Up close and personal, a fabulous read
351372
Just couldn't put this book down. This book is brilliant, what a great journey for a  man who is not only humble and talented, but is prepared to share himself with his fans and reveal himself through words and music. Every song has a meaning to his fans and reveal a real insite into Neil himself. He's not afraid to analyse his songs and feelings to better understand himself, and his songs and performances are always to thank his fans. Buy the book, you won't be disappointed.
3004418
I loved this book. Kathy Jones has an amazing eye for detail and enlivens her odyssey by creating word pictures of the interesting and often remarkable people who were part of her life, whether as a little girl, a student at Fieldston and later Mt. Holyoke, or a married woman of color living in a 99% white suburb of Boston.  Her parents and a slew of relatives in Jamaica knew exactly what they valued and what they wanted for her.  She had a passionate commitment to education and culture that coming from deep within herself.  She crosses back and forth from the white world of upper West Side in New York to Harlem, where the apartment building houses the likes of Thurgood Marshall, WEB DuBois, Roy Wilkins along with gamblers, hairdressers and red caps. We revisit our own family members, education, summer camp, piano lessons, college adjustments, marriages, civic activism and evolving life stages. Get it. Read it. Love it.
3455388
I could not put this book down.  Joyce's tell all book is a brave and courageous venture into a very personal story of her life in widowhood.  Sometimes I want to guiltily laugh as when the deliveries of flowers, large fruit baskets etc descend upon her as she just tries to cope with minute to minute existence.  Her constant dwelling on the ultimate out, suicide, is a brave and bold exploration of her emotions and feelings.  At times I wanted to hug her gently and warmly, provide a shoulder for her.  Very gently as she appeared to be a trembling leaf on an oak tree in a wind storm.  I have never been so riveted by a memoir since Didion's master work which I feel this work trumps in many ways as it exposes deep vulnerabilities in her character and soul.  Her birds eye view of what it is like to be looking from the inside out makes one pause a great deal when trying to console one who is grieving.  Well meaning people can in their own way be careless and thoughtless in an effort to express themselves.  We all fumble around when it comes to the ultimate end of someone we know, someone we loved and cared for over a lifetime.  I find some of the reviews to be just as reckless.  No one grief is like another.  Grief is not a three ring circus where you choose how people should show you their emotions.  It is a very personal yet real part of life.  I praise Joyce for baring her soul to it's very depths and whats more to publish the account of a year living dangerously!
2259620
This very touching story of the coming of age of a young girl shares with the reader Esmeralda's exploration of her soul as she matures and comes to some kind of understanding of who she really is inside.  Esmeralda Mrky enters the story as a young girl living in Lake Cowichan.  She meets and develops an incredible connection with Savannah, who's autism allows a freedom that most teens rarely find.  In a poetic, often poignant, and uplifting style, with humor and fantasy reminiscent of Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland", Tanis Morran gives the reader not only a glimpse into the life and mind of a young autistic girl, but also reminds us of the importance of nurturing our creative side and being true to the person that is inside us all.
 This story moves quickly through time, filled with wonderful descriptions of the Cowichan Valley and the lower mainland of British Columbia.  It invites the comparison of rural lake life in a part of the world that still hangs on to its natural beauty to the bustle of city life in Vancouver.  "A Place Within the Sphere"  reminds us that we need to look after not only our own inner selves, but also the place which gives us life.  Through Esmeralda and Savannah, the reader meets a wonderful array of interesting characters who range from adults dealing with their adult concerns, creative and free spirited individuals, twenty-first century big city youths dealing with their own issues, and even a few fantastic individuals from the depths of the sphere.
 "A Place within the Sphere", well suited to the teenage reader, has a great value to the adult reader.  I truly enjoyed being taken back into my own youth and its confusion. I want to thank the author for sharing a wonderful perspective on the gift of autism, for reminding me to nourish my imagination and for giving me a better understanding of the way the mind can work.
4949817
This book has so much depth and the author writes with such honesty and clarity that I could not put it down.  At its depth, it is a memoir about a loving marriage.  The challenges of that marriage are universal, misunderstanding, miscommunication and even frustration. But then there are other layers, like age disparity, and cultural and religious differences.  The author faces these challenges with honesty and humor.  From this cacophony, she weaves a rich tapestry.  She shows us not only what is possible in a marriage, but in a culture. Seeing another human being (and then others) with love and compassion opened her eyes and it opened mine.  This insight applies not only to a marriage, but to our society as well.  As someone who had little understanding of the Libyan people, I learned so much from reading this book.  From that understanding came compassion.  That is an incredible gift from any book to its reader.  If there was more insight like this, perhaps we could heal the world, one reader at a time.  Pass it on.
3892156
The reader discovers the personal world of Patrice Gaines, a staff reporter with the Washington Post and a recipient of the National Association of Black Journalists Award.  The impetus for this memoir was  Gaines' view of her baby daughter from a thin jail cell window. The story  unravels as Gaines seeks to be the independent woman that her daughter can  look up to with pride.
Gaines provides us with the details of her  struggle, commencing with her life as a five-year-old on a military base in  Quantino, Virginia in 1954, when the Supreme Court declared segregated  schools unconstitutional.
The adversities she faced included:  being  raped twice, shoplifting, abusing drugs, getting divorced, and going to  prison.  She delineates these experiences with stark honesty and a  compassionate understanding of everyone.  Her sensitivity is strongly  highlighted by her complete and unwavering devotion to gay friends in their  personal battles against AIDS.
As the story unwinds, the reader is  poignantly aware of Gaines' personal and professional growth.  She comes to  meet her daughter's needs, as they each mature into adulthood, one a  journalist and one a college student.
This non-fictional account of one  journalist's life is well written and totally captivating.  "Laughing  in the Dark" cannot be kept waiting; it must be read immediately from  start to finish.
3166129
Leza's prose is simultaneously beautiful and disarmingly frank. Every page seemingly reveals something of significance about the author, her loves, her regrets, her passions, her fears, and her strengths. Ultimately her strength is found in the love of her husband, her son, and (importantly) herself. Leza assures her readers, through her own example, that imperfection is normal, that the "good life" is revealed in ones ongoing attempts to improve, and that life is a journey that is best experienced firsthand.

I read this book thinking I would learn something about Leza and her family. I came away with much, much more. That is amazing. And an incredible gift.
2508115
First, let me say that I was not aware of the author's first book, "Cleo" until I began reading this book.  I don't remember how I discovered the availability of this title but it captured my attention and it was added to my 'wish to read' list.  This is a beautiful memoir by Helen Brown to delight every aspect of a reader's senses from the beauty of the cover design by Colleen Andrews to the collage of color family photographs on the first page to the author's remembrances throughout the pages.  The descriptions of experiences, thoughts and emotions are shared with honesty and without hesitation.

As I am a daughter that wandered away from my home town on two occasions to follow my heart - once for professional exploration and once simply to follow my heart - I can truly understand some of the perplexing conversations through the years between mother and daughter.  As dearest cat Jolie continued to live with Mother throughout the years of these same wanderings I have a deep appreciation for Jonah's nurturing of Helen Brown's family as well as his soulful reactions.

This is a very special glimpse of the bonds shared by mothers and daughters, the friendship circle of women when courage, strength and hope are needed for sharing in higher volumes but softly without fanfare and the unconditional love between cats and their forever families.
1187607
Jan Krulick-Belin beautifully weaves history, letters and personal anecdotes in her wonderful work.  She takes you along her compelling journey and incorporates a thorough description of the US Army's participation in the WW11 North African Campaign. You are swept into both Jan's and her father's individual experiences. While incredibly interesting, it is also touching and heartwarming.
3448701
As a college classmate of BA, I was warmed, amazed, touched, and overjoyed to learn the full life of an acquaintance.  Her honest introspection, soulfulness, and ability to entertain and beautifully articulate inspire me to be more present and aware.  Her profound experiences of nurturing love, familial distance, passion, loss, despair, hopelessness, addiction and pain are ring poignant and true --- reminding me to embrace every minute of life.  I didn't want the book to end, as it was like a friend saying goodbye...
2317961
I was moved by this memoir, even though I didn't grow up in Brooklyn. I was impressed by the insight and honest writing about the same era in which I grew up. Most of all, I loved the way the author portrays herself and her family in such a truthful light, even down to her relationship with her mother. Since I grew up in an Italian-American family, as well, I could relate to much of her life. I also loved the references to the wonderful, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, to give an even deeper meaning to her story.

I wanted to reach out to the author I met at a book talk in October.
426895
A well written, page turner, that will make you dig into your own life.  She speaks frankly about her life and is respectful when telling about her family.

I can barely articulate the wonder, sorrow, happiness and hope written here.  I couldn't read another book for nearly a week because it took time to digest, and mull over this fabulous read.

This is one book that will be re-read several more times.
4442914
This book I just could not put down. I worked for the same company as the author and  and travelled extensively to many of the same countries, but in many cases I left just as the author was arriving. This book jogged my memory so many times that I had to keep turning the pages to see which mutual friend or acquaintance would pop up next. Many anecdotes, events and the circumstances surrounding them which are recounted, are instantly recognisable in an industry which was rapidly growing up and which has now matured, to the extent it is a pervasive feature of everyone's life today.

The book is very well written in an easy style and the reader can easily visualise and almost experience the places and events taking place, as it is written which openly and sincerely expresses the author's personal  feelings..

A splendid read all round, and especially meaningful for anyone who has been on the International Circuit with a major multi national company
208691
A wonderful read and touching glimpse into a special life.
4329696
This is a beautiful and brutally honest true story of life, love, and death. Having worked at OSU (at one time with Sharyn), I enjoyed the familiarity of the setting. What struck me most, however, was the power of the dialogue and narrative, which was only enhanced by Sharyn and Jose's letters interwoven throughout the story. While reading the book I felt as though I was an invisible observer, at times almost a participant, in their lives. I have since gone back and reread many sections of the book, and see something new each time. This book reminded me how important it is to recognize and embrace the beauty of everyday moments in life. A great read that I strongly recommend.
842305
I was mesmerized by Ms. Lauren's honest, humorous and courageous depiction of her journey through life. This is not a tell-all, rather it is the complex story of a woman who feels deeply and expresses what it is like to grow up in a society where the pressures to be beautiful and thin over-take health and at times reason.  I deeply felt for Ms. Lauren's struggles but with her self-effacing homour and poignant insightfulness I was drawn to her courage to overcome her pain and disease and to find the beauty in life and the people around her.  This is a book that for me, touches on spirituality, the closeness of family (and the need to separate) the complex pressures of an unforgiving media driven society, and the journey of an intelligent woman who overcomes her demons to celebrate the beauty and richness of life.  I applaud Ms. Lauren's bravery to tackle not only her issues with a consuming eating disorder, but for writing it in an honest, and at times hysterically funny way.  This is a very important book, not only for young girls but for any one who has ever counted calories, struggled with chronic pain, abusive relationships, sought spirituality or is just interested in the struggles and journey of what it is to be profoundly human.
1520246
I decided to read this book from back to front, because the final section tells the author's own rather remarkable story -- in which he is transplanted to London from a small market town "surrounded by a ring of orchards" in the Kurdish highlands of western Iran, and (with many twists and turns, probable and improbable encounters) goes on to become a well known press and broadcast analyst of Middle Eastern affairs. The main body of the book is a highly personal look at a collection of great lives: "All twelve of my beacons of inspiration were chosen because they had to struggle in life and because they succeeded in maintaining a measure of happiness or balance to their last days despite their misfortunes." Along the way there is some wonderfully chosen poetry, too. I learned a lot. (Also, greatly enjoyed the author's 14-point prescription for autumnal happiness. No spoilers here -- read it for yourself, page 215)!