcing Daniel to not only confront the sad-looking blue whales and the troubled life they've forced him to live, but also his choice as to whether he truly wants to live or die. Pulsating like an epic album by Daniel Johnston, Homeless shares a moving story about love, authenticity, and listening to the whale calls in your heart.

Some change the world. Some break it. If you loved the Kushiel series or The Priory of the Orange Tree, try this sweeping epic starring a bisexual warrior princess with a taste for dominance! Valya has won permission to hunt down the slave traders defiling her land and stealing its children. Now begins the most difficult part of her mission: she and her companions must find the perpetrators of this crime, and rescue their victims. But as Valya will discover, the roots of the evil go deep. And saving Zemnian children from death or a life of degrading servitude is not Valya’s only concern. She still must win the heart and hand of the son of her worst enemy, and unite the steppe with the rest of the country at a time when the succession and the very life of the Tsarina hangs in the balance. And then there is the question of her daughter’s magical gifts—and, it may be, her own. Like her foremothers, Valya is about to discover that gifts of power are as much a curse as a blessing, and can be a danger not just to the wielder, but to everyone around her. Valya wants to save her homeland, but if she’s not careful, she might end up tearing it apart. With discussion questions at the end. Reading order of the Zemnian Series: The Zemnian Series: Slava’s Story The Midnight Land I: The Flight The Midnight Land II: The Gift The Zemnian Series: Dasha’s Story The Breathing Sea I: Burning The Breathing Sea II: Drowning The Zemnian Series: Valya’s Story The Dreaming Land I: The Challenge The Dreaming Land II: The Journey The Dreaming Land III: The Sacrifice

The beloved New York Times bestselling author reflects on home, family, friendships and writing in this deeply personal collection of essays. "The elegance of Patchett’s prose is seductive and inviting: with Patchett as a guide, readers will really get to grips with the power of struggles, failures, and triumphs alike." —Publisher's Weekly “Any story that starts will also end.” As a writer, Ann Patchett knows what the outcome of her fiction will be. Life, however, often takes turns we do not see coming. Patchett ponders this truth in these wise essays that afford a fresh and intimate look into her mind and heart. At the center of These Precious Days is the title essay, a surprising and moving meditation on an unexpected friendship that explores “what it means to be seen, to find someone with whom you can be your best and most complete self.” When Patchett chose an early galley of actor and producer Tom Hanks’ short story collection to read one night before bed, she had no idea that this single choice would be life changing. It would introduce her to a remarkable woman—Tom’s brilliant assistant Sooki—with whom she would form a profound bond that held monumental consequences for them both. A literary alchemist, Patchett plumbs the depths of her experiences to create gold: engaging and moving pieces that are both self-portrait and landscape, each vibrant with emotion and rich in insight. Turning her writer’s eye on her own experiences, she transforms the private into the universal, providing us all a way to look at our own worlds anew, and reminds how fleeting and enigmatic life can be. From the enchantments of Kate DiCamillo’s children’s books (author of The Beatryce Prophecy) to youthful memories of Paris; the cherished life gifts given by her three fathers to the unexpected influence of Charles Schultz’s Snoopy; the expansive vision of Eudora Welty to the importance of knitting, Patchett connects life and art as she illuminates what matters most. Infused with the author’s grace, wit, and warmth, the pieces in These Precious Days resonate deep in the soul, leaving an indelible mark—and demonstrate why Ann Patchett is one of the most celebrated writers of our time.