Sliding Into The New Year

An engaging celebration of global linguistic diversity, with plenty of fascinating cases of cross-linguistic variation in each chapter.

Four stories by four authors…one fateful New Year’s Eve Four kisses at midnight… Three different sisters… Two old flames… One bet that drives it all! The Devine sisters return to their hometown for New Year’s Eve each year to attend the annual ball. Part of the tradition is their decade-old bet: whoever has no date at midnight has to kiss their nerdy neighbor Lewis Kampmueller. Tess—burned by love, the glamorous Broadway star isn’t interested in a repeat performance…until she encounters an old flame. Annabelle—when the local etiquette expert gets caught breaking the law, her heart might have to pay the price. Grace— the tough FBI agent has an easy time being one of guys, but is she woman enough to keep a man? Lewis—the shy nerd has made millions over the years…but is he smart enough to catch the woman of his dreams? Who will lose the bet but win out in love? Four charming stories written by four different authors about one fateful New Year’s Eve. The champagne is poured. The clock is ticking. Join the countdown!

Thrill-loving fifth grader Ellie (YaYa) Silver has been waiting all summer to visit the brand new water park in town. She is super excited when her best friend, Megan, invites her to go--that is until her twin brother, Joel (YoYo), points out that Megan is going on Rosh Hashanah. Sure, Rosh Hashanah is a big deal, but so is Splash World! What will Ellie do?

Among the world’s myriad cultures and their associated calendars, the idea of a “New Year” is relative and hardly specifies a universal celebration or even a universal point in time. Ways of celebrating the New Year range from the observances of religious rituals and superstitions to social gatherings featuring particular foods, music, dancing, noisemaking, fireworks and drinking. This first encyclopedia devoted exclusively to the New Year includes 320 entries that give a global perspective on the New Year, beyond its traditional Western associations with Christmas. National or regional entries detail the principal traditions and customs of 130 countries, while 27 entries discuss major calendar systems in current use or of significant historical interest. The remaining entries cover a wide variety of subjects including literary works, movies, and television specials; the customs of specific ethnic groups; universal customs such as toasting and drinking; football bowl games and parades; and the New Year celebrations at the White House and the Vatican.

Eight friends. One holiday. A party that will change their lives forever. When Karl and Nicole hosted their first New Year's party, they never imagined it would become a recurring holiday tradition with the same college friends for the next ten years. But when Karl's brother Mike dies in a head-on collision on his way to Karl’s house for the celebration, their hodgepodge group of party guests finds themselves bonded forever through an unexpected shared trauma. To honor Mike's memory, they make a pact to hold a New Year's Party each year, no matter what the circumstances. Amanda Reynolds had no idea she wouldn’t get to ring in the year 1999 when she hopped into the passenger seat of Mike’s car that night. As she slipped in and out of consciousness, she couldn't have guessed that her boyfriend was tragically gone and her life was about to change forever because of friends she hadn’t even met yet. Evan was sitting in the living room with his girlfriend Amy when Karl got the call from the hospital. Not knowing what else to do, he rushed after his best friend to the hospital and—trying to calm Karl's worried mother—ended up sitting alone in a stranger's room, gripping her hand while she clung to life. Can one night in a hospital room forge a bond strong enough to fight for? Is it possible for friendships to truly stand the test of time? If you love rich characters, deep romance, and holiday magic, you'll love Gunderson's new heartwarming saga. Read Now!