Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

The Weight of Air: A Story of the Lies about Addiction and the Truth about Recovery is a work of non-fiction in the memoir subgenre, and was penned by author David Poses. Owing to the use of explicit language throughout and some sexual content, the work is best suited to the mature adult reading audience. In this stark and emotionally raw work of autobiographical writing, David Poses explains his lifelong struggle with addiction and mental health issues, relating to serious topics such as drug abuse, depression, and suicide attempts. What results is a fascinating and harrowing journey over three decades of life during the American opioid crisis that has a lot to say about the way we approach mental health care in the world today.

Author David Poses has crafted a work that will literally blow you away, whether you have any experience in the world of drug addiction or not. The honesty with which he writes is second to none, but there’s a wise command of language that always prevents the work from becoming too dreary or self-absorbed. I really appreciated the focus of the work and the raw detail that the author is able to go into, particularly about his feelings of guilt and shame, which are so hard to admit even in private. There is a wonderful sense of activism that underpins even the darkest messages of the work, and this always makes a reader feel that they are being guided through these experiences by someone who is now securely able to help others climb out of the same hole. Overall, I would not hesitate to recommend The Weight of Air as a superb and eye-opening read for those who have not yet explored the realities of addiction, and also as a comfort to those who already bear these struggles themselves.

Reviewed by Tom Gauthier for Readers' Favorite

Don't Expect Me To Cry is a powerful autobiography by Janet Bentley, relating the horrors of mental, physical, and sexual abuse she endured from infancy. In an amazing piece of writing, Janet tells her story, reflecting her thoughts and experiences at critical stages of her life from age four until today. Janet describes the struggles to deal with the pain and fear she experiences as she begins to share her deeply held secret. With the constant thought of ending it all, she fights to hold on. The highs are high, the lows are beyond belief as she learns that it is possible to heal from the depths of the darkest shame and trauma and achieve a life of peace and contentment. Janet Bentley has shared an inspiring life story, cathartic to some, shocking to all, eliciting emotions at once raw and real.

Janet Bentley is an amazing writer. If Don't Expect Me To Cry was a novel it would receive high praise for its drama, raw descriptions of violent assault, and glimpses of hope from skilled therapists which end up dashed time and again. Dramatic arcs in masterful presentation. But it is not a novel. It is Janet’s own autobiography written honestly and directly, with a unique ability to show the evil done to her without becoming maudlin, alongside her learning of the science behind her lifelong struggles. Janet writes with fragility and strength as the victim, and as a unique form of therapist that only one who has experienced the trauma can provide. Her detailed highlights of the professional therapists who began her healing, and the contra events of dependency and transference that her fragility led her to, are true clinical insights and of value to all who read it.

While Janet’s work is obviously a view of catharsis, it is also therapeutic to readers who have shared her experience on any level. Beyond that, it educates us all about the horrific reality of sexual abuse. It will engender anger over the abject failure of society, family, teachers, neighbors, and friends to act on behalf of a toddler, a human being in the deepest distress. Janet Bentley deserves the highest praise for her writing, and for her amazing tenacity to hang on to life and see it through to the goodness and caring that actually exist in the world. I highly recommend this book.

Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite

Bold, sizzling, and candidly narrated, My Whorizontal Life is the first book in An Escort’s Tale series by Sephe Haven, a memoir that covers the author's first six months as an escort. Readers are pulled into the author's search for love through the most unlikely path: prostitution. The story starts with the setting and the timeline of New York City in the late 1980s. Sephe is an idealistic, empathic young woman blinded by her desire for fantasy and romance, fearful of the “real world,” who dreams of true love and being an actress extraordinaire. But just after her Juilliard graduation, poverty and debt overwhelm her and she takes what she thinks will be a very limited leap into the underground world of escorting. But she finds it’s not so easy to get out of it. And maybe she doesn’t want to?

Thus begins a memoir that is told in a compelling, humorous voice, each line calculated, well written and packed with wit. The humor greets the reader right from the start with the failed waitressing job and the meanness the author thinks the world reserves for her, for she can't understand that after having spent a good time with a man and shared laughter, then he dumps her. That is what sucks more than the meanness...it's the dumping. The levity, the lightness and the humor with which the story is told had me reading on. She makes readers buy into her worldview, sit at her feet and listen to her story. With candor and honesty, Sephe Haven leads readers into the dilemmas of her life along with the difficult choice of taking the path of an escort. The prose is awesome, alluring and infused with sexiness. It is interesting how the author transforms a painful journey into something that is fun and entertaining and, at times, the reader wonders if this is a real-life narrative or fiction. My Whorizontal Life made me want to meet this author. She is so genuine, so honest, and so funny that even a saint would want to listen to her story.

Reviewed by Lois Henderson for Readers' Favorite

How to Rob a Bank in Drag: A True Story of ODD LGBT Issues by Dawn Lawson is the tale of one woman’s progression from being a 14-year-old runaway from an emotionally battered childhood to where, at the age of 53, as a recovering drug addict and alcoholic, she is able to reflect on and recount the saga of her journey through life. With a father who was, thankfully, consistently supportive of her, and with the growing realization of her own nature as a gay young woman with an addictive personality, who was more prone than not to land up in the wrong relationship at the wrong time and in the wrong place, Lawson triumphs, at least on the personal front, despite it all. Her love for animals and her appreciation for the basic good in humankind is a tribute to the generosity of her spirit throughout.

As a dog lover myself, I especially appreciated Dawn Lawson’s developing awareness of the importance of those of the canine breed expressed in How to Rob a Bank in Drag—as she states, the multifarious mutts rescued her more than she rescued them. Her time spent in prison for bank robbery to feed her drug habit was also of much interest to me, as I have a close friend who went the same route after one too many DUIs. Her descriptions of the highs and lows of her involvement with Alcoholics Anonymous, ranging from close companionship and affection for her fellow attendees to her debunking of the so-called “professional expertise” of an out-and-out fraudulent psychologist, who was more on a personal power trip than a worthy facilitator of healing, were also close to my heart, as they should be to anyone who has befriended those with a somewhat risqué background.

The audiobook of Dawn Lawson’s How to Rob a Bank in Drag, voiced by Lynne Perry, warmed me to the soul and had me so enthralled that the moment I had finished listening to the entire book, I listened to it again (which, I’m sure, can’t be said for many audiobooks)! The whole journey of a fellow suffering spirit is totally riveting, and Perry does it full justice, with her full-scaled empathy with the author’s travails and traumas. I also enjoyed the American Indian chanting between chapters, as it lent a sonorous quality to the text. In short, an audiobook not to be missed.

Reviewed by Tammy Ruggles for Readers' Favorite

Crying, Learning, and Laughing: Why Students Visit the Teen Center by Tamika M. Murray is an award-winning parenting guide focusing on teens. The author is a social worker and writer, using both skills to understand and help teenagers and the professionals who work with them. Murray does a great, empathetic job of relaying the anecdotes of her time in a teen center as a case manager, with real names changed to numbers to protect identities. Some schools have a youth services center, some don't, and adolescents visit it for different reasons. Some go because they are depressed, or are bullied, abused, or neglected, doing self-harm, or are battling mental health problems. Murray pulls back the curtain on the daily lives of teenagers, which encourages readers to understand and seek to help the teens in their own lives.

Being a social worker turned writer myself, I relate to Murray's motivations in writing a helpful guide for struggling teens and their parents and to let the world know that there are people who care, and services and professionals who can help, no matter what the circumstance. In this book, you will cry, learn, and laugh with the author and the teenagers she writes about. Yes, times can be dark, but they don't have to stay dark, and Murray's words act as a guiding hand to lead you into the light. If you don't have a teen center in your school, or even if you do, this book will make a fantastic resource. I like that Murray says she doesn't have all the answers and encourages readers to seek professional help in time of need.

The book begins with an overview of services and devotes a chapter to each social issue it addresses, like dating, violence, pregnancy, grief, bullying, suicide, etc., but it doesn't end there. It provides information that a teen can use after school, like further education, scholarships, job hunting, and more, and it wraps up with a collection of valuable resources. This isn't a dry book about case management, and you'll get to know the author in her role and as a real person. If you're looking for a well-rounded and thoughtful book on teen advocacy and parenting, complete with discussion questions, look no further than Crying, Learning, and Laughing: Why Students Visit the Teen Center by Tamika M. Murray.

Reviewed by Lorraine Cobcroft for Readers' Favorite

Karen Gedney's 30 Years Behind Bars: Trials of a Prison Doctor is the true story of a female doctor’s thirty years of service to the United States Corrections System, serving as the prison doctor in a male prison. That she accepted the challenge in the first place, as a young graduate, is surprising. That she continued after being the victim of a violent crime is astonishing. That she remained in the post for thirty years is nothing short of awesome. Her story is one of the most inspiring and thought-provoking tales I have read in a very long time. Karen Gedney poses some challenging questions in 30 Years Behind Bars. If you are among those who, like me, have been tempted to say that we should lock up criminals and throw away the key, she might make you uncomfortable with that belief. She might even change your view entirely. Gedney tells in one chapter of a program that involved bringing aggressive dogs into the prison for the prisoners to train. She asks the question if we can believe that an aggressive animal can be tamed with love and guidance, why not humans? She points out that punishment isn’t working to stop recidivism, and asks if maybe a different approach would be more successful. One can’t help but wonder!

Gedney speaks with great empathy and understanding of the prisoners she treated, many of whom were lifers who committed horrendous crimes. And yet she sees goodness in them. She sees hope. She sees that helping them to find a purpose in life and a reason to want to change can drive real change. And she tells with justifiable pride of the projects she instigated and ran in her spare time to teach prisoners how to change and to motivate them to want to. This is not a book you read for entertainment. It’s a very serious study that will, at times, cause great discomfort. But it’s a book that should be compulsory reading for everyone involved in the criminal justice system or correctional system. It’s a book that will hopefully inspire many to volunteer their time, energy, and skills to work on projects that give prisoners hope and to lobby for reform of a flawed system. I congratulate Karen Gedney MD both for her amazing work and for writing her inspiring story. It does what I believe all good writing should do. It nudges the world a little. It shines a light in dark corners and prompts us to think about how to make the world a better place. Well done, Dr. G. Thank you for your service.

Reviewed by Tom Gauthier for Readers' Favorite

Don't Expect Me To Cry is a powerful autobiography by Janet Bentley, relating the horrors of mental, physical, and sexual abuse she endured from infancy. In an amazing piece of writing, Janet tells her story, reflecting her thoughts and experiences at critical stages of her life from age four until today. Janet describes the struggles to deal with the pain and fear she experiences as she begins to share her deeply held secret. With the constant thought of ending it all, she fights to hold on. The highs are high, the lows are beyond belief as she learns that it is possible to heal from the depths of the darkest shame and trauma and achieve a life of peace and contentment. Janet Bentley has shared an inspiring life story, cathartic to some, shocking to all, eliciting emotions at once raw and real.

Janet Bentley is an amazing writer. If Don't Expect Me To Cry was a novel it would receive high praise for its drama, raw descriptions of violent assault, and glimpses of hope from skilled therapists which end up dashed time and again. Dramatic arcs in masterful presentation. But it is not a novel. It is Janet’s own autobiography written honestly and directly, with a unique ability to show the evil done to her without becoming maudlin, alongside her learning of the science behind her lifelong struggles. Janet writes with fragility and strength as the victim, and as a unique form of therapist that only one who has experienced the trauma can provide. Her detailed highlights of the professional therapists who began her healing, and the contra events of dependency and transference that her fragility led her to, are true clinical insights and of value to all who read it.

While Janet’s work is obviously a view of catharsis, it is also therapeutic to readers who have shared her experience on any level. Beyond that, it educates us all about the horrific reality of sexual abuse. It will engender anger over the abject failure of society, family, teachers, neighbors, and friends to act on behalf of a toddler, a human being in the deepest distress. Janet Bentley deserves the highest praise for her writing, and for her amazing tenacity to hang on to life and see it through to the goodness and caring that actually exist in the world. I highly recommend this book.

Reviewed by Tom Gauthier for Readers' Favorite

Don't Expect Me To Cry is a powerful autobiography by Janet Bentley, relating the horrors of mental, physical, and sexual abuse she endured from infancy. In an amazing piece of writing, Janet tells her story, reflecting her thoughts and experiences at critical stages of her life from age four until today. Janet describes the struggles to deal with the pain and fear she experiences as she begins to share her deeply held secret. With the constant thought of ending it all, she fights to hold on. The highs are high, the lows are beyond belief as she learns that it is possible to heal from the depths of the darkest shame and trauma and achieve a life of peace and contentment. Janet Bentley has shared an inspiring life story, cathartic to some, shocking to all, eliciting emotions at once raw and real.

Janet Bentley is an amazing writer. If Don't Expect Me To Cry was a novel it would receive high praise for its drama, raw descriptions of violent assault, and glimpses of hope from skilled therapists which end up dashed time and again. Dramatic arcs in masterful presentation. But it is not a novel. It is Janet’s own autobiography written honestly and directly, with a unique ability to show the evil done to her without becoming maudlin, alongside her learning of the science behind her lifelong struggles. Janet writes with fragility and strength as the victim, and as a unique form of therapist that only one who has experienced the trauma can provide. Her detailed highlights of the professional therapists who began her healing, and the contra events of dependency and transference that her fragility led her to, are true clinical insights and of value to all who read it.

While Janet’s work is obviously a view of catharsis, it is also therapeutic to readers who have shared her experience on any level. Beyond that, it educates us all about the horrific reality of sexual abuse. It will engender anger over the abject failure of society, family, teachers, neighbors, and friends to act on behalf of a toddler, a human being in the deepest distress. Janet Bentley deserves the highest praise for her writing, and for her amazing tenacity to hang on to life and see it through to the goodness and caring that actually exist in the world. I highly recommend this book.

Reviewed by Tiffany Ferrell for Readers' Favorite

Moms of the Missing: Living the Nightmare by Steffen Hou is a collection of cases in which children (and adults) were abducted and in most cases never heard from again. Hou starts this non-fiction book with the case of Alicia Kozakiewicz, a thirteen-year-old who was fortunate to have survived her ordeal with an online predator who kidnapped and abused her, and would have eventually killed her had authorities not found her just in time. However, there are many that aren’t as lucky. Some are found dead and many never found at all. Moms of the Missing goes in-depth with the various types of abductions. Hou covers stranger abductions, human trafficking, long-term abductions, as well as chapters in which he describes most likely victims, the impact of DNA in these missing cases and the origins of profiling abductors and serial killers.

Moms of the Missing is a powerful book that gives a lasting effect and impression on a reader. Hou breaks down each case in a way that easily gets his message across to many. It can happen to anyone and anywhere. 'Be aware and educate yourself' is what I got from it. This book has literally given me nightmares the past three days that I’ve been reading it from start to finish. That’s not a bad thing. Steffen Hou drives home an issue that so many people don’t discuss more. For me, personally, there were cases that drove it really close to home, which explained the nightmares. The cases of Alicia Kozakiewicz and Christina Whittaker had the most impact on me on a very personal level.

Hou also focuses on the victims and not the criminals that committed the crimes. I feel this is something that the media often fails to do. You hear the victim's name but they are hidden behind the story which is so often about the guilty and the road that led them to kidnap and murder. I also like how he included the organizations that these mothers have created after what their children went through and the various ways to prevent an abduction, depending on the type. I think Moms of the Missing by Steffen Hou is a must-read for both parents and their adolescent children, and young adults alike. It might be a book that will haunt you but it teaches very valuable lessons that need to be learned.

Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite

The Seductive Pink Crystal by Isaac Alexis M.D. is a very informative, nonfiction book that explores the dangers and perils of an addictive substance. Written by a medical specialist, the book explores the factors that lead to and sustain addiction, looks at the journey towards healing, and what it takes to resist the seduction of substances like pink crystal. This is a wonderful book and it has many merits. First, the author introduces readers to a deadly substance, pink crystal, and moves on to demonstrate its effects on human life. Crystals go back to the ancient time of the Egyptians who even buried their dead with some quartz on their forehead. They have been found in many different cultures and civilizations, including the ancient Greeks, Indians, and many others, and they have been thought to have special powers. In this book, the author looks at a crystal that is not benign to humanity or to life: “it is detrimental and is known as the Pink Crystal.”

The author shares the story of his cousin, Susan, and her addiction to pink crystal, an addiction of someone who had $300+ a day and continuously stole from her aunt. Her story is beautifully written in this book (together with the stories of other interesting characters), explaining the effects of crack on her life and how she became promiscuous, eventually leading to unwanted pregnancies and to death. Isaac Alexis writes in the first person narrative and explores interesting stories from childhood and professional practice. The narrative aspect of the book makes it real and enjoyable, featuring characters that readers will want to follow. I wanted to know what happens to characters like Derrick who continuously scratched his foot to the point that it bled. The Seductive Pink Crystal explores themes of parenting, addiction, family, and freedom. It is intelligently written, highly informative, and downright entertaining. Isaac Alexis shares valuable information about pink crystal through the art of storytelling.