A Good Morning America Buzz Pick From the author of Class Mom and You've Been Volunteered comes a new book on one mom's challenges through parenting and life, keeping her on her toes and perpetually in yoga pants. Jen Dixon of Overland Park, Kansas—fearless mother of a fifth-grade boy and two thirty-something daughters—is used to juggling a lot, from her mission to become a spin instructor, to stepping in as the most acerbic class mom ever (again), to taking care of her two-year-old granddaughter. But when the PTA president throws her a mandate to raise $10,000 for the fifth-grade class, even unflappable Jen is going to need more than her regular spin class to get her through this final year at William Taft Elementary School. In the midst of new complications—organizing the class overnight to Topeka, an unexpected spin class fan in the form of her husband’s crazy ex-wife, and trying to navigate her parents’ sudden descent into apparent delusions—Jen hardly has the patience to listen to yet another half-baked idea (come on, ladies, another wrapping paper sale?) from WeFUKCT (We Fundraise Until Kingdom Come Team), her fundraising committee. But if anyone can get elementary parents to pull off the impossible, it’s Jen Dixon. With her always irreverent and laugh-out-loud humor—boldly holding forth on those things you’re thinking, but would never dare say out loud—Laurie Gelman shines a light on the indignities and hilarities of modern parenting.

Laurie Gelman’s clever debut novel about a year in the life of a kindergarten class mom—a brilliant send-up of the petty and surprisingly cutthroat terrain of parent politics. Jen Dixon is not your typical Kansas City kindergarten class mom—or mom in general. Jen already has two college-age daughters by two different (probably) musicians, and it’s her second time around the class mom block with five-year-old Max—this time with a husband and father by her side. Though her best friend and PTA President sees her as the “wisest” candidate for the job (or oldest), not all of the other parents agree. From recording parents’ response times to her emails about helping in the classroom, to requesting contributions of “special” brownies for curriculum night, not all of Jen’s methods win approval from the other moms. Throw in an old flame from Jen’s past, a hyper-sensitive “allergy mom,” a surprisingly sexy kindergarten teacher, and an impossible-to-please Real Housewife-wannabe, causing problems at every turn, and the job really becomes much more than she signed up for. Relatable, irreverent, and hilarious in the spirit of Maria Semple, Class Mom is a fresh, welcome voice in fiction—the kind of novel that real moms clamor for, and a vicarious thrill-read for all mothers, who will be laughing as they are liberated by Gelman’s acerbic truths.

Even with the cutthroat days of being Class Mom behind her, as a freshly minted mat mom of the Pioneer Middle School (PMS) wrestling team, Jen Dixon cannot catch a break. This year, as her son joins the ranks of the PMS wrestlers, Jen faces mystifying new social dynamics with her trademark combination of reluctance and resigned acceptance. The sights and smells of her son’s wrestling matches are more than enough for her to deal with, but Jen also finds herself fully immersed in sports-mom competitiveness. These parents all seem perfectly unassuming until their kids start to wrestle, and then some become raging momsters. Jen steels herself for the indignities of middle school life, but she cannot quite fathom the extents to which some kids (and moms) will go for the sweet taste of victory. Add to this some truly bizarre encounters with students from her spin class and deeper challenges managing her parents, and Jen has more gum than she can chew...and even her riotously funny one-liners might not get her through it this time.

Fifty years ago, the campaign for a sovereign Sikh state - Khalistan - went global, proclaiming the birth of the new nation with an advertisement in The New York Times on 12 October 1971. The ensuing decades saw a bloodbath in which thousands, mainly Sikhs, lost their lives. Today, the campaign has all but fizzled out in its homeland but overseas, a politically plugged-in band of hardcore separatists keeps the cause alive. In Blood for Blood, veteran Canadian journalist Terry Milewski takes a close look at the global Khalistan project, its hunger for revenge and the feeble response of India's Western allies. He traces the rise and fall of diaspora militants like Talwinder Singh Parmar - the Vancouver-based founder of the Babbar Khalsa terrorist group and the man behind the 1985 'Kanishka' bomb plot which killed 329 aboard Air India Flight 182. The book provides startling new information about the Khalistan movement in Canada, the United Kingdom and India, which has been sustained for decades by Pakistan and now threatens to draw in China. Brilliantly researched, Blood for Blood brings new insights to a topic that continues to hold global interest decades after it first came to light.

In the beginning there was the fig leaf... and the toga. Crinolines and ruffs. Chain mailand corsets. What do these antiquated items have to do with the oh-so-twenty-first-century skinny jeans, graphic tee, and sexy pumps you slipped into this morning? Everything! Fashion begets fashion, and life—from economics to politics, weather to warfare, practicality to the utterly impractical—is reflected in the styles of any given era, evolving into the threads you buy and wear today. With the candidness, intelligence, and charm that made him a household name on Project Runway, Tim Gunn reveals the fascinating story behind each article of clothing dating back to ancient times, in a book that reads like a walking tour from museum to closet with Tim at your side. From Cleopatra’s crown to Helen of Troy’s sandals, from Queen Victoria’s corset to Madonna’s cone bra, Dynasty’s power suits to Hillary Clinton’s pantsuits, Tim Gunn’s Fashion Bible takes you on a runway-ready journey through the highs and lows of fashion history. Drawing from his exhaustive knowledge and intensive research to offer cutting-edge insights into modern style, Tim explains how the 1960s ruined American underwear, how Beau Brummell created the look men have worn for more than a century, why cargo capri pants are a plague on our nation, and much more. He will make you see your wardrobe in a whole new way. Prepare to be inspired as you change your thinking about the past, present, and future of fashion!

First impressions (and second ones!) count, whether you are an intern or a CEO. Lauren A. Rothman addresses an age-old dilemma: how to be appropriate and stylish in the workplace. Based on a decade of experience in the fashion industry, she addresses the basics of fashion and executive presence by offering advice, anecdotes, and style alerts that help readers avoid major fashion faux pas at the office. Style Bible: What to Wear to Work is the must-have resource for the modern professional, male or female, climbing the ladder of success. Lauren identifies the ultimate wardrobe essentials, and reveals shopping strategies and destinations for the everyday person. Style Bible, complete with helpful illustrations, is the go-to manual on how to dress for every professional occasion and a valuable resource for understanding dress codes by industry, city, and gender so that your visual cues will make a strong impact. Make a commitment to being better dressed at work with Style Bible.

"What corporations fear most are consumers who ask questions. Naomi Klein offers us the arguments with which to take on the superbrands." Billy Bragg from the bookjacket.