Book picks similar to
Southern Bells by Donald Davis


audiobooks
biography
humor
short-stories

Live While You Can: A Memoir of Faith, Hope and the Power of Acceptance


Tony Coote - 2019
    Just a few short months later, he found himself confined to a wheelchair. But rather than succumbing to the darkness that threatened to overwhelm him in the days after his diagnosis, he drew on his powerful faith and unwavering belief in life and found a way to light, hope and acceptance.From growing up in Fairview, to serving in the dioceses in Ballymun and later Mount Merrion and Kilmacud, and his charity work while in UCD, Fr Tony takes us on the journey of his life and shows us how, through this devastating illness, he came to know the true meaning and nature of God's love.Sadly, Tony passed away on the 28 August 2019 but his memoir and his message of hope, strength and unwavering faith live on.'Our lives will never be measured in words spoken or success achieved but rather how we live and how our life has affected those around us.' Fr Tony Coote

Fallin' For a Detroit Rydah


Londyn Lenz - 2019
    A successful business, wealth, and a beautiful baby girl. The only area in her life that she seemed to be lacking in was romance. Although she and Mendesses—her drag racing baby father—does a great job co-parenting they didn’t work well as a couple. Instead of focusing on love, she hustles and put all of her energy into taking care of her daughter and building her business. That is, until the charming and extremely handsome Lamont Morehouse sweeps her off her feet. Lamont grew up on the mean streets of Detroit, but because his parents saw so much potential in him, they relocated to Atlanta Georgia before he could get himself into something he couldn’t get out of. Luckily, getting Lamont out of the hood took him down another path in life. Ultimately, though, Lamont ends up right back in Detroit, but this time, instead of breaking the law, he’s enforcing it as an undercover cop. Mendesses has been running the game in underground racing for years. As the undisputed champ, quitting is the furthest thing from his mind. He’s determined to keep his championship status despite a few things lurking, threatening to compromise his livelihood. Karisma is just as beautiful and ambitious as her best friend. Tahiry, Like Tahiry, Karisma is single, but she’s ready to mingle. She has her eye on the young, money getting street racer, James but unlike most, she’s a little soft spoken about it. Luckily for Karisma, fate pushes the two together eventually. But old habits die hard and Danielle is definitely James old habit. Collins, Karisma's out of town cousin, is fresh out of a relationship and isn’t interested in starting anything new, anytime soon. She relocated to Michigan, in search of a fresh start, definitely not a new love. But when she meets the intriguing, and slick talking Mendesses, everything changes. Despite her greatest efforts, Collins ends up falling hard for him. What started out as a good year for this group of friends drastically takes a turn for the worst when a snake infiltrates the crew. Brace yourself as Londyn Lenz takes you on yet another wild journey laced with drama, deceit, lies and bloodshed.

A Life on the Toilet: Memoirs of a Bowel Cancer Survivor


Kat Ward - 2012
    Well, it didn't.After spending the majority of it simply trying to recover from her childhood, she was eventually forced to confront that monster which apparently awaits 1 in 3 of us at some point in our lives: cancer.After receiving a diagnosis of aggressive bowel cancer at 53, Kat's life was once again set on a trajectory for the worse. Suddenly, she found herself at the foot of a mountain - one that would require a great deal of support and determination merely to scale; let alone descend.These are her memoirs of that very personal journey; from the initial diagnosis, through to the life-changing operations - and beyond. It's not a story for the feint-hearted; nor is it a medical journal. What it is, is an honest, no-holds-barred glimpse into the life of a cancer sufferer, and a book of support for all those in similar situations. It is a light at every stage of the tunnel…

Kids Don't Get Cancer: The Remarkably Inspiring Story of Michael Crossland


Michael Crossland - 2015
    This passion stems from his own story … Before Michael was even one year old, he was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer of the central nervous system – a tumour had taken over half of his tiny body. The chance of Michael surviving was virtually non-existent. He started chemotherapy at 1 year old and by his second birthday, doctors had basically given up all hope. His only hope was taking part in a drug trial program – a program of which Michael was the only participant to survive the treatment. Although he survived, he was left with some permanent scars – only one lung, a damaged heart and a sensitive immune system. Michael Crossland sets an example for all of us. He's a man who has faced (and still faces) extreme challenges in life, but he never gives up. And despite his own obstacles, he always puts others before himself and gives so much to people in need. A true inspiration. A true hero. About the Author: As one of Australia’s most sought after inspirational speakers Michael has defied the odds of a life threatening cancer to build his life of exceptional achievements. He is a regular inspirational speaker for corporations, schools, professional sporting organisations and universities throughout the world. In the last 12 months Michael has presented in front of over 250,000 people around the globe. His journey has been shared on many TV programs including Fox Sports, ABC, ChannelSeven & Nine networks, Full Potential TV, The Get Inspired Project, Inspire Me Today program and countless radio shows throughout America, Fiji and Australia. Along with his award winning program about his life on Australian Stories, Michael has also recently featured in a humanitarian documentary about the countless lives saved through his orphanage and school in Haiti that he is involved with. Diagnosed before his first birthday and spending over ¼ of his life in hospital, doctors told him school and sport were not options. Infection and fatigue were too great a risk, reaching his teenage years would be a miracle. His only wish was to lead a normal life and be able to do all the things that other kids took for granted every day. But he had a dream and the undying determination to achieve the impossible… No matter the size of the obstacles that lay ahead. Now, an accomplished businessman, National Ambassador for Camp Quality, Australian of the Year finalist, Australia Day Ambassador and international hall of fame inductee, Michael inspires people from all walks of life. It is no doubt he has a heart for giving and a skill to engage people from all walks of life. Within the last five years he has gone from being one of the youngest State Development Managers for one of the largest companies in the world, to running five banks then leaving his finance career to follow his dreams in making a global impact and he certainly has done that! Michael’s story “Field of Dreams” was documented on Australian Story, ABC TV television. Through this documentary, his message touched the hearts of a nation, with his story of how he overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles to achieve success in both his personal and professional life.

Starfish - One Family's Tale of Triumph After Tragedy


Tom Ray - 2017
    I have no idea if it is part of the dream, a hallucination, or reality. It talks of children, bringing news of a girl called Grace who loves me very much and a new baby boy called Freddie, who apparently needs me to get better... It stirs a part of me, even in my coma, reminding me that I'm thirty-eight and in love with the most beautiful woman in the world. It tells me that one third of me is gone but what's left is enough; that the thing is, above all, to survive.' When Tom Ray put his young daughter to bed one chilly December evening, he had everything he could ever want - the house of his dreams, a beautiful wife and a second baby on the way. By the next morning all of this was in jeopardy as Tom succumbed to the devastating illness that is sepsis.Starfish tells Tom and Nic Ray's truly inspirational story of their life before, during and after the illness which claimed Tom's lower arms, legs, and a portion of his face. Heart-breakingly honest and affecting, their story charts the devastating effects of Tom's illness, Nic's heroic struggle to cope and, ultimately, the love and hope that has held their family together in the ensuing years. A tragic yet beautiful tale of a couple whose love is tested to its limit after their perfect life falls apart in a single moment.

Tamar: Before He Was King


Shan - 2014
    He started from the bottom, but at a very early age, he always knew that he would one day run the streets--with his crew by his side. Take a look at how it all began for them all. From before he met Rozalyn, to when he was with Shalea, and before he was crowned king.

Bassie: My Journey of Hope


Basetsana Kumalo - 2019
    As the first black presenter of the glamorous lifestyle TV show Top Billing, she travelled the world and interviewed legends like Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jackson and Luther Vandross. After a successful career in front of the camera, Bassie’s drive and ambition took her into the world of business and entrepreneurship. The street savvy that her entrepreneurial mother bestowed on her as a child stood her in good stead as she built a media empire. In Bassie – My Journey of Hope, Bassie recounts her life journey, including her relationships with mentors like Nelson Mandela. She also shares the secrets of her success and all the lessons she’s learnt along the way. She opens up about the pressures of her high-profile marriage to Romeo Kumalo and their heartbreaking struggle to have a family. She talks honestly about motherhood and maintaining a healthy work/life balance, and unpacks how she pays it forward through mentoring young people she has met along the way.Bassie also describes the legal battles she has had to wage in order to protect her name and her brand over the years. She gives a chilling account of the stalker who has harassed her for decades, and the spurious ‘sex-tape’ allegation that rocked her family and almost destroyed her career. Bassie’s enthusiasm, humour and hope infuses every page of her memoir, making it an intimate, inspiring and entertaining account of a remarkable life.

The Sheriff


Charles Hirsch - 2017
    He can't figure out why the thought is there, why he's thinking that way, after all he's only sixty years old and in good shape. A series of weird crimes confront him, challenging him at a time he feels most vulnerable. Eventually, assisted by a reliable deputy and a young, heavily-tattooed, former drug-running woman, the mysteries deepen. The clues are few and far between, the violence vicious and seemingly unwarranted. Eventually things slip out of control, until a small, seemingly unimportant detail surfaces that brings into focus what might be happening. Filled with exciting action, great dialogue and a very real sense of place, this book offers much for the mystery and action lover. And, at only 213 pages, it's a fast, exciting read, a "two-nighter," or perfect for a vacation read.

September Starlings


Ruth Hamilton - 1994
    She fled from a tyrannical mother into the clutches of a sadistic man. She endured poverty, fear and pain. Then along came Ben Starling, older, wiser, who smoothed her path and gave her love and security. But now Ben has become a stranger who has slipped beyond her reach. As her stability threatens to disintegrate once more, a thin, waif-like girl from Liverpool thrusts her way into Laura's life - a girl who is to prove a link with the past. But no one can help Laura make the decisions that will alter the course of her existence. As the September starlings gather, Laura realises she must take courage and forge her own future.

My Underground War: The True Story of how a Group of British Prisoners-of-War Fought Back against their Nazi Captors


Albert J. Clack - 2014
    That young soldier, Albert Edward Clack, was my father.The first part of this book covers his capture near Dunkirk in 1940 and his nearly five years in the Stalag VIIIB prisoner-of-war camp. For most of this time he endured forced labour and occasional beatings in a coal mine.The second part relates his escape from the ‘March of Death’, when the Germans forced prisoners-of-war to trudge westwards through snow and ice in January, 1945. After giving his guards the slip, he was assisted out of harm’s way by front-line storm-troopers of the Red Army.Criss-crossing Poland amidst the chaos of the Soviet advance and the German retreat, he and three other escaped prisoners found refuge with Polish families, until they were put on a train to the Ukrainian port of Odessa, there to board a ship home to England.When Dad died in 1984, he left me the manuscript of this true story. I have changed some names because, even if they were still alive, it would be extremely difficult to find them 70 years later; and I have improved the literary style for ease of reading; but I have altered none of the substance of the events described. Please note that it is a short book.I had always felt proud of what Dad did in the War; but it was not until later in life that I truly appreciated how much being able to live a normal family life in freedom afterwards must have meant to him after the long years of fear and uncertainty that he endured as a POW; and it is only through editing this manuscript that I have come to realise quite what a nightmare that experience must have been, despite the optimism which rings through his text.Albert John Clack - Son & Editor

Finishing Off the Bottle: A Memoir of Addiction and Self-Discovery


Bruce Hidasch - 2018
    From stress and anxiety to real loss, booze was his magic elixir that made it all disappear. But the constant blackout nights brought with them even more trouble. Despite the perpetual cycle of drunken mistakes and continued escalation in drinking, he found new ways to rationalize his self-destructive behavior. Drinking was a part of who he was. And an existence without it seemed inconceivable. He takes you through a life where nights with missing pieces of time were the norm. And how there was a haze that overshadowed everything, even his happiest memories. He shares how far he fell before finally willing to change. And the long road back in recovery that required him to completely shift his perceptive in order to remain sober. He also explains what he discovered about the many reasons he drank so much for so long. And how he was ultimately able to come out better on the other side. This is a memoir about overcoming the grip alcohol can have on us. About learning to live life again after the bottle and facing the world with sober eyes. And finally discovering one’s true self. This is a story that will resonate with anyone who has struggled with addiction. And will give hope to those looking to change their lives for the better.

Neil Armstrong Biography for Kids Book: The Apollo 11 Moon Landing, With Fun Facts & Pictures on Neil Armstrong (Kids Book About Space)


Jacob Smith - 2014
    This informative kids book includes well chosen words & great pictures to help children learn more about one of America's most beloved and iconic heroes, Neil Armstrong. Aside from the interesting facts and images Mr Smith presents in his Neil Armstrong for Kids Book he also covers some interesting insights about Neil Armstrong's background, his humble beginnings & how he first got started with flying. Kids will also learn about his many accomplishments, his influences on mankind today and more interesting facts. The pictures within this book are accompanied by small bits of easy to understand text while making it an exciting read about The life of Neil Armstrong. Therefore, Neil Armstrong Biography for Kids Book is a great educational book for kids ages 8 years and older (or for parents that want to read this book with their children). Currently set at a wonderfully low promotional price, this book on "Neil Armstrong for Kids" can be easily downloaded from the Amazon Kindle Store by any young readers that love to read on their own, as well as by parents who will read to younger children that are still learning to read.

The Best Part of Me


Staci Brush - 2010
    The pair have been through rough times, so they decide a vacation is in order. Expecting to find a comfortable getaway, they encounter a phenomenon neither has ever experienced; True Love. Watch them grow and bloom as you experience their love with them.

Measure of a Life: Memoirs, Insights and Philosophies


Leroy E. Hoffberger - 2014
    "Measure of a Life: Memoirs, Insights and Philosophies of LeRoy E. Hoffberger" is not only one man's personal story; it's a deeply compelling American story, steeped in Baltimore history. From father to businessman, lawyer, Broadway investor and champion of the arts to found of innovative organizations - Hoffberger has proven that a rich life is one that is lived in service to others.

HIM: A True Story Of Love & Fear


Danielle Davis - 2020
     HIM is the true story of a life lived with domestic abuse. The author began writing her blog ‘I got flowers today’ in 2015, sharing her story with the world, with her sole aim to help others who were living with, or had experienced domestic abuse. This book shares not only her story, but through a collection of her blogs, takes a look at domestic abuse in general; how an abuser gains their victims trust, and then gradually, over time manipulates, takes control and by whatever abusive means necessary, ensures their victim chooses to stay rather than leave. I was his Princess. The children were pawns in his game of cat and mouse. He was our nightmare.