Book picks similar to
Secondhand Scotch: How One Family Survived in Spite of Themselves by Cathy Curran
memoir
goodreads-giveaway
american-author
nonfiction
Out of the Wild: Seven Years in the Wilderness
Charlie Paterson
Away from all the modern conveniences and comforts most take for granted, his tale is one of adversity, building a dream with dogged determination. Battling against considerable and powerful opposition, bureaucracy, severe lack of money, unforgiving nature, loneliness and ultimately his own ill health; only to find the dream fulfilled will almost destroy him. A sometimes spiritual and critical tale of self-discovery where ultimately his growing faith in God literally saves him from a very sorry end in the mountainous wilderness of New Zealand. A story that exposes wilderness living as it truly is, not for the faint hearted. However, Out of the Wild is more than just a candid wilderness survival tale, but includes some very interesting snippets of New Zealand's early pioneer history associated to the Fiordland National Park, the Hollyford Valley, Martins Bay, the beautiful deserted ghost town of Jamestown Bay and even the fabled "lost ruby mine" in the inaccessible Red Hills. For the outdoor and "back to basics" enthusiasts Charlie details his accounts of hunting red deer in the thick Fiordland rainforest around his wilderness home to using the old traditional methods to store his kills, through to trapping introduced predators destroying the special rainforest ecosystems of Fiordland. "Out of the Wild" is a very unique New Zealand wilderness tale which will appeal to the outdoor conservative types.
The Ragged Stranger: The Hero, The Hobo, And The Crime That Shocked Jazz Age Chicago
Harold Schechter - 2019
Guns are drawn, and in the ensuing hail of bullets, only the husband walks away. However, police soon find out, that what seems to be a robbery gone wrong is anything but. The Case of the Ragged Stranger, as the tabloids dubbed it, is a tale of deceit, betrayal, and depravity, a stranger-than-fiction mystery story whose shocking solution riveted the nation and made it one of the most sensational crimes of the Jazz Age.
House at Road's End
Peggy Staggs - 2015
JPL Corporation shredded her ground-breaking project, fired her and her team and blacklisted her. And then Ensley discovers the man who asked her to marry him is not only behind her being banished, but he’s sleeping with her supervisor. The devastation appears complete until Ensley receives a call from Sheriff Jack Trace of Spirit Springs, Idaho. Her father is missing. Ensley shoves everything else aside and leaves her high-powered life in the nation’s capital for the high desert of Idaho. The day she arrives in Spirit Springs, her father is shot, and dies in her arms. Determination consumes her as she focuses on finding her dad’s murderer. Ensley is continually hampered by Jack, the town’s great-looking sheriff who’s intent on keeping her safe, whether she wants him to or not. “Staggs’ characters are skillfully intertwined with the mystery. A must read. Bring on the next book in the series.” Jan Hambright, Romantic Suspense Author Five Star Reviews: “This book was a very easy read. I couldn't put it down. I definitely would recommend giving this new author a try.” “This book kept me on my toes with each chapter, I look forward to the next ones in this series. The writing is smart, and it will keep you interested until the end.” “This is a fast-paced book with mystery, suspense and a sassy heroine you're going to love. Ensley Markus is off to the first of many adventures! Enjoy!” “Fun to read, always looked forward to getting back to it.”
The Miraculous Life of Maggie the Wunderdog
Kasey Carlin - 2020
Maggie was shot 17 times and subjected to cruelty and torture, before being rescued from Lebanon and brought to live in the UK by a determined and loving young woman called Kasey.As Maggie struggled to overcome her injuries, every day was a fight to rehabilitate her. But Kasey was convinced that what she had found in this little dog was someone just as determined to live and love as she was.This is the incredible story of their journey together: a story of hope, unconditional love and never giving up.
A Kick at the Pantry Door
Philip Whiteland - 2013
We have your favourite table ready and waiting and a selection of tasty and unusual dishes for your delectation and delight (but do bear in mind that the kitchen closes shortly as the Chef needs to go to his second job, rodding out blocked sewers). We have a few choice 'nostalgedy' stories for Starters, some meatier ones for your Mains, a selection of 'curmudgeonly rants' or keen observations (you take your choice) for Dessert, and something unspeakable to go with your Coffee and Mints.Philip Whiteland tickles your fancy (it's not a crime yet) once again with this compilation of stories, often with a food-based theme, from today and yesterday. Pull up a chair and tuck in!
From Sequins to Sunshine - Year One (Lorna's Life in Spain Book 1)
Lorna Penfold - 2013
They moved to start a new life breeding alpacas. Lorna started an online blog to keep track of her day to day life. Nearly six years down the line and Lorna has decided to make the first year of their new life available for everyone to read. Lorna's new life is full of ups and heartbreaking downs, but through it all she is determined not to let this new life get the better of her.
War Ready: In My Father's Shadow
Mary Lou Darst - 2011
Her father served in the military, and she traveled the world with him and her family. His assignments took them to Alaska, Virginia, Japan, Texas, and Germany, as part of the US Army's responsibilities in policing the world. This candid memoir recounts her family's life in new places and cultures following World War II. What was it like to be a child living in Japan seven years after the war? What was it like to be a thirteen-year-old living in Germany twelve years after the war? What was it like to grow up moving between cultures? This is the story of one family bound to service in the military at a time when the world was being redefined. For a young girl, it was the adventure of a lifetime as she learned the secrets of finding her own way in that new world. The author's story was informed by reading her father's diary, which offers up intimate and candid insight into the life of a typical soldier in a time of war. His entries describe his time serving aboard a battleship built for 800 soldiers--but carrying 6,000 to war. His tales--told from the perspective of a young soldier in southern England, Wales, and Scotland from 1943 to 1945--are glimpses into a life many will never know firsthand.
All That Followed: A story of cancer, kids and the fear of leaving too soon
Emma Campbell - 2018
This is a deeply felt memoir about motherhood, survival and learning to live for whatever life throws at you." CLOVER STROUD, author of The Wild OtherAn extraordinary story of facing life s multiple (!) trials with love, resilience and courage, told in Emma s warm, funny and unflinchingly honest style. AMY McCULLOCH, author of Jinxed and The Potion DiariesWith four children (three of them triplets!) and a relationship break-up to contend with, some things get a little lost in the mix. Like symptoms. Emma Campbell bravely and honestly offers heartfelt thoughts on what happens when cancer becomes an unwelcome guest at an already crowded party. She shares her own terror and pain, mixed with the heartwarming and unexpected. The extraordinary kindness of people and the gritty detail of battling a life-threatening illness, all while being a single mum to four children. She opens up about her angels and demons, losing and then finding love again, a constant fear of death mixed with the joy and relief of living, the anxiety of cancer returning - then facing it when it does. This book has grown from Emma's blog Me And My Four. Eager to share with her followers in more detail, the secrets, the fears, the triumphs and the terrors that she faces each day, in a life as unpredictable as your own...www.meandmyfour.com
Rescued By Ghosts: A True Inspirational Survivor Story of Child Abuse, Bullying, a Radical Ultra-Fundamentalist Religion, Ghosts, and Supernatural Events (My Ghosts Book 1)
Timothy L. Drobnick Sr. - 2020
at a chair in the church? I was born and raised in a radical, abusive, fear-controlling, ultra-fundamentalist religious family. This is my true inspirational story of how I survived abuse and neglect as a child and then escaped the church by seeking truth and freedom against all odds. Most people never escape religions with cultish control because the brainwashing is virtually impossible to break... ... So how did these ghosts rescue me from this control? This church had many cult elements and produced Jim Bakker, Jimmy Swaggart, plus Jonestown, Guyana cult leader & mass murderer Jim Jones and controlled thousands of people with fear. Written in story form to inspire you, make you laugh, cry, and think. Why was the tiny child required to warn bullies three times? Like the book “Educated A Memoir” meets Ghosts and the Supernatural. You will love this true story because everyone loves to see the hero win! Get it now.
The Way of the Dhin
John L. Clemmer - 2016
Communication with the enigmatic aliens proves problematic. The Dhin suddenly depart, without explanation, leaving a few samples of their technology. Wide knowledge of these events would cause chaos. The powerful Coalition Security agency strives to maintain secrecy. As Coalition researchers explore the alien technology, their discoveries turn our understanding of physics inside out. Humanity faces numerous challenges. After multiple economic crises and subsequent collapses, the remaining viable nations joined together as the Coalition. Recent advancements in Artificial Intelligence then led to AI management of most economic and political affairs. Unfortunately, even AI are not perfect, and some volatility and conflict remain. Not everyone agrees the AIs are aligned with our best interests. Humanity now faces the seemingly insurmountable challenge of unlocking the secrets of the alien technology without advice or assistance. This is a new release of an edition originally published by John L. Clemmer.
Rash: A Memoir
Lisa Kusel - 2017
When she sees a job posting for a new international school in Bali, she convinces her schoolteacher husband Victor to apply. Six weeks after his interview, Lisa, Victor, and their six-year-old daughter, Loy, move halfway around the world to paradise. But instead of luxuriating in ocean breezes, renewed passion, and first-rate schooling, what Lisa and her family find are burning corpses, biting ants, and a millionaire founder who cares more about selling bamboo furniture than educating young minds. Not to mention Lisa’s fear that one morning she might see the Dengue Fever rash on her young daughter. RASH is an unfiltered, sharply-written memoir about a woman who goes looking for happiness on the Island of the Gods, and nearly destroys her marriage in the process. For anyone who has ever dreamed of starting over in an exotic locale, this is a poignant reminder that no matter where you go, there you are. "In this stingingly satisfying memoir, Kusel uses her wicked wit to explore the flip side of starting over in a new country. RASH got under my skin starting on page one and felt like Calamine lotion for my own restless soul." ~Nancy Stearns Bercaw, author of Dryland: One Woman's Swim to Sobriety "Raw, honest and funny: in RASH, Lisa Kusel captures perfectly the reality of living in a tropical Indonesian jungle, trying to hold on to a semblance of normal family life while dealing with the physical and emotional challenges that adapting to such a different lifestyle and culture brings. RASH will make you feel the heat and smell the smoke - and have you scratching at imaginary insect bites as you turn the pages. A healthy dose of reality for daydreamers and those who believe the grass is always greener on the other side." ~Emma Bamford, author of Casting Off and Untie the Lines. "A richly narrated, decidedly wistful, soul-searching travel memoir. Open and honest, Lisa ruminates on quiet insights of the reality behind the ever-present mosquito net. After finishing RASH, I wanted her to be my new best friend." ~Elizabeth Fournier, author of The Green Reaper: Memoirs of an Eco-Mortician "While it might sound good on paper, running away from home doesn’t always lead to salvation. In this bitingly frank and funny tale, Kusel takes us on a journey from her safe and semi-satisfied life in California to her unexpectedly pandemonic time in Bali. I was delighted to go along for the ride with this smart, charming woman who writes with such verve and intimacy. RASH is a must read for all those who are in search of their own patch of greener grass." ~Sarah Alderson, author of Can We Live Here?: Finding a Home in Paradise
Expecting Sunshine: A Journey of Grief, Healing, and Pregnancy After Loss
Alexis Marie Chute - 2017
After her son, Zachary, dies in her arms at birth, visual artist and author Alexis Marie Chute disappears into her “Year of Distraction.” She cannot paint or write or tap into the heart of who she used to be, mourning not only for Zachary, but also for the future they might have had together. It is only when Chute learns she is pregnant again that she sets out to find healing and rediscover her identity—just in time, she hopes, to welcome her next child. In the forty weeks of her pregnancy, Chute grapples with her strained marriage, shaken faith, and medical diagnosis, with profound results. Glowing with riveting and gorgeous prose, Expecting Sunshine chronicles the anticipation and anxiety of expecting a baby while still grieving for the child that came before—enveloping readers with insightful observations on grief and healing, life and death, and the incredible power of a mother’s love.Second Edition includes: Bonus chapter written from the author’s husband’s perspective. Plus, resource section, group discussion questions, and Q&A with author Alexis Marie Chute
Redefining Normal
Justin Black - 2020
Together, they are building forever. Alexis Black persevered through her mother’s death and her father’s imprisonment. And after escaping a long and abusive relationship, the college junior promised her foster parents not to date for at least a year. But when she meets an incoming freshman on the first day of their scholarship program, she feels the world melt away, as though it were only the two of them in the room. Justin Black lived in abandoned houses before going through the child welfare system. But when he grabs the chance for better opportunities by pursuing higher education, he can’t help but be drawn to a beautiful third-year student. Recognizing a fellow survivor, he cherishes the ease of their deep conversations and her wonderful moments of raw vulnerability that makes him fall hard. In a stark and wholehearted true story that shares how two individuals on separate paths found each other, Alexis and Justin merge their course into one full of hope and purpose. And hand-in-hand, they learn to communicate effectively and avoid patterns of trauma to intentionally break the cycle of unhealthy behaviors. Written in an engaging novelistic style, the authors put forward a thoughtful exchange of ideas and personal experiences illustrating how anybody, no matter their backgrounds, can have a life of self-empowerment and joy. Broken down into four sections that cover crucial topics such as “Worthiness” and “Mental Health,” this compelling narrative will help any who are learning to love themselves and want to end the line of toxic relationships. Redefining Normal: How Two Foster Kids Beat The Odds and Discovering Healing, Happiness, and Love is a page-turning memoir that will open your eyes to possibilities and dreams. If you like honest tales of triumph, refreshing transparency, and resilient faith in God, then you’ll adore Justin Black and Alexis Black’s inspirational autobiography. This story contains mentions of domestic violence, trauma, sexual assault, and other difficult issues faced on the road to healing.
1-2-3 Magic Teen: Communicate, Connect, and Guide Your Teen to Adulthood
Thomas W. Phelan - 2016
In 1-2-3 Magic Teen, internationally renowned parenting expert Thomas W. Phelan explains how to better understand your teenager, which problems are not worth fighting over, and why your child's behavior likely matches the definition of a normal adolescent. With helpful, straightforward advice backed up by research and parent-tested strategies, 1-2-3 Magic Teen will help you establish a calmer, more respectful home and family life and show you how to guide your teenager into healthy, functional young adulthood. In this book, you'll find tools and advice tailored for the challenges of a teen lifestyle, including: Forgetting to do chores Absence in family outings Drop in grades Missed curfews Parties and drinking Work responsibilities
The Epcot Explorer's Encyclopedia: A guide to the flora, fauna, and fun of the world's greatest theme park!
R.A. Pedersen - 2011
From the minutiae of Future World to the farthest reaches of World Showcase this guide covers it all in intimate detail. No stone is left unturned, and no legacy tile left unmocked. With a little bit of wit and a whole lot of heart you'll be led through the splendorific sprawl of the most endearing monument to humanity that has ever been created. Highlights include: A history of each pavilion and the forces that shaped its existence - or the end thereof. Insight into the inner-workings of the park. What makes it tick and why things happen the way they do. A scene-by-scene analysis of Horizons, quite possibly the most beloved attraction in the company's history and all of the World Disney World resort.