Book picks similar to
Goodbye Junie Moon by June Collins
non-fiction
memoir
amazon
biography
Surviving Schizophrenia: A Memoir
Louise Gillett - 2011
I am an apparently normal happily married mother of four, living the humdrum existence of an ordinary housewife. And I have a diagnosis of schizophrenia, something that I have always felt a deep sense of shame and embarrassment about, and kept hidden for many years. I have agonised for many years over whether to make my story public – I have written this book, re-written it, changed the names, changed them back again, written it again under a pseudonym, tried to change it into a novel... Finally, last year on a writing holiday at the wonderful Arvon Centre in Totleigh Barton, Devon, matters became clear. This is my story, and I am ready to stand by it. It is a true story and any value that it has for others lies in that fact. I have, however, changed the names of a very few people within the text to protect them from any repercussions of my tale.
Coming Back Stronger: Unleashing the Hidden Power of Adversity
Drew Brees - 2010
Coming Back Stronger is the ultimate comeback story, not only of one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks, but also of a city and a team that many had all but given up on. Brees’s inspiring message of hope and encouragement proves that with enough faith, determination, and heart, you can overcome any obstacle life throws your way and not only come back, but come back stronger.
My Mom My Hero: Alzheimer's - A Mother and Daughter's Bittersweet Journey
Lisa R. Hirsch - 2013
To Lisa’s surprise, it has brought her and Ruth closer together than they’ve ever been. My Mom My Hero tells the story of this mother-daughter relationship through a series of entries from Lisa’s internationally popular blog. Ultimately, this is an uplifting and inspirational book for anyone who’s going through the difficult, and often lonely, ordeal of caring for a loved one who suffers from this devastating illness.
Fat, Forty, and Fired: One man's frank, funny, and inspiring account of losing his job and finding his life
Nigel Marsh - 2006
Marsh's honesty and humanity make Fat, Forty, and Fired essential reading for anyone whose life has ever hit a roadblock. Hilarious and inspiring." --Bob Rosner, best-selling author and internationally syndicated Working Wounded columnist"An extremely funny and touching account of how someone can use humor and optimism to put adversity into perspective. Marsh's warm and distinctive view of life lights up every page and makes this a thoroughly enjoyable read." --Paul Wilson, author of The Little Book of Calm"I can pinpoint the precise moment when I realized my transformation from 'executive dad' to 'guy who doesn't work' was complete." --Nigel MarshTake Dave Barry, Jack Welch, Homer Simpson, and Ray Romano, mix in a family, a little weight gain, failure, introspection, and redemption, and you have Nigel Marsh's international best-selling autobiography.As a stressed husband and father of four small children under the age of eight, Nigel Marsh was enslaved to his mortgage, recuperating from an embarrassing surgery, and suddenly fired from his corporate career. Deciding to venture "off the treadmill" in search of a more meaningful and balanced existence, Marsh tackled the art of hands-on parenting while simultaneously training for an ocean swimming race and coming to terms with his alcoholism. Touching on topics ranging from marital sex (or lack thereof), dieting, and parenthood to work, love, football, religion, self-help books, and sharks, Marsh makes his U.S. debut after enjoying best-seller status in Australia and the U.K. with this provocative and funny book.
Going Bare!
John David Harding - 2012
The book is short - around an hour of reading - and details everything from when I first decided naturism appealed to me, to my thoughts after the holiday.
Beautiful Exiles
Meg Waite Clayton - 2018
Headstrong, accomplished journalist Martha Gellhorn is confident with words but less so with men when she meets disheveled literary titan Ernest Hemingway in a dive bar. Their friendship—forged over writing, talk, and family dinners—flourishes into something undeniable in Madrid while they’re covering the Spanish Civil War.Martha reveres him. The very married Hemingway is taken with Martha—her beauty, her ambition, and her fearless spirit. And as Hemingway tells her, the most powerful love stories are always set against the fury of war. The risks are so much greater. They’re made for each other.With their romance unfolding as they travel the globe, Martha establishes herself as one of the world’s foremost war correspondents, and Hemingway begins the novel that will win him the Nobel Prize for Literature. Beautiful Exiles is a stirring story of lovers and rivals, of the breathless attraction to power and fame, and of one woman—ahead of her time—claiming her own identity from the wreckage of love.
The Mafia Philosopher: Two Tonys
Shaun Attwood - 2018
On the run, he was pursued by bikers and a neo-Nazi gang blood-thirsty for revenge, while a homicide detective launched a nationwide manhunt.As the mist from his smoking gun fades, readers are left with an unexpected portrait of a stoic philosopher with a wealth of charm, a glorious turn of phrase and a fanatical devotion to his daughter.
Laughs, Luck...and Lucy: How I Came to Create the Most Popular Sitcom of All Time
Jess Oppenheimer - 1996
A rich entertainment resource, "Laughs, Luck…and Lucy" features a hilarious memoir, and scores of rare photos, three never-before-published scripts (including the only "I Love Lucy" script that Lucy or Desi ever refused to perform), plus links to web-based audio of Lucy's classic radio comedy performances, unheard for more than 40 years! Oppenheimer's book, written with his son, Gregg, is not only a reliable record of how "I Love Lucy" was conceived an executed, but also a humorous insider's account of the broadcasting industry's development from the wild early days of radio to television's "golden age."The 2nd Kindle Edition (2012) now contains the full script of Gregg Oppenheimer's humorous play, "I Love Lucy: The Untold Story", broadcast nationwide on SiriusXM Radio on Lucille Ball's 100th birthday in 2011.All royalties from this edition benefit the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.
Hippie Boy: A Girl's Story
Ingrid Ricks - 2011
For years she yearned to escape the suffocating religion and poverty at home by joining her dad on the road as tool-selling vagabond. When her parents divorce and her mother marries Earl--a cruel authoritarian who exploits his Church-ordained priesthood powers to oppress her family--she finally gets her wish. At age thirteen, Ingrid begins spending her summers hustling tools throughout the Midwest with her dad and his slimy, revolving sales crew. He becomes her lifeline and escape from Earl. But when her dad is arrested, she learns the lesson that will change her life: she can't look to others to save her; she has to save herself.
A Storm of Stories
K.B. Jensen - 2016
Swerving to avoid a hitchhiker out in a whiteout storm, Julie’s car ends up wedged in a snow bank. With the inches piling higher on the dark road, she can’t escape a man who makes little sense. Stranded in the freezing cold, the two tell stories to pass the time. From the Midwest to India, Denmark and Canada, they offer visions of lives and loves from young to old, far and wide. But as the hours blur together, and the snow and ice set in, it becomes less clear how their own story will end. A tale of love, craziness and impossibility.
The Man Who Broke Into Auschwitz: A True Story of World War II
Denis Avey - 2011
He was put to work every day in a German factory, where he labored alongside Jewish prisoners from a nearby camp called Auschwitz. The stories they told him were horrifying. Eventually Avey's curiosity, kind-heartedness, derring-do, and perhaps foolhardiness drove him to suggest--and remarkably manage--switching places with two of the Jewish prisoners in order to spend a couple of harrowing days and nights inside. Miraculously, he lived to tell about it.Surely deserving of its place alongside the great World War II stories, this is an incredible tale of generosity, courage, and, for one Jewish prisoner whom Denis was able to help, survival. Amazingly, breathtakingly, it is told here for the first time.
Aviatrix: First Woman Pilot for Hughes Airwest
Mary Shipko - 2015
Hired in 1976 at Hughes Airwest, Mary Bush made a herculean effort to overcome the resistance and harassment she faced in such a position, but it was to no avail. Mary was introduced to flying at an early age. She started flying as a teenager, studying and training long hours until she painstakingly obtained her ratings one by one. Financial hardships hit the family hard, though, and Mary--desperate for both flying experience and money--headed down to the infamous Corrosion Corner in South Florida to be a "freight dog" for fly-by-night operators. However, she was frequently denied work because of her gender. She kept praying, working, and struggling, though, with the hope of one day becoming an airline pilot, a job in which she would have both steady work and steady pay. Then, after her brother is lost at sea in one of the family airplanes, Mary is more determined than ever to become a pilot at an airline, just as her brother had planned to be. So, when she is offered the position at Hughes Airwest, Mary is thrilled. Going out west to fly jets was everything she had dreamed of and worked for. The discrimination and lewd remarks she had often faced in Florida, though, had not even come close to preparing her for the relentless harassment she would encounter as the first woman pilot at an airline. A close-up and enthralling account of Mary's struggles as an aviation pioneer, this book will astound, appall, and inspire you.
Driving the Birds
Russell Traughber - 2012
However, being born deep in the African bush in 1948, her desires didn’t really matter. Cursed with an abusive father, Jabonkah was saddled with the plans he had for her. Instead of being a “stupid bush woman” like her mother, she was going to learn to obey. But after repeatedly disappointing and rebelling against her father, he sets forth on a rampage targeting her mother and nearly beats her to death. After stepping in to save her mother and scalding her father with boiling water in the skirmish, Jabonkah’s fate is unfortunately sealed. She is sent to the Society as punishment, where women from her own tribe perform the ritual of female circumcision. Six weeks later, Jabonkah returns home to the continued beatings until she is eventually disowned and sent away to live with a missionary by the name of Mother Stevens. Unfortunately, it’s with Mother Stevens that her real struggle begins. Will Jabonkah escape the oppression and misery that is ruling her life, or will she succumb to her depression? Set against the harsh setting of mid-century Africa, Driving the Birds takes readers on a journey from small villages in Liberia to African missions, and eventually the United States. With this particular backdrop, Jabonkah’s story brings many issues to light that affect countless women around the world. By documenting the horrible genital mutilation that she suffers in detail, Driving the Birds aims to bring about further awareness to an issue that is still prevalent today. Though the subject matter can be intense and discouraging at times, Jabonkah uses her faith and an uncommon personal resiliency to keep the story from setting into a despondent manner. With true personal freedom as her goal, Jabonkah is able to overcome numerous obstacles and a lifetime of hardships in route to achieving her dreams and ensuring her happiness. Driving the Birds by Russell Traughber is the uplifting true story of one woman’s courageous journey from a small village in Liberia to the freedom that America offers. With unmistakable charm, unwavering determination, and a truly unique worldview, Jabonkah enthralls readers with each passing chapter. Her personal journey and repeated injustices are equal parts heartbreaking and infuriating. From repeated abuses at the hands of others and the subjection to female genital mutilation, Jabonkah’s plight provides a window to the sufferings of less fortunate women around the world. However, where parts of her story enrage and discourage, it’s her spirit and determination that ultimately leave readers feeling like they have taken part in Jabonkah’s triumphs as well.
The Upgrade: A Cautionary Tale of a Life Without Reservations
Paul Bradley Carr - 2011
Pub Date: 2011. Pages: 304 in Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicholson. Bored oke and struggling to survive in one of the most expensive cities on earth. Paul Carr comes to of the surprising realisation that it would actually be cheaper to live in a hotel in Manhattan than in his one-bedroom London flat. Inspired by that possibility. he decides to sell most of his possessions. abandon his old life and spend a year living entirely without commitments. as a modern-day nomad. Thanks to Paul's highly developed blagging skills. what begins as a one-year experiment soon becomes a permanent lifestyle - a life lived in luxury hotels and mountain-top villas. A life of fast cars. Hollywood actresses and Icelandic rock stars. Of 6.000-mile booty calls. of partying with 800 female hairdressers dressed only in bedsheets. and of nearly dying at the hands of Spanish drug dealers. And. ...
In Fifty Years We'll All Be Chicks . . . And Other Complaints from an Angry Middle-Aged White Guy
Adam Carolla - 2010
It was empty except for one heavy-set, gray bearded, grizzled guy who looked like he just rode his donkey into town after a long day of panning for silver in them thar hills. He ordered a Jack Daniels straight up, and that's when I overheard the young guy with the earring behind the bar asking him if he had ID. At first the old sea captain just laughed. But the guy with the twinkle in his ear asked again. At this point it became apparent that he was serious. Dan Haggerty's dad fired back, "You've got to be kidding me, son." The bartender replied, "New policy. Everyone has to show their ID." Then I watched Burl Ives reluctantly reach into his dungarees and pull out his military identification card from World War II. It's a sad and eerie harbinger of our times that the Oprah-watching, crystal-rubbing, Whole Foods-shopping moms and their whipped attorney husbands have taken the ability to reason away from the poor schlub who makes the Bloody Marys. What we used to settle with common sense or a fist, we now settle with hand sanitizer and lawyers.Adam Carolla has had enough of this insanity and he's here to help us get our collective balls back.In Fifty Years We'll All Be Chicks . . . And Other Complaints from an Angry Middle-Aged White Guy is Adam's comedic gospel of modern America. He rips into the absurdity of the culture that demonized the peanut butter and jelly sandwich, turned the nation's bathrooms into a lawless free-for-all of urine and fecal matter, and put its citizens at the mercy of a bunch of minimum wagers with axes to grind. Peppered between complaints, Carolla shares candid anecdotes from his day-to-day life as well as his past—Sunday football at Jimmy Kimmel's house, his attempts to raise his kids in a society that he mostly disagrees with, his big showbiz break, and much, much more. Brilliantly showcasing Adam's spot-on sense of humor, this book cements his status as a cultural commentator/comedian/complainer extraordinaire.