Category: Non Fiction/Memoirs - GRANT LEISHMAN

bertha: shine like the dawn by lisa M. hutchison

6/8/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Bertha: Shine Like The Dawn by Lisa M. Hutchison is a dive into the Germany of the mid 1800’s through to the mid 1900’s. Bertha, the title character was a real person; the great-great-grandmother of the author and was a woman who struggled through and dealt with the immense social changes that characterized Germany, Europe and the world, during that period. Raped by her own Uncle at seventeen, Bertha found herself pregnant and alone. The only solution, from her family’s perspective was to find someone prepared to marry the young woman and claim the child as his own. With no choice, Bertha marries a man she hardly even knows and begins a reign of terror by an abusive and drunken husband. When she finally finds the courage to leave him (an incredibly difficult thing to do in the 1800’s) she runs to her beloved Oma (Grandmother) in Berlin and tries valiantly to raise her children in a loving and caring environment, faced with the never-ending changes to the social fabric of Germany, at the time.
I do love a good historical novel and Bertha: Shine Like The Dawn is absolutely that. Author Lisa M. Hutchison clearly has a lot of personal emotion poured into this story given her familial relationship to the principal character. This passion shows in a story that depicts a woman ahead of her time, in the Germany of the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Her compassion is deep, her understanding and patience, in the face of trials and tribulations that would defy others, is incredible. As a character, Bertha was an immensely appealing person. I particularly loved the way that no matter how hard things seemed, what travails she faced, she still maintained a positive, “must do” – “no choice” attitude to life. The story absolutely flows beautifully and is very easy to read, definitely a tribute to the author’s writing talents. Bertha lived through some of the most turbulent and tumultuous times in history; two world wars, the great depression, Germany’s hyperinflation and yet through it all she was indomitable, with the love of her life, Leopold, beside her for a large part of it. That the narrative successfully transported the reader back to those tough, yet simpler times and made us feel like part of this family almost, is perhaps the greatest tribute I can pay Hutchison, as an author. A truly readable and worthwhile story that I can highly recommend.

You can find Bertha: Shine Like The Dawn, here on Lisa M. Hutchison's Amazon page:

how god answered us all: spiritual, paranormal, the unknown by ruth walker

27/7/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Author Ruth Walker brings us a fascinating insight into the seen and the unseen, the temporal and the spiritual in her autobiographical account of the supernatural in her own life, with How God Answered Us All: Spiritual, Paranormal and the Unknown. Now on the cusp of turning 60, Ruth takes the opportunity to look back and document the many strange, inexplicable and deeply spiritual things that occurred over the course of her life. Many of these occurrences are odd, strange, and some might even say unbelievable with many of them relayed through the eyes of a young child from a vantage point far removed from the events. The author also takes the opportunity to impart pearls of philosophical wisdom about life, death, the unknown and her own deep faith in an entity that is not that as espoused by the churches of the world, which are seen in her eyes as a construct of man, not spirit. What Walker attempts most of all to do, I believe, is to open up our thought processes, to make us look around and realise that what we see, touch and feel may in fact be just an infinitesimal glimpse at what the Universe contains.

One of the things that struck me the most about Ruth Walker’s work, How God Answered Us All: Spiritual, Paranormal and the Unknown was that she approached the task of detailing her experiences, many of which as lot of people will scoff at as being hallucination or a young child’s overactive imagination, from a very logical, clinical, and detached perspective. This leant so much more weight to her narrative than might otherwise have been achieved. She never once seemed intensely proud or arrogant over her “gifts” but rather matter of fact and intent on understanding. If there was one phrase that kept recurring in my mind as I read this book it was this: “We know what we know and we even know some of what we don’t know but how much more is there that we don’t even know we don’t know?” To me, this was the essence of the book – to make the reader question everything we think we know about the Universe and life. She asks us to look at humanity and its understanding of its place in the Universe as a continuum along which we have travelled very little thus far and still have a long, long way to go. I loved her explanation as to why “only the good die young” – they have already done what they were sent here to do (what a cool thought). I can highly recommend this book to anyone with an enquiring and open mind. There is so much solid meat to get one’s teeth into that a short review like this cannot do the book justice – read it and find out.

You can find How God Answered Us All: Spiritual, Paranormal, the Unknown, by Ruth Walker, here on Amazon:

saying thanks and beyond: is saying thank you enough? by ralph mosgrove

14/7/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Saying Thanks and Beyond: Is Saying Thank You Enough? by Ralph Mosgrove is a timely little reminder that what we do and say can have influence far beyond ourselves. As the author compares small, random acts of kindness to the ripples of a pond, he reminds us that our actions do have consequences that ripple out across the Universe. In today’s hectic, me-centred world, it is sometimes easy to forget even the common courtesies that we were taught as children… the pleases and the thank you’s. But even more than that, it is the little things we do that can make an enormous difference, over time. The smile at a stranger, holding a door open for a person with a disability or with arms full of packages, the allowing someone in a hurry to push in front of us, without getting annoyed; all of these minor acts accumulate and are placed in the bank of “paying it forward”, if you like.
Author Ralph Mosgrove, in Saying Thanks and Beyond: Is Saying Thank You Enough? touches a slightly raw nerve in most readers, I am sure, as it asks them to look inward at themselves and perhaps ask the question; what am I doing to help my fellow man/woman? It doesn’t take much and for me, that was the success of this book. The author wasn’t asking us to make massive changes in the way we deal with and interact with others. The suggestions he makes are simple and easily put in place. What is self-evident but often overlooked is the benefit, to the giver, of these little, random, acts of kindness. As well as making us feel better about ourselves for doing something nice, the flow-on effect is what really matters. As each person is made to feel better, they also pass on that good feeling and your act of kindness is multiplied. It’s well worth reminding ourselves that this ripple effect works equally as effectively when we pass on negative, grumpy, or even angry feelings toward others. As a reminder of the importance of pleasantness and civility in our currently fractured environment, this book is a tiny, little gem – one to be passed on from one to another.

You can find Ralph Mosgrove's little book of joy, Saying Thanks and Beyond: Is Saying Thank You Enough? here on Amazon

silent spring: deadly autumn of the vietnam war by patrick hogan

5/5/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Silent Spring: Deadly Autumn of the Vietnam War by Patrick Hogan is a highly personal and technical examination of the dangers faced by “boots on the ground” veterans in Vietnam, not from the enemy, the North Vietnamese, but rather from their own Government who systematically and regularly sprayed them with a deadly cocktail of herbicides and insecticides that would have devastating effects on the veterans’ own health over the next fifty-odd years but perhaps even more importantly on the health of their children, their grandchildren and perhaps generations yet unborn. Hogan details, in a ordered and scientific manner the many chemicals and chemical cocktails he and his fellow veterans were exposed to on a regular basis. Although Agent Orange is probably “the face” of the Vietnam veterans’ exposure to herbicides, the author details the many different and varied deadly chemicals they were subjected to. He also reviews the duplicity and intransigence of the Federal Government in dealing with their responsibilities to the veterans for this mistreatment. Equally he highlights the almost criminal manner in which the multi-national chemical companies were and still are allowed to produce such lethal concoctions for both military and civilian uses.

This book was something of an eye-opener for me. As a non-American reader I was aware of the use of Agent Orange that both affected US soldiers as well as others from the international forces stationed in Vietnam, however the sheer volume and persistence with which these cocktails of chemicals were systematically delivered to the Vietnamese and the soldiers was frankly horrifying. The intransigence of the Government to accept responsibility for their actions was and is reprehensible. The adage of “delay and obfuscate until they have all died,” does indeed seem to be the guiding principle of successive DVA (Department of Veteran Affairs) administrations. I found the book compelling and readable despite its, at times, highly scientific language. Even the layman can understand the intense toxicity of some of these chemical given Patrick Hogan’s analogies. Silent Spring: Deadly Autumn of the Vietnam War is a chilling reminder of just how easy it is for Government to lose sight of protection of their own troops when waging “all-out” war on their enemy. I realise this was written solely from a US Veteran’s perspective and naturally focused on their health problems and difficulties getting resolution, but as a non-American reader two things that were only briefly mentioned, struck me forcefully. Were the US guilty of war-crimes by spraying such a toxic mix of chemicals on what was essentially a civilian population? Sarin gas may kill quicker, as used by Saddam Hussein on his own people, but one can’t help but wonder what long-term effects this program has had on the health and future genetic stability of the Vietnamese population. This is a thought-provoking and at times anger-provoking read. Thank you to the author for putting such a complicated issue into terms we can all understand.

You can find, Silent Spring: Deadly Autumn of the Vietnam War, here on Patrick Hogan's Amazon page:

Rational Religion (The Mystery of Freemasonry and the Quest to find the Jesus of History) by Tony Sunderland

18/4/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Rational Religion: The Mystery of Freemasonry and the Quest to Find the Jesus of History takes us on a journey through time, back even past the birth of Jesus to the time when man first began to gather together in communities and to question their place in the Universe. Author Tony Sunderland has approached the subject from the beginning precepts of Freemasonry and his knowledge and understanding of the craft. He takes us through the basic concept of pantheism that predicates Freemasonry and the idea that this is an organisation of secrecy and development designed for the individual to discover enlightenment personally through following levels of study and to awaken the spark of the divine that is believed, by the Freemasons, to be a part of us all. We then travel back to the dawn of civilisation to examine the ideas and philosophies that governed ancient groupings of humanity, including the two most influential of them all; the Egyptians and the Greeks. The author then examines the greatest religion of the past two millennium, that of Christianity. He looks to the bible and to other historical sources to try to understand who Jesus was and what his place was in contemporary Jewish society of the time. Unlike many works, the author focuses on the human, Jewish, Jesus as opposed to the divine, Messianic, Jesus.

I love books that challenge established precepts and that investigate what often seems to be the impossible and Rational Religion: The Mystery of Freemasonry and the Quest to Find the Jesus of History does exactly that. Firstly Author Tony Sunderland’s exposition on the origins and purposes of Freemasonry was fascinating. As a former member of a Druidic Order, I had often wondered about the mysterious nature of Freemasonry and of course had always heard of the “conspiracy theories” regarding the Knights Templar, the Illuminati, and the Catholic Church, so I did find his simple explanations fascinating, even if he was still unwilling to divulge too many of the secrets of the Order. Secondly the honest attempt to discover the real, human, Jewish, Jesus was enlightening on its own. I was enthralled with his attempts to draw a possible relationship between the Jewish Jesus and the isolationist Jewish sect of Qumran, from where we received the Dead Sea Scrolls. This was, for me, riveting reading. His comparison between the mind-set of the Jewish people in 70CE, before the destruction of the second Temple and that of people today was simply chilling, frighteningly realistic and perhaps even prophetic. The only thing missing from this exposition, I felt, was some nod to the concepts of “New-Age thought”, as expressed by the likes of Prentice Mulford and Joseph Campbell. The idea of divinity being inside of every human is central to this movement. Nevertheless, this is a fascinating and very readable book that I highly recommend anyone who has ever asked the question, “why”, reads.

You can find Rational Religion, along with the rest of Tony Sunderland's portfolio, here on his Amazon page:

don't expect me to cry: refusing to let childhood sexual abuse steal my life by janet bentley

11/4/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Nobody who has not experienced child sexual abuse could possibly understand the immense pain and self-loathing that such a person experiences in later life. This is perfectly illustrated to us in Janet Bentley’s heart-rending and powerful memoir, Don’t Expect Me To Cry: Refusing to let Childhood Sexual Abuse Steal My Life. Bentley takes us expertly through the trauma that first occurred when she was just four-years-old and the one man who was supposed to be her protector and guide in life became instead an evil monster when he forced her into sexual acts of which she had no understanding and would scar her for the rest of her life. Janet faced multiple abusers apart from her own father, over the years but always, despite the pain, the depression, the addictions to alcohol and prescription medicine, the teenage abortions and not to mention a physically bereft marriage, she somehow managed to rise above it all and take control of her life – a control she had so cruelly been denied as a child. Although her childhood sexual abuse was an integral part of everything she suffered through later in life she was equally determined that it would not be the defining feature of her existence. She always sought the professional help she needed and even when that wasn’t to her advantage, she never gave up.

Few books have touched me, as a father and a grandfather, as Don’t Expect me to Cry: Refusing to let Childhood Sexual Abuse Steal My Life, by Janet Bentley’s did. As a man it is sometimes easy to gloss over the horrific effects of child abuse on the young person. “It was ages ago – just let it go and move on,” is often our response to such things. What the author shows us, so powerfully and so heart-breakingly is that it is just not that simple. What happens to a child, at that tender age, when they are so ruthlessly exploited and used by adults who they implicitly trust and believe in is that it develops incredibly forceful defence mechanisms in their brains that set the tone for their lives. As Bentley so beautifully explained, it takes years of therapy and understanding just to bring these memories back to the surface and to address them. What particularly struck me about the author’s story was her willingness and acceptance that what happened to her as a child had shaped everything she was today and could never be totally dismissed or dealt with – it would always be there but her bravery in facing this trauma head-on and her overwhelming determination to not let it define every moment of her adult life, shone through the narrative. I was deeply moved by this story and can only encourage everyone to read it and to realise that not only is this type of abuse more prevalent than we would care to admit, it is not something that can just be swept under the rug and ignored. Dirty, filthy, disgusting behaviour can only be eradicated when the light of love and forgiveness is shone upon it and it is shown to be the depraved act that it really is. A superb book and an incredibly brave woman – I salute you, Janet Bentley.

You can find this incredible book: Don't Expect Me To Cry by Janet Bentley, here on Amazon:

near death experience: out of the darkness into the light by bernard j. fleury

6/3/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Are you afraid of death? I guess the answer for most people would be – yes! And for some, an emphatic, yes. In the short treatise, Near-Death Experience: Out of the Darkness Into the Light, author Bernard J Fleury examines the evidence that has been compiled regarding near-death experiences and adds some of his own, to assess whether we should be concerned about death or not. His extensive research has led him to believe that there is a commonality between near-death experiences that relates to a number of stages of near-death. The most common of these, especially among children who have experienced near-death (almost 100%) is that of children, who are untainted by societal norms and religious connotations, is that of the experience of light. That aside there are also many other fascinating research studies, some independent of knowledge of other studies, which find a remarkable commonality between the experiences e.g. light, a tunnel, the speeding up of travel through the tunnel and a light being that radiates warmth, love and peace.

Although relatively short, I did find Bernard J Fleury’s work, Near Death Experience: Out of the Darkness Into the Light, a fascinating read. For me, the author’s ability to grasp the commonality between the differing studies, many of which were large and significant and tie them together into a work which suggests that, no, there is no intrinsic need to fear death, to be satisfying and relieving at the same time. His conclusion, that we are spiritual beings, merely existing in a mechanical machine (our bodies) was very much in line with my own thinking on the subject and I was rewarded to have many of my own perceptions of this area validated by the author’s work. This is a quick read and one that is highly rewarding. If there’s one thing we all think about, as we get older (as I now am) it is – “is this it? Will there be nothingness after life?” What is rewarding from the author’s work is the idea that although we do not know what after death will hold, we can be certain it is not nothingness and in fact is a continuation, of some sort, of our spiritual being. I enjoyed this read and as part of a series, I would hope there would be more anecdotal evidence in other books in the series. I can recommend this read, highly.

You can find Near Death Experience: Out of the Darkness Into the Light, here on Amazon:

triumphant ride: by permit only by herman cajigas jr.

5/2/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Herman Cajigas was just a normal, teenage boy growing up in New York City in the 1970’s. From a hard-working immigrant family from Puerto Rico, Herman and his classmates were enjoying their final year as High School Seniors before heading off to various colleges. A school field trip to Wildwood, New Jersey would irrevocably change Herman’s life forever. An accident at the beach sees Herman robbed of his mobility and trying to adjust to life in a wheelchair, as a quadriplegic. Triumphant Ride: By Permit Only brings us author Herman Cajigas Jr.’s inspiring story as he comes to terms with the cards fate has dealt him and determines how he will succeed in this life, confined to a wheelchair. Rising from his impoverished but happy childhood, Herman’s grit and determination carry him from hospital, to University and on to be an inspirational entrepreneur in the booming tech industry – along the way finding his soul-mate and the love of his life.

Triumphant Ride: By Permit Only is a simple, straightforward summation of author Herman Cajigas Jr.’s inspirational life. The messages he brings in this journey are ones of humility, acceptance and raw courage to go on, no matter what the circumstances life throws your way. If anything struck me most, as a reader, it was Herman’s humility and his determination not to see himself as handicapped by his injury, but instead to look for ways in which he could still do all the things he desired to do. I liked that he was also prepared to examine his own character, recognise his own flaws and work on improving them. Running through the narrative is a simple expression of faith, but not the type engendered perhaps by organised religion. Herman lived his life according to the dictates of what we now know as The Law of Attraction. His faith in family, in his beloved wife and in a higher power, as recognised by the Universe shone through every page of this book. I found the story more compelling perhaps because of the no-nonsense and straightforward style of the writing. There was little hyperbole or attempt to claim greatness at overcoming his limitations, just a sweet and delightful joy at being alive, being in love with life and still able to do the things he wanted to do. This is an inspiring piece of work and one I can highly recommend. “There, but for the grace of God, go I!”

Triumphant Ride is, unfortunately, not yet available for purchase, but when it is, it will be well worth looking out for.

free traffic frenzy: how to get 450,000+ website visitors by don sevcik

12/1/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Free Traffic Frenzy: How to get 450,000+ Website Visitors by Don Sevcik is a targeted and focused book aimed at those of us who use the internet to either sell something or draw people to our website to impart information to them. The author goes into great length and detail explaining exactly how to use SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) to massively increase the amount of traffic to your site and perhaps more importantly to keep that traffic on your site and browsing until they purchase. This is not one single fix to attract traffic, rather this is a combination of small tweaks and intentional actions that many website owners overlook, to take advantage of the algorithms that drive, principally the Google search engine. The author uses his own particular website, a math problem solving site, and by discussing the issues and problems he has encountered and the solutions to these, he is able to impart knowledge that can help anyone dramatically increase the amount of traffic that is driven to their website.

What I particularly liked about Free Traffic Frenzy: How to get 450,000 Website Visitors was that although some of the technical issues discussed were well outside of my grasp, as a reader, the concepts that underline these “fixes” were perfectly explained and outlined using real world examples by author Don Sevcik, so although I personally may not understand exactly how to implement the changes, I can certainly explain them to someone who has the technical know-how. I thought the author’s ability to relay information that is sometimes complex and technical, in laymen’s terms, was the biggest selling point of this book. There are thousands of books out there that purport to tell you how to understand and optimise search engines, however, this one stands out for two reasons. Firstly, the author has clearly achieved success with this formula on his own websites and secondly, many of the fixes and suggestions are straightforward and common sense even to those of us who are less “tech savvy”. If you are looking to take your business and website to the next level, this is an excellent book to start with.

You can find Free Traffic Frenzy, here on Don Sevcik's Amazon page:

reconstructing the shield of achilles by kathleen vail

4/12/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Reconstructing the Shield of Achilles by Kathleen Vail is a scholarly attempt to put some meat and vision to the legendary shield of the warrior Achilles from Greek fable and mythology, especially as described by Homer in his numerous epic poems, such as the Iliad and the Odyssey. The author takes us on a trip through legendary Greek history, describing in detail the circumstance and the background to the most famous of all Greek battles; the Battle for Troy and then its aftermath. We are shown various other scholars’ depictions of their view of what they believed Achilles’ shield would have looked like, before the author creates her own version of the fantastic amour that was the Shield of Achilles. Using Homer’s direct translated text, she follows the journey of the shield subsequent to the death of Achilles, as Odysseus takes control of the legendary armour. She finds considerable justification for accepting the words of Homer as being, in some part, real and truthful, rather than just fanciful meanderings.

As a big fan of both Homer and the fables of Greek mythology, as a layman, I still found this book, Reconstructing the Shield of Achilles to be a fascinating insight into the Greek traditions, heroes and fables of the time. Author, Kathleen Vail has produced a book here that is as useful to a Greek Scholar as it is to someone with a love of heroic adventure and the time of mythical Greek lore. I don’t usually quote from books I review, but one passage in this book is so telling and reminds us all why the study of history and especially of archaeology, is critical to us, as a human race. “Human history is rendered tangible in the physical form of archaeological artifacts. In our search for archaeological treasures, we find meaning and significance in our collective human life on Earth. With each discovery, we gain extraordinarily perceptive records. From this unique perspective, we gain both a telescopic view into the lost and distant past and a microscopic view of iconic moments in the human experience.” For me, this perfectly sums up the field of study and the importance of this book. Perhaps the most ironic observation in the book is that Achilles, the greatest warrior in history, actually hates war. As a final note, the photographs and renderings of Greek history and mythology give the book an impressive perspective that even the layman can truly enjoy. This is a fantastic book and receives my wholehearted endorsement.

You can take a look at Reconstructing the Shield of Achilles, here on Kathleen Vail's Amazon page:

NEVER A $7 WHORE: My Journey from a Lady of The Night to the Lady of the Boardroom (The $7 Series Book 1) by toni crowe

29/10/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Never A $7 Wh*re by Toni Crowe is a short but frank and honest expose of how the author got trapped into a prostitution ring, as a young, teenage, mum, with a toddler. Toni, who, in later life did go on to much greater and better things than being a call-girl, explains how, as a young woman, she wanted desperately to model, to live the “glamorous” lifestyle she believed models indulged in. When a chance encounter with high-rolling pimp, Prince, on a railway platform as she returned home from her day job, seems to offer Toni the excitement and entry into the world of modelling, she ignores all the “red flags” and jumps in feet-first. By the time Toni realises the truth about her lover and the future that confronts her as a member of Prince’s stable, she goes into survival mode, firstly figuring out how to keep her morality intact, while living in a house of whores and secondly how to escape and break the bonds, Prince and his number one bitch, Baby, have over her.

As I said earlier, Never a $7 Wh*re, by Toni Crowe is short – too short in my opinion, but that being said, it in no way lessens the power of Crowe’s narrative and the salutary lessons that can be gained from her story of survival. Two things came shining through from this story. Firstly, Crowe’s absolute belief in herself and her own abilities to manage the difficult situation she found herself in. She never blames anyone else for her problems and understands that with the right mind-set and attitude, the seemingly impossible is always possible to achieve. As a reader, one can but marvel at her courage in the face of violence, drugs and the sleazy world of prostitution. Secondly, her book is a salutary warning to all young people to carefully examine the “opportunities” you are being offered. As the author so eloquently puts it, (paraphrased) “in the adult world, there is never offered, something for nothing. There is always a price to pay and someone to pay it to.” I did feel the book was too short but if it was intended as a primer to make me want to find out more about this amazing woman’s life, it did serve the purpose. I’m keen now to know how she turned her life around, after this experience, to become a senior executive in a number of Fortune 500 companies and others. This is a well-written and fascinating tale.

You can find, Never a $7 Whore, here on Toni Crowe's Amazon page:

straining forward: minh fuong towner's story by michelle layer rahal

9/10/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Author Michelle Layer Rahal has brought us a stunningly honest and frank portrayal of the life of a Vietnamese boat person, in the 1970’s. In Straining Forward we read the biography of Minh Phuong Towner, as she is caught up in the tumultuous events of the Vietnam War, or the American War, as the Vietnamese called it. Told through the eyes of Minh herself as if an autobiography, it covers the full gamut of Minh’s life. Born into a relatively middle-class environment in Saigon, Minh had all the advantages of wealth and position and in many ways was immune to what was happening outside of Saigon, in the rest of Vietnam. This all changed though on New Year’s Eve 1968, when the Tet Offensive brought the war directly into her quiet, suburban neighbourhood. Having watched the deaths of her beloved Father and several of her siblings, at the hands of the North Vietnamese, Minh and her brother make a dash for freedom, that leads them on an horrific journey, including torture, detainment in prison, escape, a dangerous sea journey and finally from a refugee camp in Taiwan, to France, Australia and ultimately the United States. Minh, though, is deeply traumatised by her childhood and this trauma will be something she will carry for the rest of her life and will influence her decisions and behaviour forever.

Although Straining Forward is presented, by Michelle Layer Rahal, as a spiritual journey, a search for meaning in life and a relationship with God, it would be wrong to dismiss it as just another Christian testimony. There is much more to this book than just its spiritual nature. It is truly an eye-opener on the effect of war on children, on refugees and what childhood trauma can do to a person later in life. I particularly enjoyed the story of Minh’s life in Vietnam, after the North’s invasion. The trials that tested her, she faced with stoicism and bravery, but what they did was remove her self-belief and her self-esteem. She truly believed that she was unworthy of being loved and gravitated towards safety and security, rather than happiness, as her first objective always. That this become apparent much later in life, when she understood that in many ways she had turned into her cold, calculating mother, without her even realising it. This is an extremely powerful story and one that grasps both the frailties of the human person and celebrates the triumph of the human spirit over immense challenges. One cannot read Minh Phong Tower’s story and fail to be moved by the tragedy of her life, but also by her indomitability and her determination to succeed, even in the face of overwhelming odds. This is a story that lingers long in the mind after reading and it is something I can truly recommend anyone feeling down or depressed should read. “There, but for the grace of God, go I!”

You can find Straining Forward, here on Michelle Layer Rahal's Amazon page:

his garden: conversations with a serial killer by anne k. howard

29/9/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

His Garden: Conversations With A Serial Killer by Anne K. Howard takes us inside the mind of a serial killer. In just a few short months in small-town Connecticut seven people went missing and just one man, William Devin Howell, better known as Bill, knew exactly what had happened to them. Author Howard, struck up a relationship with Howell, for the purposes of this book, whilst he was already serving time for the murder of one of the seven victims. Initially treated with suspicion by Howell, Howard was eventually able to win over the killer’s trust to the point where Howell thought of her as a friend. He had promised to Howard he would “tell all” once his trial was completed. When he decided to plead guilty to the remaining six murders he openly confessed everything to the author and attempted to describe and justify his reasons for killing the six women and one man, most of whom were drug-addicted prostitutes at the time of their murders. In a series of letters, telephone calls and face-to-face meetings (through prison plexi-glass), Howard has managed to capture the essence of this man’s/monster’s need and desire to kill and yet, like us readers, she remains perplexed how this all came about to Howell.

This is the first “True-Life” murder story I have read and in His Garden: Conversations With A Serial Killer, Author Anne K. Howard has painted a picture of a complex and strangely normal person who somehow managed to turn into a monster killer who would become Connecticut’s most prolific serial killer. Particularly fascinating for me, was that Howell didn’t really seem to fit the profile of a serial killer. He certainly wasn’t a loner and was both gregarious and well-liked outside of his predilection for picking up prostitutes for sex and then sometime raping and murdering them. In many ways Howell portrayed himself as a loveable rogue, which the author seemed to reinforce. Yes, he was a drifter and a drinker, but everyone who knew him appeared to have a few good words to say about him. This story was no doubt the author’s attempt to reconcile the William Howell, the happy-go-lucky drifter, with the William Howell the raping, murdering monster, he clearly was. At times the story is hard to read, especially the effects of Howell’s crimes on the families of the victims, something Howell still fails to realise, but it is riveting stuff to read and helps us to answer, in some small way, what makes a monster? This is an excellent read and one I highly recommend.

You can find His Garden: Conversations With A Serial Killer, here on Anne K. Howard's Amazon page:

the road from wigan pier: memories of a lancashire lass by elizabeth smith

23/9/2018

The Road From Wigan Pier: Memories of a Lancashire Lass is the story of Elizabeth Smith's hard-working family life, lovingly put together, in a published form, by one of her daughters. That in itself is enough to recommend reading it. But, more than that, the struggles and hardships, the everlasting love affair of Elizabeth and her husband, make this story a very typical social commentary on the working-class society of middle England, for the greater part of the twentieth century.
What could have potentially come across as an average, humdrum existence during the incredibly tough times of the Depression and World War II, is actually lifted to the level of an inspirational story of a woman's abiding love for her family and an amazing generosity of heart and spirit.
As readers, I think it does us a lot of good to read the memoirs of someone "ordinary", just like us, because what we realise before very long is that Elizabeth was far from "ordinary". In fact, I would go as far to say that we, the baby-boomer generation onward could gain much from reading just such a memoir and give thanks to our parents, our grandparents and our great-grandparents for their commitment and struggle that allowed us the freedoms and luxuries that we enjoy today.
A very easy to read book, The Road From Wigan Pier is a bittersweet reminder that life was not always as easy as it is today - a timely reminder to those of us feeling some sense of entitlement.

You can find The Road From Wigan Pier by Elizabeth Smith, here on Amazon:

a rubber face with a stripper's name by katja berg

13/8/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Katja Berg is your average, every-day, solo-mum who has gone through the trials and tribulations of falling in love with the wrong person and being left saddled with two children and a mountain of debts by her wastrel partner. A Rubber Face with a Stripper’s Name is her poignant story of her struggle to cope with the pressures of everyday life that being left in that situation can put on you. Born and raised in Denmark, Katja emigrated to Britain when she was eighteen and followed her love of flowers into opening up her own floral shop in Richmond, London. The birth of her twins Pepper and Magnus and the realisation that her partner and “soul-mate” Casper was a cheat, a liar, and a thief from their own savings and business, meant she had to face the dilemma of debt collectors, bailiffs and family court, while still trying to bring a sense of normalcy to her children’s lives and somehow find her own inner peace. We follow Katja as she attempts to navigate the judgements of other parents, family and friends whilst still trying to find her own happiness again, in the world of being a single mother.

It is true what they say that the best memoirs are often those of ordinary people, just like ourselves. We can all find something to identify with, in Katja Berg’s emotional and at times heart-wrenching story of love, loss and friendship. As a solo-father myself (for a period) I could readily identify with the struggles she went through. Berg said she wrote A Rubber Face with a Strippers Name to reach out to all solo-mums and tell them one simple thing; “you are not alone”. I think there is something in this simple story for any reader to extract. The essence that came across the most, to me, from Berg’s story was simply; friendship is something that must be treasured and it is not our right to judge anyone for their choices in life. We have no comprehension of the road they are walking and all we need do for our friends is be supportive, be there and listen – but don’t judge. The writing is clear, simple and to the point, with no restraint on language. There is no attempt to varnish the truth or hide from her own shortcomings. Berg understands that both parties in a relationship are responsible for the growth and development of their partnership. I thoroughly enjoyed this simple read and took much from the author’s perspective on life.

You can find A Rubber Face with a Stripper's Name, here, on Katja Berg's Amazon page:

malice intent: is love worth dying for? by alba castillo

28/6/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

For those of us fortunate and blessed to be brought up in a loving, protective and supportive family, it is sometimes difficult to understand that is not always the case for everyone. In Malice Intent, Alba Castillo shows us what potential disasters can confront us when we make poor decisions in life, for ourselves and those we love. Born in the small town of Santa Ynez in Spain to a strict Catholic family, Alba was a rebel from the beginning. Determined to break free from the life that seemed pre-planned for her in Santa Ynez, she left home early, to begin what seems like an aimless trek to find herself and her future. Pregnancy and motherhood did not dampen Alba’s desire to search for her destiny, but it was when she moved to America that her life truly fell apart and she began to spiral down in the depths of her own personal hell, which would include; domestic abuse, drug and alcohol addiction, illness, and a morbid desire to self-sabotage. Working her way through her travails and pain, she finally came to the one immutable conclusion; that the only person capable of changing our destiny is ourselves and that the power to do so is inside of all of us.

Malice Intent is a powerful book that explores some nasty and horrible topics, but partly because it is done through the prism of both the perpetrator and, indeed, the victim; the Author Alba Castillo, it is one that is both readable and insightful. Despite a large part of the story reading like one enormous “pity party” and a litany of horrors, what comes through loud and clear is the acceptance that we are the master of our own lives and we have to take control of what we can control; that we all have the power within ourselves to change our own future. I particularly appreciated the author’s courage to put her dysfunctional life out there in the open, for all to see. I have no doubt writing this was cathartic for the author, but equally it stands as a beacon of hope for others in a similar situation. The author’s writing style is plain, simple, and no-holds barred. She tells it like it is and opens her life, her decisions and her mistakes up for our examination and perhaps even judgement. This was an extremely easy book to read and one that would be of immense benefit to anyone who has experienced abuse or addiction in their lives. It is a timely reminder that; “there but for the grace of God, go I” and I would highly recommend reading it.

You can find Malice Intent, here on Alba Castillo's Amazon Page:

from hell to fire: book 1 sex and politics by allison brooks

10/6/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Allison Brooks was not your typical African-American young woman growing up on the mean streets of Compton during the eighties and nineties. She loved her music, probably more than anything else, but she knew she had to find a job that paid well and offered job security. Despite the paucity of woman fire fighters at the time, Allison set her heart on earning a permanent place on the professional fire fighting staff of Compton (L.A.). Based on true-life events, but fictionalised, From Hell to Fire, author Allison Brooks tells her story of prejudice, chauvinism and downright meanness she would face as one of the few woman professional fire fighters in the Mid 1990’s. Allison quickly discovered that politics and sex were two of the biggest components of a professional fire fighter’s life. Daily she would confront the outright sexism and unfairness a woman in that position was subjected to. This story is book one of the Allison Brooks story, with no doubt, much more to come.

From Hell to Fire is a no-holds barred look at life in a tough profession, at the best of times, but as a woman, even tougher. Allison Brooks tells the story in the vernacular of the street and doesn’t pull any punches, both as a professional fire fighter and as an African-American woman living in Compton. This hard-edged style certainly gave the story the “street credibility” it probably needed. What I particularly liked about the story was that interspersed among the tales of daily life in the fire station were some absolute philosophical gems expounding on the authors views on men, women, music, sexism, unfairness and life in general. Her explanation of the six types of women out there was both funny and insightful. There was a strong vein of self-doubt running through the entire book, which contrasted greatly with the self-assured professional that Allison portrayed to the outside world, especially to her colleagues in the Fire Department. This definitely gave the main character (the Shero, if you will) a much warmer edge than may otherwise have been the case. As a first novel (cum memoir) this was a solid first effort. I look for more depth and tightness in the sequel.

You can take a look at From Hell to Fire by Allison Brooks, here on Amazon:

winds of skilak: volume 2 by bonnie rose ward

9/5/2018

Reviewed for Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Winds of Skilak Volume 2 is the continuation of the memoir of Bonnie Rose Ward and her husband Sam’s adventure on Caribou Island in the middle of Skilak lake, deep in the wilds of Alaska. These two modern-day pioneers literally carved a living out of nothing on Caribou Island. At times, especially winter, Bonnie and Sam would be the only occupants, of this lonely, snow-swept and freezing part of the Alaskan wilderness. Like true pioneers Sam and Bonnie would build their own cabins, hunt and track all sorts of wildlife for food, plant and harvest their own vegetables and live the true life of adventurers on the very frontiers of civilisation. Although they occasionally would have company to break the loneliness and the daily grind of living “off the grid” for the most part it was the indomitable belief this couple had in each other and an unshakeable faith that would sustain them through many trials and tribulations.

As a reader, I find all memoirs quite fascinating – it’s like being invited in to share the most intimate parts of a stranger’s life and thoughts. When the memoir details experiences as rich, diverse and for us simple city dwellers, so outside of our comfort zones, as Winds of Skilak Volume 2 does, the pleasure is doubled or even tripled. I haven’t read Volume 1, but that certainly wasn’t important. Right from the first page of this story, you are drawn into a world far from anything few of us will ever experience. I marvelled at the sheer grit and determination of both Sam and Bonnie Rose Ward. For Bonnie, living out in that wilderness, with little or at times no other female company on the island, was tough, but she took it all in her stride, with humour, faith and a positive attitude. Her writing is fresh, clear and even she admits to not having the words to describe many of the beauties of the Alaskan wilderness. As someone who can only ever dream of an adventure like this, I love the fact that Bonnie and Sam, through this book allowed me to share theirs, vicariously. If you love true life adventure tales, this book is an absolute “must read” for you.

You can take a look at both Volumes 1 & 2 of the Winds of Skilak, here on Bonnie Rose Ward's Amazon page:

follow your bliss: how to start living the life of your dreams by angela cecilia

8/4/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Follow Your Bliss: How to Start Living the Life of Your Dreams by Angela Cecilia is a self-help book that, follows the precepts of the Law of Attraction as espoused in The Secret by Rhonda Byrne and the plethora of books that have emerged since Byrne first took the world by storm back in 2006. The title itself was alluded to by Joseph Campbell when he stated (paraphrased): “If you follow your bliss, doors will open.” Cecilia has covered, in this book, many of the limiting factors that preclude us, as human beings from achieving happiness. Some of the areas she specifically looks at include: Learning to Love Yourself, Blame, Gratitude, Dreams, Forgiveness, Leadership, plus many more. As the title indicates, Cecilia shows, through reference to her own personal struggles, how following your bliss is the most certain way to achieving the life you were meant for and intended for. She lays out a clear path that readers can follow to emulate the success that took her thirty something years to achieve.

When I first picked up Follow Your Bliss: How to Start Living the Life of Your Dreams, my immediate reaction was; “here we go again, another Law of Attraction ride on Rhonda Byrne’s coat-tails”. I am pleased to say I was pleasantly surprised by the no-nonsense, practical approach to discovering your true potential, presented by author Angela Cecilia. By using her own life, fraught as it was with loathing and self-hate, as an example of what to do and what to change, she made the learning process highly personal and deeply resonant with me. To answer one of the fears she had raised when writing the book. “Yes, this material has all been covered by others hundreds of times, but yes, you did find something new, something real and something touching to me, personally and I’m sure other readers will find exactly the same thing.” Two quotes the author used in the book struck right to my heart. 1/ If you strive for conformity, everyone else will love you, except yourself. And 2/ We are spiritual beings undertaking a human experience, not the other way around. This book is full of insightful and practical advice and I can definitely recommend it to someone seeking solutions to their own unhappiness.

You can pop on over to Amazon, if you wish, and take a look at Follow Your Bliss: How to Start Living the Life of your Dreams by Angela Cecilia

rock candy mountain: a memoir by earl davis

26/3/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Rock Candy Mountain, by Earl Davis is a quite different type of memoir in that it focuses on just a short period of the author’s life, up until the age of fourteen, with most of the story revolving around a two-year period when he was thirteen. Born in the backblocks of Kentucky, Earl Davis just wanted to experience the world and at the age of thirteen, in the early 1900’s, he headed off from his shanty home, leaving behind an alcoholic, but hardworking, father and a loving mother to see what was beyond the mountains of his Kentucky home. Using the time-honoured method of the day, jumping freight trains and blinding passenger trains, Earl managed to crisscross the United States, and even briefly made it into Canada, finally ending up in Texas, lured by dreams of being a cowboy. Along the way, Earl grew up very quickly and realised the harshness of life, as well as the incredible kindness and heart of many people.

This book gives us a fascinating insight into life at the turn of the last century, in a dirt-poor State, like Kentucky. The authors descriptions of the beauty of his home state and especially his home town, with its freezing winters and its stifling summers, was a simple joy to read. Seeing all of this, through the eyes of a young boy and watching him develop, grow and learn many of life’s hard lessons, is what lifts Rock Candy Mountain above most memoirs I have read. Earl Davis invites us into his own private world and we are privy to the thoughts, fears, hopes and dreams of a often scared and lonely, but always game, young man. I found the style of this telling refreshingly simple and a joy to read. The highlight, for me, was the realisation that even in the depths of poverty; many ordinary people would go out of their way to help this young waif. Earl learnt many important lessons on life in this two year sojourn that would undoubtedly set him up for his future life. I can highly recommend this read. It is a deeply personal and touching insight into a time and ways, long forgotten.

Pop on over to Amazon and take a look at Rock Candy Mountain. It is well worth a perusal.

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