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Fall Reading Challenge 2017 – Midterm Memoirs (spotlight, giveaway)
Love Warrior
written by Glennon Doyle
published by Flatiron Books, 2017
find it here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble, Amazon, iBooks, Target, Walmart, Book Depository, Goodreads
About the book – from Goodreads: #1 New York Times Bestseller
Oprah’s Book Club 2016 Selection
A memoir of marriage and self-discovery by bestselling author Glennon Doyle Melton, Love Warrior is a gorgeous and inspiring account of how we are all born to be warriors: strong, powerful, and brave; able to confront the pain and claim the love that exists for us all. This chronicle of a beautiful, brutal journey speaks to anyone who yearns for deeper, truer relationships and a more abundant, authentic life.
I’m The One Who Got Away
written by Andrea Jarrell
published by She Writes Press,
find it here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble, Amazon, iBooks, Target, Walmart, Book Depository, Goodreads
About the book – from Goodreads: When Andrea Jarrell was a girl, her mother often told her of their escape from Jarrell’s dangerous, cunning father as if it was a bedtime story. In this real-life Gilmore Girls story, mother and daughter develop an unusual bond, complicated by a cautionary tale of sexual desire and betrayal. Once grown, Jarrell thinks she’s put that chapter of her life behind her–until a woman she knows is murdered, and she suddenly sees how her mother’s captivating story has also held her captive, influencing her choices in lovers and friends. Set in motion by this murder, Jarrell’s compact memoir is about the difficulty that daughters have separating from–while still honoring–their mothers, and about the perils of breaking the hereditary cycle of addiction. It’s also about Jarrell’s quest to make a successful marriage and family of her own–a journey first chronicled in her “Modern Love” essay for The New York Times. Without preaching or prescribing, I’m the One Who Got Away is a life-affirming story of having the courage to become both safe enough and vulnerable enough to love and be loved.
But My Brain Had Other Ideas
written by Deb Brandon
published by She Writes Press, 2017
find it here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble, Amazon, iBooks, Walmart, Book Depository, Goodreads
About the book – from Goodreads: When Deb Brandon discovered that cavernous angiomas–tangles of malformed blood vessels in her brain–were behind the terrifying symptoms she’d been experiencing, she underwent one brain surgery. And then another. And then another. And that was just the beginning.
The book also includes an introduction by Connie Lee, founder and president of the Angioma Alliance. Unlike other memoirs that focus on injury crisis and acute recovery, But My Brain Had Other Ideas follows Brandon’s story all the way through to long-term recovery, revealing without sugarcoating or sentimentality Brandon’s struggles–and ultimate triumph.
Lost in the Reflecting Pool
written by Diane Pomerantz
published by She Writes Press, 2017
find it here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble, Amazon, iBooks, Walmart, Book Depository, Goodreads
About the book – from Goodreads: When Diane, a psychologist, falls in love with Charles, a charming and brilliant psychiatrist, there is laughter and flowers–and also darkness. After moving through infertility treatments and the trials of the adoption process as a united front, the couple is ultimately successful in creating a family. As time goes on, however, Charles becomes increasingly critical and controlling, and Diane begins to feel barraged and battered. When she is diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer, Charles is initially there for her, but his attentiveness quickly vanishes and is replaced by withdrawal, anger, and unfathomable sadism. What Diane previously thought were just Charles’ controlling ways are replaced by clear pathologic narcissism and emotional abuse that turns venomous at the very hour of her greatest need. A memoir and a psychological love story that is at times tender and at times horrifying, Lost in the Reflecting Pool is a chronicle of one woman’s struggle to survive within–and ultimately break free of–a relationship with a man incapable of caring about anyone beyond himself.
