Category Archives: Autobiography and Memoir

Irresistible Calling Cover

Review: Irresistible Calling by Sean Mitchell

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About the book, Irresistible Calling Irresistible Calling Cover

  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 15, 2025
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 302 pages

Sean Mitchell was teaching English at a private school in Ohio when the New Journalism piqued his interest and lured him toward a profession that was much harder to crack than he imagined. After an editor in Washington, D.C. finally gave him a chance, he found a calling that would require and reveal multiple skills: editing an “underground” newspaper in his hometown of Dallas, writing magazine length stories about long distance truckers and Z.Z. Top, serving as the Dallas Times Herald’s first rock critic and then its theatre critic, winning national recognition for his reviews.

Moving to Los Angeles to cover Hollywood for the strangely singular and doomed Herald Examiner and then the Los Angeles Times, he profiled stars like Clint Eastwood, Ann-Margret and his irascible former St. Mark’s School of Texas soccer teammate Tommy Lee Jones. While examining the nation’s preoccupation with celebrity, he wondered if journalists like him were part of the problem or part of the solution?

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About the author, Sean Mitchell

Sean Mitchell grew up in Dallas, where he was editor of the city’s first alternative weekly, then a reporter and cultural critic for the Dallas Times Herald, before moving to Los Angeles to cover Hollywood for the Herald Examiner and Los Angeles Times. A graduate of St. Mark’s School of Texas and Brown University, he has also worked as an English teacher, videographer, and designer of custom wood fences.

My Thoughts MAB-2025

Some memoirs are pleasant enough to skim with a cup of coffee. This one? I devoured it in a single greedy gulp. Irresistible Calling is witty, engaging, and brimming with the kind of lived-in detail that makes you laugh, tear up, and—without even noticing—learn a lot.

Sean Mitchell may technically be a boomer, but his story is timeless. This GenXer found myself nodding along, hooked from page one. He opens in childhood, when a glossy holiday travel magazine inspired his parents to trade a fading Bethlehem, Pennsylvania steel town for the sun-soaked suburbs of Dallas. The 1950s details are spot-on, yet instantly relatable: family yearning for more, neighbors measuring success in conformity, and kids caught in the in-between.

Mitchell’s own path takes him from a prestigious Dallas boy’s school (where he forged friendships with classmates like Tommy Lee Jones) to college during the heyday of the 1960s, and eventually into journalism. His career arc—covering theater, film, and music in D.C., Dallas, and Los Angeles—offers a front-row seat to cultural history. The Hollywood interviews sparkle, but it’s his long, thorny, and wildly entertaining relationship with Jones that steals the show.

Threaded through the anecdotes is a thoughtful meditation on American life: the promise and collapse of the counterculture, the longing of his parents for “something more,” and his own drive to make a mark in the shifting world of newspapers. I especially loved his mother’s journey toward joy and passion, and felt the weight of his father’s quiet disappointment.

Mitchell writes with humor, candor, and a critic’s eye for the telling detail. The result is more than one man’s life story—it’s a cultural time capsule of America from the 1950s through the 1980s.

Verdict: Highly recommended for fans of memoirs, American cultural history, or simply anyone who appreciates a smart, funny, beautifully written life story.

Goes well with: A bottomless diner mug of coffee and a Sunday paper, spread all over the table.

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Review: The Barber, the Astronaut, and the Golf Ball

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04 BNR The Barber, The Astronaut, and The Golf Ball (1920 x 1005 px)

 

About the book, The Barber, the Astronaut, and the Golf Ball 04 BAGB Cover

  • Genre: Biography / Golf / Space Travel
  • Publisher: Stoney Creek Publishing
  • Pages: 202
  • Publication Date: September 17, 2024
  • Scroll down for giveaway.

In 1971, famed astronaut Alan Shepard returned from the moon and went to get a haircut. Before settling into the barber’s chair in Webster, Texas, near NASA’s Mission Control, Shepard gave his longtime barber and friend, Carlos Villagomez, an autographed golf ball.

During his Apollo 14 moonwalk, Shepard had conducted a world-famous demonstration of gravity by hitting a golf ball in an out-of-this-world sand trap. It took him two tries.

Carlos, a Navy combat veteran and barber for numerous astronauts, says Shepard gave him the ball immediately after he returned to earth and was released from quarantine.
Had Shepard taken a third ball to the moon? And did he give it to his barber as a token of their long friendship?

The debate provides a backdrop for The Barber, The Astronaut, and The Golf Ball, a story of two extraordinary men and their lasting friendship. The book offers a rare glimpse behind the scenes of America’s space program at its pinnacle and shows the ordinary people who supported one of the nation’s most monumental scientific endeavors.

Praise for The Barber, The Astronaut, and The Golf Ball:

It’s perfect!! Barbara and Ed capture Daddy and his long friendship with Carlos. —Laura Shepard, Daughter of Alan Shepard

Brings back the glory days of the U.S. Space Program and the importance of the “little people” who made it happen.  We see stern Shepard in a new and admirable light – in Shepard’s high regard for the vast team of dedicated supporters who enabled astronauts to succeed. —Charlie Duke, Apollo Astronaut

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About the authors, Barbara Radofsky & Ed Supkis, MD 04 Author photo Barbara Radnofsky

Barbara Radnofsky and Ed Supkis grew up in the 1960s in the shadow of NASA’s

Manned Spacecraft Center and married in 1982. They have three children and five

grandchildren. The couple —with many other community members — are co-owners of

Brazos Bookstore, an independent bookseller. As children of NASA scientists, Barbara, and Ed had front-row seats to the development of the space program and the community built around it on rural cow pastures near Webster, Texas. 04 Author Photo - edited

Barbara Radnofsky is a writer, mediator, teacher and lawyer. She’s the author of A Citizen’s Guide to Impeachment, a nonpartisan explanation of U.S. constitutional impeachment history and practice.

Ed Supkis, MD is a board-certified anesthesiologist specializing in cardiac anesthesia. He served as Director of Quality Assurance for the Division of Anesthesiology and as Medical Director of Respiratory Care for the Division of Surgery and Anesthesiology.

Connect with Barbara and Ed:

TWITTER ◆ AMAZON ◆ GOODREADS

Connect with Stoney Creek Publishing

FACEBOOK ◆ INSTAGRAM ◆ X/TWITTER ◆ YOUTUBE ◆ LINKEDIN

My Thoughts MAB-Summer24

I’m a space junky. More than that, I’m a great fan of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions. I’ve read memoirs of the various astronauts, and devoured Andrew Chaikin’s book A Man on the Moon cover to cover… twice. So when I got the chance to review The Barber, the Astronaut, and the Golf Ball saying yes was a no-brainer.

 

I was not disappointed. Authors Barbara Radnofsky and Ed Supkis have done a deep dive into   history and the interwined stories of Al Shepard, astronaut, and Carlos Villagomez, barber, and the autographed golf ball that may or may not have traveled to the moon and back is the delightful result.

 

More than addressing the debate about the origins of Villagomez’s prized souvenir, this book gives us an insider’s view of two men, one lauded as a cultural hero, the other who was mostly behind-the-scenes, and the very real friendship they shared.

 

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We don’t celebrate men’s friendship enough, but this book does that. It also humanizes Shepard, a complicated man at best, in a way that other biographies and memoirs haven’t been able to do. The Al Shepard in this book is more than a stereotype, but a dynamic, flawed but still exceptional, human being.

 

If you love stories about the space program and the Apollo missions, you will love this book. If you enjoy historical anecdotes, you will enjoy this book. And if you like to get to know our cultural heroes as dimensional beings, you will appreciate this book. I know I did.

 

Goes well with hot dogs and Tang orange drink.

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How to Avoid Book 2

Extract: How to Avoid Getting Mugged in Rio de Janeiro by Singing Songs by The Police and Other Lesser Known Travel Tips by Simon Yeats

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How to Avoid Getting Mugged in Rio de Janeiro

 

About the book, How to Avoid Getting Mugged in Rio De Janeiro by Singing Songs from the Police How to Avoid Book 2
and Other Lesser Known Travel Tips

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (December 2, 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 250 pages

Australian author Simon Yeats, who from an early age learned that the best way to approach the misfortunes of this world is to laugh about it.

Simon shares his comedic insights into the unusual and uproarious elements of living life as an Aussie ex-pat and having a sense of Wanderlust as pervasive as the Bubonic Plague in the 1300s.

From what to do when several people converge to rob you after midnight on a deserted Copacabana Beach, to how to save the Sierra Mountain Range from a wildfire outbreak due to a lack of quality toilet paper, to where not to go in Tijuana when trying to locate the origins to stories of the city’s mythical adult entertainment, to how to save yourself from drowning when caught in a storm while sailing off the California coast.

Simon Yeats has gone into the world and experienced all the out of the ordinary moments for you to sit back and enjoy the experience without the need to lose an eye or damage your liver.

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK) | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About the author, Simon Yeats How to Avoid author image

Simon Yeats has lived nine lives, and by all estimations, is fast running out of the number he has left. His life of globetrotting the globe was not the one he expected to lead. He grew up a quiet, shy boy teased by other kids on the playgrounds for his red hair. But he developed a keen wit and sense of humor to always see the funnier side of life.

With an overwhelming love of travel, a propensity to find trouble where there was none, and being a passionate advocate of mental health, Simon’s stories will leave a reader either rolling on the floor in tears of laughter, or breathing deeply that the adventures he has led were survived.

No author has laughed longer or cried with less restraint at the travails of life.

Connect with Simon:

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Read an Extract from How to Avoid Getting Mugged in Rio…

I spend my first night in the USA, in a downtown Los Angeles motel, wrapped in a wet blanket of fear, dismayed I have been dropped onto the set of a dystopian film. The land of the free and the home of always needing to defend myself with a gun. In November 1988, I was only 20. Timid and naïve, but taking life by the short and curlys, venturing to another country on my own. In a group, but by myself in that group. Everyone else on the university work exchange heads to the US that Northern Hemisphere winter/Southern Hemisphere summer with a companion. Except for one other guy in the 30 strong party, Dohers. I will get to him later. This is my coming-of-age experiment. I will have to dig deep inside me to find the character to survive three months in the US, or else I will turn tail and jump on the first plane home.

On that first night in the city of angels, a return flight was looking awfully tempting.

Our downtown motel looks like a block from Skid Row. I had never seen a homeless person before in my life. I naively thought that spending 20 minutes sitting on the sidewalk at the end of my parent’s driveway when I ran away from home qualified as having been homeless for periods of my youth. Every time I venture out to go to the nearby diner to eat, I am evading homeless people pushing shopping carts like a game of Frogger.

Making the USA my first port of call as an independent overseas traveler, after just one week-long ski trip to Thredbo on the solo, is as nerve-wracking as being asked to fill in on lead guitar for The Rolling Stones after one guitar lesson.

“Hey kid. I heard you plucking on those strings, and you’ve got potential. I need you to fill in on the opening night of The Stones’ Voodoo Lounge Tour in Springfield. Keith Richards has…”

“… Keith Richards has died?”

“Keith Richards. Dead? Fuck no. That bastard will still be kicking long after you are pushing up daisies, my friend. No, Keith wanted to be at the birth of his 76th illegitimate child, so he asked if I could find a replacement for him for the one night.”

“Wow. Do you think I am up for it?”

“Not by a long shot. But Mick Jagger will get a kick out of watching you squirm.”

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We Burned Our Boats

Review: We Burned Our Boats, by Karen Jones Gowen

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About the book, We Burned Our Boats We Burned Our Boats

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ WiDo Publishing (January 18, 2024)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 306 pages

Bruce and Karen Gowen are facing a retirement that neither one wants. Bruce can’t imagine life without employment. Karen wants change, adventure, a chance to spread her wings and fly away after thirty years of raising their large family.

Their opportunity comes in a way they can both helping their daughter and son-in-law with a hotel project in Panajachel, Guatemala.

Never ones to do anything halfway, the Gowens sell everything, including one of their businesses. What they can’t sell, they give away. With their worldly possessions down to two checked bags and two carry-ons each, they fly one way to Guatemala City. Then on to Panajachel, a tourist town on scenic Lake Atitlan, in the southern highlands of Guatemala.

Here they begin their new life, a time filled with incredible experiences, tough challenges, and unexpected adventure in one of the most beautiful settings on earth. A place where the Maya culture permeates the land. A land and people that will transform anyone fortunate enough to encounter the magic of these hills in Guatemala.

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About the author, Karen Jones Gowen Karen Jones Gowan

Born and raised in central Illinois, Karen attended Northern Illinois University in DeKalb and the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. She transferred to Brigham Young University, where she met her husband Bruce, and there graduated with a degree in English and American Literature.

Karen and Bruce have lived in Utah, Illinois, California and Washington, currently residing in Panajachel, Guatemala. They are the parents of ten children. Not surprisingly, family relationships are a recurring theme in Karen’s writing.

My Thoughts MelissaBartell - photo

Many people – me included – fantasize about giving up everything we know and going on a mad adventure in another place. Most of us never do so, but Brian and Karen Gowen did, and their story is chronicled in We Burned Our Boats.

Part adventure-travel memoir, part personal examination, part analysis of a marriage and a life, the Gowens’ story has it all: love, fear, courageous acts, and international intrigue. Okay, maybe more like being intrigued by new customs and habits. It’s an easy read, and very vividly related. Karen’s writing makes you feel like you’re with them on their journey.

I’ve never really considered relocating to Guatemala (my fantasies typically involve Fez or Marrakech), but this book made me almost – almost – consider it.

I recommend We Burned our Boats to anyone who loves memoirs or travel, or travel-memoirs.

Goes well with tostadas and Moza dark lager.

Prairie Man Cover

Review: Prairie Man: My Little House Life & Beyond by Dean Butler

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I recently had the chance to read the digital ARC of Dean Butler’s forthcoming book, Prairie Man: My Little House Life & Beyond.  As someone who grew up watching the series (it was appointment viewing for our family) and eventually married a real Prairie Man of my own, I was excited to read this book. Thanks to Kensington Publishing Corp. and NetGalley for the opportunity.

About the book, Prairie Man: My Little House Life & Beyond Prairie Man Cover

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Citadel (June 25, 2024)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 288 pages

An illuminating, insider’s journey through the world of Little House on the Prairie and beyond, from Dean Butler, who starred as Almanzo Wilder, the man Laura “Half Pint” Ingalls married—on the iconic show still beloved by millions of fans as it reaches its 50th anniversary.

With a foreword from Melissa Gilbert (Laura) and Alison Arngrim (Nellie)!

Cast just before his twenty-third birthday, Dean Butler joined Little House on the Prairie halfway through its run, gaining instant celebrity and fans’ enduring affection. Ironically, when the late, great Michael Landon remarked that Little House would outlive everyone involved in making it, Butler deemed it unlikely. Yet for four decades and counting, Butler has been defined in the public eye as Almanzo Wilder—a role he views as the great gift of his life.

Butler had been cast as a romantic lead before, notably in the made-for-TV movie of Judy Blume’s Forever, opposite Stephanie Zimbalist. But Little House was, and remains, one of the most treasured shows in television history. As the eventual husband of Laura “Half-pint” Ingalls—and the man who would share actress Melissa Gilbert’s first real-life romantic kiss—Butler landed as a central figure for the show’s devoted fans.

Now, with wit and candor, Butler recounts his passage through the Prairie, sharing stories and anecdotes of the remarkable cast who were his on-screen family. But that was merely the beginning of a diverse career that includes Broadway runs and roles on two other classic shows—Moondoggie in The New Gidget and Buffy’s ne’er-do-well father, Hank, in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Coming of age during a golden era of entertainment, Butler has evolved along with it, and today enjoys success and fulfillment as a director and producer—notably of NBC Golf’s Feherty—while remaining deeply loyal to Little House.

The warmth, heart, and decency that fans of Laura and Almanzo fell in love with on Little House echo through this uplifting memoir, a story, in Butler’s words, about “good luck, good television, and the very good—if gloriously imperfect—people who made it so.”

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About the author, Dean Butler Dean Butler by Michael Roud(1)

Dean Butler is an actor, writer, director, and producer best known to television audiences all over the world for his portrayal of Almanzo Wilder on the long‑running series Little House on the Prairie, based on the iconic Little House books written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. On the other side of the camera Dean produced 80 episodes over 10 seasons of NBC Golf Channel’s Emmy nominated series, Feherty. Dean currently lives with his family in California.

Connect with Dean:

Website | Cameo | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

My Thoughts MelissaBartell - photo

As a lifelong fan of all things Laura Ingalls Wilder (though my first loyalty is to the books), the television show Little House on the Prairie was an important part of my childhood, partly because I share a first name with two of the leads, and partly because I have fond memories of watching it with my mother. (I was born in 1970 -years before the show – so, no, I was NOT named after either of those two famous Melissas). I remember being giddy with joy when the character of Almanzo Wilder was finally added to the show, and, as I’ve shared with more than one person, I remember getting permission from my mother to do my homework in front of the TV (during commercials) so I wouldn’t miss a minute of the two-part episode where Laura and her “Manly” get married.

Needless to say, I’ve read all of the memoirs from various cast members, all women – until now – and I was excited to learn about this memoir.

I was not disappointed. Author Dean Butler is honest in the way he shares his story, and the tone is down to earth. Early in the text he mentions that a common attitude in his family is that of “modest pride,” and that really fits Butler – at least as he portrays himself here – perfectly.

If you’re expecting a salacious tell-all, this is not the book for you. Butler says himself that not all stories need to be told. So when discussing the relationship that ended in his first marriage, he withholds the woman’s name. I respect him for that.  He’s not a saint. He’s made human mistakes and has human flaws. And yet, he’s one of the good guys.

A through-line of Butler’s story is that his role as an actor -and in life – is to be the guy who supports a young actress, and it’s a role he’s particularly good at. From Forever (yes, there was a movie based on Judy Blume’s infamous young adult novel), to Little House, to The New Gidget, and even to Buffy the Vampire Slayer Dean made his name as the good guy the heroine could count on. (We don’t count the nightmare version of Hank Summers – that was fiction within fiction.)

When his career turned from being in front of the cameras to being a documentarian, writing, narrating, producing, and editing, it seems as if Butler found his true niche. He’s been a champion of the real Almanzo Wilder’s story, carried the torch for the Laura Ingalls Wilder legacy, and become half the heart of contemporary Little House fandom (Alison Arngrim is the other half).  He spent years producing a talk show for the Golf Channel. He comes across as a thoughtful, self-aware man who has access to an incredible platform, and uses it for good.

They say that you should never meet your heroes. Butler himself recounts more than one encounter with someone he admired that did not go well. I haven’t met him, but if this book is anything to judge by, Dean Butler is exactly the person he seems to be. If you want to read a memoir that will shock you with secrets and harsh truths, go read anything Carrie Fisher wrote – she was candid and hilarious in her writing. If you want a fairly accurate portrait of one of Hollywood’s genuine “nice guys,” especially if you’re a fan of Little House on the Prairie, you’ll find Prairie Man a satisfying read.

Goes well with: cinnamon chicken (but personally I prefer shawarma).

 

 

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Review: This Familiar Heart by Babette Fraser Hale

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BNR This Familiar Heart

 

About the book, This Familiar Heart Cover This Familiar Heart

  • Genre: Memoir / Relationships / Aging / Grief
  • Publisher: Winedale Publishing
  • Date of Publication: April 2, 2024
  • Number of Pages: 312 pages

In this intimate rendering of a relationship, we learn how deceptive surface impressions can be.

Leon Hale, author of Bonney’s Place, was sixty years old, a “country boy” who wrote about rural Texans with humor and sensitivity in his popular column for The Houston Post and, later the Houston Chronicle. Babette Fraser at thirty-six was a child of privilege, a city girl educated abroad, struggling in her career while raising a young son. No one thought it could work.

Even Hale himself held serious doubts. But it did endure. The interior congruencies they discovered through a long and turbulent courtship knit them tightly together for the rest of his life.

And when he died during the Pandemic isolation period, searing levels of grief and doubt threatened Babette’s understanding of the partnership and marriage that had sustained her for forty years. Had he really been the person she thought he was? Had he kept secrets that would forever change her view of him?

In candid, evocative prose, she explores the distorted perceptions that often follow the death of a cherished spouse, and the loving resolution that allows life to go on.

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Amazon | TAMU Press | Goodreads

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About the author, Babette Fraser Hale Author Photo Hale

Babette Fraser Hale is the author of A Wall of Bright Dead Feathers, 2022 winner of the debut fiction award from the Texas Institute of Letters. Her stories have received notice from Best American Short Stories, 2015 and the Meyerson Award from Southwest Review. In addition to writing fiction, Babette has been a magazine feature writer, columnist, contributing editor, book editor, and publisher. She lives in Texas.

Connect with Babette:

Blog | Goodreads | Facebook | Amazon

My Thoughts MelissaBartell - photo

Reviewing memoirs – especially deeply personal stories like This Familiar Heart – can be tricky. Too easily we fall into the habit of judging the life and choices presented to us. But this isn’t fiction, and cannot be examined the same way.

If this book were fiction, it would be an amazing story. The characters are erudite and earthy at once, and the pace of this love story is perfect. The author draws you in as her tale goes spiraling from a letter to meeting to several more encounters, to sex and love and a partnership that is ended by death and grief.

But since this book, this story, is a memoir, I won’t talk more about the events, but rather the way author Babette Fraser Hale has chosen to present them, which she has done beautifully.

I loved the way she told her origin story with the man who preferred to be called “Hale,” rather than his first name, as a creative non-fiction exercise, interspersed with her notes from the perspective of “after.” The noted are italicized so you cannot mistake them for the narrative, but they do more than add future knowledge. They color the narrative with all the years, experiences, and feelings since the initial occurrences.

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Babette’s (I use her first name to distinguish her from the Hale she writes about) language is also beautiful, full of evocative phrases like, “The day spreads out around them as they walk,” or “His mouth and tongue study her body, but it is in no way enough, and it is also too much,” and “We have been erased, as completely as our house itself, or more completely, perhaps.”

This is the kind of writing that inspires me to wander around the house reading passages aloud to my husband, the dogs, myself – it doesn’t matter. This is the kind of writing that sits with you, long after you’ve finished.

So, while this story, which begins with two people falling in love and ends with love torn apart, covers some decidedly not-beautiful details – death is never pretty – the book itself is beautiful. And brilliant. 

Goes well with: canned soup and candlelight.

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04/16/24 Jennie Reads Review
04/16/24 Hall Ways Blog BONUS Stop
04/17/24 Chapter Break Book Blog Book Trailer
04/17/24 LSBBT Blog BONUS Stop
04/18/24 The Real World According to Sam Review
04/19/24 Book Fidelity Review
04/20/24 It’s Not All Gravy Review
04/21/24 StoreyBook Reviews Excerpt
04/22/24 Bibliotica Review
04/23/24 Boys’ Mom Reads Review
04/24/24 Carpe Diem Chronicles Review
04/25/24 The Plain-Spoken Pen Review

 

 

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Review: Kookaburras, Cuppas, and Kangaroos

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Kookaburras Cuppas & Kangaroos

 

About the Book, Kookaburras, Cuppas, & Kangaroos: Adventures of a Yorkshire Lass Down Under in the ’60s Cover Kookaburras

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (December 12, 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 260 pages

 

Fueled by her spirit for adventure and with her £10.00 ticket in hand, Elizabeth Isle leaves 1960s England, determined to see it all, not just Australia and New Zealand, but as much as she can on the way, too. She surrenders her passport to the Australian government and must find work to support herself on the other side of the world from her family and friends.

There can be no going back for two years. Join this intrepid young woman on the adventure of her lifetime. Share her amazing experiences, discover what exotic animals await, get travel tips and meet her new friends through her letters home and over plenty of cups of tea.

Beware – the travel bug might prove infectious!

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Purchase Link | Goodreads

About the Author, S. Bavey Sue

Sue Bavey (writing as S. Bavey) a British mother of two teenagers, now living in Franklin, Massachusetts, having moved to the US in 2003. Writing as S. Bavey, she won a gold award from Readers’ Favorite for her grandfather’s biography: Lucky Jack (1894 – 2000), which she wrote during COVID lockdown. She also has a number of non-fiction stories published in various anthologies.

Kookaburras, Cuppas & Kangaroos is the story of her late mother’s emigration from Yorkshire to Australia in 1960 for three years, told via airmail letters and travel diary entries.

A free prequel to Kookaburras, Cuppas & Kangaroos”, called “A Yorkshire Lass: The Early Years” is available for free download from www.suebavey.com.

Connect with Sue:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter)

My Thoughts MelissaBartell - photo

This memoir-once-removed tells the story of the author’s mother, Elizabeth Isle who participated in the Assisted Passenger Program which encouraged emigration to Australia in the 1960s.

Told mainly in epistolary format, the writing of which were sustained by endless cups of tea,  it’s a delightful tale of a wide-eyed young woman on her first travel adventures, from innocence to awareness personally and culturally.

I enjoyed reading about the universal experiences that Elizabeth had – driving her (affectionate) uncle’s car, searching for a job that would be fulfilling but also allow time and money for explorations, and making new friends.

I also appreciated the glimpses of what life was like in the Australia of the 1960s. As someone from a similarly “young” country, the parallels and differences between the United States and Australia have always fascinated me, and seeing the latter through Elizabeth’s eyes was particularly rewarding.

Author Sue Bavey (writing as S. Bavey) has done an admirable job capturing both the excitement and the challenges of moving half a world away from home. I liked that she kept the language period appropriate. It’s slightly more sophisticated than the way young women speak and write today, and the difference really added to the feeling of immersion in Elizabeth’s adventures.

If you, like me, love memoirs in general, and travel memoirs specifically, you will love this book.

Goes well with hot tea and ribbon sandwiches.

 

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Blacktold Essays

Review: BlackTold: 33 Dynamic Essays from Andscape edited by Steve Reiss

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About the book, BlackTold: 33 Dynamic Essays fron Andscape Blacktold Essays

• Publisher: Hyperion Avenue (October 4, 2022)
• Hardcover: 304 pages

ESPN’s website, The Undefeated, publishes content that explores how race and identity impact American culture. This will be a collection of the best articles published on the site. Timely and relevant, BlackTold will cover current events such as the BLM movement, the Covid-19 pandemic, race and the NFL, and more.

Here’s a sample of some of the articles that will be included:

George Floyd’s mother was not there, but he used her as a sacred invocation. With his dying breaths, Floyd called for her as an assurance of memory.

The importance of Chadwick Boseman to African Culture
In many ways, Black Panther helped normalize African heritage and style in popular culture by truly celebrating it.

Naomi Osaka made sure Black lives mattered at the U.S. Open
She’s grown more sophisticated in how she discusses race, and more comfortable with doing so publicly

Can a black heroine fix the racist stereotypes infecting ‘King Kong’?
In new Broadway production, actress Christiani Pitts steps into the role first made famous by Fay Wray

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Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About the editor, Steve Reiss

Steve Reiss is the Executive Editor for Culture and Enterprise at Andscape. He has held leadership positions at many of the leading journalism outlets in the U.S., including the Washington Post, the Miami Herald, Crain Communications, and ESPN. He has worked with several winners of the Pulitzer Prize and of numerous other awards. He is the editor of the New York Times bestseller The Fierce 44: Black Americans Who Shook Up The World.

My Thoughts MissMeliss

This collection of essays from Black writers should be required reading for all non-Black Americans. It is poignant. It is powerful. It is honest. And it is beautiful.

Each essay exposes a different aspect of life as a Black person in America. Some of the themes, such as the fact that everyone calls for their mother at their last hour – are universal, though the essay about George Floyd was not.  It’s about more than just the facts of his murder at the hands of police, and it’s hardly the most difficult read in the collection, but it’s the first essay in the book, and that gives it extra impact.

Grouped into sections such as “Black Lives Matter,” “American History,” “Arts and Culture,” and “Sports” these essays run through every aspect of life, whether or not they’re about the Utah Jazz basketball players, identifying with Breonna Taylor, or talking about “Black Twitter” these essays are informative, thought provoking, and brilliant. As a recent emigre to Florida, the piece that struck me most was “The Gut-Wrenching History of Black Babies and Alligators, by Domonique Foxworth which not only discusses the way we weigh human life against animal life, but also talks about a particularly heinous piece of American history.

“Can you imagine an America when that was not true? Can you imagine an America when a child’s life was so insignificant that he was intentionally put into the pen of a dangerous zoo animal? An America when a child was intentionally placed at the edge of alligator-infested waters to lure the ferocious beast for hunters?” Foxworth writes, and then explains that using Black children  – Black babies – as gator bait used to be standard practice.

Overall, this collection, carefully curated from ESPN’s website The Undefeated gives us a much-needed look into the truth of Black life in America. Hopefully, we will learn from it.

Check out the Other Participants on This Tour: TLC Book Tours

Wednesday, October 19th: Instagram: @amysbooketlist

Tuesday, November 1st: Instagram: @naturegracereader

Thursday, November 3rd: Instagram: @kelly_hunsaker_reads

Monday, November 14th: TikTok: @thelife0fbooks

Thursday, November 17th: Instagram: @turnxthexpage

Friday, November 18th: Instagram: @shook_sbooks

Monday, November 21st: A Bookish Way of Life

Monday, November 28th: TikTok: @storytimewithshelbs

Monday, November 28th: Instagram: @bathtubbookworm

TBD: Friday, November 25th: Bibliotica

 

 

A Man of the World

Review: A Man of the World, by Gilbert M. Grosvenor with Mark Collins Jenkins

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About the book, A Man of the WorldA Man of the World

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ National Geographic (September 13, 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages

The captivating inside story of the man who helmed National Geographic for six decades is a front-row seat to audacious feats of exploration, from the successful hunt for the Titanic to Jane Goodall’s field studies. Offering a rare portrait of one of the world’s most iconic media empires, this revealing autobiography makes an impassioned argument to know―and care for―our planet.

Though his career path had been paved by four generations of his family before him, Gilbert M. Grosvenor left his own mark on the National Geographic Society, founded in 1888 and recognized the world over by its ubiquitous yellow border. In an unflinchingly honest memoir as big as the world and all that is in it, Grosvenor shows us what it was like to “grow up Geographic” in a family home where explorers like Robert Peary, Louis Leakey, and Jane Goodall regularly crossed the threshold. As staff photographer, editor in chief and then president of the organization, Grosvenor oversaw the diversification into television, film, books, as well as its flagship magazine, which under his tenure reached a peak circulation of nearly 11 million. He also narrates the shift from a nonprofit, family-focused enterprise to the more corporate, bottom-line focused world of publishing today.

For Grosvenor, running National Geographic wasn’t just a job. It was a legacy, motivated by a passion not just to leave the world a better place, but to motivate others to do so, too. Filled with world travel, charismatic explorers, and the complexities of running a publishing empire, A MAN OF THE WORLD is the story of one man, a singular family business, and the changing face of American media.

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | Goodreads

About the author, Gilbert. M. Grosvenor

Gilbert Melville Grosvenor is the former president and chairman of the National Geographic Society, after having served as the editor of National Geographic magazine from 1970 to 1980. The great-grandson of Alexander Graham Bell and the third Grosvenor to serve as editor-in-chief of the magazine, Grosvenor has received 14 honorary doctorates and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005 for his leadership in geography education.

My Thoughts

MissMelissLike the author who, according to some biographies, “grew up Geographic,” the familiar yellow rectangle that represents the National Geographic magazine has been part of my entire life. Once, I was even on a plane to La Paz, BCS, Mexico when I realized most of the men on the plane were wearing black baseball caps with that logo. It took me a moment to realize they were all photographers on their way to meet the National Geographic Society’s boat for a photography excursion. My point in relating this is that reading about one of the men “behind the scenes” of one of my favorite institutions was a natural choice for me. I love biographies. I grew up on National Geographic magazine and the TV specials and I even had a subscription to National Geographic World, which was designed for kids, when I was ten. When something is imprinted with that yellow rectangle, you know you can trust it.

Gilbert M. Grosvenor is more than just a former president of the National Geographic Society. He’s a traveler, an explorer, a photographer, and educator, and a storyteller in the grandest sense of the word. In this book, with the help of the Society’s archivist Mark Jenkins, he tells his own story – how National Geographic literally runs in his veins, as his grandfather was a founding member and his father ran things before him. (He shares that he’s also a descendant of Alexander Graham Bell, but that’s really just a factoid thrown in to give context to his family history.)

Having read the book and listened to the audiobook, I feel like I’ve been steeped in Mr. Grosvenor’s story, but that’s not a bad thing. This book is well-paced and has a nice balance of adventures in the world (spending part of his army service as a photographer) and behind a desk (he was instrumental in creating that kids’ magazine, meant to be child-friendly without dumbing things down) . He shares anecdotes about meeting Jane Goodall and Robert Peary, but also  tells how they managed to get inside photos of the Apollo missions even though Life Magazine had an exclusive contract with the astronauts. His writerly voice is full of wonder when he talks about Robert Ballard’s discovery of the sunken Titanic, and full of poignance when he discusses Koko the Gorilla and her use of language. While this book is very much the story of the magazine as we know it today, it’s equally the story of the man, Gilbert M. Grovesnor, who was instrumental in making it into the entity we all know and love.

Reading A Man of the World is like having the author sitting in your living room regaling you with tales of his adventures and experiences, and while it was a satisfying read, I felt myself wanting more, just because I enjoyed it so much.

Goes well with: a juicy streak, a baked potato, a simple salad, and a glass or two of Shiraz.

Visit the Other Stops on This Tour TLC Book Tours

Thursday, September 29th: Books, Cooks, and Looks

Friday, September 30th: A Bookish Way of Life

Monday, October 3rd: Instagram: @kelly_hunsaker_reads

Tuesday, October 4th: Write – Read – Life

Thursday, October 6th: Instagram: @jenniaahava

Thursday, October 6th: The Bookish Dilettante

Sunday, October 9th: Instagram: @megsbookclub

TBD: Instagram: @books_with_bethany

TBD: Instagram: @nurse_bookie

TBD: Instagram: @mariasbookshelves

TBD: Thursday, September 22nd: TikTok: @stephreadsalot

TBD: Tuesday, September 27th: Jathan & Heather

TBD: Thursday, September 29th: Bibliotica

Remember Whose Little Girl You Are

Review: Remember Whose Little Girl You Are, by Ellen Nichols

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Remember Whose Little Girl You AreAbout the book, Remember Whose Little Girl You Are

• Koehler Books: May 3, 2022
• Paperback: 128 pages

Remember Whose Little Girl You Are captures the flavor of the Deep South like no author since Eudora Welty or Flannery O’Connor. Ellen Nichols captures the tenor of small-town Southern life in the fifties and sixties, with its vicissitudes and hilarity. One is captured with her openness and drawn deeply into the dialogue-so much as to, according to one reader, sometimes feel guilty of spying.

Read it and see if you want those times back-or are just relieved they’re gone.

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

IndieBound | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

nana-headshot-1About the author, Ellen Nichols

Ellen grew up in the American Deep South, but with a spirit of adventure, she went up to Toronto, Canada, to go to graduate school, and stayed 50 years.

No, she wasn’t a slow student, she just ended up getting married, raising a family, and building a successful career in charitable fundraising. She has been writing for a living for years, but was always writing for someone else. Her grant proposals, direct marketing letters, and especially her thank you letters, are legend. Her persuasive writing skills raised millions of dollars.

Those Canadians loved her tales about her southern life so much, she decided to write them down and they became Remember Whose Little Girl You Are.

Recently, she moved back down south where she lives on Santa Rosa Sound near Pensacola. And yes, she is now writing about all her Canadian adventures.

You can learn more about Ellen on her website.

My Thoughts

MissMelissAt only 112 pages Remember Whose Little Girl You Are, with it’s cute cover of a girl in knee-socks, is deceptive. It seems like a light, fluffy read – and parts of it are light (though none of it is fluffy) but it’s really a very rich collection of memories and anecdotes, mostly from the author’s childhood, and early adulthood.

Born a preacher’s daughter in America’s deep South, Nichols grew up during the Civil Rights movement, and was a supporter. Her stories from that time are the strongest in this collection – which really reads more like a an anthology of essays than a single cohesive piece. That’s not a bad thing, but the structure feels a little bit unintentional.

What really sings is the author’s writing voice. The conceit of her book is that she’s sharing memories of her life after losing a parent, and you can hear her Southern identity and her Canadian one in the language she uses, in her phrasing, and in her descriptions, which are vivid and compelling.

I look forward to more from Ms. Nichols.

Goes well with sweet tea and poutine.

00-tlc-tour-hostVisit the Other Great Participants on This Tour

Monday, May 30th: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

Tuesday, May 31st: The Bookish Dilettante

Wednesday, June 1st: Books, Cooks, and Looks

Friday, June 3rd: Stranded in Chaos

Monday, June 6th: Instagram: @megsbookclub

Wednesday, June 8th: Instagram: @jenniaahava

Friday, June 10th: Helen’s Book Blog

Monday, June 13th: 5 Minutes For Books

Tuesday, June 14th: Instagram: @americanlitteacher

Wednesday, June 15th: Instagram: @shook_sbooks

Thursday, June 16th: Bibliotica

Friday, June 17th: Instagram: @bookworm.susanc

Monday, June 20th: Stacy’s Books

Thursday, June 23rd: What Is That Book About

Friday, June 24th: View from the Birdhouse

TBD: Thursday, June 2nd: 100 Pages a Day…Stephanie’s Book Reviews

TBD: Monday, June 6th: Laura’s Reviews