Hip to be square

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Cheryl Peck

Cheryl Peck has many stories to tell-of her naughty cat, her quirky family, and her experiences as a large gay woman in the American heartland. Now in a potpourri of real tales by turns poignant and laugh-out-loud funny, Cheryl talks about family and growing up, love and loss. With self-deprecating humor and compassionate insight, she remembers the time she hit her baby sister in the head with a rock, how her father taught her to swim by throwing her into deep water, and the day when-while weighing in at 300 pounds-she became an inspirational goddess at her local gym. Filled with universal stories about a daughter's love for her parents and the eternal quest for finding meaning in it all, this book reveals many seemingly unremarkable moments that make a life-the weighty events that, like fat girls sitting on lawn chairs, just won't let go.

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Trisha McCagh

If you could talk to your dog, your cat, your horse - what would they say? Be prepared to be amazed, amused and moved as Trisha McCaugh shares her fascinating experiences of communicating with animals.If you could talk to animals, what would you learn?In this heart-warming book, packed with remarkable stories Trisha McCagh reveals what dogs, cats, horses and other creatures have to say about their health and happiness, their anxieties and quiet despair.Discover what animals want from us, what they love about the things we do, and what hurts them or drives them crazy.Sometimes sad, often funny, Stories from the Animal Whisperer is a must-read for anyone who loves animals.

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Carl Hiaasen

Grange, Florida, is famous for its miracles - the weeping fiberglass Madonna, the Road-Stain Jesus, the stigmata man. And now it has JoLayne Lucks, unlikely winner of the state lottery. Unfortunately, JoLayne's winning ticket isn't the only one. The other belongs to Bodean Gazzer and his raunchy sidekick, Chub, who believe they're entitled to the whole $28 million jackpot. And they need it quickly, to start their own underground militia before NATO troops invade America. But JoLayne Lucks has her own plans for the Lotto money - an Eden-like forest in Grange must be saved from strip-malling. When Bode and Chub brutally assault her and steal her ticket, JoLayne vows to track them down, take it back - and get revenge. The only one who can help is Tom Krome, a big-city investigative journalist now bitterly consigned to writing frothy features for a midsized central Florida newspaper. With a persuasive nudge from JoLayne, Krome is about to become part of a story that's bigger and more bizarre than anything he's ever covered.

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Rachel Brady

Emily has relocated to Houston, but when she finds out that she's been working for the attorney who defended her husband's killer, the discovery nearly destroys her friendships. Meanwhile, at an elite gym, "killer workout" takes on a whole new meaning.