Memoir – Book Reader Magazine

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The Unique Settled History of Sweetwater Canyon Above Colorado Springs by Diane Olsen Author

The Unique Settled History of Sweetwater Canyon Above Colorado Springs by Diane Olsen Author

Award-winning author Diane Olsen, known for her acclaimed series “Rising Wind” and the multi-award-winning “Roots to Religion,” now presents her memoir titled “The Unique Settled History of Sweetwater Canyon Above Colorado Springs.”

Growing up in Colorado Springs was a magical time for me, filled with treasured memories. The stories shared follow a group of musings, experiences, and explorations in Mother Nature’s playground for a young girl growing up in the little canyons west of Colorado Springs, from sixty to seventy-five years ago, in a home that lay between Cheyenne Mountain and Mount Rosa, St. Peter’s Dome, and Cookstove with Pike’s Peak looming behind them.

We lived above Twilight Canyon, but the focus of this book is the sister valley, Sweetwater Canyon, and every time I see a picture of that mountain area or think about it, the tears flow. Itinerant wanderers and thoughtful individuals sought spiritual solace and inspiration from Cheyenne Mountain’s numerous hillsides, waterfalls, and various winding canyons, such as Cheyenne, Twilight, and Sweetwater, as well as other canyons in the area. I know we did. Perhaps with the writing of this memoir, the Mulberger family realizes that we still do. (Kindle on sale for $2.99 through July 4th, 2025)

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Epitome of Hypocrisy by Kenny McGhee

Epitome of Hypocrisy by Kenny McGhee

Epitome of Hypocrisy: Sex, Drugs and the Real Birth of Rock & Roll is an unflinching autobiographical journey through the tumultuous landscape of the 1960s and 70s music scene. The author delves into personal experiences marked by the era’s indulgent lifestyle, exploring the allure and consequences of sex, drugs, and rock & roll. Beyond the hedonistic facade, the narrative seeks a deeper understanding of what constitutes normalcy amidst chaos. Through candid reflections, the book offers a raw and honest portrayal of a life intertwined with the cultural and musical revolutions of the time. It challenges readers to consider the dichotomy between public persona and private reality, shedding light on the often-overlooked personal costs of fame and the relentless pursuit of artistic expression.

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From Darkness to Light

About From Darkness to Light:

From Darkness to Light is a #1 Amazon Bestseller and award-winning memoir by Danielle Anderson, sharing her powerful journey from pain to purpose. Through faith and resilience, she overcame darkness and found healing, hope, and her divine calling.

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Beach to the Boardroom

About Beach to the Boardroom:

Beach to the Boardroom takes a light-hearted and entertaining look at the UK travel industry through the career of Frank O’Hare. Frank shares the hilarious story of his climb up the travel industry ladder, from his job as a novice holiday representative on the beaches of the Mediterranean to the boardrooms of some of the UK’s most prestigious travel companies. Told through a selection of laugh-out-loud true stories, often leaving havoc in their wake, Frank not only entertains but also shocks as he reveals some of the industry’s most closely guarded secrets.

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You Couldn’t Make This Up; An Almost True Social Worker’s Memoir by J. Traveler Pelton

You Couldn’t Make This Up; An Almost True Social Worker’s Memoir by J. Traveler Pelton

I’ve met people from the privileged to the poor and most their relatives. This is a short, almost true history of that career, funny to tragic. Names have been changed to protect innocent and guilty; and I promise you won’t find anything more fascinating than true life in my world. It gets greasy, gritty, gracious and no way glamourous here; I think it has been a life well lived.

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Bottom Line to Lifeline

About Bottom Line to Lifeline:

Step into a journey of profound transformation with Bottom Line to Lifeline, the #1 New Listing and #1 Best Seller in Personal Transformation on Amazon. This gripping memoir takes readers from the high-powered world of corporate success to the high-stakes frontlines of emergency medical services.

At 50, Simon S. Higginbotham faced a life-changing decision to leave behind the boardroom and embrace the adrenaline-filled, heart-pounding world of saving lives. Along the way, he redefined his understanding of teamwork, leadership, and personal purpose.

Readers describe the book as “inspiring,” “insightful,” and “impossible to put down,” praising its raw honesty and uplifting message. With a five-star rating and ranked #47 on Kindle’s Free Store, this story resonates deeply with anyone seeking the courage to reinvent themselves and thrive in a completely new role.

Packed with real-life lessons, emotional moments, and thought-provoking insights, Bottom Line to Lifeline is your chance to explore what it means to start over, embrace change, and discover your true potential.

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Bottom Line to Lifeline by Simon Higginbotham

About Featured Book Bottom Line to Lifeline by Simon Higginbotham

About the Book: Bottom Line to Lifeline

What happens when a high-powered business executive walks away from the boardroom and learns to save lives instead? Bottom Line to Lifeline is a gripping, real-life memoir that chronicles one man’s year-long transformation from international CEO to frontline paramedic student. This inspiring and sometimes harrowing journey pulls readers into the adrenaline-charged world of 911 emergency medicine—and the deeply human moments that come with it.

With vivid, present-tense storytelling, this memoir offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at emergency calls, classroom lessons, personal doubts, and the raw moments of truth that shape new medics. It’s a powerful read for anyone contemplating a life change, passionate about medicine, or interested in how resilience, purpose, and teamwork are forged under pressure.

Now with over 50 five-star reviews, Bottom Line to Lifeline has struck a chord with readers across careers and continents. Rashmi Agrawal, a Reedsy Reviewer, writes:

“It’s an eye-opening reminder of what really matters in life and work. The book got me thinking about purpose and meaning in my career, which is always a sign of a good read!”
And she adds,
“Imagine going from worrying about profit margins to holding someone’s life in your hands. The contrast is wild.”

Special EMS Week Offer: In honor of EMS Week (May 19–25), the Kindle edition is available for just $0.99 between May 20 and May 27—a massive 83% discount off the regular $5.99 list price.

Fast Facts:

3,700+ copies sold

4.7/5.0 average rating

Ranked #1 in Emergency Services and Personal Transformation on Kindle during launch week

Perfect for fans of medical memoirs, career-change stories, and leadership books with heart

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Author Bio
I’ve lived a life of contrasts, from corporate boardrooms in Europe and the U.S. to the back of an ambulance on a 911 call. After a successful career in international business leadership, I made the bold decision to retrain as a paramedic at age 50. Bottom Line to Lifeline is the story of that journey: a year of reinvention, challenge, purpose, and unexpected fun.

I’ve always been drawn to new perspectives, whether in life, business, or the outdoors. When I’m not working with EMS teams, consulting, or writing, you can find me hiking or mountain walking (Snowdonia in North Wales, UK, is a favorite) or out on the open road on my motorcycle. I also play both guitar and violin—music brings a kind of clarity and expression that words often can’t.

My writing reflects my conviction that life is too short to remain stagnant, that we’re all capable of profound transformation, and that the most meaningful work we can do often begins when we venture far outside our comfort zone.

If you’ve ever wondered what it might be like to change everything, or if you’re curious about what happens behind the scenes in emergency medical care, I hope you’ll find something in this book that inspires or stays with you.

Finding Lalla’s Anna

About Finding Lalla’s Anna:

Born to a globetrotting diplomat father and haunted by the silence of her absent mother, Anna’s childhood is a tapestry woven from fragments of different cultures. Guided by the unwavering love and wisdom of her Malian grandmother, Lalla, Anna seeks solace in ancestral traditions as she navigates a life marked by loneliness and displacement.
But years of nomadic existence take their toll, leading to emotional burnout in the bustling heart of New York City. Facing fractured relationships and the ghosts of her past, Anna embarks on a transformative journey. Fueled by resilience and Lalla’s enduring spirit, she confronts long-buried truths, mends broken bonds, and finally discovers the courage to embrace her true self.
Finding Lalla’s Anna is a captivating memoir of cultural identity, family, and the unwavering strength of love. It’s a poignant exploration of belonging, self-discovery, and the power of ancestral wisdom to heal even the deepest wounds.

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Dispatches from the Couch by Stacey Hettes

About Dispatches from the Couch by Stacey Hettes:

With exceptional candor, author Stacey Hettes invites readers to take a seat in the office of her new therapist as she chronicles the painful but beautiful dialogues working toward finally exorcizing the serpents a church deacon let loose in her kindergarten self.

Stacey has what she believes to be the perfect life, that is until she slips on the psychological equivalent of black ice. At an emotionally charged forum on sexual violence, Stacey takes a stand against a colleague’s reckless verbal assault, outing herself as a sexual abuse survivor in the process. The event sends her tumbling back into her fractured childhood, one she has already spent years trying to reconcile through cycle after cycle of therapy. But Dr. Hettes, the neuroscientist, must continue her work, even as Stacey Hettes, the abuse survivor, finds herself submerged in the sights, sounds, and smells of her painful memories.

Raw and heartfelt, this memoir aims to build empathy, understanding, and solidarity for everyone who has suffered through or witnessed the effects of abuse.

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The Adventures of a Florida Boy by Jim Melvin

The Adventures of a Florida Boy by Jim Melvin

NEW RELEASE: Many of us are in need of relief, and we sometimes search for something good-natured and joyous to put a smile on our faces. This is what “Florida Boy” is all about. This sweet memoir will make you laugh and feel happy in that stomach-warming way that fond memories tend to inspire, and it can be read in one or two sittings. Melvin’s boyhood was spent in Florida in the 1960s on an island called Coquina Key. His parents’ waterfront home overlooked a wide expanse of Tampa Bay. Back then, parts of the island were undeveloped, which left room for climbing trees, digging forts, and swimming in shark-infested waters. Some of the things he and his friends did were downright dangerous. But they didn’t care. They were the rulers of their domain. Readers will discover moments that will awaken their own childhood memories, regardless of where and when they grew up.

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You Still Can’t Make This Up! by J. Traveler Pelton

You Still Can’t Make This Up! by J. Traveler Pelton

In this second book about my twenty-eight years in professional Social Work, I reached back in my memory vault to put stories to the faces that still come to mind when I sit back and recall those days. Some of them are drop-dead funny, some are sad and some simply infuriated me. I’ve met people from the privileged to the poor and most their relatives. Book two continues the short, almost true history of that career, funny to tragic. Names have been changed to protect innocent and guilty; and I promise you won’t find anything more fascinating than true life in my world. It gets greasy, gritty, gracious and no way glamourous here; I think it has been a life well lived. If you like true to life stories, odd characters funny to tragic, you will love this book.

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My Life in Dog Years: A Poodle Named Henry and Other Melodramas by Candida Pugh

About My Life in Dog Years: A Poodle Named Henry and Other Melodramas by Candida Pugh:

An impulsive woman takes on a series of problematic dogs. Hilarious and heart wrenching by turns, My Life in Dog Years explores the many ways a loving dog owner can screw up and still wind up with a magnificent pet.

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Ascent of a Woman by Mhairi Blyth

Ascent of a Woman by Mhairi Blyth

In Ascent of a Woman, Mhairi Blyth presents an unfiltered, candid account of her life. Spanning over thirty years, her memoir shows a life littered with trauma, trials, and tragedy, starting with her dad leaving to work over three-thousand miles away, in the middle of a war, when she was just six.

With every chapter of her life, a new and seemingly impossible trial begins which tests Mhairi’s mental and physical strength, and her ability to overcome adversity. She reveals her darkest moments, together with feelings of loneliness, loss, and despair, where even mother nature is against her. Mhairi also describes her sparks of resilience and determination in fighting for herself and for her family, where she comes up against those meant to be the very people to help and protect.

Ascent of a Woman is one woman’s story of endurance, growth and forgiveness whilst overcoming massive personal loss, the consequences of which will always be with her. This is Mhairi’s ascent from a child to a girl, to a woman. This is her evolution.

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The Friend of My Mind by Gil Frank

The Friend of My Mind by Gil Frank

“Written by a man about the woman he loved with all his soul is healing. We NEED more books and works like these.” —Jessica Coates. Victims of Abuse Advocate During the week of mourning Gil opened the blue crate she never agreed to unpack. He discovered her poems of passion and erotic enjoyment with previous lovers. The family was shocked, but the secret consumed him in a tumultuous whirlwind. He hid it until the family left. Then, he let the verses, like Satan bites, scramble his dreams, twist his grief. He did not eat, headaches detained him. By keeping silent about what led her to carnal passion, she obscured how the wounds of their betrayals still impregned her soul and snuck into their relationship. Friend of My Mind is a two-part dialogue between a man and his departed spouse. He writes the letter she wanted to pen—their love story from his perspective. In part two, he recounts his own journey to love — ‘careloving’ face to face with her death, and himself. Across Paris, Jamaica, Jerusalem and America, the story climbs to “Friend of The Mind” as the response beyond distrust, prior toxic relationships, financial inequality, and ge

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Letters from My Hymie by David Fradin

About Letters from My Hymie by David Fradin:

What was it like to be a Jewish immigrant’s son serving in World War II? Through a collection of witty, touching letters and personal accounts, one soldier’s remarkable journey reveals the untold story of courage, family bonds, and resilience during one of history’s darkest times.

In ‘Letters from My Hymie,’ the extraordinary tale of Hyman ‘Hymie’ Fradin unfolds through his personal wartime correspondence and family history. Born to Ukrainian Jewish immigrants who escaped persecution, Hymie’s story interweaves his mischievous military adventures with his father Louis’s powerful immigrant narrative.

From being discharged from the Marines for flat feet to serving as an interpreter for German POWs in the Army, Hymie’s letters home paint a vivid picture of World War II through a unique Jewish-American lens. His humorous observations and personal insights provide an intimate window into both military life and the immigrant experience.

This carefully researched work combines family photographs, historical documents, and oral histories to create a rich tapestry of one family’s journey from Ukraine to America, their struggles, triumphs, and the unbreakable bonds that sustained them.

‘Letters from My Hymie’ is more than just a collection of wartime correspondence – it’s a powerful testament to family, faith, and the American dream. This remarkable story bridges generations, cultures, and continents, offering readers a deeply personal perspective on both World War II and the Jewish immigrant experience.

Pick up your copy of ‘Letters from My Hymie’ today and unlock a remarkable journey through history that will touch your heart and illuminate your understanding of the past.

https://amzn.to/411JFAN

Later he pioneered the field of environmental mediation and joined Hewlett Packard to help site new facilities after running a successful campaign for Governor Al Quie and John Connally’s Minnesota presidential campaign.

While at HP he was classically trained as an HP Product Manager and was then recruited by Apple to bring the first hard disk drive on a PC to market and later became the Apple /// Business Unit Manager at the same level as Steve Jobs.

He is the author of “Building Insanely Great Products,” “Organizing and Managing Insanely Great Products,” and the Wiley published “Successful Product Design and Management” all available now on Amazon plus Letters from My Hymie.

He has trained companies such as Cisco on product success worldwide.

His mission is to help products succeed.

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Letters from My Hymie by David Fradin

About Letters from My Hymie by David Fradin:

David Fradin was born and raised in Detroit during the automotive go go years of the 1950s and 60s. He attended the honors Cass Tech High School and the University of Michigan where he started the University of Michigan Flyers Club which has trained over 5000 pilots to date. There he also started a nationwide student organization to support the SuperSonic Transport (SST) called FASST for Fly America’s SST which later became Federation of Americans Supporting Science and Technology to counter on the nation’s campus’ the anti-technology movement of the early 1970s.

While at HP he was classically trained as an HP Product Manager during the 50 years that HP grew 20% a year. He was recruited by Apple to bring the first hard disk drive on a PC to market and later became the Apple /// Business Unit Manager at the same level as Steve Jobs by heading the Apple /// product line and providing the profits which helped fund the development of the Macintosh.

He has trained companies such as Cisco on product success worldwide.

His mission is to help products succeed.

He is a commercial pilot, flight instructor and advanced ground instructor in addition to a certified SCCA race driver and white water rafting guide.

Pick up your copy of ‘Letters from My Hymie’ today and unlock a remarkable journey through history that will touch your heart and illuminate your understanding of the past.

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The Pink Dress: A Memoir of a Reluctant Beauty Queen by Jane Little Botkin

The Pink Dress: A Memoir of a Reluctant Beauty Queen by Jane Little Botkin

For fans of Little Miss Sunshine and Secrets of Miss America, this memoir from a national award-winning author reveals the reality of being the first Guyrex Girl in the 1970s. Beauty pageant stories have never been this raw, this real.

Growing up in West Texas, Jane Little Botkin didn’t have designs on becoming a beauty queen. But not long after joining a pageant on a whim in college, she became the first protégé of El Paso’s Richard Guy and Rex Holt, known as the “Kings of Beauty”—just as the 1970’s counterculture movement began to take off.

A pink, rose-covered gown—a Guyrex creation—symbolizes the fairy tale life that young women in Jane’s time imagined beauty queens had. Its near destruction exposes reality: the author’s failed relationship with her mother, and her parents’ failed relationship with one another. Weaving these narrative threads together is the Wild West notion that anything is possible, especially do-overs.

The Pink Dress awakens nostalgia for the 1960s and 1970s, the era’s conflicts and growth pains. A common expectation that women went to college to get “MRS” degrees—to find a husband and become a stay-at-home wife and mother—often prevailed. How does one swim upstream against this notion among feminist voices that protest “If You Want Meat, Go to a Butcher!” at beauty pageants, two flamboyant showmen, and a developing awareness of self? Torn between women’s traditional roles and what women could be, Guyrex Girls evolved, as did the author.

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