Book picks similar to
Neighborhood Lines by Michael Patrick Murphy


borrowed
z-arcs
racial-justice-antiracism
the-book-club

A Brave Face: Two Cultures, Two Families, and the Iraqi Girl Who Bound Them Together


Barbara Marlowe - 2019
    This is a story of the astonishing power of self-sacrificial love.On a typical Sunday morning in 2006, Barbara Marlowe saw a photo that changed her life: a photo of four-year-old Teeba Furat Fadhil, whose face, head, and hands had been severely burned during a roadside bombing in the Diyala Province of Iraq. Teeba’s eyes captivated Barbara, and she yearned to help this child who had already endured more pain and suffering than anyone should bear.Because surgeons were fleeing the war-torn country, Teeba would be unable to receive much-needed treatments if she stayed in Iraq. With powerful faith and determination, Barbara overcame obstacle after obstacle to bring Teeba from Iraq to the United States for medical treatments.A Brave Face explores the connection forged between Barbara and Teeba’s Iraqi mother Dunia over the past decade—a deep bond between two mothers that has flourished despite the distance, the strife of war, and the horrors of Al-Qaeda and ISIS. With chapters written by Teeba, now a young woman, and Dunia, the three women recount the story of courage and sacrifice that bound them together.A Brave Face contains the messages that:Tremendous trust can cross borders and war zonesTragedies can turn into miraclesLove can be found in the most unexpected of placesIn the end, this is a story of hope. A story of building bridges. A story of the always astonishing power of self-sacrificial love.

Mira's Return: The Complete Series: A Mermaid Fantasy Adventure & Prequel to the Elemental Origins Series


A.L. Knorr - 2018
    It’s time to leave the ocean. Mira Belshaw has been at sea for… well, she doesn’t know how many years. It’s hard to keep track of time when you live in the ocean. But after enough time, the salt water triggers the desire to procreate, and her time is up.For weeks, she’s been swimming north. Finding a mate is the most important thing to her right now, and to do that, she has to return to the place where she was last human - the coastal city of Saltford.Equipped with everything she needs to lure her perfect mate and produce a strong siren child, all she needs is the opportunity to mingle with humans. But when she meets Nathan MacAuley, the ONE, things start to go sideways…The Mira's Return trilogy contains all three titles Returning, Falling, and Surfacing and is a companion series to The Elemental Origins Series, a teen fantasy adventure series by an award-winning author. Read a snippet The sound of his voice resonated through my core, vibrating like he'd plucked a tightly wound string running through me from head to toe. My head snapped up. "I parked in the middle of a dump thinking it was just a nice little cul-de-sac, perfect place for some shut-eye," the voice continued. "I woke up to grunting noises and opened my eyes to six grizzlies eating garbage all around my truck." He laughed and the sound warmed me all over.A new scent drifted my way - pine trees and sawdust, and him. I gripped the table at the sudden wave of desire that coursed through me. 
I turned around to face the voice.He was shucking his coat and laughing while he told Phil his story. The table of men lifted their beers to welcome their friend and I heard a few of them call, "Nathan! Welcome home buddy!"
Nathan.I was half-hidden in an alcove. The Sea Dog had many such nooks, modelled after a ship like it was. I stared at him from the shadows.He was wearing a simple zip up cotton sweater, jeans, work boots, and a baseball cap. The clipped beard and the hair curling out from under his hat was the colour of copper. His cheeks were flushed and pink from the crisp autumn air. Nathan doffed his cap and threw it on the hat rack beside the door. He had broad shoulders, long legs and arms, a lean stomach, a broad jaw, straight teeth, big hands... my eyes took in all of this biological information and then moved to his expression. His face communicated a kind heart, a sweetness not seen in most male faces. He greeted each of the men at the table by name and with genuine care. He shook hands, slapped backs, and even hugged.
Here was a man who could love and father my child. Here was a man I could love.Nathan turned a chair backwards and sat down facing his friends, laughing and talking.Phil slung Nathan's canvas jacket over the back of a chair and looked around. He spotted me. "Mira, do you mind pouring Nathan a pint? He likes the bitter."I came to life. I went behind the bar, took a beer glass, and pumped the tap the way Phil had taught me. I filled the glass carefully, ensuring the head was just the right size. I walked over to the table to deliver the bitter, my eyes on Nathan alone. I couldn't have looked elsewhere if I had tried. I had found him. I was in shock at how quickly it had happened, but there was no denying it. Nathan was my guy.
Nathan saw me in his periphery as I set his beer on the table in front of him. He turned and looked into my eyes.

Self-helpLESS: A Cynic's Search for Sanity


Rebecca Davis - 2018
    And because she’d quit drinking, she no longer had the comfort blanket of alcohol to tamp down her anxiety. How did sober people stay sane? In recent times, the self-help industry has exploded into a multi-billion dollar global industry – and along with it has come every imaginable type of therapy, healing or general woo-woo. In the past, Rebecca scoffed at this industry, mocking its reliance on half-baked science and the way it appears to prey on the mentally fragile.But as she searched for a meaning of life that did not involve booze, she found it increasingly hard to rationalize her default scepticism. This shit really seems to work for some people, she reasoned. And it’s not like I have any particularly solid alternatives.Rebecca lives in Cape Town, the undisputed epicentre of ‘alternative’ paths to peace and enlightenment in South Africa. She decided that over the course of a year, she would embark on a quest for personal wellness, spiritual enlightenment and good old-fashioned happiness. She was willing, within reason, to try anything. She would open herself to even the most outlandish contemporary fads in self-improvement.What followed was a twelve-month immersion in the world of auras, chakras, hallucinogenic drugs, sweat lodges, sangomas, past lives and more.And by the end of it? Maybe she would find some new ways of thinking and living. Or maybe she would emerge with her prejudices untouched.Either way, it would be a good story.

Billy Graham: The Man I Knew


Greg Laurie - 2021
    But Very Few Knew Him Personally.             Pastor and bestselling author Greg Laurie was one of those fortunate few, blessed with an insider’s view of Billy Graham’s world for more than two decades.             With the same painstaking research and eye for detail that distinguishes his previous biographies, Steve McQueen: Salvation of an American Icon and Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon, Laurie now turns to the life of his beloved mentor, offering the intimate perspective of a disciple and friend.             As a strapping North Carolina farm boy, Graham surrendered his life to Jesus at a camp meeting led by a blustery itinerant preacher, but he never lost the mischievous twinkle in his eye or his fun-loving air.             Laurie sheds light on Graham’s lesser-known struggles—such as a broken heart before he met the love of his life and a crisis of faith from which he emerged stronger than ever. From the evangelist’s private challenges and public successes to his disappointments and joys, Billy Graham: The Man I Knew provides a vivid portrait of one of history’s most remarkable Christian lives.

Mr Make Believe


Beezy Marsh - 2017
     Hard-hitting newspaper journalist turned stay-at-home mum and part-time failing food columnist, Marnie is wondering when her life went so wrong. While her husband Matt’s career takes off, she’s left with the impossible task of pairing socks and locating Lego. His late nights at the office are turning into late nights who knows where else and they haven’t had a proper conversation in weeks, sex in months, or a full night’s sleep in years. On the brink of losing everything when a fantasy about movie star Maddox Wolfe leads to a missed deadline and a disastrous case of food poisoning, Marnie becomes Mrs Make Believe: anonymous blogger, secret spiller, and voice of imperfect mums everywhere. However, Marnie Martin could never have imagined that her movie star daydream would walk off the screen and into her reality, turning her already muddled world totally on its head. Will Marnie find happiness in the arms of the (literal) man of her dreams? Or will she find that true love is just make believe?

Santa's Perfect Package: A Collection of Holiday Romances


K.B. Winters - 2019
    And I’m the one who put her there Santa Baby is a standalone Christmas romance with loads of heat, guaranteed HEA and absolutely no cliffhangers! One Naughty Christmas Good Things Come In Large Packages! Especially when the package is her BOSS! One Naughty Christmas is a novella length Christmas romance with loads of heat, no cliffhangers and a guaranteed HEA! Unwrapped I'm breaking every bro code in the book—but I can't help myself. Ruby "Brace Face" is all grown up and I can't keep my mind—or my hands—off of her! Unwrapped is a novella-length forbidden romance with a sexy Navy SEAL, no cliffhanger and a very happy ending. Three Under The Tree Two tantalizing mouths. Four magical hands and two incredibly delicious hunks. They’re the hottest fantasy I never knew I had. Three Under The Tree is a standalone Christmas romance with loads of heat, guaranteed HEA and absolutely no cliffhangers! Enjoy! A Soldier For Christmas I'm in Jingle Bell Hell. Sophia is only in Baghdad for ten days, surely that’s enough time to get a little ho, ho, ho. A Soldier for Christmas is a novella-length holiday military romance with a whole lot of HEAT! No cliffhanger and a very happy ending. If you love the holidays, a first kiss, bossy romances and filthy talking military men, this holiday collection is for you! Have a super dooper Holiday!

The Great Romantic: Cricket and the Golden Age of Neville Cardus


Duncan Hamilton - 2019
    Between two world wars, he became the laureate of cricket by doing the same with words.In The Great Romantic, award-winning author Duncan Hamilton demonstrates how Cardus changed sports journalism for ever. While popularising cricket – while appealing, in Cardus’ words to people who ‘didn’t know a leg-break from the pavilion cat at Lord’s’- he became a star in his own right with exquisite phrase-making, disdain for statistics and a penchant for literary and musical allusions.Among those who venerated Cardus were PG Wodehouse, John Arlott, Harold Pinter, JB Priestley and Don Bradman. However, behind the rhapsody in blue skies, green grass and colourful characters, this richly evocative biography finds that Cardus’ mother was a prostitute, he never knew his father and he received negligible education. Infatuations with younger women ran parallel to a decidedly unromantic marriage. And, astonishingly, the supreme stylist’s aversion to factual accuracy led to his reporting on matches he never attended.Yet Cardus also belied his impoverished origins to prosper in a second class-conscious profession, becoming a music critic of international renown. The Great Romantic uncovers the dark enigma within a golden age.

The Virgin Mary's Got Nits: A Christmas Anthology


Gervase Phinn - 2014
    A hilarious and touching gift book anthology of poetry and prose on the subject of Christmas from the Yorkshire school inspector and bestselling author of the Dales series and Little Village School series.

Last King of the Cross


John Ibrahim - 2017
     Last King of the Cross lays bare Australia's most notorious underworld figure.In the mongrel tongue of the streets, John writes of fleeing war-torn Tripoli with his family and growing up in Sydney's rough and tumble west - before establishing himself as a tough guy and teen delinquent, then a bouncer, enforcer and nightclub king on the Golden Mile.Bullets fly, blades flash and bodies fall. In a city of shadows, John builds his army and empire - partying like a playboy prince of darkness while staying one step ahead of the cops, the outlaw gangs and hungry triggermen, plotting to take him and his family down.Crazier than Goodfellas, more compelling than The Godfather, Last King of the Cross is a colourful crime saga like no other and powerful proof that truth is always stranger than fiction.

Our Story: 77 Hours That Tested Our Friendship and Our Faith


Jeff Goodell - 2002
    Now, for the first time, the miners tell their own story--in a dramatic, riveting first-person account of their actions and emotions and of how they managed to make it through the traumatic accident and rescue. The men were below ground when water trapped in an adjacent mine burst through the wall of the new mine they were working. Scrambling to avoid the sluicing tide that rapidly rose in the narrow passageway, the crew knew they were in serious trouble. Moe, who was trapped on the other side of the raging stream, alone and away from the others, thought he would die then and there. However, in a heroic effort, Randly Fogle, crew chief, drove the scoop machinery straight into the flood and Moe managed to leap into it, and thus was carried to relative safety. Now all together, the miners moved to the best location they could find in the freezing-cold, still-rising water. They recount their fears, their prayers, their confessions to one another, and how they kept up their hope that they'd get out alive, while trying to decide how to drown with dignity. Meanwhile, we see the agony their wives, girlfriends, and families were going through, not knowing if they were living or dead. Once a resuce was imminent, the men reveal how they decided who would be the last man up. And they tell of their emotions upon finally touching solid ground and meeting their loved ones, whom they'd thought they would never see again. The successful rescue of the miners lifted the spirits of an entire nation. Now everyone can read the complete story of this harrowing incident--how these men and their families had the strength, courage, and faith to endure their incredible ordeal.

Queen: Album by Album


Martin Popoff - 2018
    Formed in 1970, Queen went on to become one of the most popular—and most successful—rock bands of all time. Even following the untimely death of beloved and magnetic frontman Freddie Mercury, and nearly 50 years after their formation, interest in the band has continued, evidenced by scores of reissues, arena tours with surviving members, and a feature-film biopic. In this new installment in Voyageur Press’s Album by Album series, rock journo Martin Popoff convenes a cast of 19 Queen experts and superfans to discuss all 15 of the band’s studio albums (including their soundtrack for the 1980 film Flash Gordon). Panelists include Queen experts, rock journalists, musicians, and record industry figures. The results are freewheeling discussions delving into the individual songs, the circumstances that surrounded the recording of each album, the band and contemporary rock contexts into which they were released, and more. The engaging text of this beautifully designed book is illustrated throughout with rare live performance and candid offstage photography, as well as scads of rare Queen ephemera. The Album by Album series is a unique approach to the rock bio, injecting the varied voices of several contributors. The results have even the most diehard fans rushing back to their MP3 players (or turntables) to confirm the details and opinions expressed!

What Lies Within: Not Your Average Antho


M. SinclairAshley Amy - 2020
    Find out What Lies Within each of these inspiring stories and watch as the characters learn to accept what makes them special. This collection features a series of fascinating short stories and excerpts for upcoming novels - all written by your favorite authors!M. SinclairL. StarfyreF. EastA.J. MaceyMelody CalderEverly TaylorLara G. ElmoreAshley AmyEileen TroemelPick up your copy today - all proceeds will be donated to Epilepsy Foundation!Contains +18 content.

The Point After: How One Resilient Kicker Learned There Was More to Life Than the NFL


Sean Conley - 2020
    Embodying the spirit of the underdog, this is a moving tale of strength, determination, and spiritual grit."An amazing story! I devoured this book! This was so much MORE than a football story." - BOOKISHLY OVERDUE“The Point After is a page-turner. You don't have to be a real fan of football to fall in LOVE with this book. 5 stars!” - PICK A GOOD BOOKA vivid account of life in the NFL—and an inspiring story of everything that comes after.Against seemingly impossible odds, Sean Conley became the starting kicker for the University of Pittsburgh in his senior year. A year later, he suited up for the Detroit Lions. But when he joined the New York Jets soon after, Conley’s injuries caught up to him, and his lifelong dream came crashing down in a crisis of denial and fear.The Point After is an all-access look at the NFL, one of the most intense workplaces in sports. Conley describes pushing through pain at NFL training camps, surrounded by rookies, All-Pro veterans, and long-shot undrafted free agents, all hell-bent on staying in the game. He recounts the insecurities he dealt with on and off the field, and the despair that overtook him when his career ended.But while Conley thought life was over, it was just beginning.

Gone Native: An NCO's Story


Alan Cornett - 2000
    There he gained entree into a culture that he would ultimately respect greatly and admire deeply. Cornett's most challenging military duty began when he joined the Phoenix Program. As part of AK squad, he dressed in enemy uniform and roamed the deadly Central Highlands, capturing high-ranking VC officers in hot firefights and ambushes. It was there, deep in enemy territory, where the smallest mistake meant sudden death, that the Vietnamese fighting men earned his utmost respect.While offering rare glimpses of an aspect of the war most of the military and media never saw, Cornett tells the full, gut-wrenching story of his Vietnam. He also gives an unsparing view of himself - telling a no-holds-barred story of an American soldier who made sacrifices far beyond the call of duty . . . a soldier who, in defiance of the U.S. government, refused to turn his back on the Vietnamese.

A Crush on Her Best Friend's Brother, Part 3 (A Crush on Her Best Friend's Brother Serials)


Sharon Cummin - 2016
     Rachel made it through Christmas and was back at school without either family finding out about her relationship with Brad. It would be three months before she could see him again. She had no idea how she was going to wait that long. Brad continued to call and text her each day. They couldn't wait to see each other again. When something happened that would change her life forever, how did Rachel handle it? She knew that pushing Brad away was the right thing to do for everyone. It was time for her to think about the future and make sure that he followed his dreams. Rachel knew it wasn't going to go over well that she wasn't going home for spring break. After a long day of work, Rachel answered the door to an unexpected visitor. How did her best friend react when she found out Rachel's big secret? Could Rachel get to Brad before his sister ruined everything?