Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite

My Life Isn't Perfect, But My Testimony Is... I Don't Look Like What I've Been Through is the personal memoir of Michelle M. Brown. Growing up in North Carolina, Michelle suffers a devastating tragedy at the tender age of three when her mother unexpectedly passes away. Raised by her grandparents, Michelle's childhood was far from being free of turmoil. She was bullied and discriminated against in school because of her skin color and had a brother who had his own share of problems due to a developmental disorder. After graduation from high school, she enrolls in college, where she meets her future husband. However, soon after marriage, he was deployed in Korea, leaving her with her in-laws in Maryland. Throughout those turbulent years, her faith helped her overcome some significant challenges, including a heart condition that she miraculously survived.

A heartbreaking yet inspiring tale showcasing the resilient spirit of humans, My Life Isn't Perfect, But My Testimony Is... I Don't Look Like What I've Been Through is a riveting read from start to finish. Author Michelle M. Brown gives an unflinching account of her life, focusing on significant times where her faith helped her overcome overwhelming odds. She lost two of her most loving and caring paternal figures at a very young age, was subjected to bullying as a child and struggled with health issues most of her adult life. Yet, every step of the way, she persevered with a strong will and unwavering faith that saw her through. If you're looking for an inspirational memoir, this is the book for you.

Reviewed by Parul Sood for Readers' Favorite

Monologues for Young Adults by Mike Kimmel is an important read for those who are interested in the performing arts. Specifically aimed at actors aged 14-22, this book is filled with original and professional monologues that are sure to captivate the attention of any audience. Kimmel has done a fantastic job of creating a diverse range of characters and situations that are relevant and relatable to young adults. The book includes 60 monologues that cover a wide range of emotions, from funny and lighthearted to serious and thought-provoking.

One of the strengths of Monologues for Young Adults is the attention to detail in each monologue. The characters are well-developed, and the dialogue is authentic and engaging. Mike Kimmel has a great talent for capturing the voices of young adults, and the monologues are written in a way that allows actors to connect with their characters and bring them to life on stage. Another standout feature is the variety of topics covered. From social media and relationships to mental health and identity, there is something for everyone in this book. The monologues are also great for auditioning, with many of them being around two minutes long, making them perfect for showcasing an actor's range and versatility. I highly recommend this book to actors, acting coaches, and drama teachers. It is well-written, engaging, and provides a great resource for young actors looking to improve their craft. The monologues are diverse and nuanced, and provide a great opportunity for performers to explore a range of emotions and characters.

Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite

The Man Who Hacked the World: A Ghostwriter’s Descent into Madness with John McAfee by Alex Cody Foster is a fascinating insight into the world of one of the most notorious and misunderstood software geniuses, John McAfee. The book is neatly split into two halves. The first section tells the story of the author’s descent into madness in his early twenties. Deciding to hitch-hike across America, and while filming a documentary highlighting the plight of the homeless in Los Angeles, he becomes part of the great tide of unwashed wandering the streets of Venice Beach searching for food, companionship, and most importantly searching for purpose. The second half of the story focuses on his recruitment into team McAfee, as he joins the software billionaire in his constant attempts to escape private people and government representatives determined to close him down or terminate him. As McAfee’s ghostwriter, Foster enters a world he could only imagine in his wildest dreams; a world of wealth, power, glamour, and intense paranoia. Alex is determined to write the true story of the McAfee legend but will circumstances and, indeed, McAfee allow him to do so?

The Man Who Hacked the World is, in many ways, a cautionary tale but also a deeply moving and educational journey. Author Alex Cody Foster has already plumbed the depths of despair in his descent into madness and he comes out the other side full of certainty, conviction, and a desire to seek the truth regardless of the potential consequences. This is a powerful narrative that readers will be instantly swept up in and carried along until its somewhat inevitable conclusion. What I particularly appreciated about this work was the author’s sidebar conversations with himself about morality, love, purpose, and life in general. He poses and attempts to answer, through both his and McAfee’s actions, some of the big questions we ask ourselves, especially about selfishness, love, and redemption. As one of the few individuals prepared to stand up to McAfee’s bullying tactics and overwhelming presence, the author sets himself apart from almost all the coterie of sycophants who surrounded McAfee at the time. This gave him the unique opportunity to examine the man in minute detail and reach some rather startling conclusions about McAfee, government, society, and humanity in general. I found this story unforgettable and utterly impossible to put down. I can highly recommend this read.

Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite

Truth Gives Strength To Wings: It’s All in the Journal by Katy Sudano and Ginger Green is the harrowing non-fiction memoir of a girl who, with all odds stacked against her, was able to fly. The book begins with the heartbreaking revelation that young Sydney was being sexually abused, repeatedly, by her step-father. Worse still, her mother was witness to an unconscionable act and through a blend of denial and about-face is somehow able to sweep it under the rug. By all outward appearances, Sydney was living a life of style and luxury. Internally, she was emotionally ravaged in ways that few are able to overcome to survive. Her family and those she thought loved her harbored a secret disgust through flagrant and unapologetic victim-blaming. Her life goes from bad to worse when a volleyball match ends with a violent assault and a future that appears to further a bleak existence as she tries to flee an abusive husband with her toddler son.

First and foremost, Truth Gives Strength to Wings is a story of courage. Katy Sudano has lived fifty lives and survived them all, which is an overwhelming accomplishment on its own. Even more astounding is that she has parlayed her pain into a book that will speak volumes to others who are trapped in similar circumstances, and has devoted her life to advocacy. The writing is engrossing and relatable even when the situations cannot possibly be. The reliance on a secret imaginary friend, Zoryia, to carry her through the worst storms provides an interesting alternate look as Zoryia morphs into an alter-ego and acts as a source of refuge through the darkest moments. This is an incredible book and a truly inspirational journey that will be enjoyed by all those brave enough to pick it up.

Reviewed by Sefina Hawke for Readers' Favorite

Lewis Kempfer’s 120 Seats in a Boiler Room: The Creation of a Courageous Professional Theater is a non-fiction drama that would appeal most to a diverse audience of adults and young adults with an interest in learning about how the Boiler Room Theatre in Franklin, Tennessee, came to exist. Four friends set out to find a location for their theater company and discovered it in a rundown boiler room that they transformed into the “scrappy little theater that could”. Are you ready not only to learn about the Boiler Room Theatre but also the ins and outs of theater management?

Lewis Kempfer’s 120 Seats in a Boiler Room is a well-written account that offers the perfect blend of guide and memoir in one book. I quite enjoyed how the author shared the transformational journey of the theater as well as all sorts of tips on theater management. I found the success of the little theater to be both inspiring and motivating as it showed how hard work can really pay off. I had no idea about everything that was involved in creating and managing a theater. I found the parts on understudies, media relations, and staffing to be the most interesting. I had no idea how vital understudies could be to a theater as I thought they were just wannabe actors. I truly enjoyed this behind-the-scenes tour that the author took me on and after finishing the book, I feel as if the guidance offered could be applied to many small start-ups regardless of their industry.

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

The Reluctant Ninja: How A Middle-Aged Princess Became A Warrior Queen is a work of non-fiction in the memoir and inspirational writing subgenres. It is intended for the general adult reading audience and was penned by author Cheryl L Ilov. In this explorative and motivational work taken from her real life, the author explores the transition of personality when, in her mid to late forties, Cheryl experienced traumatic events leading to severe PTSD and mental health issues. After the art of Japanese martial arts is suggested to her as a healthy outlet and coping mechanism, her life begins to change for the better again.

This truly empowering book explains the many benefits of martial arts practices, as well as gives readers the chance to tune in with author Cheryl L Ilov and share her raw account of the lasting and damaging effects which PTSD can have on your life. No matter where you started from, this is a work that proves how anyone can make those incredible shifts in capability, confidence, and emotional resolve, and this particular work really sells the ninja lifestyle too. Another feature of the work that I really enjoyed was its general tone, which balances the elements of the technical, personal, and emotional perfectly. It is a book that highlights the power of the human spirit whilst also being a really motivational how-to guide. Overall, The Reluctant Ninja is a unique and engaging memoir that will certainly enthrall its readers whilst also tugging their heartstrings. A recommended read.

Reviewed by Emma Megan for Readers' Favorite

This is a remarkable memoir that captures the life story of Sonja Wasden, a strong and beautiful woman who has a mental illness that affects every area of her life, including the people around her. Rachael Siddoway writes for and about her mother and the harsh reality of mental illness and how it impacted their family. The purpose of this memoir is to make people aware of the struggle and pain that mental health disorders inflict on a person, to help people understand how important it is to show more compassion. An Impossible Life: The Inspiring True Story of a Woman's Struggle from Within (The Impossible Series) by Sonja Wasden and Rachael Siddoway follows Sonja Wasden as she constantly fights suicidal thoughts, denial, excruciating pain, fear, panic, and guilt.

An Impossible Life by Sonja Wasden and Rachael Siddoway is a riveting memoir well worth reading as it's rich in detailed descriptions of the darkest moments of a devoted mother. Sonja and Rachael let readers enter the mind of an individual who constantly loses touch with reality and feels immense emotional pain that triggers obsessive suicidal thoughts due to her mental illness. Rachael Siddoway perfectly captures Sonja's twisted perception of reality and her mindset. Sonja's strength to go on with her life despite it being too painful to continue highly impressed me. Thus, I recommend An Impossible Life as it's well-written and impactful enough to inspire compassion and raise awareness for those suffering from mental health disorders.

Reviewed by Vincent Dublado for Readers' Favorite

Eight different individuals who all have their own share of battling their substance use disorder are the highlights of Michael K. Tourville’s Voices from the Fallen: True Stories of Addiction, Grief, Recovery and Courage. On a very up close and personal level, these eight people pour out their hearts and minds to reveal their bold and eye-opening confessions on the anatomy of their addiction, what they gained, what it took in return, and their path to salvation. It also includes perspectives from friends and families and the necessary intervention to curb their addictions. These are keen accounts of a naked reality that most of us are afraid to address, yet it prods us to face such reality because tomorrow someone you know or love might become one of the Fallen, too.

Like journalistic reportage, Michael K. Tourville writes these stories that expose the hard truths and common misconceptions about addiction ranging from pills to heroin and alcohol. It is a testament to the fact that anyone can fall prey to addiction, thereby getting rid of any stereotyped images commonly associated with substance addicts. Consider the case of Bart, for example. He is blessed with all the wonderful things in life until alcohol addiction drives him out of Paradise. This book is a reminder that there is no magic formula that will help our loved ones stop their addiction. It is what makes Voices from the Fallen an imperative must-read book for anyone to understand that addiction can take its toll on anyone regardless of gender, race, financial status, and religion. If this work has opened your eyes to the necessary steps that you can take to help someone you know who is battling with addiction, then Tourville has not written in vain.

Reviewed by Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite

Big Mike, Uncle Dan, and Me: How I Beat 20th Century New York State's Most Corrupt Political Machine by Dr. Paul Van Buskirk is a political memoir that captures a strong moment in US politics - how a college professor and engineer beat the odds and took leadership to liberate his upstate municipality from decades of political corruption. Moving away from his Republican views, Dr. Paul Van Buskirk set out to orchestrate the change that was badly needed for his municipality. Rallying behind the Citizens Party, he defeated the Dems’ political machine in 1963. The book is a compelling story that explores what it took to rid a municipality of the corrupt political machine.

In a well-written book brimming with US history, the author demonstrates with intelligence and skill how politically corrupt systems work and then shares the story of how he beat them. Readers will appreciate the importance of strategy and effective organization in this book. Dr. Paul Van Buskirk brings the setting in New York to life, taking readers through locales, and places like the Big Mike restaurant where corrupt politicians met to eat and drink, and Tammany Hall in Manhattan, which was once the headquarters of New York’s most corrupt political machine. The writing is crisp and readers will enjoy the author’s descriptive style and the irresistible narrative voice. Big Mike, Uncle Dan, and Me provides interesting episodes in the life of the man who defeated the corrupt political machine in his state and reformed the system for a more progressive form of leadership. Brilliantly written and utterly inspiring, Van Buskirk’s beautiful prose and his storytelling skills transform the book into a page-turning narrative. It is as entertaining as it is relevant, an eye-opening story that sets an example for any successful revolution.

Reviewed by Cheryl E. Rodriguez for Readers' Favorite

Silent Voices by Debbie Nau Redmond takes readers into the world of mental illness. Debbie is a teenager, full of life and hope of what high school will bring. She is the youngest child of a very large family. The Nau family is devoted, caring, your average middle class family. Surrounded by the beauty and tranquility of the Colorado Mountains, one would think their life was perfection. However, an unseen disastrous world awaits them. After Debbie’s brother, Ricky, is dishonorably discharged from the Navy, he returns acting very strangely. Ricky’s coming home changes all of their lives forever. Debbie shares the tragedy, the fear, the stigma, the guilt, and the continual uncertainty of living with a brother diagnosed with schizophrenia. This disease not only manipulates the minds of its victims, it leaves a trail of collateral damage in its wake.

Debbie Nau Redmond openly shares her memories in her memoir Silent Voices. This narrative brings awareness to the world of mental illness. It gives a firsthand account of how schizophrenia attacks its victims and the disruption it causes within the family dynamic. My father was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic in the early 1970s. It was very easy for me to relate and empathize with Redmond’s story. She shares pivotal moments in time, as if they were yesterday. But, she also mentions that some memories are blurred due to the trauma. Redmond educates the reader about mental illness. She is bold and candid as she reveals the emotional upheaval of her family. When living with a schizophrenic, everyone suffers. This is an amazing story of family devotion. Silent Voices is an account of tragedy, forgiveness, and restoration. Debbie Nau Redmond honors her family by sharing their story.