Friendship Loss

Home, for Noah York, is Oakland, New Hampshire, the sleepy little town where Noah's mother, Virginia, had a psychotic breakdown and Noah got beaten to a pulp as a teenager. Then there were the good times—and Noah's not sure which ones are more painful to recall. Now thirty-seven and eking out a living as an artist in Providence, Rhode Island, Noah looks much the same—and swears just as colorfully—as he did in high school.

Iris Chang, the best-selling author of The Rape of Nanking and a tireless human-rights activist, symbolized strength to many in the literary and social-justice worlds. Her fearless reputation made it all the more shocking when she committed suicide in 2004 at age 36. Long-time friend Paula Kamen reveals for the first time the private Iris behind the bold, international celebrity. She offers a tribute to the lost heroine while attempting to explain Iris' tragic psychological decline.

The ship was built for one thing: to carry the delegations of two warring nations into neutral waters, where the heads of state would sign a peace treaty and end the war that has been raging for a generation. When it goes down, a pair of survivors—Cora, daughter of a Duran newspaper reporter, and Vivienne, lady’s maid to an Ariminthian princess—wash up on a remote island. At first, it seems like they have nothing in common—not even whether or not they want to be rescued. But the arrival of a pirate ship brings them to the realization that they do have a shared purpose: peace.

Each week, six women meet at The Bluebell Inn. They form an unlikely and occasionally triumphant ladies darts team. They banter and jibe, they laugh. But their hidden stories of love and loss are what, in the end, will bind them. There is Mary, full of it but cradling her dark secret; Lena - young and bold, she has made her choice; the cat woman who must return to the place of her birth before it's too late. There's Maggie, still laying out the place for her husband; and Pegs, the dark-eyed girl from the travellers' site bringing her strangeness and first love....

Mike O'Shea and Andy Cotto knew each other their entire lives. Born days apart on the same block, baptized in the same water, the two friends were inseparable growing up and into adulthood. After celebrating their 40th birthdays together, Mike falls ill and dies shortly after. The impact on Andy is enormous, and he spirals into a depression that threatens everything he holds dear.

At the moment he knows he is dying, Johnny Eagle takes a photograph, which is later discovered by his heartbroken wife, Heidi. Heidi pores over the image and sees a busy street scene and a pavement full of strangers - she has no idea what this last message from her beloved husband could mean. Heidi has spent her days - and her years - giving cherished old furniture a second chance. But there are some parts of Heidi’s own life she believes are beyond repair.

"In Case We Never Speak Again" is a poignant and captivating collection of stories that explores the intricacies of human relationships, the depths of emotion, and the journey towards self-discovery. Through rich sensory experiences and vivid descriptions, each story immerses listeners in a world where the weight of unspoken words, the ache of longing, and the bittersweet dance of farewell and reunion are explored with heartfelt authenticity.

Joy, the little blue elephant, knew from birth that she was different from the rest of the herd. The Blue Elephant is Joy’s courageous story of grief and loss, as seen through the eyes of her wise butterfly friend, Hope. Be a part of their incredible journey as they discover Joy’s unique purpose in life.

Twelve has become a hunter and chosen a new name to reflect her elemental power: Phoenix. Three months after the destruction of the Hunting Lodge, a witch arrives from the frost palace of Icegaard, desperate for Phoenix’s help. Icegaard is in grave danger from an evil force called the Shadowseam, and if the witch-palace falls, all the clans of Ember will fall with it. Travelling north, Phoenix and her friends, Five, Six and Seven, must battle frightening new monsters and find a way to defeat the Shadowseam.

Up until his diagnosis, Lane lived a fairly predictable life. But when he finds himself at a tuberculosis sanatorium called Latham House, he discovers an insular world with paradoxical rules, med sensors, and an eccentric yet utterly compelling confidante named Sadie - and life as Lane knows it will never be the same.

Ten-year-old Comfort Snowberger has attended 247 funerals. But that's not surprising, considering that her family runs the town funeral home. And even though Great-uncle Edisto keeled over with a heart attack and Great-great-aunt Florentine dropped dead, just like that, six months later, Comfort knows how to deal with loss, or so she thinks.

As the youngest of eight, painfully average Pup Flanagan is used to flying under the radar. He’s barely passing his classes. His lets his longtime crush walk all over him. And he’s in no hurry to decide on a college path. The only person who ever made him think he could be more was his older brother, Patrick. But that was before Patrick died suddenly, leaving Pup with a family who won’t talk about it and acquaintances who just keep saying, “Sorry for your loss.” When Pup excels at a photography assignment he thought he’d bomb, things start to come into focus.

The seaside town of Isla has many stories, the most notable being the legend of the Seafaring Parrot. Locals claim that the Seafarer remembers every sound, every whisper, cry, laugh, or snort ever uttered. But, though there have been rumored Seafarer sightings, no one has actually seen the bird before. Other stories surround a boy named Pablo, who had washed up on shore in a blow-up swimming pool as an infant with only a lavender parrot as a companion.

Vivimos la vida que queremos? ¿Hasta dónde estamos dispuestos a llegar para mantener la amistad y la lealtad? Imaginemos por un momento que nuestro mejor amigo nos pide que abandonemos todo lo que tenemos y le acompañemos en un viaje, que no deja de ser también una huida hacia adelante. Es lo que le pide Guzmán a su mejor amigo, Rodri, tras recibir la fatídica noticia de una enfermedad sin cura, que lo deje todo durante un año para acompañarle en el que será su último viaje.

A novel-in-verse about a young girl coming-of-age and stepping out of the shadow of her former best friend. Perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo and Nikki Grimes. With gritty and heartbreaking honesty, Mahogany L. Browne delivers a novel-in-verse about broken promises, fast rumors, and when growing up means growing apart from your best friend.

People experience death, but I don't think anyone experienced more than I. Since the age of six, death was knocking at my Barbie townhouse. Understanding death took a very, very long time. It's not easy living while you're dying inside. I'm not perfect, I'm only human. I want to express love to the lonely, broken hearted, depressed and forgotten.

Sound interesting? The author thinks so too! Listen to the poem Femicide: When Friendship Meets Brutality today.