Cry Until You Laugh

There are so many things that we do not have control over, things that we would not ever choose: cancer, loosing a spouse, tragic accidents. But we can choose how we will handle these things. Joy is a choice that anyone can make but not everyone knows how. Facing cancer, becoming a widow, loosing the future as the author saw it made her recognize that she had to choose a way to deal with the present.

This book mixes humor with solid practical advice for coping with grief in a down-to-earth, meet-you-where-you-live approach.

For fans of Gillian Flynn, Caroline Cooney, and R.L. Stine comes Laugh Till You Cry from four-time Edgar Allen Poe Young Adult Mystery Award winner Joan Lowery Nixon. Thirteen-year-old Cody doesn’t like Texas. He and his mom were only supposed to spend the summer there, helping out his grandmother. But Cody’s grandmother is sick and needs them to stay. Now he’s the new kid at the local middle school and all his friends are back in California. You’d think Cody’s cousin Hayden would show him the ropes. Not only is Hayden in the same grade; he lives next door. But Hayden doesn’t want anything to do with Cody. Cody’s luck begins to change when he befriends Officer Ramsey, a policeman and aspiring stand-up comic. Officer Ramsey appreciates Cody’s jokes so much, he pays Cody for the material! But it’s no laughing matter when a crime is committed at school and Cody becomes a suspect. Cody is going to need more than jokes to solve this mystery—and clear his name. “Nixon has crafted a lively, fast-paced tale with an intelligent young hero who is creative, courageous, and compassionate.” –Kirkus Reviews “Cody’s humorous side…and the book’s length make this mystery ideal.” –School Library Journal “A fast-paced and fun read.” –VOYA

A tragicomic story of bad dates, bad news, bad performances, and one girl's determination to find the funny in high school from the author of Denton Little's Deathdate. Winnie Friedman has been waiting for the world to catch on to what she already knows: she's hilarious. It might be a long wait, though. After bombing a stand-up set at her own bat mitzvah, Winnie has kept her jokes to herself. Well, to herself and her dad, a former comedian and her inspiration. Then, on the second day of tenth grade, the funniest guy in school actually laughs at a comment she makes in the lunch line and asks her to join the improv troupe. Maybe he's even . . . flirting? Just when Winnie's ready to say yes to comedy again, her father reveals that he's been diagnosed with ALS. That is . . . not funny. Her dad's still making jokes, though, which feels like a good thing. And Winnie's prepared to be his straight man if that's what he wants. But is it what he needs? Caught up in a spiral of epically bad dates, bad news, and bad performances, Winnie's struggling to see the humor in it all. But finding a way to laugh is exactly what will see her through. **A Junior Library Guild Selection**

Today's special: A slice of insight and a scoop of wisdom, with some laughter on the side Deanna Davis is no stranger to tough times. Like the rest of us, she's faced her share of heartache, self-doubt, and professional obstacles among other challenges. In this inspiring new guide, she mixes together all the best ingredients-good humor, a dollop of wisdom, and powerful insights from the worlds of Positive Psychology and neuroscience-to serve up practical strategies for transforming your life, no matter how warmed-over everything around you (and inside you) might seem. With humor, honesty, and a down-to-earth, relatable style, Davis shares stories and insights that address the issues real women face every day-from balancing family needs with personal and professional ones, and stealing a few moments of quiet every now and then, to getting through the rough patches that every relationship sometimes throws us. Celebrating the importance of mindful living, the power of friendships, and the undeniable benefits of a good laugh (and, every now and then, a good cry), this is just the satisfying read we need for these tough times.

Ranging from the relatable to the utterly nonsensical and bizarre, The Book of Onions focuses on themes of loneliness, desperation, and failure. And misplaced optimism. And perverted talking fruit. Sort of like Gary Larson’s “The Far Side,” if Gary were way less accomplished and suffered from depression.

In a real, caring, and often light-hearted fashion, Cry Until You Laugh provides all the tools needed to understand grieving from every side of the experience. Mr. Obershaw helps the grieving reader through the process of grief without focusing on artificial "stages", even offering a view to the cultural difficulties people in grief often discover. He provides the point of view of clergy and funeral directors, as well as medical and other professionals who attend to the grieving so that this book not only comforts those in grief it also offers potent help for all professionals who work with the grieving.

Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more. Life is a gift from God, an unlimited series of opportunities to find the good in ourselves and others. There is good in everything, if we are willing to see it. Life will have meaning when we understand it is a gift, an amazing gift. Think for a moment about the things that you are worry about; I mean if you think seriously nothing is more precious or amazing than life itself. ... We must learn appreciating everything we have in life. Every day you live wisely. The Most Precious Gift of Life shows us that we must live with love, because that is the only way to really live.