Book picks similar to
This is Our Story by Wendi Adelson
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memoir
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The Last American Man
Elizabeth Gilbert - 2002
In 1977, at the age of seventeen, Conway left his family's comfortable suburban home to move to the Appalachian Mountains. For more than two decades he has lived there, making fire with sticks, wearing skins from animals he has trapped, and trying to convince Americans to give up their materialistic lifestyles and return with him back to nature. To Gilbert, Conway's mythical character challenges all our assumptions about what it is to be a modern man in America; he is a symbol of much we feel how our men should be, but rarely are.
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time
Greg Mortenson - 2006
Over the next decade he built fifty-five schools—especially for girls—that offer a balanced education in one of the most isolated and dangerous regions on earth. As it chronicles Mortenson’s quest, which has brought him into conflict with both enraged Islamists and uncomprehending Americans, Three Cups of Tea combines adventure with a celebration of the humanitarian spirit.
Into the Wild
Jon Krakauer - 1996
McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. Four months later, a party of moose hunters found his decomposed body. How McCandless came to die is the unforgettable story of Into the Wild.Immediately after graduating from college in 1991, McCandless had roamed through the West and Southwest on a vision quest like those made by his heroes Jack London and John Muir. In the Mojave Desert he abandoned his car, stripped it of its license plates, and burned all of his cash. He would give himself a new name, Alexander Supertramp, and, unencumbered by money and belongings, he would be free to wallow in the raw, unfiltered experiences that nature presented. Craving a blank spot on the map, McCandless simply threw away the maps. Leaving behind his desperate parents and sister, he vanished into the wild.
The Last Lecture
Randy Pausch - 2008
Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy?When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn't have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave, 'Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams', wasn't about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because time is all you have and you may find one day that you have less than you think). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living.In this book, Randy Pausch has combined the humour, inspiration, and intelligence that made his lecture such a phenomenon and given it an indelible form. It is a book that will be shared for generations to come.
After
Marita Golden - 2006
Scorned by the father who was incapable of showing him affection and nearly consumed by the mean streets of Prince George’s County, Maryland, Carson did what no one else could: he saved himself. After joining the police force and building a family with his wife, Bunny, Carson is finally in control of his life in the enclave where African American wealth and privilege shares the same zip code with black American crime and tragedy. Both Carson and his wife have great careers and three beautiful children: Roslyn, Roseanne, and Juwan. Carson is a devoted father, determined not to be the father that Jimmy Blake was to him. But while Juwan’s astounding artistic talent is his father’s pride, the boy’s close relationship with classmate Will conjures up emotions and questions in Carson that threaten to spill over and poison the entire Blake family.And then, one night in March, nearing the end of a routine shift, Carson stops a young black man for speeding. He orders Paul Houston to exit the car and drop to his knees. But when Houston retrieves something from his waistband and turns to face Carson, three shots are fired, one man loses his life and two families are wrenched from everything that came before and hurled into the haunting future of everything that will come after. When it is revealed that Paul, a son of educators and a teacher in Southeast D.C., was only holding a cell phone, Carson’s carefully woven world begins to unravel.After is a penetrating work of discovery for a man whose life careens more than once off the edge of disaster. Golden’s astounding prose will stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page.
Accidental College Surprise: A College Romance
Dree Smith - 2019
I'm used to getting what I want. And what I want from the first time I lay eyes one her is Emily Hooper. She’s sweeter than apple pie, prim and proper, and I want to make her mine. The school rules can screw off because I get what I want and when I want it. Emily: My whole life I've done the right thing. The expected thing. So when I catch the eye of Dustin, well known bad boy, I'm not sure what to do. But after a short time around him, I start to want things. Things I don't really have words for. So when I enters into this fling, I wasn’t expecting to find out new and kinky things about myself. But once I know, I throw caution to the wind. Anything for him.
Luca
Savannah Rylan - 2019
The only rule in the family, leave Russo's daughter alone. Stay close, keep her safe, but hands-off. Except when he tries to marry her off. I can't let that happen. Those beautiful brown eyes. Delicious curves. Skin so soft under my fingers. What was the rule? I can't remember anymore. Because all I want is Alliana. And nothing will stop me from getting her. Luca is the first book in the Sinful Shadows Mafia series.
Citizen: An American Lyric
Claudia Rankine - 2014
Some of these encounters are slights, seeming slips of the tongue, and some are intentional offensives in the classroom, at the supermarket, at home, on the tennis court with Serena Williams and the soccer field with Zinedine Zidane, online, on TV-everywhere, all the time. The accumulative stresses come to bear on a person's ability to speak, perform, and stay alive. Our addressability is tied to the state of our belonging, Rankine argues, as are our assumptions and expectations of citizenship. In essay, image, and poetry, Citizen is a powerful testament to the individual and collective effects of racism in our contemporary, often named "post-race" society.
The Girl I Met That Night
Zahir Chauhan - 2021
His life changes when he meets a stranger one fateful night and is enamoured by her.ANAMIKA is a mystery, who is searching for herself. She tells Kabir her story, but on the condition that they would never meet again. The night ends, but their story has just begun!Their paths cross again, but Anamika disappears. With no clue about where she is, Kabir is lost and disheartened.To what extent will Kabir go to find Anamika? What is Anamika hiding from him? Will they meet again?Read this electrifying tale of destiny, love and courage to know more about The Girl I Met that Night.
The Husband's Secret - A 30-Minute Summary
Instaread Summaries - 2014
The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty - A 30-minute Instaread SummaryInside this Instaread Summary: - Overview of the entire book- Introduction to the important people in the book- Summary and analysis of all the chapters in the book- Key Takeaways of the book- A Reader's PerspectivePreview of this summary: Chapter OneCecilia's husband, John-Paul, is in Chicago on business. She is a busy mother and part-time Tupperware consultant. Her twelve-year-old daughter, Esther, is currently obsessed with the Berlin Wall. Cecilia has a piece of the wall from a trip she took to Germany several years ago. While in the attic searching for it, she finds a mysterious envelope with her name on it. A note on it says that it should only be opened in the event of her husband's death. She does not open it. When she mentions the letter to John-Paul on the phone, she is troubled by his awkward silence.Chapter TwoTess and Felicity are cousins. Felicity was always overweight until recently, when she joined Weight Watchers and lost forty pounds. Tess, her husband, Will, and Felicity own a marketing business together in Melbourne. Tess is worried about her mother, who has just broken her ankle, and her six-year old son, Liam, who is being bullied at school. Will and Felicity call Tess into a meeting to tell her they have fallen in love. Furious, Tess says she will move back to Sydney with Liam to help her mother. She believes that her husband became attracted to Felicity when she lost weight. She tosses cold coffee in their faces....
Spy Girl Series: Books 1-7
Jillian Dodd - 2020
Falling in love with him while saving the world is . . . complicated.An eighteen-year-old covert agent is pulled out of training before graduation by Black X, a espionage group so secret even the President of the United States doesn't know it exists.For her first mission, she must go undercover as the long-lost daughter of a recently deceased billionaire, infiltrate high society, and protect the Prince of Montrovia from assassination.But Prince Lorenzo is known as the Playboy Prince for a reason and his sensuality and charisma add a whole other level of complication to her mission.She knows that her every move is being watched, but what she doesn't know is that the Prince is just a chess piece in a bigger game that will have world-wide ramifications. And that Blackwood Academy, the place she has called home for the past six years has secrets of its own.
The Complete Opposite of Everything
Nour Abou Fayad
He just doesn’t. He doesn’t overthink, he doesn’t second-guess himself, and he most certainly does not cry.YetThat’s all he’s been doing lately.He’s a mess and he just can’t seem to get it together.His friend, Rami, is no help.Nobody is.UntilYasmin comes along to reconnect with her homeland. She’s been away for too long. She needs to know her roots.And she’s the one person who understands what Adam’s going through, even when he doesn’t.But can two people, both with minds that can’t fully be trusted, help each other navigate the other’s journey towards self-discovery?
Collin's Confession (Willa's Story Book 3)
Brenda Maxfield - 2019
When he reveals the truth of his identity, he is thrown out of Hollybrook—just as he feared. Back in Indianapolis, he finds his father in prison. Collin needs to tie up loose ends there before he can ever hope to return to Hollybrook, before he can ever hope to right all his wrongs. Willa struggles to come to grips with the fact that she has fallen in love with someone who would lie and deceive both her and those she loves most. Collin’s confession has caused much pain, and Willa sees no way it can be righted. But Collin has promised her that he will fix it … that he will return and court her properly. But as the days stretch on with no sign of Collin, she can’t help but wonder whether he’s gone back to his fancy life. Most Englisch can’t make the leap to become Amish, and maybe Collin is just the same. Read this exciting, love-filled conclusion to Willa’s story…
“In the tradition of the works of Beverly Lewis, Cindy Woodsmall, and Wanda Brunstetter, Brenda Maxfield continues to bring you gripping Amish tales of love, hope, and God’s miracles.”
Enjoy this inspirational Christian romance today!
Dad in an Instant
Lori Wilde - 2020
He’s thrilled with his business and happy with his carefree bachelor life. That is until his estranged father dies in a car crash along with his latest wife. Jake would feel bad, but he hardly knew the man. In fact, he’s surprised when he learns his father left him something life changing... An adorable baby boy named Lucas. Problem is, this solo cowboy doesn’t know the first thing about taking care of an infant. For help, he turns to Abbie Jackson, his best friend, who is home on a break from school. As they care for the child, Jake is suddenly having feelings for Abbie that go far deeper than just friends. Can this captivating cowboy and baby Lucas convince the lovely lady to create a forever family?
Covington Billionaires Box Set #2
Erin Swann - 2018
Contains Protecting the Billionaire, Picked by the Billionaire, Saved by the BillionaireProtecting the BillionaireI hadn't seen her since the day I broke her brother's nose.We came from different worlds. She was trouble wrapped in temptation, and it would be smart to keep my distance.The last time I'd dared to touch Katie, her brother foolishly took a swing at me. Her family taught me a painful lesson that day about money and power. I gave him a bloody nose. They destroyed my life.Today she desperately needed a ride back to LA. Six hours of her warm body wrapped around mine on the back of my bike was the price she'd have to pay.With her life in flames, the danger was more real than she knew. When she ran from her brother and into my arms, the kiss was meant to scare her off. It didn't work. She's sexual napalm, and I'm the match. Now we're both toast.I'm not giving her up until I have to. Even if it destroys me.Katie:I hadn't seen Nick since high school, the day he broke my brother's nose.I bumped into him while trapped in Las Vegas with no way to get home. Maybe this was my second chance.I didn't accept the ride to LA on the back of his bike just because he'd been the hottest and baddest boy in school. I swear I didn't.My life was all planned out. I left my sensible house every day in my sensible clothes and went to my sensible job.Until, some crazy targeted me, and it all went up in smoke.Now, I'm done being sensible. I know what I want, and he's pure trouble. Nick's all wrong for me, but only he can keep me safe.I'm falling for him. It can't work. It doesn't make sense. I'm walking straight into a broken heart, and I can't stop.Picked by the BillionaireA night I wouldn't forget. An offer I couldn't refuse.Liam:I had dared to love once and lost. The memory haunted me every day.Now, I have rules, three simple rules:I don't do dinner, they never come to my place, and I never stay the night.Until I met the tantalizing Amy and she turned everything upside down.It was just one night. Tomorrow I could get back to normal I told myself.When she turned up at my next meeting, normal was no longer on the horizon.Now, she is essential to defeating my nemesis.One way or another she may be my undoing.Amy:I couldn't get past my failed marriage - I couldn't take the terrifying leap.When the question became his place or mine, I ran back to my computer to pick another.My sister convinced me to try shock therapy - a one-night stand to get over my phobia.One night without inhibitions and never see him again, that was the plan. Simple enough, right?The next day, he walked into my meeting. Suddenly things weren't simple anymore.He held the key to my company's survival; there was just one catch.I had to pretend to be his girlfriend.How hard could that be?Saved by the BillionaireThe FBI and the cartel are after her for the same thing: information she doesn’t have.Natalie had gone from the Belle of Boston to Witch of the West End. Everybody in town hated her for her ex-husband’s crimes. Then the FBI showed up to seize everything she owned. Without a penny to her name, she only survived by taking a job working for the most disagreeable man in town.Billionaire inventor Ryan Westerly had never allowed thoughts of any woman to intrude upon his work.