What I thought I knew about the Black Panther Party and what I learned about them from reading this book is less valuable than recognizing that the world has changed so little. SYNOPSIS A bold and fascinating graphic novel history of the revolutionary Black Panther Party.Founded in Oakland, California, in 1966, the Black Panther Party... Continue Reading →
A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win WWII by Sonia Purnell
Virginia Hall's story is captivating and inspiring. All I can say is I am so thankful I am not her mother! SYNOPSIS The never-before-told story of one woman's heroism that changed the course of the Second World War In 1942, the Gestapo sent out an urgent transmission: "She is the most dangerous of all Allied... Continue Reading →
The Power of Habits, Why We Do What We Do by Charles Duhigg
My interest in habits continues and so I went back to the book that started it all. The Power of Habits reminded me that I had the power to make my life infinitely easier by building around good habits. SYNOPSIS A young woman walks into a laboratory. Over the past two years, she has transformed... Continue Reading →
NonFiction Friday: The Poison Squad by Deborah Blum
My favorite nonfiction writer is back with another book on poisons! The Poison Squad was slow to grab my attention but once it did I could not put it down. SYNOPSIS From Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times-bestselling author Deborah Blum, the dramatic true story of how food was made safe in the United States and... Continue Reading →
Nonfiction Friday: Code Girls by Liza Mundy
We called on them and relied on their intelligence and perseverance for the most vital code breaking work during World War II and then told them it was their patriotic duty to return home. This book had me mesmerized for every minute and only served to spurn my curiosity about the women codebreakers of WWII.... Continue Reading →
Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig
How do we cope when the whole world conspires to drive us to the brink of worry and sadness? Answers to these questions became vital to author Matt Haig and what he found provoked a sense of calm and purpose in me. SYNOPSIS The societies we live in are increasingly making our minds ill, making... Continue Reading →
If At Birth You Don’t Succeed: My Adventures With Disaster and Destiny by Zach Anner
People aren't inspirational simply because they exist in a way that makes other people uncomfortable. Instead, Zach Anner's story will motivate you because of his positivity, smart and sarcastic sense of humor, endless pursuit of adventure and continuous personal growth in a way that no neurological injury ever could. SUMMARY Comedian Zach Anner opens his... Continue Reading →
Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? Big Questions from Tiny Mortals About Death by Caitlin Doughty
This quick and oddly enjoyable book provides no nonsense, frequently humorous, answers to questions about death. The questions may be posed by children but the answers are definitely mature! SUMMARY Every day, funeral director Caitlin Doughty receives dozens of questions about death. What would happen to an astronaut’s body if it were pushed out of... Continue Reading →
NonFiction Friday: Quackery by Lydia Kang, MD and Nate Pedersen
This brief history of the worst ways to cure everything is the ideal nonfiction primer on the many ways humans have attempted to extend and enhance their lives through the years. Written by a practicing medical doctor, Lydia Kang, and historian / librarian, Nate Pedersen, the book reads like a duo of friends explaining to... Continue Reading →
Nonfiction Friday: Cary Grant, A Class Apart by Graham McCann
Graham McCann's autobiography of Cary Grant carries the reader through his life from birth to death with intimate looks at every stage. I have loved Cary Grant since the first time I laid eyes on him and this book did nothing to shake that love. SYNOPSIS A biography narrating how the English working-class boy Archie... Continue Reading →