Title: Almost There: Onward Journey of a Dublin Woman
Author: Nuala O'Faolain
Publisher: Penguin Group
Copyright: 2004
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Nuala O"Faolain, now approaching 60, continues from her earlier memoir "Are You Somebody" to explore her understanding of who she is and why. Well into her middle years, still single after several failed relationships, no longer impoverished and unknown, she considers how her Irish Catholic roots, her unconventional and alcoholic parents and her 7 siblings have all affected her emotional growth. Part of her decision: live on and forge ahead.

Title: Benjamin Franklin
Author: Walter Isaacson
Reviewer: Marilyn
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: A delightful portrait of probably the most interesting of the founding fathers. Inventor, entrepreneur, ambassador, patriot and ladies' man--what more could you want.

Title: Damaged
Author: Cathy Glass
Publisher: HarperElement
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Patty
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: In this true first hand account of a foster carer to an 8 year old little girl named Jodie. It seems that the foster care system oversights that happen in the US also happen in the United Kingdom. How disheartening to read the tale of such emotional and sexual abuse that Jodie went through at the hands of her own parents. Despite the help she is receiving, her future seems really bleak on being able to function within a normal family environment. As sad as the story is, it is a captivating account of what one person can do to help Jodie when everyone else turned their backs when she became too difficult to handle.

Title: The Declaration of Independent Filmmaking
Author: Mark and Michel Polish
Publisher: Harcourt Books
Copyright: 2005
Reviewer: Leigh
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is the story of film directors Mark and Michael Polish (Twin Falls Idaho, Northfork) and making their dream a reality. They give great insight into the process of making an independent film and recount their successes and mishaps from making their own films over the years. I found this book extremely informative and motivational and would recommend it to anyone interested in the filmmaking process.

Title: Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
Author: David Sedaris
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Copyright: June 2004
Reviewer: Leigh
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is a collection of essays by the author regarding bits from his life and interactions with his family. He paints a vivid picture from his stories and draws the reader into each short tidbit. I enjoyed reading this as something different than the usual and plan on checking out more of Sedaris' writing in the future.

Title: Eat Pray Love
Author: Elizabeth Gilbert
Publisher: Penguin Group
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: "Eat Pray Love" is Elizabeth Gilbert's spiritual memoir describing her year of travel in search of recovery from a devastating divorce, ensuing depression and a failed relationship. She spends 4 months in Italy devouring the food and language, 4 months in an Indian ashram learning to meditate and pray, and 4 months in Bali Indonesia striving for "balance" and equilibrium. Gilbert's account is witty, candid and unpretentious.

Title: Escape
Author: Carolyn Jessop & Laura Palmer
Publisher: Broadway
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Patty
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Wow. The life story of how Carolyn Jessop was born and raised with the values and beliefs of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) is unbelievable. As a young child, Carolyn idolized her grandmother and faithfully believed the stories told to her about their lifestyle. But as she grew up and her grandmother passes, her independent thinking takes hold and her eyes open to the corruption within the FLDS. Carolyn is forced to become the fourth wife to a man over thirty years older than her. After fifteen years in this family, she bears eight children with him. During those fifteen years, Carolyn is psychologically abused and scrutinized by the other three wives. One night, Carolyn knows she has to flee and that it has to be now. With her husband hot on her heels, Carolyn and the children make it to freedom. This story is truly courageous and a must read in my book!

Title: Every Day in Tuscany: Seasons of an Italian Life
Classification:  Travel writing / memoir
Author: Frances Mayes
Publisher: Broadway Books
Copyright: 2010
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments:

Francis Mayes ("Under the Tuscan Sun") continues to delight us with this new memoir, "Every Day in Tuscany". Written in seasonal experiences she tells of the joys and difficulties she and her husband experience living in Bramasole and in their "new" second home, a centuries old falling-down cottage on a rugged slope. Much travel description follows as she searches for works by her favorite Italian  Renaissance artist. Recipes are included at the end of each section. Mayes, also a poet, reveals that skill in the evocative, almost sensual way, she presents this travel narrative. You can see, feel and almost taste the back roads and small towns in Tuscany.

Title: A Fire to Win
Author: John Lombardo
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Copyright: 2005
Reviewer: Marilyn
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Unquestionably complicated and controversial, Woody Hayes' stunningly successful coaching career made him a legend. Five national titles, two national coach of the year titles, eight rose bowl appearances, thirteen Big Ten championships, and a lifetime record of 238-72-10 leave no doubt of his talent. This biography takes an honest and sensitive look at his entire life, how he became the man that he was and why he is so revered even today. This should be a must read, even if you aren't a Buckeye Fan.

Title: Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation
Author: Cokie Roberts
Publisher: HarperCollins
Copyright: 2004
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: "Founding Mothers" is a wonderful addition to the many offerings about events surrounding the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress and the formation of our country. While much is known about Abigail Adams, Martha Washington, Dolley Madison, Roberts adds more plus much information about Mercy Otis Warren, Eliza Pinckney, Peggy Shippen and many other women of the period who ran their husband's businesses as well as their households, supported the political issues, even fought alongside their men. Written chronologically, almost chatty in style, "Founding Mothers" is immensely readable.

Title: The Glass Castle
Author: Jeannette Walls
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Copyright: 2005
Reviewer: Patty
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Life is not fair and Jeannette Walls surely knows it.  Walls & her siblings must bravely tackle all of life’s adversities that are put into place by their alcoholic father and their neglectful, selfish mother.  Always on the move, often living in dismal and dangerous conditions and often in poverty; reading about their horrific journey’s will break your heart.  With only each other to lean on, they devise a plan to escape their dreadful existence.  Using their intelligence and wit, Walls & her siblings not only pull themselves out of despair, but create successful, fulfilling careers & lives for themselves while their parents choose to live among the homeless. 

Title: Half Broke Horses  
Classification: Biography
Author:  Jeannette Walls
Publisher: Scribner
Copyright: 2009
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:  
Reviewer Comments: After her dynamite debut with Glass Castle I expected great things from Walls, but Half Broke Horses certainly didn’t deliver. A “factionalized” account of her grandmother’s life, Walls opted to write in first person which makes for a confusing read since Castle is also written in first person, but about Walls herself and set two generations later.

 Once you get past that, however, the book is interesting in a “yuck, I’m glad it wasn’t me” way. Lily Casey Smith was born in 1901, so her accounts of life in a dugout, with the goats on the roof poking their hooves through while grazing, contrast with the fact that her mother nevertheless has a servant to see to the chores.

 Here’s hoping for more next time…

Title: Here if You Need Me: A True Story
Author: Kate Braestrup
Publisher: Little Brown
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Author Kate Braestrup's heartfelt narrative is insightful, funny and moving. After the tragic death of her husband Braestrup decided to pursue his dream of becoming a minister. Mother of 4 young children, she successfully became a Unitarian minister and the first female chaplain for Maine's Game Warden Service. With simple but somewhat unorthodox faith she provided comfort to both the wardens and families in distress. A memoir definitely worth reading.

Title: Home: A Memoir of My Early Years
Author: Julie Andrews
Publisher: Hyperion
Copyright: 2008
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: "Home", Julie Andrews' memoir, starts with her birth in England in 1925 and continues through 1962. Born to an aspiring vaudevillian mother, Julie began her professional career at 12 with an astonishing voice. Throughout the first half of the book she recounts her difficult childhood during the war and traveling to performances with her mother and stepfather. The latter half of the book deals with the more technical aspects of musical theater and anecdotes about many famous performers including Rex Harrison and Richard Burton. "Home" is a bit dry and written with a reserved style one might expect from Andrews.

Title: John Adams
Author: David McCullough
Reviewer: Marilyn
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Another great McCullough book. This one about an opinionated, obnoxious, socially inept man who also was one of the greatest and brightest patriots of the revolution.

Title: Life And Times of the Thunderbolt Kid
Author: Bill Bryson
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: In his funniest book since Lost Continent, Bryson recounts his early life growing up in Iowa in the fifties and recalls for all of us the innocence, the simplicity and the hope of the time. Not that his descriptions are always idyllic; he reminds us that "Only one thing came close to matching the fear of teenagers in the 1950s and that was of course Communism. Worrying about Communism was an exhaustingly demanding business in the 1950s." Whether reminiscing about the development of the hydrogen bomb ("One possibility was that it might ignite all the oxygen in the atmosphere"), or protesting the day each summer that he had to spend at the Riverview Amusement Park (of whose roller coaster he says: "People didn't even scream on it; they were much too petrified to emit any kind of noise"), Bryson is hysterically accurate. Whether you lived the fifties, or the fifties are ancient history to you, you must read this book. If you give it as a gift, make sure to buy one for yourself, too!

Title: Marley and Me (Review #1)
Author: John Grogan
Publisher: Harper
Copyright: 2005
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This book has been floating just below my radar for awhile, but I thought it might be a great read during the holidays. After all, what could be more heartwarming than a dog book? So, having now read it, I can tell you: almost anything but this. Poor Marley. Brought into a family that wants to practice parenting on a dog before having children and treated by them as though he should have been born knowing good behavior, this poor dog wanders from one disaster to the next. The cover of the book proclaims Marley is "the world's worst dog," but misses the fact that the Grogans may be a dog's worst family. The charm of this book eludes me...it's like reading a TV sitcom. Pass. PS: AND...the dog dies. (Click here to check out other reviews for this title)

Title: Marley and Me (Review #2)
Author: John Grogan
Publisher: Harper
Copyright: 2005
Reviewer: Patty
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Marley is a light hearted, amusing tale with its share of chuckles along the way!  Follow Marley’s mishaps and adventures from his puppy days into adulthood.  Every dog lover will relate!  Be warned…this book is not for readers with a weak stomach!  The author does not hold back on giving graphic details to the truly gross Marley behavior! (Click here to check out other reviews for this title)

Title: My American Journey
Author: Colin Powell
Reviewer: Marilyn
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Autobiography. Chronicles his life from childhood to the present. Portrays a much more vibrant personality than you're used to seeing on TV.

Title: Never Stuff Your Dog: And Other Things I've Learned
Author: Alan Alda
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 2005
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Alan Alda's biography is well written, amusing and enlightening with lots of childhood and off screen experience which formulated his personality and career.

Title: No One Here Gets Out Alive
Author: Jerry Hopkins & Daniel Sugerman
Publisher: Warner Books
Copyright: 1980
Reviewer: Gayle
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This book is the definitive account of the complex singer, poet, and front man for the Doors, Jim Morrison. Even those who were not around during the late sixties and those who were around but doing other things besides listening to great music, could learn from this story just how close genius and madness really are. Jim, if you are out there, you have been dead too long.

Title: Quilting Lessons: Notes from the Scrap Bag...
Author: Janet Berlo
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: The title is deceiving because this book isn't really how to quilt but about creativity and overcoming an artist or writers' "block".

Title: A Million Little Pieces
Author: James Frey
Publisher: Double Day, Random House
Copyright: April 2003
Reviewer: Leigh
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Even with all the controversy surrounding this book, this is a fascinating story of one man's road back to a restored life.

Title: Retail Hell  
Classification: Biography
Author:  Freeman Hall
Publisher: Adams Media
Copyright: 2009
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments:

After having read this book, all I can say is: Thank you to all the wonderful customers who shopped in my store and who are not the customers Freeman Hall describes.  Although moderately entertaining, Hall suffers so much as a self-described "retail slave" that I can't imagine him working for twenty minutes, let alone twenty years, in a field that requires daily interaction with people.  This book might have worked better if the author had included even one wonderful customer (because there must have been some) instead of whining about all the crazy psychos who ruined his life by expecting some (drum roll here) customer service.

 The retail world is certainly better off without Hall, and I'm not sure the publishing world is better off with him!

Title: Rocket Boys (aka October Sky)
Author: Homer Hickam
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: The first in Hickam's series of autobiographies, this is just about the best I've ever read. Set in Coalwood, West Virginia, it's the coming-of-age story of a group of boys around whom the town rallies when they start to build rockets at the beginning of the space race. It's about family, community, poverty and mountains; it is not to be missed.

Title: Sky of Stone
Author: Homer Hickam
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: A worthy second sequel to "Rocket Boys" (skip "Coalwood Way"), this is set during Hickam's first summer home after going away to college when he finds himself, reluctantly, working in the mines he fears.

Title: Three Little Words
Classification: Biography
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Copyright: 2008
Reviewer: Patty
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Boy after reading this book..I have a whole different appreciation for children growing up in the Florida foster care system. I can only imagine the deplorable conditions in which they were forced to live and then lie about it when the authorities came by to visit. Telling the authorities didn't seem to help as they either thought you were lying or they didn't care because children seem to move from caseworker to caseworker. I can totally see how children slipped through the cracks in the system. Hopefully Ms. Rhodes-Courter's book will give a voice to the children still in the system and help to bring much needed reform.

Title: A Walk on the Beach
Author: Joan Anderson
Publisher: Broadway Press
Copyright: 2004
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is the third, and best, in a biographical series, but stands alone. During her friendship with a wise and thought provoking friend, the author learns much about herself and life in general.

Title: Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton & Me
Author: Patty Boyd with Penny Junior
Publisher: Harmony Books
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Gayle
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Growing up in the 60's, I believed Pattie Boyd lead the most extraordinary and charmed life. She was a fashion super model before there were super models. She married two of the eras greatest rockers-George Harrison and Eric Clapton. She was one of the school girls in the first Beatles film. She was a rock muse, inspiring both Clapton and Harrison to pen some of their most signature songs (i.e.; Layla, Wonderful Tonight, Old Love, Something, to name a few). Her family and friends read like a Who's Who in the fashion, and rock 'n roll world. What a delight to finally have her tell her story! The book is very British in tone, and if you aren't familiar with all the key players from the 60's British Invasion into the music and fashion scene, the book may be a little difficult to follow. I couldn't wait to read about this icon; yet by the end of the book, I realized she was just a normal person who was truly just lucky to be in the right place, at the right time-over and over again.

Title: A Year in Provence
Author: Peter Mayle
Publisher: Knopf
Copyright: 1991
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: After 15 successful years in advertising Peter Mayle and his wife decide to escape that lifestyle by moving to Provence France and renovate a 200 year old farmhouse. What follows is a funny warm-hearted account of quirky characters and many mishaps. This has been one of my favorites for years.

Title: The Year of Magical Thinking (Review #1)
Author: Joan Didion
Publisher: Knopf
Copyright: 2005
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: "The Year of Magical Thinking", Joan Didion's memoir, is in her words an "attempt to make sense of the weeks and then months that cut loose any fixed idea I had about death, about illness . . . about marriage and children and memory . . . about life itself". In 2003, as their adult daughter lay hospitalized and near death, Didion's husband suffered a fatal heart attack. With passion she explores the year following these momentous events."The Year of Magical Thinking", a must read, speaks directly to anyone who has ever loved, and lost, a spouse or child.

Title: Year Of Magical Thinking (Review #2)
Author: Joan Didion
Publisher: Vintage Books
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Didion writes about the death of her husband and her first year of widowhood in such a clinical, detached way that at the end of the book I felt that I knew neither her or her husband any better than I did at the beginning.  Which is to say, not at all.  Perhaps she is numbed by grief, but Didion has no trouble at all describing her dinners out, her travels, or quoting (at length) her earlier books while failing to give a sense of humanity to the man she ostensibly loved.  When all was said and done I found I just didn't care about him, or her, either.