In The Twisted Sisterhood, Kelly Valen picks up where her arresting New York Times essay about a painful sorority encounter left off. She pulls back the curtain on female relationships, revealing the troubling findings from her unique survey of more than three thousand women from all walks of life.

Consider these discussion questions when reading The Twisted Sisterhood!

1.  Do you find that your own experiences with girls and women correspond with some of the experiences women from the author’s survey were reporting? If yes, in what ways?

2.  In thinking about your own relationships with women, did you find parts of this book surprising, unpleasant, or emotionally difficult to read? If so, which parts and why?

3.  A number of women told the author they found groups of girls and women particularly intimidating or difficult to deal with, preferring a more one-on-one style of camaraderie. Have you found yourself feeling the same way? 

4.  One of the more common coping mechanisms or adaptations women have reported in the wake of their female-on-female hurts is keeping other women at arm’s length and not letting them in too close — at least not until they’ve “proven” themselves. Can you relate to that sentiment or know other women who seem to relate in this way?

5.  Do you agree with the many women who feel that the hurts dealt by our fellow females often sting us in a unique and/or profound way — in ways the hurts dealt by men often do not? If so, why do you think this is the case?

6.  The author and the majority of her survey respondents suggest that engaged, proactive mothering is a key component to improving relationships among females and fostering a more authentic, hospitable, and collaborative “sisterhood.” Do you agree? Why or why not? Do you see mothers as getting a bad rap or do you think more mothers could use a wake-up call when it comes to raising their daughters?

7.  The author acknowledges that it is an ambitious goal to inspire real social change but does offer some ideas for how this might be accomplished among girls and women, including her “Handy Top 15” tips in Chapter 12. Can you imagine some others?

8.  Many survey respondents believe that relations among females often improve as we age. Has this been your experience?  Is this your hope?

9.  One overriding theme in the book is that no matter how content or supported you might personally feel with your current circle of girlfriends, each of us holds a stake in helping foster a more mindful civility among all females in our society. Would you agree? What would you be willing to do to advance that goal and achieve a new status quo or “new normal” among females in this country?

10.  How do you think the author herself may have benefitted from conducting the survey and writing her book? 

In September 2008, Northern State University men’s basketball coach Don Meyer stood on the brink of immortality. He was about to surpass the legendary Bobby Knight to become the all-time NCAA wins leader in men’s basketball. Then, on a two-lane road in South Dakota, everything changed in an instant.

In How Lucky You Can Be, acclaimed sports journalist Buster Olney tells the remarkable story of the successive tragedies that befell Coach Meyer but could not defeat him. Laid low by a horrific car accident that led to the amputation of his left leg below the knee, Coach Meyer had barely emerged from surgery when his doctors informed him that he also had terminal cancer. In the blink of an eye, this prototypical 24/7 workaholic coach—who arrived at the gym most mornings before 6 a.m.—found himself forced to reexamine his priorities at the age of sixty-three. A model of reserve, Coach Meyer had sacrificed much of his emotional life to his program. His wife, Carmen, felt disconnected because of his habitual reticence, while his three children—all now well into adulthood—had long had to compete with basketball for his attention. With sensitivity and skill, Olney shows how Coach Meyer mined his physical ordeal for the spiritual strength to transform his life.

The inspirational story of a life renewed by unimaginable hardship, How Lucky You Can Be proves that it’s never too late to start making changes—and reminds us that fortune can smile upon us even in our most trying hours.

Order How Lucky You Can Be today!

AMAZON
BARNES & NOBLE
BORDERS
INDIEBOUND

Watch the amazing ESPN video about Coach Meyer

Follow Buster on Twitter!

With all the funny, frank, and characteristically down-to-earth personality that fans of their hit reality show, Giuliana & Bill, have come to adore, this glamorous couple takes you behind the scenes of their real-life marriage. Like all newlyweds, they’ve faced the big issues that wedlock manages to invite, including money (to merge or not?), household chores (she’s disorganized, he’s a neat freak), arguments (without staying mad), and trying to have a baby (it’s not as easy as they thought!). Sharing their newfound and sometimes hard-won insights, they offer suggestions on such topics as communication, giving and receiving support, trust and jealousy, quality time, friends and in-laws, fighting fair, and sex and romance.

A must-read for newly married couples, or those about to take the plunge, or anyone who wants to know the secrets of everlasting love, I Do, Now What? is an upbeat real-world resource for the most ambitious journey of a couple’s life: marriage!

Read chapter 1 now!

Follow Giuliana and Bill on Twitter for contests, updates, and more!

From New York Times bestselling author Jon Katz comes a moving and powerful novel, the first one inspired by life on his celebrated Bedlam Farm—and perceptively told from the point of view of Rose, a dedicated working dog.

Rose is determined and focused, keeping the sheep out of danger and protecting the other creatures on the farm she calls home. But of all those she’s looked after since coming to the farm as a puppy, it is Sam, the farmer, whom she watches most carefully.

Awoken one cold midwinter night during lambing season, Rose and Sam struggle into the snowy dark to do their work. The ever observant Rose has seen a change in her master of late, ever since Sam’s wife disappeared one day. She senses something else in the air as well: A storm is coming, but not like any of the ones she’s seen over the years. This storm feels different, bigger, more foreboding.

When an epic blizzard hits the region, it will take all of Rose’s resolve, resourcefulness, and courage to help Sam save the farm and the creatures who live there.

Jon Katz consulted with animal behavior scientists to create his unique and convincing vision of the world as seen through the eyes of a dog. Poignant, thrilling, and beautifully wrought, Rose in a Storm is a wonderfully original and powerful tale from a gifted storyteller.

Read an excerpt!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Are you a ‘formerly’? Watch these videos featuring Stephanie Dolgoff, author of MY FORMERLY HOT LIFE, and see for yourself!

MTV and Eve Ensler Partner to Bring I Am an Emotional Creature: The Secret Life of Girls Around the World to Life On Air! Rosario Dawson, Aubrey Plaza (”Parks and Recreation”) and Jessica Stroup (”90210″) give voice to Ensler’s work, tackling hot button teen issues including safe sex, sexual pressure, sexting, constant connectedness and dating abuse.

In his acceptance speech, Rice credited his hard-working parents, his fear of failure, and his relentless drive for progress for his NFL records for most receptions (1,549) receiving yards (22,895) and receiving TDs (197).

Those stories and more pack the pages of his autobiography, GO LONG! My Journey Beyond the Game and the Fame, published in 2007 by Ballantine Books. (Click here for more.)

An ambitious, utterly engaging historical novel on the scale of The Thirteenth Tale and The Birth of Venus, JULIET follows a young woman who discovers that her family’s origins reach all the way back to literature’s greatest star-crossed lovers.

When Julie Jacobs inherits a key to a safety-deposit box in Siena, Italy, she is told it will lead her to an old family treasure. Soon she is launched on a winding and perilous journey into the history of her ancestor Giulietta, whose legendary love for a young man named Romeo rocked the foundations of medieval Siena. As Julie crosses paths with the descendants of the families involved in Shakespeare’s unforgettable blood feud, she begins to realize that the notorious curse—“A plague on both your houses!”—is still at work, and that she is the next target. It seems that the only one who can save Julie from her fate is Romeo—but where is he?

Click here to check out the interactive map, photo gallery, and much more!

Read an excerpt.

Watch the video trailer for Anne Fortier’s debut novel JULIET.