Rebecca Gardner

A swirl of elegantly offbeat parties and lush tablescapes, where ceramic snails creep under flower petals and chandelier girls covered in Swarovski crystals beckon guests to the dance floor: Gardner s infectious irreverence shines in her glamorous approach to entertaining, where even the mundane is made delicious. This book like her parties is a decadent feast for the eyes, with a foreword by Sofia Coppola and photography that captures the surprise and delight of Gardner s hyperbolic entertaining style. From a brass band leading guests to dinner along the tracks of the Napa Valley Wine Train to a pink-poodle-themed holiday party with a bountiful buffet of retro desserts, the pages burst with entertainments, heavy pours, and flattering light as all the elements combine in a perfectly orchestrated yet seemingly effortless way that makes it impossible for guests not to have a screaming blast! Readers will be inspired by Gardner s over-the-top parties and mischievous winks. In a nostalgic and personal tone, she opines on the role of a good host and a good guest, why every party needs a Pied Piper, and how to create wonder for guests. Each chapter features gorgeous parties that illustrate the joy found in entertaining, in a writing style that is accessible and funny, filled with memories of childhood parties, grown-up parties, and the desire to somehow merge the two. A chapter on the anatomy of a successful party and a list of resources present practical information. It s not a how-to, but more a why-not.

Things sixteen-year-old Katie is good at: baking, knitting, bantering with her best friend. Something she's not so good at: stepping outside her comfort zone. Ever since her mother died in a fiery car crash, Katie has preferred to play it safe. That changes when she and her friends discover powerful stones that send them to a mysterious alternate dimension, and she finds herself a vessel for the fire powers of a boisterous, ramen-loving demigod named Nyth. Katie's never let go of her survivor's guilt, and putting fire in her hands brings it roaring back to the surface. But if she doesn't channel Nyth's fire to seal the rifts opening between dimensions, reality itself will crumble. As their mission grows more dangerous, she's forced to reconcile her past if she wants to have a future. If she can let go of the guilt and embrace her inner fire, saving both worlds will pale in comparison to the final battle with her biggest obstacle: herself. A YA contemporary hidden-world fantasy featuring the emotional heart of a courage-based YA novel and the compelling mystery of a hidden reality, Instructions for Burning the World draws upon themes of guilt, grief, friendship, self-forgiveness, and the true meaning of fear to create a world altogether new.