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Category: Biographies

Blog Tour & Giveaway: What We Have by Amy Boesky

[ 186 ] August 17, 2010

Please join Amy Boesky, author of What We Have, as she tours the blogosphere with TLC Book Tours!

To learn more about Amy Boesky, please visit her website!

Reviewed by Meg M.

Amy Boesky’s What We Have: A Family’s Inspiring Story About Love, Loss, and Survival, begins with a sense of hope. We are told the story of a young Amy who meets Jacques, a man she falls in love with the instant she sees him. Not long after, Amy learns that she is pregnant with their first child. Interweaved throughout this tale of a growing family, however, is the devastation of loss. No woman in their family has lived past the age of forty-five, all of them victims to cancer. Amy and her sisters, Julie and Sara, are rapidly approaching the age of thirty-five, the age where preventative surgery could help to avoid the cancer that has stolen so much from their family.

Amy’s story is one of balance; a constant struggle to balance fears about her health (and the health of her family) with the new life she lives with her young daughter and husband. Suddenly, her mother is diagnosed with cancer, five years after beating it the first time. All at once, Amy is forced to think of a future without her mother, and learns that a life lived in fear is no life at all.

This book was beautifully written, which is no surprise, seeing that Amy is an English professor. As stated by Patricia Wood, the author of Lottery, Amy’s memoir reads more like a novel than a memoir. Poetic, heartbreaking and inspirational all at once, Amy doesn’t hide her anguish, fear, and the desire to overcome it all to live a life of fullness.

Meg lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, Ryan. Marketing professional by day, freelance writer by night, Meg writes about life, entertainment and everything in between on her blog, Morning Cup With Meg.

Giveaway:
1 winner will receive a copy of Amy Boesky’s memoir, What We Have!

Mandatory entry: Please comment on this post with your e-mail address.

Extra entries (please post each entry separately, i.e. 2 posts for subscribing):
- Subscribe via e-mail, follow or subscribe to the feed. You must verify the subscriptions. (1 entry each)
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This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada residents only. Deadline to enter is midnight on September 3rd.

Review and giveaway copies were provided free of any obligation by St. Martin’s Griffin. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Jan’s Story by Barry Petersen

[ 8 ] August 6, 2010

Reviewed by Vera (Luxury Reading)

Barry Petersen, an award-winning CBS correspondent, was living a happy and globe-trotting life with his beloved wife, Jan, when she received the diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer’s disease. Living in Tokyo at the time, Barry struggled to make sense of Jan’s episodes before finally hearing the diagnosis from a San Francisco based neurologist. In Jan’s Story, he describes the progression of what he calls The Disease, the learning curve of becoming Jan’s caregiver, his own emotional struggles and his eventual decision to place Jan in an assisted living facility.

When he first met Jan, Barry was a recently divorced father of two girls. Jan was working as a news anchor in Seattle and Barry was a visiting correspondent; both quickly knew that their connection was undeniable and according to Barry, their honeymoon period never ended. When Jan was initially diagnosed with The Disease at 55, the couple did not know what to make of it and were cautiously optimistic that the drugs would work well enough to allow Jan to live out a normal life. Looking back, Barry could recognize warning signs in Jan long before the diagnosis, but he still did not understand how quickly their lives would change.

Jan’s Story is a very honest and touching look into what it feels like to lose someone to early onset Alzheimer’s disease, and into what it means to be a caregiver for that person. Barry Peterson spares no details when it comes to describing his journey and I can only assume that his recollections are accurate, or at least as accurate as he remembers them. He covers everything from initial signs, behavioral changes, Jan’s coping mechanisms and diagnostic tools to care giving challenges, emotional responses and reactions by family and friends.

I believe that his intent with Jan’s Story was to provide others in similar situations with a feeling that they are not alone, and he definitely succeeded in that regard. Given that many people assume that Alzheimer’s is a disease that only affects the very elderly, Barry also gives a different face to the disease – that of his wife Jan. Prior to her diagnosis, Jan was vibrant and lively, with many more years ahead of her. She loved to be around people and was often the life of the party. She was by no means the typical person someone would associate with Alzheimer’s, and yet she was another one of this terrible disease’s victims.

To learn more about the book, visit Barry Petersen’s website.

This book was provided free of any obligation by Meryl L. Moss Media Relations. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Giveaway: “Just Don’t Call Me Ma’am” by Anna Mitchael

[ 202 ] July 26, 2010

Win 1 of 4 copies of Just Don’t Call Me Ma’am by Anna Mitchael!

About Just Don’t Call Me Ma’am

Armed with just a suitcase—full of clothes in various shades of black—southern gal Anna Mitchael left Texas and set out to make her mark on the world. It took trying out an array of new zip codes, new jobs, and new boyfriends before she figured out that building a brand new life was more than simply buying a new wardrobe and dropping her drawl.

Just Don’t Call Me Ma’am: How I Ditched the South, Forgot My Manners, and Managed to Survive My Twenties with (Most of) My Dignity Still Intact is Mitchael’s hilariously truthful tale about one woman and the choices that add up to be her twentysomething life. Detailing impulsive moves to new cities, domestic disasters, and even the occasional nervous breakdown, this is a book for every woman who has ever woken up one day and wondered how she ended up smack dab in the middle of a life she doesn’t completely recognize.

The story of a Southern girl who sets out to find a new home—and instead finds herself—Just Don’t Call Me Ma’am is a disarmingly humorous (and candidly honest) account of growing up . . . and it’s a tale in which each and every reader will see some part of themselves.

Mandatory entry: Please comment on this post with your e-mail address.

Extra entries (please post each entry separately, i.e. 2 posts for subscribing):
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- Become a fan on Facebook (2 entries)

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Deadline to enter is midnight on August 9th.

Giveaway copies are provided free of any obligation by Seal Press. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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“Some Girls: My Life in a Harem” by Jillian Lauren

[ 12 ] July 25, 2010

Reviewed by Debbie V.

Some Girls: My Life in a Harem is a not only a gripping memoir about living life in a harem, but a memoir of a girl growing up and searching to find herself. Author Jillian Lauren chronicles her childhood in suburban New Jersey and her early adulthood as a NYU theater dropout. Her ambition to become an actress ultimately lands her the opportunity to become one of the many girlfriends in the harem of Prince Jefri, the younger brother of the Sultan of Brunei.

The author gives the reader glimpses into her world through flashbacks and dramatic vignettes. She details her fascination with show tunes and theater, which she shares with her father, but also finds him verbally abusive and critical, thus affecting the relationships with men in her life. Her search for her identity is also impacted by the fact that her and her brother are adopted, and she yearns to find her biological parents. Jillian eventually becomes disenchanted with the theater scene, taking jobs as a stripper and an escort to pay her rent until she learns she can make $20,000 for two weeks as a “guest” of Prince Jefri. She lands the job and ends up staying eighteen months in a prisoned paradise.

At first, the author is captivated by the wealth and charm of the Prince, going on fantastic shopping sprees and entertaining at the elaborate parties held at his estate. However, she is also isolated and lonely, allowed in the outside world for a minimum amount of time. Forced to room in close quarters with the other girlfriends, competition between the women ensues: petty jealousies and cat fights erupt between them all in pursuit of the Prince’s affection and a chance to be his fourth wife. Jillian not only develops a sexual relationship with the Prince (whom she calls Robin), but she gets involved emotionally, seeking approval and affirmation from a man she sees as a father figure. She returns to New York with a new sense of self, discarding her identity as a sex object and going back to performing.

Some Girls is an intriguing read, with interesting back stories of celebrity and tales of teenage rebellion, and the journey of a young woman who went around the world and back to find her true identity.

My take on Some Girls (by Vera – Luxury Reading)

If you’re expecting a I-was-kidnapped-and-forced-to-live-in-a-harem story, Some Girls is not it. Perhaps there are harems where women are kept against their will, but according to Jillian’s story, the harem (if it can even be called that) was not one of them. Women were free to leave as they saw fit, but many stayed and tried to get on the Prince’s radar in the hopes of making more money and setting themselves up for life.

For more information, visit Jillian Lauren’s website.

This book was provided free of any obligation by Plume. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Giveaway: “The Impostor’s Daughter” by Laurie Sandell

[ 95 ] July 20, 2010

Win 1 of 5 copies of The Impostor’s Daughter by Laurie Sandell!

About The Impostor’s Daughter

Laurie Sandell grew up in awe (and sometimes in terror) of her larger-than-life father, who told jaw-dropping tales of a privileged childhood in Buenos Aires, academic triumphs, heroism during Vietnam, friendships with Kissinger and the Pope. As a young woman, Laurie unconsciously mirrors her dad, trying on several outsized personalities (Tokyo stripper, lesbian seductress, Ambien addict). Later, she lucks into the perfect job–interviewing celebrities for a top women’s magazine.

Growing up with her extraordinary father has given Laurie a knack for relating to the stars. But while researching an article on her dad’s life, she makes an astonishing discovery: he’s not the man he says he is–not even close. Now, Laurie begins to puzzle together three decades of lies and the splintered person that resulted from them–herself.Laurie Sandell grew up in awe (and sometimes in terror) of her larger-than-life father, who told jaw-dropping tales of a privileged childhood in Buenos Aires, academic triumphs, heroism during Vietnam, friendships with Kissinger and the Pope. As a young woman, Laurie unconsciously mirrors her dad, trying on several outsized personalities (Tokyo stripper, lesbian seductress, Ambien addict). Later, she lucks into the perfect job–interviewing celebrities for a top women’s magazine. Growing up with her extraordinary father has given Laurie a knack for relating to the stars. But while researching an article on her dad’s life, she makes an astonishing discovery: he’s not the man he says he is–not even close. Now, Laurie begins to puzzle together three decades of lies and the splintered person that resulted from them–herself.

Mandatory entry: Please comment on this post with your e-mail address.

Extra entries (please post each entry separately, i.e. 2 posts for subscribing):
- Subscribe via e-mail, follow or subscribe to the feed. You must verify the subscriptions. (1 entry each)
- Enter another current giveaway (1 entry each)
- Share this giveaway on a social network of your choice. Click the “Share/Save” button at the end of this post (1 entry each)
- Become a fan on Facebook (2 entries)

This giveaway is open to U.S.  and Canada residents only. Deadline to enter is midnight on August 4th.

Giveaway copies are provided free of any obligation by Hachette Book Group. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Blog Tour: “Scars and Stilettos” by Harmony Dust

[ 6 ] June 23, 2010

Please welcome Harmony Dust, author of Scars and Stilettos, as she tours the blogosphere with the LitFuse Group!

Reviewed by Amelie L.

I have always been fascinated by women working as exotic dancers, intruiged by the dark mystery surrounding this world, which, from a a distance, has an aura of glamour. It can also appear, through the veil of fantasy, like a creative dream job, fun and free.

In reality, there is nothing free about it. In her book, Scars and Stilettos, Harmony Dust strips any allure off the false image, showing the world of exotic dance in all its seedy, naked truth. She does a good job of exposing the often tragic underlayer motivating most of the women who choose to work as exotic dancers. However, when I picked up Scars and Stilettos, I was looking for a good read, not preaching. It is difficult for me to tolerate proselytizing under any guise and her book was little more than Ms. Dusts’ personal pulpit.

The relationships in her life that lead her to become a dancer are not simply sad but numbingly tedious. I became impatient with her level of victimhood long before she did and so, for a large portion of her story felt myself mentally screaming at her to wake up and leave. She stays, however, and stays and stays until it is painful not only for her but for us, her readers. She remains through infidelity, unemployment and indifference. She even stays when another woman, carrying the baby of the man Harmony is so addicted to, moves in and takes over the bedroom, kicking Harmony to the sofa, all while Harmony pays the rent.

I began to feel like a voyeur to some bizarre, masochistic drama and was reminded of the definition of insanity – doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result. Enter Jesus and thank God because this level of self-loathing requires divine intervention.

Ms. Dust proves herself eminenetly qualified to perform spiritual outreach with the women who populate this stage and I’m sure she brings compassion based on personal experience – always a powerful connection – to her mission. I put down Scars and Stilettos most intruiged by the work of her non-profit, Treasures Ministries, an outreach and support group for women in the sex industry.There’s a terrible need in our collective soul to address a business that generates 70 billion dollars a year by exploiting the low self-esteem and desperation of thousands of women. I do believe that as a culture we will never be whole or move forward as long as females can be bought and sold by males. It’s a complex and ancient issue, however, and I do not want to be told that Jesus is the way.

Please visit the Scars and Stilettos website and follow along on the blog tour!

CONTEST
!

Kregel Publishers is graciously donating a $50 Amazon.com gift card for the Litfuse Blog Tour Contest! All you have to do to enter is either tweet (see TWEET THIS below) or share the book on Facebook using this link: http://www.litfusegroup.com/Blog-Tours/scars-and-stilettos-blog-tour.html

TWEET THIS: (and be sure to use the hashtag #HarmonyDust to be entered into Amazon.com gift certificate drawing)

Scars and Stilettos-story of ex-stripper #HarmonyDust & her work now to reach out to those still in the sex industry. http://ow.ly/1WrGD

Amelie lives and works on a pond in Cape Cod. She shares her home with her husband and two sons and both reads and writes whenever possible. Her ‘day job’ is in social services.

This book was provided free of any obligation by Kregel Publishers. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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“Elephant A La Mode: An Epicurean Guide to Life” by T. Roy Nakai

[ 5 ] June 4, 2010

Reviewed by Poppy J.

Elephant à la Mode is written in a conversational style, with the author, T. Roy Nakai, describing the important aspects and events of his life to his children. He begins the story with his immigrant parents who left Japan to come to the U.S. as contract laborers and continues on to his first home on Terminal Island, Califronia. Dr. Nakai believes that many of life’s best lessons are learned throuhg trial and error, and has a way of describing life’s ups and downs in a way that leaves room for laughing at himself when necessary.

Dr. Nakai goes on to describe the relocation of his family during the war, the childhood in Elsinore after the war, and later on his career highlights. His grandparents worked and owned a hot spring spa and bath house, and he describes what it was like growing up Japanese in an area that lacked real diversity at the time. He speaks of a childhood accident that got him interested in dentistry, and an accident that changed the course of his career and life forever.

Dr. Nakai includes handy lessons at the end of each chapter, both for reference and as a guide to help the reader get the most out of the reading. Elephant à la Mode was perhaps meant to show his children what it was like in the old days of his youth, but is an interesting and poignant read for audiences beyond just his children.

Dr. Nakai is an expert at reinventing himself. He certainly found a way to make the best of every situation and writes with an idea of hope and promise, instead of being depressed about things that didn’t go according to plan. His faith and “gaman” kept him afloat in both good and bad times, and he shows the reader how to develop an inner strength when it is needed the most.

Elephant à la Mode is recommended to anyone who is going through tough times and wants some inspiration. It is a testament to the fact that it is possible to come out a winner, no matter what life throws at you.

Please visit the Elephant a la Mode website for more information.

After a decade of working in several NYC law departments and teaching, Poppy decided she enjoyed writing full-time. She currently works as a freelance writing consultant, and lives with her husband and sons on the East Coast.

This book was provided free of any obligation by T. Roy Nakai. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.
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“Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession” by Julie Powell

[ 8 ] May 7, 2010

Reviewed by Lauren O.

Julie Powell, fresh from Julie and Julia fame, has gone from the kitchen to the butcher shop. Unfortunately, Cleaving: A Story of Meat, Marriage, and Obsession is a sort of self-sponsored hatchet job on Powell’s personal life and, if I may, narrative skill. And the hatchet is dull.

To her credit, Powell assembled the raw materials of delicious nonfiction. She found the setting, an upstate New York “hippie butchery” that she periodically forgets is magical, and a cast of slightly caricatured but charmingly rendered co-workers. The scenes at Fleisher’s are warm, visceral, and engaging – her descriptions of a turkey roulette, cutting through boars’ heads, and, yes, even a pig slaughter, warranted repeat reads. This is a red-blooded woman, and her passion for the product and labor of butchery made for some delicious reading.

Yes, Powell can certainly write about meat. Unfortunately, she writes about all the meat, including that of her ever-suffering husband, Eric, and her mostly-off-again affair partner, D. In a book that encompasses recipes with items like “behead animals; soak in brine,” it may be a surprise that the most cringe-worthy moments address Powell’s personal life. Consider this unsavory triumvirate: her husband knows that she is having the affair; D, short for douche bag, dumps the author partway through and displays little to no personality; and Powell details every pitiful, pink-wine-soaked voicemail she leaves in an attempt to win back this ever-charming man.

There’s something to be said for honesty in memoir, but when you are honestly a self-pitying, married woman with a job (okay, unpaid internship) you don’t hate, and you’re still behaving in an embarrassingly adolescent, self-destructive manner, it’s time to stop pouring more ink into the wound. It’s just time to stop, period.

Powell’s strongest moments occur in the kitchen or the cutting room, a place where her hands are too busy to get her into trouble, her mind is focused on a novel, visceral task, and her companions fall into a natural rhythms of conversation. Whether she’s detailing her family’s reactions to her Christmas-dinner crown-roast or breaking down an entire cow side, these are the choice cuts of Powell’s prose. If only there had been larger portions…

Check out our review of Julie Powell’s first memoir, Julie and Julia.

Lauren has always been a voracious, though somewhat indiscriminate, reader.  Professionally, she’s run the gamut from bartender to teacher to legal assistant, but she’s published a few articles in Ohio, Montana, Vermont, and Argentina.

This book was provided free of any obligation by Hachette Book Group. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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