The Godmother

Inspiration for the major motion picture Mama Weed; translated from the international bestseller La Daronne, winner of the European Crime Fiction Prize and the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière, France’s most prestigious prize for crime fiction Meet Patience Portefeux, a fifty-three-year-old, underpaid Franco-Arab interpreter for the Ministry of Justice who specializes in phone tapping. Widowed after the sudden death of her husband, Patience is now wedged between university fees for her grown-up daughters and nursing home costs for her aging mother. Happening upon an especially revealing set of police wiretaps ahead of all other authorities, Patience makes a life-altering decision that sees her intervening in — and infiltrating — the machinations of a massive drug deal. She thus embarks on an entirely new career path: Patience becomes The Godmother. This is not the French idyll of postcards and stock photos. With a gallery of traffickers, dealers, police officers, and politicians, The Godmother casts its sharp and amusing gaze on everyday survival in contemporary France. With an unforgettable woman at its center, Hannelore Cayre’s bestselling novel reveals a European criminal underground that has rarely been seen.

The untold stories of the women who have risen to prominence and notoriety in Italy's mafia—many more ruthless than the fathers and husbands they replaced—and the octogenarian murderer who decades ago blazed a bloody trail for them to follow. In 1955 in a public market outside Naples, Italy, a pregnant teenage widow named Assunta “Pupetta” Maresca encounters the man she believes to be her husband's killer. Minutes later, police find the man dead, riddled with an astonishing 29 bullets. Pupetta is arrested and convicted for his death. "I killed for love," she declares in court, "and I'd do it again!" It is the middle of the twentieth century. Italy is impoverished after the war. Criminal organization are springing up where governments fail their citizens. Women are considered adjunct to the growth of the criminal class; they are mothers who train sons in the primacy of blood feuds, or they are daughters and sisters who deliver messages for imprisoned male relatives. But Pupetta changes that. She is heralded "Lady Camorra," and in prison she takes on legendary stature, with films and TV shows produced to capitalize on her outlaw image. The crime and even the killing does not stop there for Pupetta, and though she is arguably the first mafia godmother, she is not the worst. Some of the women who follow in her footsteps will meet terrible fates; others will lead their clans. But if CNN correspondent and Daily Beast Rome bureau chief makes one thing clear in The Godmother, it's that as women seize ever more control of Italy's criminal underworld, they are proving themselves more vicious, cunning and cutthroat than the men they replace.

In the Five Hundred Kingdoms, if you can't carry out your legendary role, life is no fairy tale.… Elena Klovis was supposed to be her kingdom's Cinderella—until fate took that future away from her, and she set out to make a new life for herself. But breaking with "The Tradition" that guides the kingdoms comes with a cost—one that could leave her powerless and destitute. Until, that is, her fairy godmother intervenes and offers her a most unexpected job… to become her apprentice, and learn the ways of magic. Now, instead of sleeping in the chimney, Elena must guide others along their own fated paths. And, of course, deal with arrogant, stuffed-shirt princes who keep trying to rise above their place. But when she finds herself falling for someone completely unexpected, she begins to question where her own path will lead her—and whether she’s willing to take fate into her own hands. Sometimes a fairy godmother's work is never done… Read the Tale of Five Hundred Kingdoms Series by Mercedes Lackey: Book 1: The Fairy Godmother Book 2: One Good Knight Book 3: Fortune’s Fool Book 4: The Snow Queen Book 5: The Sleeping Beauty Book 6: Beauty and the Werewolf

There is a role unique to women that we abandon easily. We live near each other, but not with each other--and not for each other. We don't want to intrude or judge and, maybe, we don't want to see each other truly succeed. And the world is happy with this unhappy state for women--one that pushes us to conform to a pattern of distrust, disengagement, and competition. It's no wonder we've lost ourselves, and our way. In her most personal, powerful book yet, New York Times bestselling author Lisa Bevere offers a catalytic, transformative vision for women of a different way to live--one that embraces the presence of a godmother--the older, wiser women you can go to and learn from, the strong women who partner with us through life. And everyone needs one! Drawing from her own life, biblical women, and the world of fairy tales, Lisa will show you how to transform what you have into what God wants you to have, push you forward during seasons of doubt, and love you enough to speak truth about God's larger, expansive view of your life. Lisa's candid, compassionate words are your best first step to living as a daughter of God, surrounded by strong relationships and confidence in your calling.

After her boyfriend dumps her for her older sister, sophomore Savannah wishes she could find a true prince to take her to the prom. Enter Chrysanthemum Everstar: Savannah's gum-chewing, cell phone-carrying, high heel-wearing Fair Godmother. Despite a few wish-granting mishaps, Savannah's fairy-tale ending might not be as far off as she imagined.

Jill Thompson's award-winning children's series Scary Godmother—widely known from the Cartoon Network animated feature—is back with more entertainment for readers of all ages in this complete comic-book collection! This volume collects Scary Godmother: Ghoul's Out for Summer; Scary Godmother: Holiday Spooktakular; Scary Godmother: Bloody Valentine Special; Scary Godmother Activity Book; Scary Godmother: Wild about Harry #1–#3; Scary Godmother and Friends Ashcan; "Scary Godmother: Six Feet South of the Border" from Action Girl #13; a nineteen-page, full-color sketchbook section; and more! • "Scary Godmother and her friends are cheerful and reassuring, and their message is that monsters are really very nice, once you get to know them."—School Library Journal • "Jill Thompson's Scary Godmother is another of this comics maestro's knockout punches."—Frank Miller (Sin City)

Nominated for the 2019 Singapore Book Awards, Best Children's Picture Book In the 1800s, a girl named Agnes Joaquim was passionate about plants. She even learned to grow cool-weather European vegetables in the tropical heat of Singapore. As she grew up, she collected many prizes for her plants. One day, after many trials and difficulty, she created a brand-new orchid. She showed it to an orchid expert named Henry Ridley, who officially named the flower the Vanda Miss Joaquim. This is the story of how one woman's ingenuity and determination created a flower that became world famous...and Singapore's National Flower in 1981. "Agnes and Her Amazing Orchid chronicles the remarkable journey of a brilliant horticulturist. An excellent introduction to our national flower, this wonderful book also provides a glimpse into the orchid breeding process. Singapore has a rich heritage in orchid cultivation, being one of the leading orchid hybridisation centres in the world. I hope this engaging story will inspire an interest in horticulture and botany amongst our children." —Kenneth Er, CEO of National Parks Board "A remarkable story of Agnes Joaquim’s passion for horticulture, whose interest in breeding orchids led her to become the first woman to breed a hybrid orchid – Singapore’s national flower the Vanda Miss Joaquim. Her story inspires us all to pursue our dreams." —Rosa Daniel, Deputy Secretary (Culture) Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth

"With the help of his Dairy Godmother, Chuck is taken--poof!--on a memorable and delicious adventure to a dairy farm. He finds out exactly where ice cream comes from and gains an even deeper love and appreciation for his favorite food"--