WHILE THE GODS WERE SLEEPING: A Journey Through Love and Rebellion in Nepal tells a compelling story of a woman transformed in intimate and unexpected ways. Set against the backdrop of increasing political turmoil in Nepal, Enslin’s story takes us deep into the lives of local women as they claim their rightful place in society—and make their voices heard.
From Jake and Jillian to Denise and David, Ginger and Jordan and Richard Dempsey, this introduction into the Acorn Hills series gives you a glimpse into the lives of this very close knit circle of friends. They have known each other since grade school and are a very integral part of each other, proving that real friendships truly CAN last a lifetime.
We journey with Ginger through the next forty years as she lives life on the edge. Her penchant for cooking takes her to France and turns her into an award winning pastry chef. We travel through the adversities and joys of her life, from beginning a successful business to finally finding Mr. Right. Mystic Capers, Book 2 of the Acorn Hills series, will tug at your heart strings as you remember the milestone events of your life. It’s funny, romantic, and brutally realistic. Look carefully, you just may see a wee bit o’ ye between the lines.
A BREAST CANCER ALPHABET
By: Madhulika Sikka
Published: February 25, 2014
Publisher: Crown Publishing
The biggest risk factor for breast cancer is simply being a woman. Madhulika Sikka’s A BREAST CANCER ALPHABET offers a new way to live with and plan past the hardest diagnosis that most women will ever receive: a personal, practical, and deeply informative look at the road from diagnosis to treatment and beyond.
What Madhulika Sikka didn’t foresee when initially diagnosed, and what this book brings to life so vividly, are the unexpected and minute challenges that make navigating the world of breast cancer all the trickier. A BREAST CANCER ALPHABET is an inspired reaction to what started as a personal predicament.
This A-Z guide to living with breast cancer goes where so many fear to tread: sex (S is for Sex – really?), sentimentality (J is for Journey – it’s a cliché we need to dispense with), hair (H is for Hair – yes, you can make a federal case of it) and work (Q is for Quitting – there’ll be days when you feel like it). She draws an easy-to-follow, and quite memorable, map of her travels from breast cancer neophyte to seasoned veteran.
As a prominent news executive, Madhulika had access to the most cutting edge data on the disease’s reach and impact. At the same time, she craved the community of frank talk and personal insight that we rely on in life’s toughest moments. This wonderfully inventive book navigates the world of science and story, bringing readers into Madhulika’s mind and experience in a way that demystifies breast cancer and offers new hope for those living with it.
I have a hard time imagining any woman who doesn’t know someone that has been stricken with breast cancer. I can name several just in my own family, let alone counting the numerous friends and acquaintances I know that have had breast cancer. I wanted to review this book and then share it so others my find help and support for a loved one dealing with breast cancer. Look for this review in a couple weeks.
WHAT WE SEE WHEN WE READ
By: Peter Mendelsund
Published: August 5, 2014
Publisher: Vintage
A gorgeously unique, fully illustrated exploration into the phenomenology of reading—how we visualize images from reading works of literature, from one of our very best book jacket designers, himself a passionate reader.
What do we see when we read? Did Tolstoy really describe Anna Karenina? Did Melville ever really tell us what, exactly, Ishmael looked like? The collection of fragmented images on a page—a graceful ear there, a stray curl, a hat positioned just so—and other clues and signifiers helps us to create an image of a character. But in fact our sense that we know a character intimately has little to do with our ability to concretely picture our beloved—or reviled—literary figures. In this remarkable work of nonfiction, Knopf’s Associate Art Director Peter Mendelsund combines his profession, as an award-winning designer; his first career, as a classically trained pianist; and his first love, literature—he considers himself first and foremost as a reader—into what is sure to be one of the most provocative and unusual investigations into how we understand the act of reading.
As much as I read, I thought this book sounded interesting. I’m looking forward to seeing what it is all about.
THE SALINGER CONTRACT
By: Adam Langer
Published: September 17, 2013
Publisher: Open Road Media
Adam Langer, the narrator of this deft and wide-ranging novel by the author of the same name, tells the intertwining tales of two writers navigating a plot neither one of them could have ever imagined. There may be no other escape than to write their way out of it.
I don’t typically read thrillers, so I’m not sure how intense this will be, but I’ll give it a shot.
AN UNSEEMLY WIFE
By: E. B. Moore
Published: October 7, 2014
Publisher: NAL Trade
1867. Ruth Holtz has more blessings than she can count—a loving husband, an abundant farm, beautiful children, and the warm embrace of the Amish community. Then, the English arrive, spreading incredible stories of free land in the West and inspiring her husband to dream of a new life in Idaho.
Breaking the rules of their Order, Ruth’s husband packs up his pregnant wife and their four children and joins a wagon train heading west. Though Ruth is determined to keep separate from the English, as stricture demands, the harrowing journey soon compels her to accept help from two unlikely allies: Hortence, the preacher’s wife, and the tomboyish, teasing Sadie.
But as these new friendships lead to betrayal, what started as a quest for a brighter future ends with Ruth making unthinkable sacrifices, risking faith and family, and transforming into a woman she never imagined she’d become….
I’ve always been intrigued by the Amish lifestyle. There are several that live in the area I grew up in and we frequently would drive by their farms and purchase their delicious baked goods. I am looking forward to reading and reviewing this book in the next few weeks.
PRESCRIPTION FOR LIFE
By: Richard Furman MD FACS
Published: September 30, 2014
Publisher: Revell
During his more than thirty years as a vascular surgeon, Richard Furman literally held clogged arteries and diseased hearts in his hands and wondered why the person lying on the table hadn’t been more careful. Heart disease is the number one killer of men and women in America, and in most cases it is completely preventable. So why are we slowly destroying our bodies and killing ourselves? And what can we do to turn it around?
The good news is, simple, sustainable lifestyle changes can mean the difference between health and infirmity, between life and death. Putting his three decades of experience and education to work, Dr. Furman gives readers the strategies they need to live not just longer, but younger. This essential resource to health helps readers
-achieve and maintain their ideal weight
-reduce their risk for life-threatening diseases
-make exercise a natural part of their lives
-learn what foods to eat and what foods to avoid
It even shows how following the plan can not only eliminate heart disease, but also keep people safe from various cancers, dementia, diabetes, stroke, erectile dysfunction, and other age- and obesity-related problems.
Dr. Furman wants readers to realize that poor health during one’s “golden years” is not inevitable. It can and should be avoided at all cost. And with his expert advice, readers can live long, healthy, vibrant lives, enjoying time with friends and family instead of wasting it in doctors’ offices and hospitals.
Who doesn’t want to live longer and healthier? I’m sure most of the tips in this book will be ones I’ve heard before, but hoping for some new ideas and research. I’ll be reviewing this one next week!
CHASING VICTORY: The Winters Sisters Book 1
By: Joanne Jaytanie
Published: March 21, 2013
Publisher: Books to Go Now
Victory Winters possesses an unusual innate sense of communication, bordering on
telepathic when relating to animals. She is a world-renowned geneticist, and based
on these facts, she is kidnapped by Lawrence Braxton. Braxton is the madman CEO
who runs Biotec, and forces Victory to pursue her research on canine DNA.
Naval officer Tristan Farraday is sent undercover to track Biotec’s experiments.
These experiments involve the implantation of canine DNA into humans, thereby
manipulating their genetic makeup. The goal of Biotec is to create the perfect
soldier.
Murder, kidnapping, and blackmail follow as Tristan realizes Victory has been pulled
into Biotec’s world against her wishes. She refuses to divulge the genetic
answers Braxton demands. Victory knows Biotec wants to exploit her findings, by
administering them in a destructive manner. Will Tristan rescue Victory from
this madman’s grip and save her family? Can he keep her discoveries away from
enemy hands?
I received this at the author event I mentioned above directly from Joanne. She was fun to chat with and I look forward to seeing what her books are all about. This is also a genre I don’t typically read, but her passion for the series made me want to read it! It is just $2.99 on Kindle right now and you can click the photo above to purchase and check it out for yourself!
ALL GOOD WOMEN
By: Valerie Miner
Published: August 19, 2014
Publisher: Open Road Media
As World War II rages abroad, a group of women forge the bonds of sisterhood in America.
In 1938, while tensions in Europe are reaching a boiling point, four young women with big ambitions enter secretarial school in San Francisco. Motivated to attain the financial stability that eluded their parents, they go to battle for their futures. Moira, of Scottish descent, dreams of being an actress. Ann yearns for the education her Jewish immigrant parents provided for her brother, but not for her. Japanese American Wanda experiences firsthand the racial injustices running rampant in the United States. And Teddy, who left the Dust Bowl for sunny California, comes to startling realizations about herself as the war progresses. These women will be both buoyed and challenged by their dreams, experiencing love, loss, and everything in between. Against the backdrop of a nation gripped by fear and paranoia, Miner eloquently captures the spirit of wartime on the home front.
I love books set during WWII, so this book will be a treat for me. Stay tuned for a review soon!
THE NEXT BREATH
By: Laurel Ostercamp
Published: September 11, 2014
Publisher: PMI Books
“I kiss him, choosing love over honesty, which is a choice nobody should ever have to make…”
Robin loves sweet, responsible Nick, with his penchant for Beethoven and Ben Folds Five. But she also still loves her college boyfriend Jed, an irreverent playwright plagued with cystic fibrosis. Now Robin is struggling to reveal her secrets and confront her past, as she finally performs in the play that Jed wrote for her, eleven years ago. Will Robin have the strength to keep her promise and stay true to her heart?
Alternating between present-day scenes, college flashbacks, and segments from Jed’s play, this tear-jerking yet uplifting tale illustrates how life is finite but love is infinite, and the road to recovery begins with the next breath.
I reviewed Ostercamp’s first book THE HOLDOUT back in December. See that review, HERE. THE NEXT BREATH follows the same character, Robin, but both books can stand alone and be read in either order. If you’d like to check out THE NEXT BREATH, it is just $2.99 on Kindle and you can get it by clicking the photo above. THE HOLDOUT is also just $2.99 for Kindle and you can get it by clicking HERE.
GOD’S BURIED CHILDREN
By: Daniel Farcas
Published: July 31, 2014
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
This true story is the journal of an orphan child born in Romania in 1980’s during Nicolae Ceauscu’s communist regime, Daniel becomes a homeless child on Bucharest streets and in the city underground sewers after he runs away from the orphanage and lives through the 1989 Anticommunism Revolution.
Daniel ends up running from the Romanian Secret Service and police that want him dead and he manages to fly to U.S. using someone else passport help by Mariana, an American girl that falls in love with him while in a Humanitarian Mission in Bucharest. There are other stories tangled in the novel, an adopted child, a child reunited with his father and a child killing his father and grandfather who abandon him.
I was sent this book from the author. It details another tragic part of our history and stories like this always intrigue me. It’s a short book and is just $2.99 for Kindle. You can get it by purchasing the photo above.
THE STORY OF FESTER CAT
By: Paul Magrs
Published: November 4, 2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
“I always knew that the rest of my story is gonna be a good one. I don’t know how I knew that, but I always did. Ungow! I am Fester the cat. Welcome to my book, everyone!”
From when he first ambled into Paul Magrs’s yard—skinny, covered in flea bites, and missing all but one and a half teeth—Fester knew he’d found his family. Paul and his partner, Jeremy, thought it was the ragged black-and-white stray, tired from a rough life on the streets, who was in desperate need of support. But clever Fester knew better. He understood that it was his newfound owners who needed the help.
Over the course of seven years, the feisty feline turned the quaint Manchester house into a loving home. Through his fierce spirit, strong will, and calming energy, Fester taught Paul and Jeremy how to listen and breathe, how to appreciate the joys of simply sitting and singing (what Fester’s purrs sounded like to his silly humans), and how to find joy and contentment in life, even when dealing with hardship.
This is the true story of an extraordinary little cat whose gentle charm and trusting soul turned two young men into a family.
Since I am a cat person, I couldn’t pass up this story. It’s getting a lot of buzz and the staff of Penguin Group keep raving about it. Look for this review in November.
MAPS AND LEGENDS: Reading and Writing Along the Borderlands
By: Michael Chabon
Published: December 20, 2011
Publisher: Open Road Media
Frankly, I’m not sure about this one. But, I’ll give it a shot! If nothing else, I will enjoy his story of being a writer, I’m sure.
WHAT CAT ARE YOU?
Take these three fun quizzes to learn what cat you are. Quiz one is for personality, quiz two is appearance and quiz three is choices. Each test score will account for one component of your “kitty genetic makeup.” At the end we add your scores together to see what your overall breed is. While it’s possible to end up the same breed for all three quizzes and the overall breed (making you a purebred), it’s also possible to look like a regal Bombay, be as feisty as a Siamese, think like a Cornish Rex, and overall have the heart of a Korat. Will you end up being a purebred, mixed or moggy? Do you want to be the same breed as your family and friends? Manipulate your answers and score to end up as your favorite cat.
I met these two authors at the event I mentioned above. They live in Iowa and have written these unique quiz books including one for dog lovers as well. They have worked hard to make sure their formulas work and give surprising results. You can get this book for just $2.99 on Kindle by clicking the photo above if you are dying to know what kind of cat you really are!
Carol Matthews has experienced more than her fair share of loss in her twenty-seven years. After the death of her beloved older brother, the responsibility of raising his son—four-year-old Jeff—is the only thing that keeps her going. Just when life begins to return to something called normal, the fear of losing Jeff sends Carol’s world into chaos. Jeff’s rich and well-connected grandparents petition for Jeff’s custody, leaving Carol in search of an experienced lawyer. Attorney Donovan Delaney’s own trouble with the law has left his career in shambles. With resources low and no new clients in the wings, things look desperate until Carol Matthews walks through his door. Carol’s case could be the second chance he needs to restore his professional reputation. With not only Jeff’s future at stake, Carol and Donovan fight their undeniable attraction to each other to focus on what’s really important. Can Carol willingly open her heart to another possible loss? Will Donovan risk the career of his dreams? If winning means success, what will be the cost?
STORMIN’ NORMAN: THE SOGGY DOGGY
Two best friends–one human, one dog–discover the trouble that can come from a harmless looking stick near a creek bank. When Norm the dog is caught in the current, Andy must go to great lengths to save his pal!
The following books I got through a Kindle Daily Deal. If you like finding great books to read on your Kindle at low prices, be sure to follow me on Facebook, HERE or Twitter, HERE. I frequently share books deals that you won’t want to miss. You can also check out the Kindle Daily Deals by clicking on the right side of my blog labeled Kindle Daily Deals.
Regina Calcaterra is a successful lawyer, New York State official, and activist. Her painful early life, however, was quite different. Regina and her four siblings survived an abusive and painful childhood only to find themselves faced with the challenges of the foster-care system and intermittent homelessness in the shadows of Manhattan and the Hamptons.
A true-life rags-to-riches story, Etched in Sand chronicles Regina’s rising above her past, while fighting to keep her brother and three sisters together through it all.
Beautifully written, with heartbreaking honesty, Etched in Sand is an unforgettable reminder that regardless of social status, the American Dream is still within reach for those who have the desire and the determination to succeed.
My friend, Diana, had just told me how wonderful this book was and then just days later it was a Kindle deal. I can’t wait to read this one!
By: Laura Schroff
When Laura Schroff brushed by a young panhandler on a New York City corner one rainy afternoon, something made her stop and turn back. She took the boy to lunch at the McDonald’s across the street that day. And she continued to go back, again and again for the next four years until both their lives had changed dramatically. Nearly thirty years later, that young boy, Maurice, is married and has his own family. Now he works to change the lives of disadvantaged kids, just like the boy he used to be.
An Invisible Thread is the true story of the bond between a harried sales executive and an eleven-year-old boy who seemed destined for a life of poverty. It is the heartwarming story of a friendship that has spanned three decades and brought meaning to an over-scheduled professional and hope to a hungry and desperate boy living on the streets.
A researcher studying memory in elephants, Alice is fascinated by the bonds between mother and calf—the mother’s powerful protective instincts and her newborn’s unwavering loyalty. Living on a game reserve in Botswana, Alice is able to view the animals in their natural habitat—while following an important rule: She must only observe and never interfere. Then she finds an orphaned young elephant in the bush and cannot bear to leave the helpless baby behind. Thinking back on her own childhood, and on her shifting relationship with her mother, Alice risks her career to care for the calf. Yet what she comes to understand is the depth of a parent’s love.
Posted Under Book Review, New on the Stack, reading
Thanks for taking the time to do the reviews! Not a simple task but much appreciated by me!
Thanks Nellie B!