My Side of the River by Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez is an interesting memoir about a young Mexican girl born to hard-working immigrants in the U.S. Her mother saw to it she got a good education in the U.S. and told her she had to be the best. She was at the top of her class through school even though she was homeless and separated from her parents when they couldn't get their Visa renewed. I thought this book was quite interesting as her life was so different from mine. It shows how hard it is for the immigrants. She had quite a journey to say the least! (Karen's review, 4 stars)
Gerard's review, 3/6/24: My Side of the River by Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez tells the true story of a young Mexican girl, Elizabeth. Her parents tell her how important an education is; unfortunately, when her parents get deported, she will have to take care of her younger brother and find a place to live. I thought this book was very good. I found myself cheering for Elizabeth as she tried to do the best for her and her brother. What a story! (5 stars)
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Funny Farm by Lauri Zaleski is the true story of her childhood and her mom who had a love for animals. Throughout the book we learn about some of the animals she had on her farm. I really enjoyed reading this one very much. What a story Laurie tells so well. If you are looking for a "feel good" story, this is it! (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)
Here is a funny video of animals at Funny Farm (guaranteed to make you laugh!):
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From the Ashes by Jesse Thistle is a true story, and what a story it is! Jesse tells how he grew up and it was far from the ideal childhood. In his teen years and beyond, he made some wrong choices and suffered the consequences. It is inspirational because he turned his life around. This was a very honest book and I enjoyed it. He told his story very well and I think anyone would like this book! (Gerard's review, 5 stars)
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Fox & I by Catherine Raven is about her friendship with a fox! Catherine is a park ranger who begins a friendship with a red fox when their paths crossed. I learned a lot about foxes and also some other animals when I read this book. The best part of this book is her interactions with the red fox. I especially enjoyed the part where she reads Dr. Suess books to the fox! This is a good, happy non-fiction read. (Gerard's review, 4.5 stars)
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I read The Honey Bus by Meredith May hoping to learn about bees because I am terrified of them and thought it might help if I understood them. This book lived up to my expectations. I did learn a lot about bees but also was interested in the author's story about her family. I felt bad for Meredith throughout the book but her life did get better as she got older. Learning about bees with her step grandfather helped her to find comfort and cope with her mother's neglect. It shows how child abuse repeats through generations. (Karen's review, 4 stars)
Gerard's review 4/4/21: The Honey Bus: A Memoir of Loss, Courage and a Girl Saved by Bees By Meredith May is a true story. Meredith's parents separated when she was only five. Then she, her younger brother (Matthew), and her mother went to live with her grandparents. Meredith's grandpa was a beekeeper and taught her all about bees. This book is more than just bees though.
Meredith tells personal stories about growing up which was my favorite part of the book. It was interesting learning about bees, maybe more than you want to know; but the personal stories more than make up for that! There are some fun and touching moments in this book too. I liked it a lot and recommend it! (5++ stars)
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The Pale-Faced Lie by David Crow is about his terrible childhood, his abusive parents, and his struggle to be free from his father’s control and the guilt and shame he felt most of his life. He also had an older sister and a younger brother and sister. This is a sad story and one that is hard to believe families like his actually exist. It sheds light about life on an Indian reservation and how much damage can be caused by abusive parents. His dad was an ex-con who got away with murder and expected David to help him in his criminal activities. The only times David’s father was pleased with David was when he did mean things to people that his father thought was hilarious. Although David had a lot of obstacles to overcome, including his upbringing, hearing loss, poverty and dyslexia, he had a lot of determination and mental toughness. He barely graduated high school and went on to graduate college, majoring in political science. This book made me want to keep reading to see what was going to happen next and how he succeeded (I knew he did since he wrote the book). This was heartbreaking, but at the same time, extremely interesting.
(Karen’s review, 5 stars)
Gerard's review 9/25/19: The Pale-Faced Lie by David Crow is the true story about his family. He had three siblings and they idolized their dad who told them stories about his World War II feats. But, there was another side to Thurston Crow, the dad. David tells the story of growing up with his dad and his mentally ill mother including plenty of action!What I enjoyed most about this book is that I really never knew what was going to happen next.
(5++ stars)
Teaser from page 8: Other days, Dad tied me to the pine tree in our front yard. He'd wrap a thick, scratchy rope around my chest and ankles and tug on it hard to make a tight know.
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In Love You Hard--A Memoir of Marriage, Brain Injury, and Reinventing Love by Abby Maslin, Abby is a young woman who is married to a fireman she calls T.C. They also have a son named Jack, age 2. Life is good. One night T.C. heads out to a ballgame but is not back in the morning. Something is very wrong. Abby's life as she knows it is over, and she will have to deal with a new reality. Abby tells the story in this book and pulls no punches.
I felt a lot of emotions as I read this and am sure you will too. On Amazon, this book got a 94% 5 star rating and that is what I am giving it as well. (Gerard's review, 5 stars)
Teaser from page 134: Decades more of in sickness and in health: the three of us, growing old together, learning how to navigate the real world again and trying not to crash and burn. I park the car at the end of the gravel driveway outside Ruth and Don's familiar yellow house and burst into tears.
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My Life Among the Underdogs by Tia Torres is a memoir about Tia's life and all the great dogs that have been part of it! This woman has been blessed. Each dog has its own chapter and are all different. It is a short book, but the story is told very well! I wish she would have included pictures of the dogs, but that is the only criticism I have. If you love dogs, you will find this hard to put down.
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)
Teaser from page 28: At that moment, I made the decision to protect her at all costs, always. I never wanted her to leave my side, and right there, on the floor, in an embrace that felt like forever, it became Tia and Tatanka. Together we would change the world.
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Educated by Tara Westover is her memoir of leaving her Mormon family in Idaho to pursue a formal education. This is a long journey. Tara is from a large family whose father owned a scrap yard and who kept her working for him as long as he could. It is an amazing story of how she was accepted at BYU and went on to Cambridge and Harvard without having graduated high school! In fact, even her "home schooling" was not at all regular.
I found this book very hard to read. The father and brother made me very angry and it was difficult to fathom how dysfunctional this family was. In some ways it reminded me of The Glass Castle and A Child Called It. The domestic violence and abuse is heart wrenching. I did enjoy Part 2 better when she got away from her family and into college. I was never engrossed in this book and for the most part had to plow through. I would have liked to know what kind of actual job the author wound up with after all that education.
(Karen's review, 3 stars)
Gerard's review:
Educated by Tara Westover is a true story and what a story it is! Tara first stepped foot in a classroom at the age of 17, but now she received a BA degree from Bringham Young University and a scholarship to Cambridge in England where she was awarded a PHD in history! WOW! She tells her story so well. She wanted more of a life than her family could give her, and overcame long odds to do it. She went through a lot both in and out of the classroom! I highly recommend this memoir, don't miss it! Put it on your TBR list right now! (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)
Teaser from page 39: There was never any more talk of a hospital. The moment for such a decision had passed, and to return to it would be to return to all the fury and fear of the accident itself.
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Relentless by Julian Edelman is a memoir about a football player on the New England Patriots. It is all about football and all the hard work demanded for professional NFL players to be successful. I enjoyed reading about Mr. Edelman’s journey and found his early start in football very interesting. Throughout the book there are small excerpts written by others regarding Julian Edelman that I found interesting as well. I never realized he had so many injuries during his career! There are a lot of game highlights that he shares too that I enjoyed. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a Patriots fan or who likes playing football and has dreams of becoming a pro.
Teaser from page 9: If you're focused on that distant goal, you're missing what's right in front of you, and that's what you can control. If you're doing everything else in your life fundamentally sound, and you're identifying weaknesses and you're working consistently hard to improve those, you're on the right path.
(Karen’s review, 4 stars)
Gerard's review 11/15/17, (5 stars): If you are a Patriots fan, you will enjoy Relentless by Julian Edelman. Julian shares about his life, including how his dad showed him tough love! I enjoyed him telling about playing in pee-wee football and high school. Julian Edelman is a great player, and I miss seeing him play now that he is hurt. Go Patriots!
Teaser from page 45: For a long time, being small didn't make a difference. I was one of the best players on the field so I never thought of it as a disadvantage.
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The Bright Hour by Nina Riggs is her true story. She was already going through a rough time with her mom who has Cancer and does not have much time left. Then one day she gets a call from her doctor that no one ever wants to get and hears that they found a spot on her breast. It is hard to say I enjoyed this book because it's very sad. I did enjoy her interactions with her family though which makes up most of this book. Rest in peace, Nina, and God bless your husband and children. (Gerard's review, 5 stars)
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The Education of Will by Patricia B. McConnell is a true story. Patricia lives on a farm with sheep and a sheep dog to help her. That is where Willie, her dog, comes into the picture. You really get two stories as the author bares her soul about the stuff she has been through in her life. I enjoyed the parts of the book with her training Willie and their day-to-day life together. I enjoyed this book!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)
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The Boys In The Boat by Daniel James Brown is a non-fiction novel about the personal journeys of the 1936 USA rowing Olympic team. Through personal interviews, the author writes an amazing story of perseverance, overcoming obstacles, teamwork, humility and competition. I enjoyed reading about the coaches and how the team was assembled as well as the races. The parts about Nazi Germany hosting the Olympics actually made me mad. I acquired a new admiration for the sport of rowing after reading this book. I thought the first part of the book was very slow but then the rest of it picked up.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)
The Boys In The Boat by Daniel James Brown is such a good book! It tells the true story of a bunch of young boys from Washington University who competed in rowing during the 1936 Olympic Games in Germany. One of the best parts of this book was the stories about the boys’ personal lives and their coaches too! The races are very exciting as well. I gained a whole lot of respect for what it takes to row when I read this book. Loved it and recommend you read it too! You will be glad you did!
(Gerard’s review 8/24/13, 5+ stars)
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Bobby Wonderful by Bob Morris is a non-fiction memoir. Mr. Morris tells what he and his family went through as their mom and dad lived their final days. I am sure this book will resonate with the older crowd that went through this time in their life too. This is an emotional book that is well worth reading.
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)
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What Comes Next and How to Like It by Abigail Thomas is a collection of outlooks by the author. Some I enjoyed, especially the ones about her dogs (she has a lot); some not so much. Most of the book is about her friend, Chuck. I liked this book somewhat. I would say it is worth reading to be sure.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)
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Every Day I Fight by Stuart Scott with Larry Platt is the true story of Stuart Scott's fight with Cancer. Stuart worked as an anchor on E.S.P.N. He was one of my favorites and I always enjoyed hearing what he had to say. He made it fun, not just giving the scores and highlights. The second part of the book when he finds out he has Cancer and how he and his family deal with it is what makes this book so good. He pulls no punches and tells it like it is, just like he did on E.S.P.N.
I felt like I lost a friend when he passed away. There will not be another one like him!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)
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The Reluctant Psychic by Suzan Saxman is a true story. When Suzan was little she saw monsters and other things that scared her. When she told people, they were scared of her, including her own mother! One day Suzan was told she had the ability to see things that other people do not. She believed it!
This book was interesting to say the least even though I myself do not believe in readings or psychics. At the end of each chapter she tells stories of people who came to her for readings.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)
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H Is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald tells a true story and what a story it is! Helen is trying to deal with the unexpected passing of her father. She has always had an interest in hawks and falcons that she picked up from her dad. She decides to try to tame a Goshawk--a pretty hard if not next to impossible task! She named it Mabel.
My favorite parts of this book is when she trains and connects with the hawk, not that other parts were bad though, far from it!
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)
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Whipping Boy by Allen Kurzwell is the true story about Allen who was bullied by a 12-year-old boy named Cesar while attending a Swiss boarding school. Forty years later, Allen decides to search for and confront Cesar. The beginning of this book is when he is bullied and how he deals with it which I thought was the most interesting part. The search to find Cesar was pretty good, but the ending was a bit of a let down. Still, I enjoyed it.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)
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American Sniper is Chris Kyle’s story of his life, the American SEAL sniper credited with the most kills in the Iraq war. The book starts with a little from his childhood and how he was a cowboy, then goes into depth about his Navy and SEAL training. It covers his experiences in Iraq during the war over his four deployments and touches on his personal life as a husband and father. He was a great warrior and was completely dedicated to serving his country by killing the bad guys. It shows the struggles between he and his wife due to their different priorities.
I liked the book because I learned some new things; however, can’t help but think both he and his wife would have been better off not getting married. Chris was definitely “married” to the Navy and being a sniper. Time after time, he put his career ahead of her and his children. I enjoyed reading about the training he went through and the combat situations he experienced, but when he went into detail about the different weapons, I got bored with that. I did learn though that choosing the right weapon is kind of like choosing a golf club—there are a lot of options. I also was shocked at how much hazing goes on when new guys are assigned to a SEAL team.
I guess what bothered me most was that he proclaimed to be a strong Christian, yet seemed to be very self-centered when it came to his marriage, his language was rough, he got into a lot of bar brawls and drank a lot—all things strong Christians would not do. If you want a glimpse of what really goes on in the Iraq war and the sacrifices made by soldiers and their families, this is a must read.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)
American Sniper is the true story of Chris, a sniper, and the best one in the service. I have read a few books on the war and this one ranks right up there with the best, if not the best that I have read! His account is absolutely riveting. I was able to experience through his telling what is going on and what he went through. WOW! I LOVED this book! Chris was an American hero for sure! This is a must read and if you have a chance to see the movie, do it! (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)
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