Life throws curve balls and none of us really play baseball. Susan Duty -- former teacher, single mother, recovering drunk, and general mess -- delves into the adventures of living an unplanned life and the pressures and pleasures of being imperfect. Short, fun essays on normal, everyday things like being tasered and striving for spiritual enlightenment provide readers with an opportunity to connect, laugh and cry -- depending on the page number. It's writing for unpolished people.

Depression, growing up in a southern Baptist church, getting sober, and single-parenthood are just a few things she highlights in this short read. "Life is short, and most people are lying," she says. Consider the Damn Lily is a brutally honest look at the struggles of fearlessly searching for a silver lining in a world full of dismal statistics. The book blasts hope in the form of humor and truth and encourages others to be who they are, no matter what that looks like.