“An alphabetized short list of things not to say to African-Americans . . . Smyer’s hilarious sampler offers astute observations on race and culture.” —Publishers Weekly Greetings, well-intentioned person of pallor! Your good intentions used to be enough. But in these diverse and divisive times, some people would hold you accountable for your actions. You were not raised for such unfairness. You need help. Now, Daquan—that black coworker you are referring to when you claim to have black friends—is here to give you that help, as you navigate perilous small talk with African Americans. How to use: Whenever you are confronted with an African American and you feel compelled to blurt out an observation about her hair or to liken your Tesla lease to slavery, take a moment to consult this reference. If the keen insight you want to share is listed herein . . . you can keep that to yourself. “By turns funny, sarcastic, and possibly true for many Black (and non-Black) Americans . . . While there is humor throughout, there is also a strong sense of anger, annoyance, and weariness when it comes to the Black experience in America. And though Smyer is addressing white people specifically, his humor can be appreciated by anyone who needs a good chuckle (and an education).” —Library Journal “A balm for tongues bitten and comments swallowed . . . A bitingly humorous compendium of the absurd subtle racism of the American workplace.” —Kirkus Reviews

2020 Arthur Ellis Award, Best YA Crime Book 2020 ITW Thriller Award, Best Young Adult Novel 2020 ALA Rainbow Book List The Globe 100, The Globe and Mail 2019 Books of the Year, Quill & Quire Our Favourite Books of the Decade, The Canadian Children's Book Centre 2020 John Spray Mystery Award Finalist 2020 Amy Mathers Teen Book Award Finalist 2021 Ann Connor Brimer Award for Atlantic Canadian Literature 2021 TAYSHAS Reading List, Texas Library Association "Breathtakingly chilling...eerie and wholly immersive...A tightly plotted mystery." Kirkus Reviews starred review It's been a year since the Catalog Killer terrorized the sleepy seaside town of Camera Cove, killing four people before disappearing without a trace. Like everyone else in town, eighteen-year-old Mac Bell is trying to put that horrible summer behind him—easier said than done since Mac's best friend Connor was the murderer's final victim. But when he finds a cryptic message from Connor, he's drawn back into the search for the killer—who might not have been a random drifter after all. Now nobody—friends, neighbors, or even the sexy stranger with his own connection to the case—is beyond suspicion. Sensing that someone is following his every move, Mac struggles to come to terms with his true feelings towards Connor while scrambling to uncover the truth.

The New York Times bestseller now in paperback! In her global phenomenon The 5 Second Rule, Mel Robbins taught millions of people around the world the five second secret to motivation. And in her latest bestseller, she shares another simple, proven tool you can use to take control of your life: The High 5 Habit. This isn’t a book about high fiving everyone else in your life. You’re already doing that. Cheering for your favorite teams. Celebrating your friends. Supporting the people you love as they go after what they want. But imagine giving that same love and encouragement to yourself. Or even better, making it a daily habit. In this book, you will learn more than a dozen powerful ways to high five the most important person in your life, the one who is staring back at you in the mirror: YOURSELF. Using her signature science-backed wisdom, deeply personal stories, and the real-life results that the High 5 Habit continues to create in people’s lives around the world, Mel teaches you how to make believing in yourself a habit you practice every day. The High 5 Habit is a holistic approach to life that changes your attitude, your mindset, and your behavior. So be prepared to laugh, learn, and launch yourself into a more confident, happy, and fulfilling life.

A black law student navigates the era of Rodney King and the Oklahoma City bombing—and his own anger issues—in this “mordantly funny” novel (San Francisco Chronicle). Shortlisted for the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence In Knucklehead we meet Marcus Hayes, a black law student who struggles, sometimes unsuccessfully, with the impulse to respond to everyday bad behavior with swift and antisocial action. The cause of this impulse is unknown to him. When Marcus unexpectedly becomes involved with the brilliant, kind Amalia Stewart, her love and acceptance pacify his demons. But when his demons return, he is no longer inclined to contain them . . . “By setting his novel in the ’90s, Smyer, who lives in Oakland, has crafted some brutal deja vu. As Marcus reflects on Rodney King, the Million Man March and the Oklahoma City bombing, we think of Freddie Gray, Black Lives Matter and school shootings that have become a way of life. And when Marcus laments San Francisco’s dwindling black population, here we are more than twenty years on, and it’s only gotten worse. We should all be furious.” —San Francisco Chronicle “Here is a list of things you'll need to read this book: ample space for stretching out the side stitches you’ll get from laughter; half a box of tissues for the most gripping and harrowing dramas at the heart of the novel; a fresh stress ball for the tense situations the protagonist finds himself in (both of his own doing and not); and just a bit of that space in your heart to see people, in all their complexity, trying to do their best.” —Pittsburgh Post-Gazette “Marcus Hayes careens through the racially divisive 1990s while trying to manage his compulsive anger, chaotic love life, and economic misfortunes . . . Smyer gives Marcus a sardonic and hilarious voice reminiscent of a Paul Beatty protagonist and endows him with a troubled psychology that plumbs the nuances of black male identity.” —Kirkus Reviews “While not strictly a crime novel, Smyer’s debut Knucklehead does contain a whole lot of guns, violence, and rage, as well as plenty of love and sadness. A black lawyer in the late ’80s through the mid-’90s deals with micro and macro aggressions from a society determined to treat him as a criminal. Also, there are cats. Lots of cats.” —Literary Hub

Unleash Your Irresistibility! "Make Every Man Want You gives every woman the tools she needs to unlock her inner magnet." --Kelly Ripa Let's make one thing clear: this book is like no other dating book you've read. There are no rules, no list of things to do to land a husband in thirty days, and no reason to blame yourself if “he's just not that into you.” Please. Throw those books away. Instead, let's focus on you--and how you can make yourself more appealing to others in almost every situation--whether you have a man or not. Think of it as a crash course in desirability, a life-changing lesson in loving yourself inside and out. Once you embrace your unique qualities and dissolve your bad relationship habits, you'll be amazed to find how irresistible you are to others! This girl-friendly guide reveals: Five Truths Every Irresistible Woman Needs to Know: Live in the moment, Men do not want to be changed or improved Seven Habits of Highly Unattractive Women: Boring in bed, Being needy Eight Secrets of Attracting the Right Man for You: Get rid of your "perfect man" checklist, Have your own life

In his classic book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni laid out a groundbreaking approach for tackling the perilous group behaviors that destroy teamwork. Here he turns his focus to the individual, revealing the three indispensable virtues of an ideal team player. In The Ideal Team Player, Lencioni tells the story of Jeff Shanley, a leader desperate to save his uncle’s company by restoring its cultural commitment to teamwork. Jeff must crack the code on the virtues that real team players possess, and then build a culture of hiring and development around those virtues. Beyond the fable, Lencioni presents a practical framework and actionable tools for identifying, hiring, and developing ideal team players. Whether you’re a leader trying to create a culture around teamwork, a staffing professional looking to hire real team players, or a team player wanting to improve yourself, this book will prove to be as useful as it is compelling.