Who Made Me Like This

Born in Brooklyn, New York and experiencing street life real early in my childhood, like around five and six years of age. Life in the streets caused a great imprint in my mind and an awesome impact on my way of thinking. This tremendous awareness in my youth gave new meaning to the word imprint. A few years later, at the age of nine our family, comprised of nine childrens plus my mom and dad, moved to this country town in Pennsylvania, called Lancaster. My Godfather called it the hilly country. My family consisted of six boys and three girls and to us this was a tramatic, overwhelming, and completly over the edge culture shock. It was devastating to say the least. Bewildered, fustrated, and confused, the only thing that kept my sanity was knowing that I was going back to New York, as soon as I finished school. That was my motivation, and that desire to return to Brooklyn, New York was my hope for many days to come.

A New York Times Bestseller -- True stories inspired by one of the most iconic, beloved, bestselling books of our time, Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat Pray Love has become a worldwide phenomenon, empowering millions of readers to set out on paths they never thought possible, in search of their own best selves. Here, in this candid and captivating collection, nearly fifty of those readers—people as diverse in their experiences as they are in age and background—share their stories. The journeys they recount are transformative—sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking, but always deeply inspiring. Eat Pray Love helped one writer to embrace motherhood, another to come to terms with the loss of her mother, and yet another to find peace with not wanting to become a mother at all. One writer, reeling from a difficult divorce, finds new love overseas; another, a lifelong caregiver, is inspired to take an annual road trip, solo. A man leaves seminary, embraces his sexual identity, and forges a new relationship with God. A woman goes to divinity school and grapples with doubt and belief. One writer’s search for the perfect pizza leads her to New Zealand and off-the-grid homesteading, while another, in overcoming an eating disorder, redefines her relationship not only with food but with herself. Some writers face down devastating illness and crippling fears, and others step out of their old lives to fulfill long-held dreams of singing, acting, writing, teaching, and learning. Entertaining and enlightening, Eat Pray Love Made Me Do It is a celebration for fans old and new. What will Eat Pray Love make you do?

Have you ever loved someone so much that you found yourself not thinking with your brain but constantly letting your heart make decisions that you would not ordinarily think twice about? Of course you have.On so many occasions I said to myself enough is enough but I still stayed because my heart would not let me walk away. I will talk about how love had me so blind that I let a man physically and emotionally abuse me for years, how love had me so blind to stay with a man that lied and cheated over and over again, and how love had me so blind that I spent over $35,000 cash on a guy. I want to share these stories with you because many of you have had experiences of your own and I want to let you know that you are not the only one. Maybe my stories will give you inspiration to leave an unhealthy relationship you are currently in or just to open your eyes to any signs of a future relationship like these. I share intimate detail after intimate detail of my relationships from beginning to the end. I follow up each story with a lessons learned, and advice to anyone currently in that type of relationship. If you thought my "Hell Dates" were crazy let me tell you about some of my "Hell Relationships".

Just as authors create books, books create authors — and these essays by thirty-one writers for young people offer a fascinating glimpse at the books that inspired them the most. What if you could look inside your favorite authors’ heads and see the book that led them to become who they are today? What was the book that made them fall in love, or made them understand something for the first time? What was the book that made them feel challenged in ways they never knew they could be, emotionally, intellectually, or politically? What book made them readers, or made them writers, or made them laugh, think, or cry? Join thirty-one top children’s and young adult authors as they explore the books, stories, and experiences that changed them as readers — for good. Some of the contributors include: Ambelin Kwaymullina Mal Peet Shaun Tan Markus Zusak Randa Abdel-Fattah Alison Croggon Ursula Dubosarsky Simon French Jaclyn Moriarty

Sixteen-year-old Sophie Nicolaides was practically raised in the kitchen of her family's Italian-Greek restaurant, Taverna Ristorante. When her best friend, Alex, tries to persuade her to audition for a new reality show, Teen Test Kitchen, Sophie is reluctant. But the prize includes a full scholarship to one of America's finest culinary schools and a summer in Napa, California, not to mention fame. Once on set, Sophie immediately finds herself in the thick of the drama—including a secret burn book, cutthroat celebrity judges, and a very cute French chef. Sophie must figure out a way to survive all the heat and still stay true to herself. A terrific YA offering—fresh, fun, and sprinkled with romance.

They Made Me An Addict They Made Me An Addict shows the journey of Moses, a young African American male who grows up fascinated by the street lifestyle and dismayed by its tragic results.. He decides to write a book about the streets from the inside out. The only way he knows how to do it is to hang with the thugs and do what they do and say what they say. He changes his church upbringing lifestyle to that of a hardcore juvenile delinquent. He says when he begins his quest, "I want the blood of the streets to flow through my veins so when I write about it, people can feel it." And we all feel it, as we follow Moses from birth to adult years through the streets of Newark, NJ and the dangerous world of drugs, cool, crime and violence, and his quest to make a difference.

An ALA Top Ten Best Book for Young Readers, Shortlisted for the Waterstone's Book Prize and a Publisher's Weekly "Flying Start" book Amy Curry's year sucks. And it's not getting any better. Her mother has decided to move, so somehow Amy has to get their car from California to the East Coast. There's just one problem: since her father's death Amy hasn't been able to get behind the wheel of a car. Enter Roger, the son of a family friend, who turns out to be funny, nice . . . and unexpectedly cute. But Roger's plans involve a more "scenic" route than just driving from A to B, so suddenly Amy finds herself on the road trip of a lifetime. And, as she grows closer to Roger, Amy starts to realise that sometimes you have to get lost to find your way home. . . Praise for Amy & Roger's Epic Detour 'One of the most touching, irresistible, and feel-good road trips I've been on in a long, long while. Amy & Roger is a book to love.' Deb Caletti, National Book Award Finalist 'A near-perfect summer read that should leave readers with a thirst for travel and romance.' Publishers Weekly, Starred Review 'This entertaining and thoughtful summertime road trip serves up slices of America with a big scoop of romance on the side.' Kirkus Reviews 'A classic literary road trip is what Matson delivers in high style…if all road trips were like this, nobody'd ever stay home.' BCCB 'An emotionally rewarding road novel.' School Library Journal

Fifty-seven short stories drawn from past collections celebrate the lifelong significance of this major American writer's essential contribution to a form--illuminating the ways that he has made it his own.