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 Heather Osborne for Readers' Favorite

The Way of the Fairy Godmother by Jennifer Morse MS PhD is a self-help book aimed at aiding people in reaching the path of enduring happiness. She does this through relating challenges to the story of Cinderella and her Fairy Godmother. Instead of focusing on Cinderella, as most authors would, Morse chooses to look at the Fairy Godmother, and her never-ending supply of optimism. Each chapter begins and ends with certain key things the reader must do to find their happiness. For example, Morse is very passionate about the reader finding their Deepest Desires. She urges us to focus on harmonizing our lives to look past the things we have maybe settled on to find the things we really want. Morse goes on to encourage the reader to follow a Proclamation, much as the prince issued in the story of Cinderella. What does the reader want most in their lives, and what are the key steps to achieving this goal? The book continues to delineate Nine Keys to Happiness, all the while relating them back to the life of the Fairy Godmother.

I found Morse’s usage of the Fairy Godmother to be unique, and not something I have seen done before in self-help books. While the approach is different, she took something familiar and relatable (the fairy tale itself) to the reader, and this is a positive aspect of this book. I felt at times the book was repetitive, but I surmised this is a common thread to all self-help books: constant reminders of the goals the reader should strive to achieve. Overall, I can see how The Way of the Fairy Godmother by Jennifer Morse MS PhD would help a person who might have lost sight of their optimism and life goals, and give them the means to rediscover what truly makes them happy.

Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite

What's In It For Me?: A Personal Journal of Recovery... and Hope by John L. is the author's account of going from being an alcoholic to a sober man. The author's story of recovery shows readers that with enough willingness life's adversities can be overcome in a positive way. This inspiring book of self-recovery is helpful to all those who live with addictions, and gives them the hope that change is possible. The author's painful story of recovery from drugs and alcohol is honest and reaches out to readers in a big way. It's an uplifting book for all readers, regardless of what their personal life is at the moment.

The book is very well written and the author's journey is touching and relatable. The notes are insightful and will make readers reflect on life, how to look at life in a positive way, and live with peace and happiness. It's inspiring to read how the misshapen and flawed 'life stone' which was unrecognizable has now been polished to produce a stone that is totally unique. The author's ability to work on himself and make positive changes is motivational to all readers.

The writing style is simple, neat, and elegant, and readers can connect well with the author's dilemmas and problems in life. What I like about this book is that it encourages change; it is inspirational, and the quote 'Do you want to be right or do you want to be happy?' is something that will stay in the minds of readers. It's an uplifting and inspirational book that will motivate readers to get rid of their addictions.

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Before, Afdre, and After: (My stroke...oh what fun) is a nonfiction memoir written by Maureen Twomey. The author was a professional copywriter who had given up freelancing for a permanent position with an advertising firm in San Francisco when she was in her early 30s. She loved her new apartment and its views of the Golden Gate Bridge, as did her cat, Salinger. One day at work, she experienced a strange light-headedness and an intermittent flashing in one of her eyes. As her symptoms worsened, her coworkers called for an ambulance. She underwent a CAT scan and other tests, but a stroke was ruled out, and she was released. The next morning, her father drove her back to the hospital. Twomey had not only suffered a stroke, but a major one, which, because of its rarity and location, had not been detected the day before. The bleeding led to massive inflammation in her brain and a portion of her skull was removed and preserved so the surgeons could work on saving her. One doctor thought the damage was not only profound but irreversible, but the author knew it was only a matter of time until she would be writing a book on the experience.

Maureen Twomey’s nonfiction memoir, Before, Afdre, and After: (My stroke...oh what fun), is written by a wryly funny and brutally honest survivor whose message grabs the reader on the first page and doesn’t let go until she finally means it when she says, “the end.” Just don’t believe her the first dozen or so times that she does say it and expect to feel a little sad when her story is actually over. I marveled as I read through the progress reports that appear throughout the text and watched as Twomey’s handwriting was transformed from shaky and unwieldy scratchings into an elegant Southpaw backhand. I was shaken by the severity of her initial injuries and found it hard to imagine lying there in the hospital unable to read, and I found myself cheering as the author took those first steps, uttered those first words and began to write once again. This is a most impressive and moving memoir about a catastrophic injury and the way one brilliant, funny and very resilient person climbed her way back towards a full recovery with lots of help from the friends and family who were with her every step of the way. Before, Afdre, and After: (My stroke...oh what fun) is most highly recommended.

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Flying Penguin: How to Create Miracles in Your Life Using the Six Dimensions of Success is a motivational self-help book written by Dr. Asoka Nimal Jinadasa. Dr. Jinadasa is a martial arts master, filmmaker, business strategist, and chartered engineer. The premise of his work is that human beings can achieve much more than they've been programmed to believe they can. He points to the amazing abilities that people under extreme duress can sometimes manifest, and shows how each of us can reach extremely ambitious goals with a little bit of guidance and effort. The techniques he presents have been tried and tested in the energy-based workshops he offers to business and personal clients. Dr. Jinadasa introduces his material by showing how his readers already perform such amazing feats as flying nearly every day, even though they're not fully aware of that fact. He shows how cultures discourage being too bright, creative or smart in favor of having a conforming and productive citizenry. He identifies what he terms the six dimensions of success necessary to achieve ambitious goals, and then discusses how to develop the skills necessary for each of them.

Reading Dr. Asoka Nimal Jinadasa's non-fiction motivational self-help book, Flying Penguin: How to Create Miracles in Your Life Using the Six Dimensions of Success, made me feel as though I were being personally coached by this engaging and energetic author. I was fascinated by his own story, appreciated his views on society's strictures and found his instructions for developing flying skills to be both practical and eminently doable. I liked the fact that the author provides a wealth of links, footnotes and references, and I found myself setting up bookmarks on my laptop for the videos and other resources that I wanted to get to work on right away. I was most intrigued by the sections on developing the body, mind and health dimensions; however, I'd be hard pressed to mention any other skill that I don't plan to work on. Flying Penguin is well-written, and the author's easy conversational style truly made me feel as though he were directly working with me. I finished the book feeling motivated and ready to start figuring out some truly ambitious goals of my own. Flying Penguin: How to Create Miracles in Your Life Using the Six Dimensions of Success is most highly recommended.

Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite

I Just Looked Up by Sue Krupa is an inspirational and thought provoking memoir that takes readers on a journey along with the author and her transformation in spite of the storms and trials she faced in her life. Her story stresses the power and importance of love, and how it teaches us to understand the purpose and significance of our life. The author's story will encourage readers to look for their worth and purpose in life, and will give them the confidence to re-examine their lives with a new insight. It's a story of love, compassion, self discovery, faith, empathy, forgiveness and unconditional love, and will surprise readers with all its facets.

The author takes readers back to her life which was heart wrenching and painful. Her early years, her family, the unhappy marriage of her parents, and the trauma she faced while being abused by one of her brothers will make readers feel for her. The author's journey through sorrow and pain is incredible, and her willpower to transform her life is motivating. The author's story is tangible and many readers can connect well with her life experiences. The author's emotions are raw and honest, and she guides everyone in finding their path in life through setbacks. The pictures of her family make the book very personal and give readers a peek into her life. The book teaches readers about the power of hope and love, and how these enable us to conquer tragedies and pain in our lives.

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

A Miracle in the Making: A Journey of Faith, Hope & Love is a non-fiction inspirational memoir written by Patricia Batoba Jones. The author had been diagnosed with Lupus when she was a child. It was a painful and debilitating disease, and one doctor didn't recommend college for her as he didn't think she'd live long enough to finish her degree. But Jones did go to college, and, even though many thought it would never happen, she was determined to have a baby. When she first met her husband, she was upfront about her health condition and the fact that she would probably never be able to bear a child for him. He wouldn't listen to a word on the subject, and he declared that he'd love her no matter what. They did marry, and for the first several years, they used birth control. Both of them wanted a house to raise their children in, and a financially stable situation, but then it was time to try to start their family. Jones was thrilled when she found she was pregnant, but it was a hard pregnancy as her lupus acted up and the medications she had to take were affecting the health of her unborn baby. While she resisted and prayed as long as she could, her baby was born by Cesarean Section at 24 weeks. It would be some time until she could hold her baby girl, and even longer until she could take her home.

In Patricia Batoba Jones' non-fiction inspirational memoir, A Miracle in the Making: A Journey of Faith, Hope & Love, she shares the challenges, fears, frustrations and triumphs she and her husband experienced as they anxiously watched their premature baby fight for her life. Jones shares all of her feelings, even the occasional twinges of jealousy at seeing other mothers with their 'normal' infants, and watching as those infants were released from the hospital while hers seemed condemned to stay in an incubator for months on end. At times, she came close to feeling suicidal, and she discusses the seriousness of Postpartum Depression and the impact it can have on new mothers, especially those with premature babies. She also discusses the divorce rate for couples with preemies, which is regrettably high. It was one of the reasons the author was inspired to write this memoir, to help others going through their own challenges in the NICU unit. This is an honest, compelling, and beautifully written memoir that reveals so much that happens in the room where those premature babies fight for their survival and in the hearts of their parents. A Miracle in the Making: A Journey of Faith, Hope & Love is most highly recommended.

Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite

Conversations on the Bench: Life Lessons from the Wisest Man I Ever Knew by Digger Cartwright is an uplifting and inspirational book based on real life events. This insightful conversation is also an example of timeless friendship that transcends everything and motivates readers to look into their lives and effect positive changes that will make their living more interesting and fulfilling. The bond between Robbie and Sebastian and their words of wisdom will show readers how to live life using the basic lessons that we all are aware of but have forgotten to incorporate into our lives. It's a truly inspiring and moving story where Robbie and Sebastian give a new perspective on living a contented life to readers.

The interaction and dialogue between Sebastian and Robbie in the initial chapters set the tone for the rest of the book. The stories and the words of wisdom shared by author Digger Cartwright are relatable and readers can connect well with the author's words. All the lessons are valuable, true and useful and the friendship between two different people will inspire and motivate readers in different ways. Many of the lessons shared will make readers look within themselves. The story is original and the author is hopeful that the wisdom shared in the book will enrich, improve and inspire everyone's lives. These conversations shared on the bench will definitely be useful to all readers, to find a purpose in their lives and also guide them during their journey of life.

Reviewed by Jessyca Garcia for Readers' Favorite

I thought Walking Over Eggshells by Lucinda E. Clarke was an interesting book. In her memoir, Clarke shares a huge part of her life. She has written about her adventures living in different places, her relationship with her verbally abusive mother, and her family life.

Clarke has certainly led an interesting life. While reading Walking Over Eggshells, I had mixed feelings. I went back and forth from being sympathetic to what Clarke was going through to wondering what other people’s points of view on situations that occurred were. I hated Clarke’s mother and did not understand why Clarke kept trying to please her. I also did not understand why people would believe Clarke’s mother’s side of things unless she had some type of proof. A few times in the book Clarke reminded me of her mother. What went on between her and her children may be part of the story but I do not think that it should have been written about. If my mother wrote about the issues in our relationship I would not be happy. This is eerily similar to Clarke’s mother showing off Clarke’s letters to people.

Towards the end of the book I wanted to stand up and cheer because I felt that Clarke finally made a good decision about her home life. After so many years putting up with someone, it took guts to do what she did in South Africa. I do, however, still have some unanswered questions about some things that happened in the book. I am honestly glad that Clarke was finally able to achieve something that she wanted in her life. In the beginning of the book I did not ever think that she would live such an adventurous life. I am glad that I read Walking Over Eggshells because I consider Clarke a strong female role model.

Reviewed by Barbara Fanson for Readers' Favorite

Fractured Not Broken is an inspirational story and a well-written book! Following a life-altering accident, Kelly Schaefer transforms from a non-willing participant to embracing her role and focusing on what she’s capable of doing, rather than her disabilities. I feel privileged to be included in the story of a tragic accident, recovery, and marriage. I walk around thinking about Kelly — even when I’m not reading the book! I roll over in bed and I realize Kelly can’t do that simple task. How lucky I am that I can remove the bed covers whenever I’m hot, something Kelly can’t do herself. I admire Kelly, the main character, for reminding physiotherapists that she is studying elementary education, and that she is not living in the past tense.

What an interesting writing technique — to write the early chapters from four different points of view. Each chapter introduces a character, lets us get to know them, and understand their role in this tragic accident. I felt like the triage nurse, moving from victim to victim, analyzing their wounds and determining the extent of their injuries. The story seamlessly transitions from one character’s perspective to another without losing the reader. I was completely engrossed. I didn’t want to put the book down. Fractured Not Broken is a real page-turner. Such a moving and inspiring story, I am going to buy copies of this book to give to others who might be feeling down with the hope that Kelly Schaefer’s contagious and winning attitude will influence them as much as it has inspired me.