Ready-Made Excuses for Every Day of the YearDo you get a headache when you so much as think of working out?Does it hurt to move even your eyelids the day after you work out?Have you ever joined a gym, tried it for a few weeks, and then started looking for excuses to stay home?If the answer to any of these questions is yes, The Workout Cop-Out is just what you need. Filled from cover to cover with a year’s worth of e...

How do you like your weirdness? A subtle nudge towards the untoward? A quick zap of zany? Or a full-on assault of aberration? Whatever your taste, you'll find it here, and many more strains of strange that you didn't suspect existed. From magic rain to a talking (severed) head, extraordinary eggs to belligerent birds, the stories in this collection enter the rabbit hole to explore its hidden corners and winding ways. Through all the variety, what they have in common is originality, creativ...

Today more than ever, series finales have become cultural touchstones that feed watercooler fodder and Twitter storms among a committed community of viewers. While the final episodes of The Fugitive and M*A*S*H continue to rank among the highest rated broadcasts, more recent shows draw legions of binge-watching fans. Given the importance of finales to viewers and critics alike, Howard and Bianculli along with the other contributors explore these endings and what they mean to the audience, ...

Two best friends ponder over and partake in summer's seemingly endless possibilities. There's fun to be had at the sunny shore, fireworks to watch, and amusement parks to visit. This Step 1 story has big type and easy words, rhyme and rhythm, and picture clues.

Courageous and vulnerable, April has survived Philadelphia's tough city streets. But when her sister disappears, April's search will lead her to the Pennsylvania Amish countryside—where the peaceful setting belies a brand of danger all its own . . .With a childhood shattered by alcoholism and abandonment, April learned the hard way to trust only herself and her younger sister, Rose. But suddenly, Rose is gone without a word—and April's purpose in life is to find he...