Just One More Song

Just One More Song is Herb Appleman’s account of coping with loss and grief following the death of his wife, Dee. It’s also the celebration of a marriage that was a love affair for forty-six years. The book takes the form of a diary that Herb kept during his first fifteen months of widowhood, and the entries are, for the most part, his conversations with Dee. These weren’t mystical experiences but, as Herb says, “as real as memory, imagination, and love are real.” They came about because he couldn’t sleep. Even sleeping pills didn’t help. Nothing did, until one night, when he remembered a scene from the movie Sleepless in Seattle. It was a scene in which Tom Hanks played a character who’d been recently widowed and was having trouble sleeping. Out of the blue, he imagined his dead wife sitting on the other end of the sofa, talking to him, and he felt comforted. Herb thought he’d give it a try and imagined talking to Dee. It worked. From then on, knowing he could talk to her at the end of the day gave him something to look forward to, and after they talked, he found it easier to sleep. Their conversations were triggered by things that happened on a particular day but ranged, as conversations often do, over the whole of their lives. The tone of the book is set in the dedication, which begins, “Nearly every night before going to sleep, Dee liked me to sing to her. The song she’d pick would depend on her mood or the occasion, if the day was special, or simply on the time of year. On the first day of fall, when the colors began to change, she’d always pick ‘Autumn Leaves.’ More often than not, after I finished, she’d say, ‘Just one more song. This time you pick it.’” The dedication ends: “For Dee, in loving memory, just one more song.” Just One More Song is enhanced by personal photos and reproductions of Dee’s artwork; it’s a book to treasure and tell your friends about, especially if they’re in mourning or if they still believe that romantic love can last a lifetime. And longer.

New York Times Bestseller A startlingly original debut from the actor, writer, director, and executive producer hailed as “a gifted observer of the human condition and a very funny writer capable of winning that rare thing: unselfconscious, insuppressible laughter” (The Washington Post). A boy wins a $100,000 prize in a box of Frosted Flakes—only to discover that claiming the winnings might unravel his family. A woman sets out to seduce motivational speaker Tony Robbins—turning for help to the famed motivator himself. A new arrival in Heaven, overwhelmed with options, procrastinates over a long-ago promise to visit his grandmother. We meet Sophia, the first artificially intelligent being capable of love, who falls for a man who might not be ready for it himself; a vengeance-minded hare, obsessed with scoring a rematch against the tortoise who ruined his life; and post-college friends who try to figure out how to host an intervention in the era of Facebook. Along the way, we learn why wearing a red T-shirt every day is the key to finding love, how February got its name, and why the stock market is sometimes just . . . down. Finding inspiration in questions from the nature of perfection to the icing on carrot cake, One More Thing has at its heart the most human of phenomena: love, fear, hope, ambition, and the inner stirring for the one elusive element just that might make a person complete. Across a dazzling range of subjects, themes, tones, and narrative voices, the many pieces in this collection are like nothing else, but they have one thing in common: they share the playful humor, deep heart, sharp eye, inquisitive mind, and altogether electrifying spirit of a writer with a fierce devotion to the entertainment of the reader.

From Academy Award-nominated Jesse Eisenberg comes a collection of hilarious stories that tackle the modern world from multiple yet equally absurd and poignant points of view. The series of stories that gives the book its unusual title are written from the point of view of a nine-year-old boy whose mother brings him to expensive Los Angeles restaurants so that she can bill her ex-husband for the meals. One story in the "Bream Gives Me Hiccups" series begins: "Last night, Mom and I went to Thanksgiving dinner at a Vegan family's house, which is kind of like going to Temple for Christmas. Mom said that Vegans are 'people that don't eat any meat or cheese or shave.'" Another series of stories are letters written by a university student to her high school counselor as she grows gradually more unhinged. Other stories imagine discussions in ancient Pompeii just before the volcanic eruption, explore the vagaries of post-gender-normative dating in New York City, and conjure up Alexander Graham Bell's first five phone calls: "Have you heard anything from Mabel? I've been calling her all day, she doesn't pick up! Yes, of course I dialed the right number--2!" Plus there is an email exchange between a boy and his girlfriend taken over by his sister who is obsessed with the Bosnian genocide, an ex-husband reviewing his wife's book online, and Marxist-Socialist jokes, including: "What do you get when you cross a Marxist with a Socialist? Two people who generally feel that the value of a commodity is equal to its socially necessary labor time." In different ways, the stories explore what it means to navigate the modern world, and are all illuminated by Eisenberg's ironic wit and fantastically funny and original voice.

There are few creative acts more mysterious and magical than writing a song. But what if the goal wasn't so mysterious and was actually achievable for anyone who wants to experience more magic and creativity in their life? That's something that anyone will be inspired to do after reading Jeff Tweedy's How to Write One Song. Why one song? Because the difference between one song and many songs isn't a cute semantic trick—it's an important distinction that can simplify a notoriously confusing art form. The idea of becoming a capital-S songwriter can seem daunting, but approached as a focused, self-contained event, the mystery and fear subsides, and songwriting becomes an exciting pursuit. And then there is the energizing, nourishing creativity that can open up. How to Write One Song brings readers into the intimate process of writing one song—lyrics, music, and putting it all together—and accesses the deep sense of wonder that remains at the heart of this curious, yet incredibly fulfilling, artistic act. But it’s equally about the importance of making creativity part of your life every day, and of experiencing the hope, inspiration, and joy available to anyone who’s willing to get started.

This heartwarming picture book reassures children that a parent’s love never lets go—based on the poignant lyrics of JJ Heller’s beloved lullaby “Hand to Hold.” “May the living light inside you be the compass as you go / May you always know you have my hand to hold.” With delightful illustrations and an engaging rhyme scheme, this book offers the promise of security and love every child’s heart longs to know. From skipping stones and counting stars to climbing trees and telling stories, every moment is wrapped snugly in the certain warmth of a parent’s presence and God’s blessing. With poignancy and joy, this bedtime read captures the unconditional love parents want their children to know but so often fail to express amid the chaos of daily life.

All pebbles are unique. No two are alike. Some are big; some are small. Just as each of us, we are unique. As we walk through life, the pond sends ripples out to the world when the pebbles are tossed into the water. Some make beautiful ripples; others just drop into the pond. May these stories encourage you and help you handle the pebbles in your life as you walk through this world with joy and anticipation, knowing that God has a plan for you and will make a way for you if you will let him.

From Geisel Honor-winning author/illustrator Salina Yoon comes a lush, heartwarming audio eBook about unbreakable friendship and celebrating what makes you unique. Dennis is an ordinary boy who expresses himself in extraordinary ways. Some children do show-and-tell. Dennis mimes his. Some children climb trees. Dennis is happy to BE a tree . . . But being a mime can be lonely. It isn't until Dennis meets a girl named Joy that he discovers the power of friendship--and how special he truly is! From the beloved author/illustrator of the Penguin and Bear series comes a heartwarming story of self-acceptance, courage, and unbreakable friendship for anyone who has ever felt "different." Don't miss these other books from Salina Yoon! The Penguin series Penguin and Pinecone Penguin on Vacation Penguin in Love Penguin and Pumpkin Penguin's Big Adventure Penguin's Christmas Wish The Bear series Found Stormy Night Bear's Big Day The Duck, Duck, Porcupine series Duck, Duck, Porcupine My Kite is Stuck! And Other Stories That's My Book! And Other Stories Be a Friend