Books like Act Natural by Jennifer Traig

A.J. Fikry, widowed bookstore owner on Alice Island, faces personal loss and a stolen prized Poe collection. When a mysterious package arrives, he gains a new perspective, rekindling hope, friendship, and the magic of books.

In London, Judge Fiona Maye faces a heart‑wrenching case when a Jehovah’s Witness family rejects a life‑saving blood transfusion for their seventeen‑year‑old son, while a crumbling marriage tests her resolve.

A family of art dealers and a reformed con man collide over a stolen three‑million‑dollar scheme, forcing them to team up against a dangerous femme‑fatale, obsessive collectors and a hitman in a comic, contemporary love‑and‑deception tale.

An all-inclusive, fun, and educational book for kids and their parents to enjoy together, featuring activities, information, and ideas for engaging in the world.

A scholarly exploration of how American childhood and parenting have evolved from the republic’s founding to today, examining social, political, and cultural shifts that shaped family dynamics and child development.

A witty, feminist guide that challenges societal expectations of motherhood, urging modern parents to embrace balance, reject guilt, and remember that being a mother can be both loving and self‑careful.

"The forty-year history of the video game industry, the medium has undergone staggering development, fueled not only by advances in technology but also by an insatiable quest for richer play and more meaningful experiences. From the very beginning, with the introduction of the Magnavox Odyssey in 1972, countless individuals became enthralled by a new world opened before them, one in which they could control and create, as well as interact and play. Even in their rudimentary form, video games held forth a potential and promise that inspired a generation of developers, programmers, and gamers to pursue visions of ever more sophisticated interactive worlds. As a testament to the game industry's stunning evolution, and to its cultural impact worldwide, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and curator Chris Melissinos conceived the 2012 exhibition The Art of Video Games. Along with a team of game developers, designers, and journalists, Melissinos selected an initial group of 240 games in four different genres to represent the best of the game world. Selection criteria included visual effects, creative use of technologies, and how world events and popular culture influenced the games. The Art of Video Games offers a revealing look into the history of the game industry, from the early days of Pac-Man and Space Invaders to the vastly more complicated contemporary epics such as BioShock and Uncharted. Melissinos examines each of the eighty winning entries, with stories and comments on their development, innovation, and relevance to the game world's overall growth. Visual images, composed by Patrick O'Rourke, are all drawn directly from the games themselves, and speak to the evolution of games as an artistic medium, both technologically and creatively"--