Memoir – Page 3 – Book Reader Magazine

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College Life of a Retired Senior by Yvonne Blackwood

College Life of a Retired Senior by Yvonne Blackwood

A true story of a former bank manager’s experience as she returns to college in the third act of life to earn a degree in English. Seven years after she retires from the Royal Bank of Canada, ending a thirty-seven-year career, Yvonne Blackwood surprises her friends and family by returning to school at sixty-four. She craves knowledge and is motivated by four powerful reasons: to add texture to her writing; to ward off dementia by exercising her brain with her studies; to add ongoing structure to her life by attending classes regularly; to inspire her two young grandsons to attend university full-time when they graduate from high school. She writes, “What I didn’t know was how much the pursuit of the degree would inform me, challenge me, satisfy me, and drive me to consider giving up on more than one occasion.”
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Confronting Power and Chaos: the Uncharted Kaleidoscope of My Life

About Confronting Power and Chaos: the Uncharted Kaleidoscope of My Life:

~~~ “That one event, that one ten-minute car ride, radically bowled over my life’s kaleidoscope.”

What’s in a name?

Her trailblazer of a distant cousin forged a solitary, singular path during and after WWII. Unassuming and somewhat clueless, Christine eventually finds she has to do pretty much the same. A teen fully expecting her Midwestern life would be drab and ho-hum, she meets in Germany an elderly man who offered her a ride – and insight into a legacy she was going to rely on throughout her entire life.

Marrying the wrong guy, divorced, isolated, and responsible for four chronically ill children, she charged forward, brooking no fools to get her children the healthcare and education they richly deserved, even if that meant blackmailing the governor of Iowa. She took on the powers that be (including spooks invading her home for six months), while always striving for the career she pined for.

Throughout all the decades of financial and personal setbacks and the chaos that swirled around her, Christine’s legacy constantly beckoned her: to be worthy of that distant cousin, WWII’s most decorated courier, and of a timeless love story she witnessed.

Christine’s life journey, including her 12 years in Poland (her other homeland), is a stirring testament to determination, imagination, and the power of perseverance and of thinking out of the box.

~~~synopsis~~~

Confronting Power & Chaos: the Uncharted Kaleidoscope of My Life details how the impact of learning about my namesake and predecessor guided me through five decades of chaos. As a divorced, single parent, I had to deal with four chronically ill children, one of whom (my eldest daughter) developed the hormonal imbalance known as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I had to appeal to her as the woman of grace I saw her as, as she dealt with bulimia and anorexia and so many suicidal thoughts/attempts as a teen and young adult.

Once I got all four of my children through college, the Great Recession hit, and I lost my last American job and home. Because I had researched my predecessor’s life and interviewed her remaining WWII associates, my subsequent biopic screenplay led me to Poland, our ancestral homeland. There I was finally allowed to follow my once chosen career as an editor.

This book exposes all the power plays that were thrown at me and I had to overcome with the help of men who – for whatever reason – saw bits of my predecessor in me.

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The Hollywood Assistant: Life Below The Line by Micheal HaDera

The Hollywood Assistant: Life Below The Line by Micheal HaDera

Micheal HaDera’s The Hollywood Assistant: Life Below The Line is a shocking insider’s tale about the inner workings of one man’s life inside a major Hollywood production. He details the everyday trials and tribulations of a Hollywood producer assistant in full color, leaving no surprising detail, ridiculous request or scandalous event out, giving the reader insight into the multi-billion-dollar Hollywood machine that they would never find anywhere else. Including an Oscar winning actress, a Golden Globe winning actress and a pedophilic director, it is a truly unique tale that only someone in the business could provide. It will leave you shaking your head and looking at the next blockbuster movie you watch through a completely different set of eyes.

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This Masquerade by Sandra Wilson

About This Masquerade by Sandra Wilson:

“From Show-bands to Showdowns: Sandra Wilson’s ‘This Masquerade’ Chronicles a Life of Love, Crime, and Rock and Roll!” “This Masquerade, The True Story” – takes you on a journey of psychological struggle, leading to the discovery of personal strength, resilience, and pursuit of dreams. A powerful narrative non-fiction of Sex, Drugs, Crimes, and Rock and Roll
Unmask this unique true story of an aspiring rock singer who falls in love with a drummer she thought was her ticket into the music business during the 1970s. She soon learns there is more to this man than she bargained for. Naïve and unaware of what’s to come, she finds herself living on the edge, running from the law, as she holds on for dear life through dangerous trials and tribulations she had to face.

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U.S. Marine Vietnam Sacrifice

About U.S. Marine Vietnam Sacrifice:

U.S. Marine Vietnam Sacrifice is a memoir of Raymond Isaac Lindsey, a Vietnam veteran, and his experiences before, in and after the Vietnam War, written by his wife, Crystal Mary Lindsey. At nineteen, Raymond (Ray) often fought against children recruited by the Viet Cong. The experience left him with physical and mental injuries. His therapy and treatment in Japan caused more harm, and when he returned home, he experienced symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Despite having a loving family and friends, Ray felt like he was in another world most of the time, which affected his relationships. He could not sleep because of his narcolepsy, and when he finally closed his eyes, he had nightmares. Ray eventually met Crystal, an Australian nurse whose father had experienced PTSD. The two fell in love, and she brought light into his dark life and helped him confront his demons.

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A Cup of Tea on the Commode: My Multi-Tasking Adventures of Caring for Mom. And How I Survived to Tell the Tale by Mark Steven Porro

A Cup of Tea on the Commode: My Multi-Tasking Adventures of Caring for Mom. And How I Survived to Tell the Tale by Mark Steven Porro

Mark enjoyed his carefree bachelor’s life in Los Angeles. He had no steady girlfriend, no children, few responsibilities outside of work. But that all changed when “The Call” came. Genevieve, his eighty-nine-year-old mother, was on her deathbed. He rushed back to New Jersey to be by her side. Hours became days, days became weeks, then she woke up. So, he moved back into his childhood home and took over her care. His first task was to remove all hazards, which included the current caregivers.

After, Mark asked his mother, “Do you trust me?” She whispered, “Yes.” “Do you understand I will do everything in my power to keep you healthy and safe?” She smiled and nodded. “That means I’m in charge, and that means now you must obey me.” Her mood shifted in an instant. She looked him dead in the eye, then puckered up her lips. He wasn’t sure if this was a sign of surrender or one wishing him luck. He kissed her and hoped for the best.

The parent/child role reversal may not have been unique to Mark, but how he dealt with it was. One day, hoping to make Genevieve’s time on the commode a tad more pleasant, he offered her a cup of her favorite beverage. It was a hit, and a cup of tea on the commode became a staple on the morning menu, and the clear choice for the title of this intimate, funny, and heartwarming memoir of how eldercare can be done. This story is unexpected, hysterical, and life-affirming.

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A Cup of Tea on the Commode: My Multi-Tasking Adventures of Caring for Mom. And How I Survived to Tell the Tale

About A Cup of Tea on the Commode: My Multi-Tasking Adventures of Caring for Mom. And How I Survived to Tell the Tale:

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Rhapsody in Black: An Elena del Carral Mystery by María Elena Alonso-Sierra

Rhapsody in Black: An Elena del Carral Mystery by María Elena Alonso-Sierra

A different kind of cozy…

Elena del Carral has been invited to dance in a Gala Performance by none other than Derek Michaels, founder of the world-renowned Terpsichore Ballet in New York City. She’s also been invited to audition for Black Rhapsody, the unfinished ballet from the late choreographic master, René Fauchier. Delighted, Elena accepts the invitation, knowing this performance will enhance her career, not only as a principal dancer, but also as an up-and-coming choreographer, as well.

But Elena holds a secret, too, one which revolves around Black Rhapsody itself. Unfortunately, no one warned Elena, when she arrived in New York, that such revelation would spark a chain of events that would involve attempted murder and finding an almost dead body in the rehearsal hall.

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Love Changed Everything by Wallace E Briggs

Love Changed Everything by Wallace E Briggs

The Bridges family struggled to escape poverty because of Albert’s ill health. The children were happy until they realised they were deprived of the pleasures their friends enjoyed. But love surrounded and encouraged them every day of their childhood lives. Their days were filled with good times and adventures.
Eddie (the author), the eldest child of four, suffered at the hands of the bullies. But his father showed him how to stand up for himself. Albert taught his children that success could come even after multiple failures if they kept trying. But when he had a lung removed, he lost his job and their home. The family moved in with Grandma in her terraced house in the Colliery village of Browney. Gran was already caring for her divorced daughter’s family of three young men. Somehow, they managed to coexist for over a year.
A few months later, Albert’s family was rehoused in a new housing development in Brandon and their first home with hot water and an indoor loo; what luxury. Eddie was training to become an unpaid Minister in the Independent Methodist Movement. His girlfriend, Doreen, for eighteen months, was the daughter of one of the Senior Ministers in the circuit of six chapels.
When Eddie met Pam, he was employed as a University Junior Technician, and his life was turned upside down. Cupid’s arrow flew and lodged so deep that the warnings of his friends in the Chapel never got past his ears. The pair were immediately smitten; nothing could part the young lovers. Eddie was not immediately aware that this was the girl he used to walk home with many years ago, on a common route from different schools.
It was hard to break off with Doreen and even more difficult to heed the warnings of his associates in the chapel community. Pam was a Roman Catholic, and he was warned that their faiths were incompatible.
After purposely underperforming at school GCE ‘O’ level, because otherwise, his parents would have insisted he continue studying for ‘A’ levels, with more expense, Eddie chose to earn, to make a much-needed financial contribution and to study part-time at night school. After six years, he gained HNC level Chemistry certification and could have been awarded an Associate Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chemistry but. he was invited to take up a career in Technical Sales by a National supplier of scientific products and instrumentation. For the first time ever, Eddie could afford to purchase a desired item instead of having to save to acquire a necessary or needed object. Within a year, he and Pam had secured a mortgage on their first home and never looked back.
As in most partnerships, there were ups and downs, but love always got them through the sticky patches. Eddie and Pam are approaching their diamond wedding anniversary in September 2024.
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Beautifully Broken (A Novel) by Jack Keeton

Beautifully Broken (A Novel) by Jack Keeton

Jack will break your heart. But his own heart and soul remain intact, guarded by a hedge of protection placed by his beloved grandmother Sylvania not long before he was born.

Sylvania’s protection is with him during extreme abuse and poverty in mid-century Appalachia. It teaches him to detach and find his angels; never allowing him to lose his faith.

In this fictional coming-of-age story based loosely on the author’s life, we watch Jack grow from a young, neglected boy to a successful man, grateful for the hardships that set him on the path to where he is now.

A tale of faith and love, strength and survival, Beautifully Broken will renew your own convictions in the power of redemption and the tenderness that reaches across generations.

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Always Ahead: 12 Striking Stories of Determination, Commitment, and Inspiration in Pursuit of Success and Freedom by Oleg Bortman

Always Ahead: 12 Striking Stories of Determination, Commitment, and Inspiration in Pursuit of Success and Freedom by Oleg Bortman

Discover heartfelt, honest, and relatable tales that will help you turn your past into a future of happiness, success, and wealth.
Are you tired of hearing about billionaires who “work hard” using generational wealth that was handed to them on a silver platter?

Do you want to connect with genuine people from humble beginnings who prove that your start in life doesn’t determine your success?

Are you looking for your sign to help you figure out what your next steps are, and how you can ensure that you succeed?

Then keep reading…

Imagine you’ve won the Golden Ticket. You’ve spent weeks lining up outside the store to be the first customer in. You’ve invested each day in a new bar, hoping that this one will be your lucky break.

And there it is, finally in your hands. You’ve unwrapped that chocolate bar and the glistening color of reward is shining back at you. It’s a pretty good feeling. As though your troubles have melted away and you can relax knowing that you have made it.

Now imagine that you’ve won 12 tickets. 12 invaluable tickets that will help you carve out your path and make your mark upon this world in any way of your choosing.

This book can give you just that. Discover 12 real-life stories from inspirational people who made their way in the world to achieve that sense of peace through success.

Use their ‘Golden-ticket’ advice to mentor and guide you as you navigate a difficult global climate that seems almost impossible to leave a lasting impression on.

Understand just what it takes to really be the best, and unwrap tips to help you outshine the competition and finally achieve that all-illusive American Dream.

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Expat Alien

About Expat Alien:

My book, Expat Alien, is a memoir. It takes the reader through the ups and downs of growing up without roots. We moved often and traveled constantly. Growing up as a Third Culture Kid, or TCK or Global Nomad, meant constantly adapting and adjusting to new places and new people and saying good bye to close friends.

By the time I was 18, I had lived on 5 continents. When I started college in California, I talked about traveling around Europe, seeing the sites from London to Athens, hiking up Swiss mountains, and living in Africa. I had survived a plane crash, a coup d’stat in Burma, earthquakes in Mexico, driven through the Andes in Colombia and fought off army ants in Nigeria. My college peers talked about football games, high school proms and television shows I had never heard of. I could not relate to them and they thought I was bragging about all the places I had been. To them I was like a space alien landing in their dorm room and talking about visiting the rings of Saturn.

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College Life of a Retired Senior by Yvonne Blackwood

College Life of a Retired Senior by Yvonne Blackwood

“Blackwood’s appealing attitude and resilience keep readers turning pages, rooting for her success. Ultimately, this is an inspiring story of an older woman’s quest for knowledge. A Reader’s Guide is included to spark discussion.”—Blueink Review.
Seven years after she retired from a lengthy career in banking, Yvonne Blackwood surprised her friends and family by returning to school at age sixty-four to pursue an English degree. Her purpose was fueled by four powerful reasons—to add texture to her writing; to ward off dementia; to enhance structure in her life; and to inspire her two young grandsons to continue their education after high school. But as she stepped onto the campus of Canada’s third-largest university, Blackwood had no idea of the hurdles she was about to face.
In a retelling of her journey into a new beginning, Blackwood details how, after enrolling in York University, she struggled to maintain her established lifestyle, attend class with hard-to-connect-with millennials, and face a series of challenges that included two strikes at the university, a campus lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a shocking health diagnosis in her final year of studies. While leaning on the university’s motto—the way must be tried—Blackwood tells an inspiring story of how she persevered and learned to rely on her faith as she bravely conquered her fears and vulnerabilities to eventually achieve her goal.
College Life of a Retired Senior is a true story of a former bank manager’s experience as she returned to college in the third act of life to earn a degree in English.

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3mph: The Adventures of One Woman’s Walk Around the World by Polly Letofsky

3mph: The Adventures of One Woman’s Walk Around the World by Polly Letofsky

Polly Letofsky left her Colorado home and headed west across 4 continents and over 14,000 miles–by foot–to become the first woman to walk around the world. In a spirit of adventure, along with the goal of raising global awareness for breast cancer, strangers welcomed her into their homes. The world had embraced her. But in the middle of Polly’s journey, 9/11 flung us all into a crossroads in world history, and she found herself navigating a vastly changing world.

Polly’s GlobalWalk has been featured in over 2,000 newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations around the world including Good Housekeeping, CNN International, The CBS Early Show, NBC’s Your Total Health, and Fine Living Channel’s Radical Sabbatical. A documentary entitled Polly’s GlobalWalk has been released by Newcastle Productions.

In 3mph she richly details her journey with humor and honest reflection, the good times and the hardships. Sometimes serious, sometimes funny, but always inspirational, her story encourages us all to take on our biggest challenges–one step at a time.

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Don’t Poke the Bear, A Memoir About Recovering from Abuse by a Narcissist by Maria Schmeig

Don’t Poke the Bear, A Memoir About Recovering from Abuse by a Narcissist by Maria Schmeig

Maria Schmeig’s harrowing tale begins with “This nightmare ends today,” and for anyone who has experienced the torment of emotional abuse, her story offers hope and healing.

At age 29, Maria believed she had discovered her soul mate, and a whirlwind romance led to marriage. However, the blissful façade soon crumbled, revealing a narcissistic husband who unleashed an onslaught of mistreatment upon her. For a staggering twenty-eight years, Maria endured this emotional anguish, but her unwavering resilience ultimately set her free.

In Don’t Poke the Bear, Maria candidly recounts her tumultuous marriage to a narcissist. She details the challenges of raising three children in an environment fraught with the need to tread cautiously, never certain when the next rage would ensue. She sheds light on the manipulation and gaslighting she endured from her spouse and reflects on her coping mechanisms. Her perpetual bewilderment at her spouse’s violent outbursts was a constant companion until she recognized the narcissistic pattern. This memoir chronicles her journey from the initial love-bombing to the heart-wrenching ultimate discard. It describes the exhilaration of early romance, the long, dark years of abuse and finally the protracted, bitterly contentious divorce, a grueling process exacerbated by her spouse’s unyielding intransigence, which stretched over two excruciating years.

Throughout her ordeal, Maria found solace in her supportive family, particularly her three now-adult children, and her unwavering faith. Don’t Poke the Bear is not just Maria’s story; it echoes the experiences of countless other victims. It stands as a testament to the resilience required during life’s darkest hours and the unwavering courage it takes to break free from the chains of abuse.

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College Life of a Retired Senior by Yvonne Blackwood

College Life of a Retired Senior by Yvonne Blackwood

Seven years after she retired from the Royal Bank of Canada, ending a thirty-seven-year career, Yvonne Blackwood surprised her friends and family by returning to school to pursue an English degree. She craves knowledge and is motivated by four powerful reasons: To add texture to her writing; to ward off dementia by exercising her brain muscles with her studies; to add ongoing structure to her life by attending classes regularly; to inspire her two young grandsons to attend university full-time when they graduate from high school.

Blackwood attends Canada’s third-largest university and struggles with maintaining her established lifestyle, being in class with hard-to-connect-with millennials, and a shocking diagnosis in her final year. She stumbles upon several obstacles in her quest to earn the degree. They include two strikes at the university, one lasting 143 days; the lockdown of the campus when the WHO declares COVID-19 a pandemic; and hospitalization. The university’s motto is Tentanda Via—”the way must be tried.” Blackwood weaves this theme and the metaphor of climbing a mountain into the narrative as her guiding light. When some situations become almost unbearable, and she thinks of quitting, she perseveres, relying on her faith. She writes, “What I didn’t know was how much the pursuit of the degree would inform me, challenge me, satisfy me, and drive me to consider giving up on more than one occasion.”
Blueink Review writes: “Blackwood’s appealing attitude and resilience keep readers turning pages, rooting for her success. Ultimately, this is an inspiring story of an older woman’s quest for knowledge. A Reader’s Guide is included to spark discussion.”
eBook discounted at $2.99

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600 Devils

About 600 Devils:

45 years later, a spiritually tormented smuggler reveals his shocking secret life. Born in a refugee camp, the author sidestepped hallucinogens, gangsters, law enforcement and conmen, graduating from pot dealer to personal gopher for a world-class smuggler to an undercover operative for an “adjunct arm” of the U.S. government. Marjan’s path took him to places he really didn’t need to be long before he arrived.

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