Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Accidental Travels of a Single Woman is a nonfiction travel memoir written by Terry Woods. When her doctor advised her that she needed to avoid the heat of Las Vegas summers, Woods weighed up her options and decided to opt for extended travel rather than spend her summers hiding in her air-conditioned home. At first, she used the time to visit friends and take trips she’d been planning on, but she soon realized she needed other ideas. Woods found the Affordable Travel Club and learned about European home exchange opportunities. Between the two, she’s been able to spend her summers meeting new people, having unforgettable adventures and becoming a part of some remarkable families as a result of her extended visits. This book reflects the sixteen years she spent traveling, which began with a month-long home exchange visit to Milan.

Terry Woods’ nonfiction travel memoir, Accidental Travels of a Single Woman, will delight armchair adventurers and, no doubt, tempt many of them to consider their own membership opportunities in travel clubs, housing exchanges and other travel opportunities. Her stories are wonderful and soon had me imagining each of the places she describes so well. Woods seems to have an affinity for people; something which has made her travel much more than just seeing the sights in other places. As she shared her stories about the people who quickly became good friends and family, I found myself in awe of her gifts for empathy and congeniality. I loved visiting Lake Louise and other parts of Canada with her, marveled at the resurgence of New Orleans and laughed with her at the awful Mimmo and her escape from the highly overrated Vico del Gargano. Accidental Travels of a Single Woman is well-written, engaging and quite entertaining. It’s most highly recommended.

Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite

Weedgalized in Colorado: True Tales from the High Country by Johnny Welsh explores what happens to a community when weed gets legalized. Written by a bartender, someone who has spent nearly two decades mixing and serving drinks in Frisco, Colorado, in the very heart of Colorado ski country, this book shows readers what denizens of Colorado unwittingly unleashed when they voted for the Colorado Amendment 64, known as the “Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol” Act on November 6, 2012.

The author writes about the history of pot, explores the legal implications of recreational cannabis and its impact on the economy, shares insights on when and where to buy marijuana and who can carry it, including the legal quantity. Readers will encounter dealers in marijuana and listen to their stories. The author also shares contact information of these marijuana dealers. While this book captures the climate and the social atmosphere with the legalization of recreational cannabis, it lays bare the pros and cons of this cultural phenomenon. It’s hard to believe this book is written by a bartender, because the writing is clean, polished, and the turn of phrase unique and enjoyable. The voice is strong and authoritative and the author has a laid-back tone that is charming.

The author brings together stories he’s shared with people — and people tend to like talking to bartenders — and allows them to unveil the soul of Colorado after the legalization of marijuana. Readers will understand what happens to the business and how it becomes a threat to drug lords. Weedgalized in Colorado: True Tales from the High Country is both informative and entertaining, packed with information, and offering readers a picture of what it feels like to be in Colorado.

Reviewed by Neil A White for Readers' Favorite

When reading an author’s recollection of the sudden, awful realization she is having a stroke, and of the ensuing fear and uncertainty associated with how one’s life may forever change, roll-on-the-floor hilarity isn’t the first reaction that comes to mind. However, Kimberly Davis Basso manages to produce such a gem with I’m a Little Brain Dead. It should be said, in all seriousness, that suffering a stroke is no laughing matter. A shame no one informed Ms. Basso. Walking the reader through her experience from the initial event, to her first of numerous hospital visits, an untold number of medical practitioner interactions, plus an MRI freak out, we’re treated to a wonderful lesson in how keeping one’s sense of humor can get one through even the toughest of situations. And as an added bonus, how to survive the zombie apocalypse – I promise I won't spoil the surprise here.

I’m a Little Brain Dead is not without its poignant and serious moments. Ms. Basso’s life was saved by her 8-year-old daughter knowing the procedure for dialing 911. An accompanying Appendix provides many important tips when faced with a medical emergency. And when facing surgery to repair Ms. Basso’s hole in her heart? Well, who better to laugh in the face of danger than our intrepid author, even though she may quite possibly be dehydrated – you really need to read the book. In fact, I had so much fun reading Ms. Basso’s romp through the fields of medical practitioner double-speak that I’m thinking of scheduling a procedure for next Tuesday.

Reviewed by Charles Remington for Readers' Favorite

The title Launching Sheep by Sarah Angleton continues: And Other Stories from The Intersection of History and Nonsense. The volume is comprised of eighty-six informative, fascinating and entertaining articles taken from the author’s weekly blog, which were published over a period of more than four years up until September 2016. They cover a mind-boggling variety of subjects from the history of tandem bicycles and the development of fire hydrants, to why Scottish bagpipes were considered weapons of war and the origins of the phrase ‘bringing home the bacon.’ In the opening article, ‘History’s Pants Are on Fire,’ Sarah quite rightly points out the random and often unreliable nature of historic records and the inclination of historians, where hard fact is lacking, to simply make things up. At the same time, she dismisses any claim to her being a serious historian in the academic sense. Her articles are more the type of weekly columns found in many newspapers over the years, centuries even, by authors and journalists like Helen Fielding (Bridget Jones’ Diary), Giovanni Guareschi, James Thurber, and others too numerous to mention. Like Guareschi, she weaves her family life into the storylines and manages to produce a mixture of interesting facts, history and day-to-day life in the Angleton household, all blended into a series of charming, sometimes thought-provoking, and often amusing vignettes.

As a bit of a trivia nut, I much enjoyed Launching Sheep - it’s the sort of book that you can read from cover to cover or dip into at random and keep at your elbow for future reference; a perfect travelling companion, and a treasure trove of useful information that will never leave you short of an interesting anecdote. But what I particularly liked about the book is the way that, as we go along, we get glimpses into Sarah Angleton’s family life, her birthdays, and those of her husband and two young sons, the rainy day traumas of finding them something interesting to do, the anniversaries and Christmas celebrations. All are woven into articles such as how women’s high heeled shoes were first made for a vertically challenged princess, how President Lincoln was an insomniac, or how Pluto got its name. A thoroughly enjoyable book from a talented author, and highly recommended.

Reviewed by Jessyca Garcia for Readers' Favorite

I completely related to Stop Licking That! by Karin Mitchell who comically shares her experiences of being a parent to two young boys. Parenting is not easy, but Mitchell handles it with some sort of grace and a whole lot of sarcastic humor. I decided to read Stop Licking That! because I was hoping another soul would have had some similar experiences to raising a child like mine. I was not looking for a normal “how to be a parent” guide and Mitchell did not disappoint. Too often I found myself sharing similar thoughts with Mitchell. Her sarcastic attitude throughout the book was something that I really liked. My favorite chapter was “Stop Licking That.” I do think she has me beat on things she has said not to lick to her children. Mitchell’s short story “The Splash Pad” was a friendly reminder why parents cannot go to the bathroom by themselves, ever!

The book is not all about Mitchell’s experiences in being a mom. At the end of the book, Mitchell gives some friendly advice, such as dealing with anger and how to fly with kids. I also thought her list of swearing substitutions was pretty clever. However, Mitchell’s advice about the food will not work on my child so I am going to send my daughter to her to see if they can work something out. I enjoyed this book. Too often parenting is taken too seriously. It helps to laugh at our mistakes and experiences. If you have kids, then I recommend you read this book! Also if you never read “About the Author” in books, I suggest you read Mitchell’s. It is funny and totally worth it.

Reviewed by Viga Boland for Readers' Favorite

What a fun read you’ll find in Lori B. Duff’s You Know I Love You Because You’re Still Alive! Although some readers might not like the fact that Lori checks her troop of kids out of a “nasty hotel” and into a clean Holiday Inn, how many of us wouldn’t do the same as long as we can afford it? Or who among us hasn’t thought that mowing the lawn in killer heat is stupid and wished there was a way to rid ourselves of such an awful job, only to find we couldn’t come up with a better or more affordable way to ease the task? And then there are those “common courtesies” that seem to have disappeared in this rushed, modern world, like holding a door open for someone coming behind you, or letting someone go ahead of you in the grocery line if they have only one item and you have a full cart?

If you’re honest with yourself like Lori is, you won’t deny wishing you could have one deep sleep in which your husband’s snoring doesn’t keep you awake. Nor will you deny doing a double-take when your 13-year-old son decides he’d like to have his ears pierced! And really, have you never thought your son or daughter is the most talented, most intelligent or most beautiful child around? If you haven’t, it’s a pity you haven’t found something to be proud of in your offspring. Somehow, that’s impossible to believe…or alternately, very sad.

Of course, one could say, “Well I don’t tell the world about how I feel about everything in a book!” But here’s the thing: by writing so honestly about what she feels and observes, Lori B. Duff speaks to and about a huge number of parents who will find themselves thinking Lori sounds so much like them that they could have written You Know I Love You Because You’re Still Alive. Lori’s ramblings, if you want to call them that, are like those favourite newspaper columns that give readers a needed break from all the bad news bombarding us in the media. They are welcome relief. So is Duff’s book: she’s simply published all those “columns” in one very entertaining collection.

Lori B. Duff has the guts and ability to capture human reactions to everyday life cleverly, honestly and humorously. An objective reader recognizes that ability and applauds it, enjoying for instance her son’s argument for getting his ears pierced: “Earrings on a boy are not alternative or counter-culture or rebellious like they were when the earth was still cooling and I was thirteen.” Statements like that make you sit back and laugh, not at Lori B. Duff, but with her as you also laugh at yourself…if you’re honest and, above all, objective.

Reviewed by JB McPherson for Readers' Favorite

Meet My Famous Friends by Rich Disilvio is a delightful series of images that combines facts about famous people with their iconic portraits, cleverly modified to create puns on their names. Over two dozen famous friends are featured, and the roll call is a sweeping review of some of the most influential authors, artists, musicians, scientists, activists and rulers in western civilization.

This book is perfect for punsters and know-it-all twelve-year-olds (I have one) who scoop up not only the plays-on-words in the illustrations, but also the puns in the text. Disilvio chooses some of the most interesting people in history, like Mark Twain and Vincent Van Gogh, to create a book that entertains and informs. It might even stimulate further research by young people who are first introduced to these famous friends through the engaging illustrations.

Some of the puns are rather irreverent, like Queen ELizardbreath I and Sergei Procoughiev, which means this picture book is actually more in tune with teens and adults rather than the early elementary children who read picture books. On the other hand, Disilvio delivers solid educational value for teens. I could imagine individual pages being hung in classrooms and libraries because they provide interesting cultural reminders for young people.

My favorite quote from the book is: “So, let’s drink to imagination, because I believe it’s more important than knowledge.” Disilvio has the rare talent of combining rich artwork with cultural literacy to create flights of imagination. Meet My Famous Friends is a book that will inspire young people and the young at heart to make new friends in history!

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Motherhood Martyrdom & Costco Runs is a nonfiction collection of humorous stories about life, written by Whitney Dineen. The author is the mother of two young daughters who do not treat her as the queen she had always expected her children to treat her as, but who rather see themselves as royalty elevated to her level -- which she actually kind of admires about them. Much of the action in this memoir takes place, as one would expect from the title, at Costco where provisions, free food samples and ice cream sundaes punctuate anxious and repeated visits to Costco restrooms, moments of serenity spent admiring, and counting, the wall of toilet paper and generally reveling in the orderliness and organization which is apparent in every aisle and on every shelf in that vast, echoing warehouse. Motherhood came relatively late in life for Dineen, whose ambition to be a young, cool mom yielded to the vagaries of nature and the realities of the excruciating torment and unexpected rewards implicit in raising two small children. Each of her essays brings the reader more fully into the lives of her and her two daughters as they navigate their passage through childhood together. And while Dineen makes no bones about having a disorderly house at times and harboring a visceral dislike for those perfectly coiffed and clothed young moms who seem to have it all together, one can’t help but get the feeling that her two little girls won the parent jackpot.

Whitney Dineen’s nonfiction memoir on parenthood, Motherhood Martyrdom & Costco Runs, is dedicated to “all you breeders out there.” Having no plans to ever fall into that category, I wondered at first how involved I could possibly get with the theme of this collection. I had read and reviewed several of the author’s other works and enjoyed them, however, and found myself looking forward to reading this nonfiction offering -- in spite, or perhaps in defiance of the title. But as I read this disarming, honest and hilarious book, my thoughts invariably went back into the past to my tenth grade English class. Mrs. S was brilliant, funny and the consummate English teacher and mentor. In between getting us to appreciate Shakespeare, O’Neill, Dickens and Wilder, Mrs. S painstakingly taught us how to properly fold and read the New York Times and other full-sized newspapers, and introduced us to William Safire and Erma Bombeck. Bombeck’s world was indeed an alien thing, based upon my experiences as a teen, but somehow she bridged that yawning chasm so effortlessly as she shared her world view with me and demonstrated how easily she could get me to laugh and care along with her. Mrs. S and Erma would probably get the biggest charge out of Motherhood Martyrdom & Costco Runs. It’s beautifully written and a joy to read, even the parts that are embarrassing for some Victorian throwbacks like the author’s husband. While the title and even the dedication seem to imply a specific subsection of the public may want to read this, I’ll beg to differ and recommend it to everyone, breeders, non-breeders, even those whose sense of humor is somewhat challenged, as mine is. Dineen works a bit of magic here in this authentic, inspiring and very human collection of humorist writing. Motherhood Martyrdom & Costco Runs is most highly recommended.

Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite

Fixed by Doug Piotter is an dark and engaging memoir that spans the author's life from his youth to his addictions, bank robberies, his life in prison, and finally his release back into society. His childhood with alcoholic parents speaks of pain and unhappiness, and he also describes how he started taking drugs at the age of eleven and got fully addicted, making him a bad guy all along. A string of bank robberies landed him in prison. When released, his prison stint made him look at life with a different perspective and realize that the Universe is actually a forgiving place. It's a story of pain, courage, and triumph, filled with strong emotions and humor.

The author is brutally honest and exposes his life to readers with courage and candor. This story of self destruction and redemption is uplifting and will help all those who are struggling with addictions in life. The book will fill the hearts of readers with beauty, love, hope, and spirituality, and give them the courage to change the bad things in their lives; if they have any.

The author's words are not only insightful and thought-provoking, but also humorous, lifting the heaviness in many places. The exploration of drug filled activities and the author's mind is both harrowing and touching at times. I like the way the author gives an amusing touch while narrating his story, making his personal journey memorable to readers.

Reviewed by Ray Simmons for Readers' Favorite

To be honest, I didn’t know quite what to expect from Echoes in the Walls by Katrina Morgan. I was expecting an essay type book about the funny and aggravating experiences you will have when you attempt a huge project like renovating an old house. Echoes in the Walls is categorized as non-fiction humor, which is why I expected funny vignettes, but to my surprise this humorous book reads like a novel. I liked it because the characters are well written and very likable. They are, after all, real people, and who knows the members of a family better than Mom? The situation is totally believable. I have experienced some of the twists and turns of making an old house into the house of your dreams. This is probably another reason I like this book.

To my surprise and delight, Echoes in the Walls is, in my opinion, more about family and life’s little quirks than it is about actually doing the job of building the house. Katrina Morgan’s family is very real to me now. I feel I know them and how they will react to things at least as well as I do that fictional family so many of my generation grew up with, The Brady Bunch. This is a family you will learn to love and root for. This is a book you will appreciate. The fact that the story is true and that the characters are real gave it extra punch and authenticity for me.