Reviewed by Christian Sia for Readers' Favorite

Kick-Ass Kinda Girl: A Memoir of Life, Love and Caregiving by Kathi Koll is one of those books that bring tears to the reader’s eyes while warming their heart — poignant, honest, and filled with humanism. The daughter of parents who were the very picture of 1920s young love, Kathi Koll’s life has been one filled with peace and blessings. While she had enjoyed celebrities in the family while growing up, she became a caregiver when her mom was dying of cancer. She learned to take care of her alcoholic father and brothers suffering with painful diseases. Married to Don Koll, she had been living her life’s dream with the man who became her soulmate, an Air Force pilot turned real estate developer. But then he suffered a stroke and everything changed. This memoir follows Kathi’s journey as a caregiver and answers the question: Does life stop when tragedy hits home?

We encounter a woman who learned to trump difficult situations, who refused to bow when everything seemed to fall apart around her, and who chose to “stand in love” in spite of the odds. The narrative is full of grit and there is a lightheartedness in the voice that makes it memorable. Kathi Koll has a rare gift for humor and this gift flows from her heart — a secret strength that has accompanied her through difficult moments. The intelligence of the heart, the gift of following one’s gut, and the power of instinct are some of the qualities of the author that come out brilliantly through the narrative. Kick-Ass Kinda Girl: A Memoir of Life, Love and Caregiving is beautifully written and I loved how the author opens her heart to the reader, offering lessons from her journey while exploring the beauty and intricacies of the relationships she cultivated along the way. This is a book that both inspires and entertains, loaded with the wisdom readers need to cope with challenging situations. A book for keeps.

Reviewed by Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite

Jumping the Curb: One Family's Journey through a Catastrophic Injury by Gail Desberg is the story of a tragedy that leaves the head of a family paralyzed and the agony the family has to deal with. Told with brutal honesty and in prose that is clear, the story follows Alex Kiejdan, a father of two, who decides to go body surfing at the Jersey shore, little knowing that it is going to be the last time he will have full control over his body. An accident leaves him in paralyzed and then he and his wife, Gail, discover who the people around them really are. Follow this family as they navigate the complicated world of medical emergencies, the struggles associated with insurance claims and life-changing decisions. It is the story of one woman’s grit as she raises her small children and takes care of a quadriplegic husband while raising awareness of the dangers beyond the water’s edge.

Jumping the Curb is beautifully written and the emotions greet the reader as they open the first page of the book: “Once again it was Labor Day, and once again it came with a sense of foreboding. For some it was the end of a blissful season, for others, the drumbeat of school grew closer. For those who loved the beach, it was the most stirring time of the year. Yet for us, the blue skies of Labor Day had the pallor of gray.” Told in the first person narrative and from Gail's point of view, the story is moving and it shows readers how infinitely fragile life can be. The narrative voice is strong, capable of evoking powerful sentiments in readers, but it doesn’t miss the lightness that is characteristic of the humorous moments when one is able to find the light, even in the worst experiences. While Gail Desberg’s story revolves around a family dealing with tragedy, it is a story of love, hope, and resilience.

Reviewed by Susana Pena for Readers' Favorite

Permanent Happiness: The Only Way to Find Peace, Joy, and Your Life-Given Purpose by Iyabo Ojikutu, MD is an inspiring book that highlights the author’s observation that permanent happiness comes from inner peace. Without this peace, our happiness will only last temporarily, because of the many external influences that are constantly changing in our lives. Every human being is responsible for their own happiness and they can achieve this goal by making sure that their spiritual and physical life lines are flowing in a straight line parallel to each other. Our spiritual health is related to our physical well being and we must nourish our souls the same way that we nourish our bodies. We also are all born with God-given gifts and it is up to us to use them wisely in order to positively influence people who are around us.

I enjoyed reading Permanent Happiness: The Only Way to Find Peace, Joy, and Your Life-Given Purpose by Iyabo Ojikutu, MD, because it was very positive and uplifting. I agreed with the author’s reflections that lasting happiness could only be achieved by finding inner peace. We need to let go of all the negative and toxic practices, thoughts, people, and lifestyles that are bringing us down. We have to seek and find our inner peace and not rely on others to make us happy. Negativity needs to be replaced with positivity and this will allow us to change our thoughts and actions to be more valuable and empowering. I do believe there is a mind-body connection and I love the author’s quote that says “worry is poison to the soul", because it is one hundred percent true. Constant worrying and anxiety can cause havoc in our physical bodies and it is up to us to change this way of thinking. I believe this empowering book will help those people that need a positive change in life, and the refreshing advice that the author offers will be very valuable to those seeking pure inner peace and permanent happiness.

Reviewed by Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite

Are You Being Set Up To Fail? by Jillion R Rising is a slim but relevant book that explores one of the common experiences of millions of people in America — and elsewhere: the tragic sense of failure. In this book the author identifies a feeling that is becoming a belief for most people, the thought that they are destined to fail and that nothing they try ever succeeds. The book answers the difficult question: Why? Why do most people feel like they can’t amount to anything? In clear and powerful prose, the author examines the political and social systems that nurture this feeling in readers, and shows clearly how the media subtly communicates a message of hopelessness to the masses. The author then offers a road map to a liberating journey that allows readers to regain their inner freedom, reconnect with their core personal values, and redefine success on their terms.

This book will empower people, especially parents, to identify the media junk that leads people to feel helpless, helping them understand how corrupt politics and the advertising industry can impact negatively on the lives of individuals. The author looks critically at the misleading voices of the media, how information overload can create stressors, the connection between our mental thought processes and the quality of life we live, the moral dilemma of sin, and a lot more. Jillion R Rising’s book is a wonderful gift for this generation, a message of hope, and one that empowers readers to take their destiny in their own hands, to take full responsibility for their lives. The writing is confident and the author comes across as an authority on the subject. In fact, this is one of those books that will help readers understand the social conditioning that they are being subjected to, and to find ways of liberating themselves and creating the life they want. Are You Being Set Up To Fail? is a book to read and pass on.

Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite

Do you have a story to tell? Is it about your life? A family story? Don’t know where to begin? There are a wealth of resources out there to help you get started, both in the form of actual courses (online and live), articles and, of course, books (print and eBooks). These resources will give you so much information that you will be even more confused and it might scare you off the actual joy of writing your story or stories. There is one book that would be a good resource to begin your writing journey and, in this book, there are good sources, directions to other readings that will strengthen your written voice. It is Writing for Bliss: A Seven-Step Plan for Telling Your Story and Transforming Your Life by Diana Raab.

Diana Raab, award-winning memoir author of books like Regina’s Closet (her grandmother’s story) and Healing With Words: A Writer’s Cancer Journey (her own memoir), has produced a very thorough and thought-provoking guide to help all would-be memoir writers, or a writer of any genre for that matter, find their written voice. It is a journey, one that the author began as a young girl when, after finding her much loved grandmother had committed suicide, opened her heart on the pages of her first journal, one her mother gave her with the telling words: “This journal will help you move through the chaos of the moment and move forward into healing.” It’s true that writing is therapeutic. It can also be heart-wrenching or even joyful just for the sake of being what it is, a reflection of life. Diana clearly points out that, although writing and life can be a transformative and spiritual exercise, it is a journey of self-discovery - “Just as life itself, the art of writing is also like walking a labyrinth.” But stories connect people in a very unique and compassionate way. So this journey is important to the writer as well as the reader, but it is the writer that must start the journey.

And it’s not as difficult as one would think. Breaking down the process of writing into seven well-defined steps, the journey can be full of surprises and, indeed what the title suggests, bliss. Each of these seven steps includes a well-formulated plan, descriptive discourse on where it will lead the writer, quotes from other profound memoir authors, and, a very useful addition, some distinctive writing prompts to reinforce the concepts presented in the chapter. There is even a section on writing poetry, because even the non-poet author can find some source of inner strength and contentment in writing a few lines in verse. As Diana points out, “Poetry is the voice of the soul. Poets help us see a slice of the world in a way in which we might not have observed it before.” This is a very useful resource, one that writers of all genres will return to frequently.

Reviewed by Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite

Sister Jaguar's Journey by Judy Bisignano and Sandra C Morse is a fascinating memoir of one woman’s journey to herself. Meet Sister Judy Bisignano, a Dominican nun who spent many years looking for God, only to find Him in the most unlikely of places — the Amazon rainforest. Invited to visit the Achuar community in the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest, she meets people who helped her to reconnect with God and herself; she is introduced to the wisdom of the native people and their rituals and felt the irresistible call to face her past — abusive and troublesome. Join her as she walks the transforming path towards self-acceptance and inner peace.

Here is a story that is rich in its message, in its narrative aspects, and in the entertainment it offers. Apart from sharing one woman’s personal journey towards herself and her communion with God, Sister Jaguar's Journey explores very interesting themes and opens the eyes of readers to a healing culture, hidden in the Achuar community. This is a story loaded with both spiritual and personal lessons that will help readers embrace their own journey with courage. In an age when we easily feel left behind, mistreated, and ignored, this book comes in with a fresh perspective, encouraging readers to love themselves and to pursue what gives meaning to their lives. The writing is beautiful and it offers a lot of descriptions that situate readers in the context of the story. This book will transport readers to a place of transformation — both physical and spiritual. A gorgeous read.

Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite

Saving Bobby: Heroes and Heroin in One Small Community by Renee Hodges is an insightful book for all readers who deal with people with addiction. Bobby’s story is heartrending and chronicles his journey from an addict having suicidal tendencies to getting himself back on track. The book is also the story of his Aunt Renee, who took him in during his lowest phase and worked together with him to get him back on the road to recovery. The story is about love, healing, help, determination, and redemption, and will create an impact on the lives of many who are traversing the same path. It is a wonderful book that sheds light on many aspects of life; the difficulty of overcoming addiction, the stigma of shame attached to it, and emotional scarring.

This book is a must-read for everyone as it opens our eyes to addiction and the shame associated with it. Addiction is a disease and the book encourages everyone to reach out to their neighbors and help them recover. The author speaks about the topic extensively without keeping any secrets. I love her decision to be honest about addiction, making readers understand that healing does not work around shame and secrecy. The Book Club questions at the end of the book make it useful for interactive sessions in communities while discussing addiction and dealing with addicts. The questions will make readers ponder on what they have read and the importance of reaching out. The narration is excellent, honest, and straightforward, and will connect with readers.

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Friendship: A True Story of Adventure, Goodwill, and Endurance is an autobiography written by Francis Mandewah. Mandewah was born in 1961, in the small village of Punduru in Sierra Leone. His father died when he was just an infant, leaving his mother to raise him and his older sisters, Bettie and Amie, who often cared for him while their mother was working in the fields. Punduru is located in a tropical rain forest in West Africa, a location rich in plant and animal life, having a robust rainy season and a hot and windy dry season. Mandewah became proficient as a lad in climbing the various fruit or nut-bearing trees, which grew in the family’s small farmstead. Life really began for Mandewah, however, when he started attending classes at the United Methodist Church elementary school. The teacher was strict about tardiness, but taught his students the precepts of Christianity as well as the basics of education. After he completed his schooling there, he went to live with his cousin in Yengema, which was a hub for the diamond mining business that was booming in Sierra Leone. His cousin, while generous in paying Mandewah’s tuition fees, was physically abusive and made living there an ordeal. Faced with the choice between continuing his education and returning to his village, he opted to stay under his cousin’s roof. But one of his daily chores, selling oranges in town, turned out to have unexpected repercussions -- repercussions that would change his life. A blond-haired American pilot bought some oranges and started up a conversation with Mandewah; his name was Tom Johnson, and he offered to paid for his education, and, best of all, wanted to be his friend.

Francis Mandewah’s nonfiction autobiography, Friendship: A True Story of Adventure, Goodwill, and Endurance, is a fascinating account of a life-changing friendship between the author and a man who wanted to make a difference in someone else’s life. I loved reading about the natural beauty of Sierra Leone and was infinitely saddened by Mandewah’s later account of his village’s destruction during the conflicts. The author’s travels across the Sahara Desert and through Europe are compelling reading, on a par with some of the better travelogues I’ve read. I particularly enjoyed reading about his stay in Italy with the Stanganelli family, who owned the Park Hotel in Gioia Tauro, and loved experiencing the sights in Italy and Greece through his eyes. Mandewah’s accounts of his schooling in Massachusetts and New York are inspiring as well, and his stories about his life on the reservation with the Ojibwa Native Americans were absorbing. As a black man, Mandewah has experienced his share of discrimination in this country as he chronicles when he discusses about the time he fell prey to a scam, but his steadfastness, despite the odds, is something the reader gets to realize most clearly in this remarkable and well-written autobiography. Friendship: A True Story of Adventure, Goodwill, and Endurance is most highly recommended.

Reviewed by Viga Boland for Readers' Favorite

When a memoir has earned 77 5-star reviews on Amazon, along with several awards, one has to wonder what sets A Mother's Dance by Pattie Welek Hall apart from the bulk of memoirs...one of the least popular genres with both readers and publishers. How has Pattie Welek Hall earned such praise and recognition for A Mother's Dance? The answer lies first and foremost in the marketability of A Mother's Dance. The most riveting and memorable memoirs have an audience looking for stories like this, ones that deal with traumatic events in ordinary people's lives, stories that offer hope and inspiration to others who might be experiencing the same.

The second reason A Mother's Dance succeeds is the author's style: Pattie Welek Hall writes like a novelist would! She opens with a scenario that immediately captures the interest of any parent: her son, Casey has been involved in a horrific motorcycle accident and is in critical condition with a brain injury. What parents don't dread the possibility of news like this when it comes to their children?

The third reason again rests in Patti Welek Hall's writing skill: it's all too easy, and unfortunately common for those relating the events and emotions of life-changing events to rely on simple narration. That is the least effective way to keep readers reading and to give depth to all the characters in the story. And this is the area in which Patti Welek Hall really sets herself apart from other memoirists. She handles dialogue smoothly and uses lots of it to move the story along and let all the characters show the reader who they are and what they think and feel. She slips into flashbacks as easily as a bird alights on a tree branch. These flashbacks are frequent, but never too long, and always relevant to the story and the characters being revealed by them. Again, this is an area so often badly handled by too many memoirists, but Patti Welek Hall is an expert at using flashback techniques.

Those who have strong faith, whatever their religious leanings, and those who also believe in meditation, spiritual healing, and the power of prayer will be especially caught up in A Mother's Dance. The author relied heavily on her beliefs and faith to carry her through not just the trauma of nearly losing Casey, but the additional heartache some years later of losing his older brother, Bo. Where Casey made a wonderful recovery and eventually went on to have a happy married life, Patti lost Bo to an overdose. But her faith carried her through it all. A Mother's Dance is inspiring and well deserving of the accolades it has received, including this 5-star review.

Reviewed by Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite

“‘Yes, I really am sure and yes it is, er, very pretty.’
'Are you sure now young lady? Hang on! Weren't you in here just the other day buying it? ... So, tell me. Go on! Why do you want to return it then darling?”
‘... Because yesterday my groom left me and he's not coming back.’”

No Damage: An Adventure in Courage, Survival and the Pursuit of Dreams by Kathryn Hodgson is a memoir “sans pareille,” a journey through loss and pain to freedom, captured within the spirit, and real healing. Kathryn is just in her thirties and has made many mistakes and suffered a lot of serious blows from life as well, including broken relationships, having to spend some time in a South African prison, and fighting cancer. These could make anyone lose heart and give in to pessimism, but not the heroine. In this slim memoir, she shares her journey toward hope and how her positive world-view allows her to create the kind of life she wants and pursue her deepest desires.

No Damage: An Adventure in Courage, Survival and the Pursuit of Dreams is a book that carries the powerful message that all is never lost, that in spite of our struggles, we have the power to transform our lives, to create, and to transcend our reality, especially when we learn to embrace life generously and to live in hope. The writing is beautiful and the author’s voice comes across gracefully and compellingly. I admire the audacity of this story and the sincerity with which it is told. Readers will hear their own fears and stories in Kathryn Hodgson's voice.