I Do Not Like Yolanda

Bianca likes stamps and writing letters and going to the post office. . . she does not like Yolanda, who works there. A relatable story about facing your fears and giving people a second chance for fans of Miss Nelson Is Missing and My Teacher is a Monster. When Bianca gets stuck in Yolanda's line at the post office, she expects the worst: scowls, claws, teeth . . . This is what she gets for having a five-letter day. She might not survive . . . Or will Yolanda surprise her? This hilarious story explores fear and kindness, in that order, when Bianca decides to overcome her terror and ask Yolanda very nicely how her weekend was... and learns that Yolanda is not scary, she's a delight! A truly lovely book about questioning your assumptions and reaching out to another person, no matter how scary they might be.

From the star of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills comes an emotional and eye opening behind-the-scenes look at her descent into uncovering the mystery of chronic Lyme disease. In early 2011, Yolanda was struck by mysterious symptoms including brain fog, severe exhaustion, migraines and more. Over the months and years that followed, she went from being an outspoken, multi-tasking, hands-on mother of three, reality TV star, and social butterfly, to a woman who spent most of her time in bed. Yolanda was turned inside out by some of the country’s top hospitals and doctors, but due to the lack of definitive diagnostic testing, she landed in a dark maze of conflicting medical opinions, where many were quick to treat her symptoms but could never provide clear answers to their possible causes. In this moving, behind the scenes memoir, Yolanda Hadid opens up in a way she has never been able to in the media before. Suffering from late stage Lyme, a disease that is an undeniable epidemic and more debilitating than anyone realizes, Yolanda had to fight with everything she had to hold onto her life. While her struggle was lived publicly, it impacted her privately in every aspect of her existence, affecting her family, friends and professional prospects. Her perfect marriage became strained and led to divorce. It was the strong bond with her children, Gigi, Bella and Anwar, that provided her greatest motivation to fight through the darkest days of her life. Hers is an emotional narrative and all-important read for anyone unseated by an unexpected catastrophe. With candor, authenticity and an unwavering inner strength, Yolanda reveals intimate details of her journey crisscrossing the world to find answers for herself and two of her children who suffer from Lyme and shares her tireless research into eastern and western medicine. Believe Me is an inspiring lesson in the importance of having courage and hope, even in those moments when you think you can’t go on.

I deal in beautiful things. I'm paid to create unique masterpieces and I enjoy my work. I'm the best there is because I'm patient, kind, and quick. I wear the mask of humanity when I need to, and I play the part of just another stranger walking past you on the street, but there's something I want that I can't quite seem to get my hands on. For all of the blood I shed-for all of the flesh I've stripped, there's only one touch that I long to feel. I may be a master of manipulation, yet when it comes to the hope of something that's just mine-something unexplainable toward another living creature that I long so desperately for, I'm a coward. But there's only so many times I'll be willing to stand by and watch what I want walk away from me before I acquire it. I've had enough patience and I've scolded myself more than once over this and I refuse to wait any longer. We belong together.

We both know that I've done my best to be a good father to these children. Sometimes, I felt like I had done right by them, but all I've ever had are disappointments. I'm going to give myself one more chance to get this right now that Darby is out of the way. Maybe they'll listen, but I doubt it. It still doesn't change how I feel a family should be run. And you ... You're always so quick to believe the lies of children. Honestly, it makes me laugh. If what they told you makes you sleep better at night, feel free to imagine that it's true. Anyway, let me tell you what happened before he went off to find his sister. And if you still want to find some comfort in what he's already said, then by all means--continue believing their lies. They'll fight me; I can already see it in their eyes. But you know what they say. You can't keep a good man down.

I knew that life was never meant to be easy. I knew that wishes made on stars were nothing more than just that. I was happy before he came along. Home was where my heart truly was, and I never wanted to feel any different. But sometimes those wishes we make have a way of coming true. And when I found out that a new family moved into town, that was the day everything changed. Home wasn't where my heart was anymore. It was with him.

I don't know where I am. I'm the last of nine. He calls me Faith, because he said that faith is blind. That's how he justified taking my eyes. See No Evil. That's the role I play here. If you can hear me. If you can see me. My name is Ione Winslow. PLEASE HELP.

I always wanted to find a place where I belonged.A place where I wasn't looked at differently for being one in a million.I left home when I was seventeen looking for this nirvana on Earth that I knew had to exist somewhere, and I finally found it in a small revival of traveling performers.No one here looks at me any differently because of my illness. See, even though I look like the perfect picture of health, that couldn't be further from the truth.I don't believe that my anomalies make me any less of a person than someone who has the ability to feel certain things.My new family has welcomed me with open arms, and even made me a top billing because of what I can withstand-which to say is a lot.Until him.I never knew that I didn't care to feel anything until he joined us.I want to feel him.I need to feel him.I've finally found the one thing I'm unable to withstand, and when I feel his eyes on me, I know that things will be alright eventually.He wants to help me-I can see it in the way he looks at me. Whether he admits it or not, I know that he's come here for me.