To Mr. Brummell My Best Teacher

A migrant teacher from Guyana, with no special education experience, is sent to teach an uncontrollable junior high school special education eighth-grade class that no one wants in a tough Brooklyn, New York, neighborhood, but he battles the challenges of disgusting unruliness, sickening apathy, and jarring disrespectfulness and overcomes them. It’s only the beginning, though, as each successive year comes with difficulties that he must triumph over to deliver meaningful academic instruction.

The public will appreciate this book for its clear language and raw honesty, and some people who treat teachers with indifference will develop respect for them.  Parents uninvolved in their children’s school life, or who are marginally involved, will re-examine themselves and pay closer attention to their children’s academic progress and behavior. However, teachers in the United States and other countries will love learning from a former educator’s true, thorny classroom experiences and what he did to be victorious over them.

Juglar de Pueblo

Un viaje increíble donde el comercio se mezcla con la picardía, la miseria con el ingenio, y la inocencia se pierde entre ferias, estafas y ruletas.

A través de la mirada curiosa de un joven aprendiz de comerciante, Juglar de Pueblo nos sumerge en las entrañas del mundo ambulante de los comerciantes de las ferias del ayer, revelando una fauna de personajes memorables: ruleteros, cocineras, culebreros, falsificadores y soñadores.

Escrito con humor, ternura y una aguda crítica social, este relato oral convertido en crónica vibrante retrata el alma popular de un comunidad que sobrevive a punta de astucia, sudor y esperanza.

Contado como se habla en la calle y con la memoria de quien lo vivió todo, este libro no embellece ni esconde nada. Porque a veces, la mejor literatura es la que no se inventa, si no la que se recuerda.

Una novela entrañable, callejera y profundamente humana.

The Walls of Villa Fatema

The Walls of Villa Fatema follows the unexpected journey of an American girl who finds herself a guest in a traditional Moroccan family’s home in Casablanca, the port city made famous by the classic film starring Humphrey Bogart.

By turns humorous and unsettling, this memoir by Avery Russell captures Alice’s struggle to navigate – and sometimes ignore – the complexities of a sex-segregated society.

Rich in detail and cultural insight, the book offers an intimate glimpse into the lives of women in 1960s Morocco and explores the tension and fascination that arise when two very different worlds collide.

Muslim School Dropout

Muslim School Dropout is the uproariously honest semi-autobiographical life of Amir Yass, a gay Persian Muslim who traded Quran recitations for comedy sets under Hollywood lights.

Growing up in a conservative Iranian-American family, Amir was the golden child—until he dropped out of Islamic school, came out of the closet, and discovered that prayer rugs and punchlines don’t always mix. From awkward mosque moments to wild West Hollywood nights, Amir takes readers on a whirlwind journey through identity, faith, and finding your voice when you’re caught between worlds.

With razor-sharp humor and heartfelt vulnerability, Muslim School Dropout is a coming-of-age tale for anyone who’s ever felt like the ultimate outsider—and learned to turn that into their superpower.

A Heart Stitched with Scars

A personal story of resilience, hope, and new beginnings. Witness how my life challenges were transformed into opportunities and how I was raised above the ashes and soared higher than ever before. Join me on this journey and be inspired to embrace change and overcome adversity.

And So, We Dance

In And So, We Dance, Leigh loses herself in memories of her life and her wife’s cancer journey. The novel started out as a memoir, and then I began to hear Leigh (LL) and Lizzie’s (LiLiz) inner children talk to me. The magical elements that emerged soften the tragedy of losing a loved one. Blending emotional intimacy with quiet surrealism, the story explores lesbian love, grief, and the inner selves we call forth to help us navigate when everything else is lost.

Leigh finally comes out of the closet where she had lived since she was 15. She meets and marries the love of her life, Lizzie, only to face a battle much worse than closet dwelling. Lizzie’s cancer diagnosis turns their lives upside down. As Leigh loses herself in her memories, she finds her inner child in the body of a six-year-old hitchhiking on the highway, waiting for her. Little Leigh (LL) tries to help her through the battle she and Lizzie fight. Lizzie’s inner child, LiLiz, also joins, and the four struggle against the Stranger, cancer, who threatens their lives.

The author holds a PhD from Emory University, has studied under Anya Auchtenberg, and is a member of a weekly writing group and Pitch to Published. She is a published poet, and her book is entitled Journeys.

No Regrets

Sheila is a determined woman, strong in spirit, who reached her dreams despite all obstacles. Her derailed life, her cobbler, and her struggle with her family will churn the reader’s stomach and make you think, what would you do if you were in her shoes?

It's All About Me

Dr. Nasser, a board-certified internal medicine physician, has spent over a decade witnessing the profound intersections between life, illness, and the human spirit. Through countless interactions with patients and their families, he has come to understand that while much of the world remains beyond our control, one thing always remains within reach: ourselves.

In this deeply personal reflection, Dr. Nasser shares the lessons learned from the bedside and beyond, exploring how responsibility, resilience, and compassion shape our response to life’s greatest challenges. From moments of loss and despair to hope and renewal, he invites readers to see how healing the body often begins with understanding the mind and heart.

A memoir grounded in medicine yet reaching far beyond it, this book offers an honest and human look at what it truly means to live well even when faced with life’s most difficult truths.

Fire Within

Ava Celeste Hennessey's Fire Within is a poignant and stirring memoir that delves into the tumultuous life of a family striving to keep afloat amid the challenging times of the 70s and 80s. Set against the contrasting backdrops of New England’s biting cold and Maui’s embracing warmth, this narrative unfolds through the innocent yet perceptive eyes of a child, Ava.

Ava’s childhood is marked by a series of escapes from literal and metaphorical fires, painting a vivid picture of a family often ensnared in chaos and struggle. Despite the hardships, her story is not just about the trials but also about the unyielding spirit of a young girl. Ava’s perspective, tinged with a child’s tendency to romanticize, provides a unique lens to view the odd and sometimes disturbing behaviors of her family members.

My Time with Astronauts

In this candid, courageous, and often unexpectedly funny memoir, Faby Kushner invites readers into a world of rocket launches, astronaut encounters, and the delicate art of rationing shrimp at cocktail parties.

But behind the glamour of shuttle missions, personal ties to space icons, and visits to NASA lies a deeper story, one shaped by challenge, reinvention, and quiet resilience. Faby faced unrelenting workplace gossip, the pain of divorce, and moments when life knocked her flat. And yet, through each setback, she rose, rebuilding her life piece by piece, discovering not just how to survive, but how to thrive.

This isn’t a story of perfection. It’s a story of perseverance. Of daring to believe that the best chapters might still lie ahead.

If you’ve ever found yourself staring down a version of life you didn’t ask for, this book offers more than just a glimpse of hope; it’s a witty, heartfelt reminder that reinvention is always possible, and joy can reappear when you least expect it.

The Timkens of San Diego

Rising from a blacksmith’s apprentice to become king of the roller bearing, Henry Timken was one of the 19^th century’s greatest inventors.

His early engineering of axles, springs, and ball bearings for horse-drawn carriages made him rich. But his 1898 patent of a tapered roller bearing revolutionized transportation and made the German immigrant and his family uber rich.

In 1887, with his greatest invention still ahead of him, Timken retired to San Diego with his wife, Fredericka, and four of their five children. All would become wealthy from his patents and lead lives that often cast them in the nation’s headlines.

The three daughters made their niche in the art world.

Amelia founded the San Diego Museum of Art and resuscitated the symphony. Georgia studied art in Paris and St. Louis and married her art teacher. Eight of her paintings hang in the National Gallery of Art.

Cora became an ardent painter and a major collector of art from Persia, China, and India. The Metropolitan Museum of Art lists 133 objects from her. At age 47 she married an osteopathic doctor-scientist 15 years younger who was obsessed with the idea of curing illnesses through electromagnetism.

The sons, H.H. and W.R., took turns running the Timken empire and expanding it globally. H.H. became one of the wealthiest men in America.

Suitcase of Memories

I was destined to be a peacemaker. Doesn’t every family have one?

My family, with its traditional values, loving grandparents, and family heirlooms, has always provided a comfortable base and a home. My expectations were that my home and family would be safe, cozy, and unwavering.

What of words translated by a peacemaker, certain it was for me too? No protests, make a loving family, keep the peace. I was convinced it would be mine.

What of words from love, prideful of my values, celebrating my accomplishments, joyful for my happiness, and hopeful for my future?

Seasons change, years pass. I remember joyous moments of splendid solace with so much hopeful anticipation. I’ve learned one can search for serendipity, but it cannot be contrived. I remain hopeful beyond possibility.

What of words of hurtful intention—stinging, humiliating, torturous, and demeaning, as intended?

I am the peacemaker.

I must not be defeated.