So many genres, so little time
Anna Politkovskaya was a correspondent for the Novaya Gazeta newspaper and was an outspoken critic of the Kremlin and its policies in Chechnya. The definition of a hero in many people's eyes is a person who is admired for courage or noble qualities. Anna was more than a hero. She was the voice of the… Continue reading Is Journalism Worth Dying For?: Final Dispatches by Anna Politkovskaya
First of all, I want to thank all of our troops for serving over in Iraq and Afghanistan in all aspects of the job. Your courage under fire was and is honorable. When I watched the news about Iraq I remember the reporters talking about the dangers of the reconstruction effort, but reading Kerry Kachejian's… Continue reading Suvs Suck in Combat: The Rebuilding of Iraq During a Raging Insurgency by Karry Kachejian
"I guess sometimes the search for freedom is enough to keep one alive." Melitta and her family's experience in Nazi Germany in WWII was something that no one wants to contemplate, but it happened and she has written a short, but stirring memoir about it. In Weimar, Germany, Melitta was born on September 3, 1944… Continue reading Hey Kids, Want Some Chocolates?: My Family’s Journey to Freedom by Melitta Strandberg
Liz Gilbert's life was a mess. She wanted a divorce, she fought off and on with her lover and she just wanted to go away. And go away she did to the three I's. Italy, India, and Indonesia. She found food and friends in Italy. She found the love of God in an Ashram in… Continue reading Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
This is a self-help book that is "presented in an interactive format so that people can practice applying some of the tools of the manual while getting coaching." It basically says that your body is your temple and you should take care of it. From exercise to nutrition to therapy to mental health. I found… Continue reading Aging Well by Dr. George Cromack
Adrienne Barbeau is not only a gifted actress and singer but a gifted writer as well. There is early proof in the excerpts from her journals starting in fifth grade and her ninth-grade term paper., "To Be Or Not To Be: Acting as a Vocation". She writes with honesty, strength, humility, and humor. This book… Continue reading There Are Worse Things I Could Do by Adrienne Barbeau
Thom Bierdz is an actor, artist, author, and loving brother who reaches into his own psyche to tell a heart wrenching and raw account of his life that will leave you breathless. Not only does Thom write about his struggle to understand why his brother murdered his mother, but he writes about his struggles with… Continue reading Forgiving Troy: A True Story of Murder, Mental Illness, and Recovery by Thom Bierdz
Mr. Lapierre relates the history of South Africa from 1652 when Dutchman Jan van Riebeeck lands in the Cape to plant lettuce to 1994 when Nelson Mandela becomes South Africa’s first black president. There are great hardships and great triumphs described and the perseverance of the African people is remarkable and commendable. Mr. Lapierre states… Continue reading A Rainbow in the Night: The Tumultuous Birth of South Africa by Dominique Lapierre
Ruthie Simkin's young life was about to change. She would have strange, hysterical episodes where she knew subconsciously they were wrong, but she did them anyway. At age 18 after a particular terrifying incident and after being diagnosed with epilepsy, her mother and father had had enough and against her will, put her in Chestnut… Continue reading The Jagged Years of Ruthie J. by Ruth Simkin
This book was written for co-workers to better understand each other, but I also found it helpful to communicate better with my spouse. Dr. Flaxington states that "The most powerful people are the ones who understand themselves better than others understand them." She helps us to find out more about ourselves by finding out what… Continue reading Understanding Other People: The Five Secrets to Human Behavior by Beverly Flaxington
Ms. Moran’s guide is full of short essays describing enlightening and uplifting ways for maintaining your life and giving it special meaning to you and the one’s around you. She concludes each of her essays with a “lucky charm” that suggests “a specific action you can take to apply the essence of that essay”. As… Continue reading Living a Charmed Life: Your Guide to Finding Magic in Every Moment of Every Day by Victoria Moran
H. Peter Nennhaus grew up in Berlin during WWII; a volatile time in German and world history. The book is different in that he tells the story from a German boy’s point of view who saw things differently at that time in history. You can see Mr. Nennhaus’s interest in history by reading the historical… Continue reading The Shipwreck of a Nation: Germany: An Inside View by H. Peter Nennhaus
Alyse Myers’s memoir is very personal, brave and honest. This memoir was mainly about Alyse Myers’ rocky relationship with her mother. The eldest of three girls, Alyse adored her father, but hated her mother. Alyse was her father’s favorite, but her mother’s jealousy and anger at the attention he paid to Alyse was something that… Continue reading Who Do You Think You Are? by Alyse Myers
Have you ever spent money without telling your partner? Have you ever applied for a credit card without your spouse knowing? If so, you are cheating on your loved one. It’s called financial infidelity. This book is more about saving your relationship than saving your money. The Palmer’s are professional financial advisors and they have… Continue reading First Comes Love Then Comes Money by Bethany & Scott Palmer