BINGELY BOOKS

CONFIDENCE CREATOR
Heather Monahan
Preorder on Amazon

When you've shattered glass ceilings as a C-Suite executive in Corporate America and are faced with the reality that you are unexpectedly terminated, do you find another job or do you decide to be your own boss? These decisions are not uncommon and author, Heather Monahan faced this very situation and decided it was time to start fresh on her own and to empower others to be their best selves with the tools that they needed.

Confidence Creator shares Heather's triumphs in making a Boss in Heels and shares these tips with those who are looking to trailblaze in their careers. Readers will find her personal stories to obtain the confidence they need.

THE WIFE
Alafair Burke
HarperCollins Publishing

When a woman has to make a choice between defending her husband and herself - the choice seems to be an impossible one in this domestic thriller.

Angela met Jason Powell when she catered a dinner party in East Hampton and thought that the romance would be nothing more than a fling for the summer. But their romance led to a marriage the next summer which also gave her son a stepfather and stability.

6 years later Jason has a successful bestselling book and is in the limelight and places Angela in the public eye - where she has worked so hard to be out of. When women come out accusing Jason of serious allegations and another one emerges, although she initially believes him until one woman disappears. This makes her re-evaluate her husband and regret not believing the allegations that she chose not to believe.

MAGNOLIA TABLE
Joanna Gaines
HarperCollins Publishing

Fans of HGTV may miss seeing Joanna and Chip on the network; however, they still have a number of projects that will give you your design fix. Out this month, Joanna released Magnolia Table which focuses on her love of all things family. This lifestyle cookbook focuses on preparing and serving dishes in her home. The recipes are inspired by Gaines family favorites and classic comfort selections from the couple's new Waco restaurant, Magnolia Table. The book shares 125 classic recipes— from breakfast, lunch, and dinner to small plates, snacks, and desserts— American classics. As Joanna loves her garden, rest assured that dishes incorporate seasonal produce.

Read more from the April Issue and see Bingely Books in mag.

BINGELY BOOKS

IT HAPPENS IN THE HAMPTONS
William Morrow/Harper Collins
Holly Peterson

Sometimes the universe calls for a change of plans. Katie Doyle heeds this call and leaves the West Coast cross country to the Hamptons. This move is embracing the possibility of summer
employment, new friends for her son and the opportunity to enjoy a love affair with an investor
named George.

Upon arrival she witnesses the interplay between those of the 1 percent that co-exist with the locals of the island that have been there for generations. Somehow Southampton isn't what it appears to be on its surace which makes her nervous to mingle with her boyfriend's Elite Circle.

She realizes that regardless of the circle that one runs in, regardless of the socio-economic
position, everyone is maneuvering and looking for ways to stay afloat in their community.

The summer continues with Katie learning more about the town and the shifting alliances that take place within the groups of people. From betrayals, sexual predators and a missing person
- Katie learns that things are not what they seem. It's a meeting with Luke, a marine biologist
and teacher where she has to confront the only truth that matters - what is it that you really
want as opposed to simply existing in the Hamptons' playland that changes from one moment
to the next.

WHERE IN THE OM AM I?
Worcester Square Press
Sara DiVello

Sara DiVello's journey is one that many can relate to. At some point, we have gone through the motions of our jobs, relationships etc only to realize that it's not what we want. At the same
time, it takes a catalyst to really get us out from the place we're stuck in.

Sara shares her story and process of getting to a place where she ultimately wants to go. She leaves her PR job at a major financial services company and transitions to pursuing yoga-teacher training.

Her frank depiction of navigating chaotic corporate culture to the catty, but slow-paced world of yoga showcases the complexities of interrelationships in both worlds as she finds her place.

VISUAL VINYL
Verlag Kettler
Heerlen Schunk

The world of records has always been one of constant change. Prior to the 1940s, they were sold in plain, uniform jackets. Post the war, musicians and record companies discovered that
graphically designed record covers had the potential to boost sales! By the 1960s contemporary artists began to create record jackets that became an inspiration for others due to their radical, groundbreaking designs. Many of them have become symbols recognized not only by fans but by the wider public, symbols of an era where artistic freedom, experimentation, and innovation were encouraged.

This coffee table book is the first-ever comprehensive collection for vinyl lovers. These covers are taken from the extensive archive of Dutch designer Jan van Toorn, one of the most active
collectors and leading experts in the field. Enthusiasts will enjoy covers by famous pop artists such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg and Jean-Michel Basquiat.

Read more from the June Issue and see Bingely Books in mag.

BINGELY BOOKS

THE HOUSEKEEPER
Suellen Dainty
Simon and Schuster

When Anne Morgan's successful boyfriend - who's also her boss - leaves her for another woman, Anne finds herself in need of a new job and a place to recover. Meanwhile, her celebrity idol, Emma Helmsley (England’s answer to Martha Stewart), is in need of a housekeeper, an opportunity which seems too good to be true.

Through her books, website, and blog, Emma Helmsley advises her devoted followers on how to live a balanced life in a hectic world. Her husband, Rob, is a high profile academic, and her children, Jake and Lily, are well-adjusted teenagers. On the surface, they are the perfect family. But Anne soon finds herself intimately ensconced in the Helmsley’s dirty laundry, literally and figuratively. The Housekeeper shows that underneath the dust, grime, and whimsical clutter, everyone has a secret to hide and Anne’s own disturbing past threatens to unhinge everything.
 

MOST DANGEROUS PLACE
James Grippando
Harper Collins

Defending a woman accused of murdering the man who sexually assaulted her, Miami lawyer Jack Swyteck must uncover where the truth lies between innocence, vengeance, and justice in this tale of suspense - based on shocking true-life events - from the New York Times.  

According to the FBI, the most dangerous place for a woman between the ages of twenty and thirty is in a relationship with a man. Those statistics become all too personal when Jack Swyteck takes on a new client tied to his past.

Most Dangerous Place begins at the airport, where Jack is waiting to meet his old high school buddy, Keith Ingraham, a high-powered banker based in Hong Kong, coming to Miami for his young daughter’s surgery. But their long-awaited reunion is abruptly derailed when the police arrest Keith’s wife, Isabelle, in the terminal, accusing her of conspiring to kill the man who raped her in college. Jack quickly agrees to represent Isa, but soon discovers that to see justice done, he must separate truth from lies—an undertaking that proves more complicated than the seasoned attorney expects.

Inspired by an actual case involving a victim of sexual assault sent to prison for the death of her attacker, James Grippando’s twisty thriller brilliantly explores the fine line between victim and perpetrator, innocence and guilt, and cold-blooded revenge and rightful retribution.

HIDDEN FOLKS
App Store

Hidden Folks combines 'Where's Waldo' for adults, interactivity, and handdrawn characters for a fun game that will become yur ultimate binge!

Read more from the Feb Issue and see Feb's Bingely Books in mag

FIND YOUR SHIBUMI

As we grow up, many of us begin working on our life plan that consists of what is expected of us by friends and family, and influences from interactions and our informed opinions. Whether these are our actual passions or not can only be told in time. Sometimes, after following this plan, you wake up and realize that you need to hit the reset button and start from the beginning to reintroduce yourself to yourself. UNBOUND looks at this journey in understanding the ultimate self, honoring the past lessons and growing the seeds of a new life that can be truly embraced. We chatted with Steph Jagger, who found this connection through hitting the pause button and hitting the slopes, and shared her novel of self-discovery with us.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Steph, it's so good to connect with you as your book is the perfect blend of goal setting, humor, self-discovery, honesty, and weighted reflection - what are your 3 biggest takeaways from the Vertical Feat experience?

STEPH JAGGER: My three biggest take aways from my journey are:

• Moving from fear based motivation, which came with truck loads of ego, to what I call “love based motivation” – asking myself if this is going to help me grow and expand and transform versus asking myself what this will help me prove.

• I also learned so much about the feminine and what strength means for women. I used to have a masculine ideal, one that came with an “armor up and go into battle” mentality and know I see strength very differently. I see it as putting all the armor down, as being authentic and vulnerable with yourself as well as others.

• Last but not least…huge take away about the quality of red meat in Argentina. And chocolate, and wine!

AM: We fell in love with many of the people that you mentioned in the book
- do you still talk to or visit some of our faves, Tree, Joseph and the group that you met in Chile?

SJ: Of course! I just saw Tree this week. She’s still a close friend and Joseph is still very much my yoda…in fact, I call him my wizard. I wrote a fair chunk of the book at his estate in Tel Aviv and I plan on seeing him later this year. I’m still in touch with MANY of the others and of course, spoiler alert, Chris and I  are still sharing a bed!

AM: Going into the Vertical Feat you were set on check marking this goal, but did you have other matters you were wrestling with in order to find yourself besides realizing that you had been a goat who was really a Tiger?

SJ: Ultimately I wrestled with a lot of things – goat to tiger and also masculine ideal as my predominant belief system to a balanced masculine and feminine ideal. I didn’t have a clue that would be part of my journey, but that’s how the Universe works. It’s very smart. It baits you into adventures using something that will snag your ego just enough to pull you in – “Hey, over here!!! How about 4,000,000 feet???” – and once you’re on the journey the truth and the battles and the learning all unfold.

AM: What lessons can we take from Unbound when people are in a transitional experience?

SJ: I think that is the truth of transition. What you think you’re getting into is probably not what you’re getting into. I also think we need to look at transition (even positive ones) as part of the grief process. Becoming a mother means letting go of and grieving the woman you were in your teens and twenties. Becoming a person who values feminine ideals means potentially letting go of and grieving the people in your life that are still operating under a masculine-only ideal. If you’re looking to transition to the monkey bar in front of you, you HAVE TO let go of the one you’re holding on behind you.

AM: We were so happy to see that you and Chris got married and that you did embark on a different journey, what is your life like now in terms of career, where you live?

SJ: My life right now is very much based around the principal of having two things and two things only on my bucket list: Am I listening to what I am called to do…AND, when I hear it, do I have the courage to do it. That’s how I decide what projects to work on, where to travel, etc. To get technical, Chris and I currently live on the edge of a canyon on southern California with our giant black dog, Auggie. I run my coaching company from home and split time between that and writing.  Our plan…because we’ve felt the call…is to return to the mountains in the coming months. Our hope would be to move to Colorado or BC by the summer-time.

AM: Do you see yourself taking on other challenges of this nature?

SJ: Yes and no. I’ll refer back to question five…if I’m called to go on another adventure of this nature, I hope I’ll heed the call. That said, I just don’t feel it…I feel other adventures rolling towards me. More books, perhaps a career in speaking, MORE travelling for sure but perhaps with less of an agenda. So yes and no.

AM: We loved that you came to terms with being someone who could accept their femininity while also embracing an aggressive nature and that you could be both - why do you think that some women find that to be difficult?

SJ: I think a lot of women find that to be difficult. The idea of having it all. The concept of balance. The desire to be aggressive, persistent, ambitious, etc. with a career, at the same time as being a friend, a mother, a daughter, a sister…roles that often require a fair bit of nurturing, slowing down, etc. I think that’s the question of our generation – how do we first choose what it is we want (with consciousness and a lack of guilt) and then how do we actually make that happen in the real world…hint hint…this might be a theme of my second book.

The why behind it all feeling difficult has everything to do with the way our society is structured. The expectations placed on women (and men for that matter) to play certain roles, the patriarchical ideal. I could go on about this but I think it’s built into our collective thought process.

AM: If you were able to do this trip all over again, what would you change?

SJ: Nothing. Not a thing. It all lead me to where I am and who I am today and I’m very proud of that. From a technical standpoint I probably wouldn’t have planned as much so I could have responded better to the weather as it happened. Other than that…nothing.

AM: What mementos did you keep from your trip as a means to remember the experience?

SJ: What do I have to remember the trip…um, well, a book for starters! Ha! I don’t tend to lug mementos around, but I do have some gorgeous photos, a husband, and a small Japanese change purse that help me remember it all.

AM: What was your favorite mountain/resort to ski at during the Vertical Feat and what was your favorite place/experience that you went to unwind while you were on this journey?
 

SJ: Favorite resort – SO HARD. I still LOVE Whistler/Blackcomb, but Jackson Hole, and Alta are also standouts. I’ll always remember Cerro Catedral in Argentina, because it’s where I met Chris and Happo One in Japan is out of this world – in fact, the whole Hakuba Valley in Japan is out of this world. I’ll also make the latter the fav place to relax. A ski and then an onsen (Japanese hot baths) at the end of the day?!? You can’t get much better than that. Unless of course, you’re at the Scandinave Spa up in Whistler – that place is also to die for when it comes to pampering and relaxation.

AM: We love the concept of Shibumi and how you found it at various times, what is your Shibumi moment now?

SJ: My Shibumi moment now is the book tour. It can’t be perfect, travel plans get messed up, I’ve got a bit of a sore throat going at the moment, I lost my ski socks somewhere...BUT, I feel like my energy is aligned with the book and that when I go out and connect with people at event and local bookstores there’s an effortless perfection to the interaction and exchanges that are happening. That makes me very happy. It’s total Shibumi!

AM: What was the process like in writing this book and how is your book tour going?

SJ: Well, I just told you a little about the book tour and I think I would say similar things about the writing process. It’s utter shibumi – it’s a glorious mess, it's throwing words around and cutting and chopping and praying and surrender and faith that it will all work out in the end. It's discipline but also freedom. 

I loved the writing process, the concept of learning and honing my very rough skills as a writer. I hope I get to keep doing it. What a gift of an opportunity I’ve had to unravel my own narrative and sew it back up together again. If that’s not Shibumi, I don’t know what is!
 

AM: What's next for you?

SJ: What’s next for me is a question  I get a lot – most times it comes in the form of  “What’s on your bucket list” – there are two things – One, am I listening for the call to adventure. Two, do I have the courage to say yes when I hear it. I really do feel a second book coming to the surface and as I mentioned before, Chris and I would love to find the perfect home in the mountains. And a vacation! Maybe a visit to Greece to see my dearest Joseph! He just built a new home there and we’ve been dying to see it. Just thinking of the sun and calamari makes me drool.

AM: What would you tell someone who decided to go on a path of self-discovery (not necessarily in the same manner that you did) so that they could expect many of the feelings that you came to grasp with?

SJ: This is such a huge question. First I would ask them if they had three or four hours and a good bottle of wine or two. Then I would sit down with them and I would read them Joseph Campbell quotes for hours. I would tell them “you must let go of the life you have planned, as to accept the one that is waiting for you” and I would also go all Sue Monk Kidd on them and tell them that “the truth may set you free, but first it will shatter the safe, sweet way you live.” Then I would tell them to leave the rest of the wine with me. After that, I’d hand them my phone number and tell them they’ve got an open line and to call when ever they want, I would say, “Search for the best, most wildest version of you and when you find it grab it and don’t let go. Oh…and you know that when you’re on the monkey bars of life, you MUST let go of the one behind you in order to grasp the one in front of you…you know that right???” That’s what I’d say.

Pictures courtesy of Steph Jagger and book cover by Harper Wave/Harper Collins

Read more from the Feb issue as well as Find Your Shibumi in mag.

BINGELY BOOKS

THIS IS NOT OVER
Holly Brown
Harper Collins
 

You’ll have your deposit within seven business days, just like it says on Getaway.com. I’ve put through a refund to your credit card for the full amount, minus $200 to replace the stained sheets

- Miranda

When 30-year-old Dawn reads Miranda’s email, she sees red. People have always told Dawn she’s beautiful, and she just hopes they don’t see beneath and what she’s always tried to outrun. She revels in her getaways with her husband, the occasional long weekend in luxurious homes, temporarily inhabiting other people’s privileged lives. Miranda’s email strikes a nerve - that Dawn is so dirty you need to throw out her sheets.

Beware of your “host” - I wouldn’t have left a review at all, if I didn’t feel it was my civic duty to warn others…

57-year-old Miranda thought she’d seen it all,  but she can't believe her eyes when she reads Dawn's review. She's a  doctor’s wife but she needs that rental money, desperately. People might think her life is privileged, but they don’t know what’s really going on. She won’t take this threat to her livelihood—to her very life—lying down.

Two very different women who harbors her own secret, and why she can’t just let this go. 

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FOOD HEALTH & HAPPINESS
Oprah Winfrey
The Oprah Book/Flatiron Books

In her new imprint, Oprah Winfrey has launched two books, one that is a memoir and her new cookbook - Food, Health & Happiness which has 115 recipes of some of her favorite meals that allow eating to be a healthy joy for her. 

Meals that are included have been prepared alongside her favorite chefs, paired with personal essays and memories from Oprah herself, this cookbook offers a candid, behind-the-scenes look into the life (and kitchen!) of one of the most influential and respected celebrities in the world. 

Delicious, healthy, and easy to prepare, these are the recipes Oprah most loves to make at home and share with friends and family. From simple pleasures like Unfried Chicken and Turkey Chili, to such celebrations of freshness as Tuscan Kale and Apple Salad and Pasta Primavera, this is food as it should be: a taste of happiness, a ritual to be shared, a toast to life.
 

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THE SELECTION COLORING BOOK
Kiera Cass
Harper Collins

There is nothing like decompressing and taking a break from adulting  with your favorite hues of coloring pencils.   Enjoy coloring these scenes whether at home or traveling.

Read more from the Jan Issue.

BINGELY BOOKS

MINCEMEAT: THE EDUCATION OF AN ITALIAN CHEF
Leonardo Lucarelli
Other Press

Italian chef Leonardo Lucarelli’s daring and honest memoir MINCEMEAT: The Education of an Italian Chef relays the sordid details of working in fifteen different restaurants across Italy—rising from the bottom of the food chain to head chef.
 
This book is filled with hilarious, heartbreaking, and gritty tales of immigrant kitchenhands, relationships with waitresses, drugs, and problems with law enforcement. An honest take on the inner workings of a fast-paced, brave, and heartless industry. It is a story about fighting tooth and nail to achieve your dreams and finding comforts in delicious food along the way. 

A PORTRAIT OF EMILY PRICE
Katherine Reay
Harper Collins

A Portrait of Emily Price centers on fix-it girl extraordinaire and would-be artist Emily Price, an art restorer who has never encountered anything she can’t fix – until she meets Ben, an Italian chef who seems just right. When, after a whirlwind romance and marriage, Emily joins her new husband on a trip home to Italy, she learns that his family, is another matter.

Upon landing in Rome, she is enchanted with Italy. But instead of allowing the land, culture and people to transform her, Emily imposes her will upon everyone and everything around her, alienating Ben’s tightly knit family. When she unearths family secrets, Emily wonders if she really fits into Ben’s world. 

WELL FED WEEKNIGHTS
Melissa Joulwan
Greenleaf Book Group Press

Melissa Joulwan’s third cookbook in the Well Fed series, Well Fed Weeknights: Complete Paleo Meals in 45 Minutes or Less, features a collection of weeknight dishes inspired by takeout classics, food trucks, and cuisines from around the world. All of the recipes in Well Fed Weeknights are completely free of grain, dairy, legumes, and soy. Each dish is thoroughly tested and easy to make with affordable ingredients that can be found at a regular grocery store.
 
Debuting in Well Fed Weeknights are fun and flexible “Food Court Recipes;” in-depth blueprints for how to create customized, themed dinners (Meat and Potatoes, Burger Night, Velvet Stir-Fry, The Ultimate Salad Bar, and more), and tips for navigating the grocery story, the best kitchen tools for fast cooking, how to cook quickly and eat slowly and more.

BINGELY BOOKS

A RAINBOW OF SMOOTHIE BOWLS
Leigh Weingus
Ulysses Press

Turn your smoothie into a satisfying meal.

Introducing “A Rainbow of Smoothie Bowls,” a new cookbook featuring more than 100 amazing creations and 40+ gorgeous full-color photos.

Page by page, this book serves up flavorful treats that are as nutritious as they are beautiful. In just a few simple steps, you’ll combine colorful fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds to make delicious and healthy smoothie bowls, like Strawberry Lemonade, Nutty Avocado Raspberry, Very Berry Mango, Peach Cobbler, Apple Pie, Mint Chocolate Chip, Matcha Vanilla, Blueberry Watermelon Kiwi and many more.

MORAL DEFENSE
Marcia Clark
Amazon

For defense attorney Samantha Brinkman, she's focused on making sure her clients walk.

In the follow-up to bestselling Blood Defense, Samantha is the legal advocate for Cassie Sonnenberg after a brutal stabbing left the teenager’s father and brother dead, and her mother barely clinging to life. It's atabloid-ready case that has the nation in an uproar—and Sam wonders why Cassie survived and if she is hiding something.

As she finds the answers, she’s surprised to find herself identifying with Cassie, becoming more and more personally entangled in the case. But when Sam finally discovers the reason for that kinship, she faces a choice she never imagined she’d have to make.

THE PERFECT GIRL
Gilly MacMillan
Harper Collins

Zoe Maisey is a seventeen-year-old musical prodigy with a genius IQ. Three years ago, she was involved in a tragic incident that left three classmates dead. She served her time, and now her mother, Maria, is resolved to keep that devastating fact tucked far away from their new beginning.

Tonight, Zoe is giving a recital that Maria has been planning for months. It needs to be the performance of her life. But instead, by the end of the evening, Maria is dead.

In the aftermath, everyone - police, family, Zoe’s former solicitor, and Zoe herself—tries to piece together what happened. But as Zoe knows all too well, the truth is rarely straightforward, and the closer we are to someone, the less we may see.