Tag: books

Book review: ‘The Paper Tiger Syndrome’ by Rebecca A. Ward

‘The Paper Tiger Syndrome’ is a guidebook on the journey of healing and self-repair. Photo: Amazon

Rebecca A. Ward is an American therapist, activist, healer, author, speaker, and coach. As a trauma survivor herself, she has triumphed over extraordinary suffering and come out on other side to her joy again. As a licensed therapist in California and ICF-Certified Professional Coach, Rebecca holds a multitude of trauma-informed certifications, including Somatic Experiencing®. She is a member of the International Coaching Federation and CA Marriage and Family Therapists Association. In her new book, “The Paper Tiger Syndrome: How to Liberate Yourself from the Illusion of Fear,” Rebecca shares her personal trauma-to-resilience story and the wisdom from her own clients to help readers transform their own trauma wounds into personal growth, presence, resilience, and joy and reconnect back to the truest version of themselves—what she calls the Original Blueprint®. (Amazon, 2022)

“The Paper Tiger Syndrome” – Paper tigers are thoughts and experiences that conjure up dread but do not present any real danger, they just create the same physiological responses in the human body that our ancestors experienced when they were stalked by predators on the plains. In the modern world, however, those responses are unwarranted. They are neurological “misfires” that harm our mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing, all in an effort to keep us “safe.” In the Preface section of the Introduction, the author explains that the book is “a roadmap to guide you on that journey back home.” This is followed by the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) survey to help readers find out where to begin since ACEs are known to be linked to chronic health problems, mental illness, and substance abuse in adulthood. The book consists of examples from her clients’ lives, and her own, as well as journaling ideas and exercises/rituals to enhance the healing process. All together, she shares ways to overcome fear, stress, and trauma in your life to help regulate your physical body. Based largely on the principles of somatic therapy, it contains specific exercises and tools to help you walk the bridge from fear to safety to unconditional love. It is divided into ten chapters including The Anatomy of Fear, How We Survive Childhood, and It Takes a Village.

Now more than ever, people are struggling with anxiety and depression. Life’s hardships can create a sense of apprehension that is hard to shake but the truth is that most fears and anxieties are really just paper tigers. A paper tiger is defined as ‘something, or someone, that appears to be a threat, but in reality is powerless.’ The difficulties the author experienced and surpassed give this book an aura of authenticity; she knows what she is talking about and her tone is caring without being condescending. She even pauses every now and then to encourage readers to take a break if necessary. The language is easy to understand and the layout of the information includes diagrams, lists, and reflection opportunities. To get the full benefits, the author recommends having a personal journal to complete the written exercise and write down your thoughts or download the Companion Workbook. Highlights include Chapter Four: It Takes a Village where she stresses that a lack of connection ‘heightens fear reactions and diminishes virtually ever aspect of life, including longevity’ and Chapter Seven: Healing Childhood Wounds where she shares guidelines to help overcome harmful childhood conditionings like body shaming. “The Paper Tiger Syndrome” is a highly informative resource guide that is encouraging and therapeutic and includes the necessary tools to guide readers through their healing journey. It is recommended for readers interested in self help, personal transformation, and spirituality books.

“Fear is a cheap marketing tool to keep you in line. Fear is not the way any infinite Source wants us to feel. We’re here to discover love for all that is in us and around us.”

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

San Antonio Book Festival book recommendations

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The San Antonio Book Festival brings together readers and writers to celebrate the literary world. Photo: San Antonio Book Festival, used with permission.

The San Antonio Book Festival was supposed to take place this April 4 but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 health crisis. The festival would still like to encourage people to read while at home during this time of social distancing and quarantine. They have put together a list of recommended books for adults as well as options for parents to provide for their children while homeschooling. (San Antonio Book Festival, 2020)

If You Feel Like Confronting the Pandemic Head-On:
Fiction:
– “Cold Storage” by David Koepp
– “The Memory Police” by Yoko Ogawa
– “Severance” by Ling Ma
– “Station Eleven” by Emily St. John Mandel
– “The Dog Stars” by Peter Heller

Nonfiction:
– “Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World” by Laura Spinney

If You’d Rather Be Distracted:
Fiction:
– “The Jetsetters” by Amanda Eyre Ward
– “A Good Neighborhood” by Therese Anne Fowler
– “Simon the Fiddler” by Paulette Jiles

Nonfiction:
– “The Hunt for History” by Nathan Raab
– “The Falcon Thief” by Joshua Hammer
– “The Rumi Prescription” by Melody Moezzi

For Kids/Teens Stuck at Home: 
Kids:
– “Wayside School Beneath the Cloud of Doom” by Louis Sachar
– “Prairie Lotus” by Linda Sue Park
– “Amal Unbound” by Aisha Saeeed

Teens:
– “Tigers, Not Daughters” by Samantha Mabry
– “The Hand on the Wall” by Maureen Johnson
– “Bull” by David Elliott

The mission of the San Antonio Book Festival (SABF) is to unite readers and writers in a celebration of ideas, books, libraries, and literary culture. SABF was first presented in April 2013. Founding partners include the San Antonio Public Library, the Southwest School of Art, the San Antonio Public Library Foundation, and Texas Book Festival. This “Fiesta for the mind” is a gift to visitors and the citizens of San Antonio, free and open to all.

San Antonio Book Festival 2020 announces line up

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This year’s San Antonio Book Festival will be held on Saturday April 4. Photo: San Antonio Book Festival, used with permission.

The San Antonio Book Festival (SABF) is excited to announce its 2020 author lineup, which includes more than 120 local, regional and national authors who will appear at the 8th annual festival as well as a new event – Lit Crawl. This year’s lineup includes nationally renowned authors such as Saeed Jones, Attica Locke, Marie Arana, César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández and more. The amazing weekend of festivities will take place on Saturday, April 4, from 9a.m. to 5p.m. at the Central Library and Southwest School of Art. (The San Antonio Book Festival, 2020)

The book festival is a free, family-friendly event that draws more than 20,000 festival goers to downtown San Antonio for a full day of author presentations, panel discussions, book sales, signings, children and teen activities and food trucks. It showcases first-time novelists and established writers, and introduces attendees to new literary talents and connects them with their favorite authors. A listing of all festival writers as well as a detailed festival schedule will be available online in March.

This year, there will be an additional free event, Lit Crawl, a big block party for books and everyone who loves to read them. This is the first time Lit Crawl is held in San Antonio and the city is just the 15th one globally to produce Lit Crawl. The event will take place the evening of Friday, April 3, as part of First Friday in Southtown in the Blue Star Arts complex. Lit Crawl brings literature to the streets, offering a mini-festival within the larger Book Festival that features writers, poets and storytellers performing their work and inviting audience participation. Lit Crawl will feature several events, including Literary Death Match, where four writers will compete for “bookish” glory; at another event, writers will speak about writerly topics but will be unaware that the audience has been instructed to take a shot every time one of the writers utters specific words. Lit Crawl involves the local literary scene and captures San Antonio’s unique flavor—all while getting book lovers and revelers alike drunk on words. The inaugural Lit Crawl is produced with the help of Ricos Products and the Blue Star Arts Complex.

Internationally acclaimed writer Sandra Cisneros will debut a new festival event, Sandra Cisneros Presents, where she introduces four of her favorite writers to festival audiences. Cisneros’ long list of accolades includes NEA fellowships in both poetry and fiction, the Texas Medal of the Arts, a MacArthur Fellowship, several honorary doctorates and national and international book awards, including the National Medal of the Arts awarded to her by President Obama in 2016.

The San Antonio Book Festival is also excited to bring back the 4th Annual Book Appétit Literary Feast at the Witte Museum’s Mays Family Center on April 2 featuring novelist Amor Towles. SABF will also be hosting Book It! luncheons, three opportunities to have an intimate lunch with a festival author at Club Giraud on April 4.

The mission of the San Antonio Book Festival (SABF) is to unite readers and writers in a celebration of ideas, books, libraries, and literary culture. SABF was first presented in April 2013. Founding partners include the San Antonio Public Library, the Southwest School of Art, the San Antonio Public Library Foundation, and Texas Book Festival. This “Fiesta for the mind” is a gift to visitors and the citizens of San Antonio, free and open to all.

 

Book review: ‘Firewall’ by Eugenia Lovett West

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‘Firewall’ by Eugenia Lovett West. Photo: Barnes & Noble

Eugenia Lovett West is an American author who attended Sarah Lawrence College and worked for Harper’s Bazaar and the American Red Cross. Her first novel was “The Ancestors Cry Out” and was followed by two Emma Streat mysteries: “Without Warning” and “Overkill” and the historical novel “Sarah’s War.” Her latest novel, “Firewall: An Emma Streat Mystery” was released in November and has Emma involved in the dark world of cybercrime when her rich, feisty, socialite godmother is blackmailed and turns to Emma for help.

The Emma Streat Mysteries revolve around Emma, a former opera singer who survived the murder of her husband and the destruction of her beautiful old house. She is now a single mother struggling to move on and make a home for her two sons. Because of her detective skills and her connections, she has become a go-to-person when family and friends are in trouble. “Firewall” begins with Emma’s plans for a Caribbean getaway disrupted when her godmother Caroline calls her and demands she drop everything to help her find her ex-husband Pierre who she believes is behind a blackmail attempt. Caroline mentions that Pierre was last seen in Paris so Emma cancels her plans to go halfway around the world to find him despite the fact that Caroline already paid the ransom demand. This case takes Emma to exclusive European settings where she interacts with top people in the financial and art world . Along the way, she has to rely on a past lover for information, she gets caught up in a kidnapping and is herself kidnapped and nearly killed. It takes all her resilience and wits to get her through it all and bring a ruthless criminal to justice.

Emma Streat is back in top form for another thrill ride of mystery solving. Her character is well developed from past novels: she is smart with admirable detective skills but is easily swayed and does not seem to be in control of her own life. Her newest mystery is an enjoyable and easy read with a story that moves along at a brisk pace written in down to earth language. The first person narration draws the reader into Emma’s life and provides insight into her thought processes. The first part develops the blackmail story but part two has little to do with this storyline and does not circle back to Caroline and her situation. Hopefully it will be addressed in future novels. There are several sub-plots with characters that keep changing and then abruptly dropped and only one briefly deals with cybercrime, as promised by the title. Overall, “Firewall” is a combination of mystery, suspense and romance with enough thrills and plot twists to keep the reader guessing and is recommended for fans of mystery and suspense novels.

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.

 

New release: ‘Bone Box’ by Faye Kellerman

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‘Bone Box’ is the new mystery novel by Faye Kellerman. Photo: amazon

Faye Kellerman is an author of mystery novels with the most popular being the Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus series. Her stand-alone novels include “The Quality of Mercy,” “Moon Music” and “Straight Into Darkness” and overall her books have sold millions of copies worldwide. “Bone Box,” her newest Decker/Lazarus novel was released today and has Rina Lazarus making a shocking discovery in the woods of her upstate New York community.

According to Amazon, in “Bone Box,” Rina Decker is out for a walk when she stumbles upon human remains that were once buried deep beneath the forest. Her husband Peter, a former detective lieutenant with the LAPD who is now working for the local police is brought in to investigate the case. It turns out that the body had been buried for years and the evidence includes the skeleton of a young woman, a skull wound and long dark strands of hair surrounding the frame. The victim is identified as a missing student from the nearby college.  This leads Decker, his partner and Rina to investigate what turns out to be a series of gruesome, unsolved murders that point to a diabolical serial killer who has been hiding in plain sight for years. They are in a race to protect the community from a killer who is still in the area and in search of a new victim.

Book review: ‘Fearless and Free’ by Wendy Sachs

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‘Fearless and Free’ is new the book by Wendy Sachs

Wendy Sachs is an Emmy-award winning TV producer and a former Capitol Hill press secretary, public relations executive, media and content strategist and CNN contributor. She often writes about work and life issues and women’s issues and has appeared in dozens of radio and TV shows. Her new book ‘Fearless and Free: How Smart Women Pivot – and Relaunch Their Careers’ was released on February 7, 2017. It is a career advice reference book about how women can redefine themselves and their careers regardless of age or experience.

‘Fearless and Free’ begins with an introduction by the author where she introduces herself and what she has learned from her numerous career pivots. The rest is divided into chapters such as ‘Strike a Pose and Feel the Power,’ ‘Congratulations, You’re Fired!’ and ‘Branding Is Not Bragging.’ The job market is always evolving and workers need to adapt if they are to succeed. Some of the practical advice the author gives includes the need for women to believe in themselves, think outside the box and take risks. Most importantly, they should not be too timid to brag about themselves and their skills and should take full advantage of networking. There is also advice for women who have taken time off, sometimes years off, to raise a family. She writes about how these women can translate those experiences into transferable job skills that will help them ease back into the workforce.

Even though it may be geared towards women, both men and women can benefit from this book. The subject matter and conversational tone makes it easy to read and understand. Knowing that even the author herself has struggled makes her relatable and her advice more believable. The subject of branding may be new for some but in this day of age of social media it is more relevant than ever. It is worth nothing that she has previously worked on Capitol Hill so her political connections do come to light. Overall ‘Fearless and Free’ is an excellent resource for career advice. It is recommended for readers looking to sharpen their skills and work ethics to meet the demands of an ever evolving job market.

*A copy of this book was given for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are solely the author’s.

Book review: ‘No Place to Pray’ by James Carpenter

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‘No Place to Pray’ is the new novel by James Carpenter. Photo: amazon.com

James Carpenter began his career teaching middle and high school English. After fourteen years teaching computer programming, system design and entrepreneurship at The Wharton School he retired to write fiction. His writing has appeared in publications such as “The Chicago Tribune,” “Fiction International,” “Fifth Wednesday Journal,” “North Dakota Quarterly” and “Ambit.” Three of his stories were nominated for the Pushcart Prize and he is a recipient of Descant’s Frank O’Connor Prize. His new novel ‘No Place to Pray’ tells the story of two young men who meet when they spend a night in the same jail cell.

This is a Southern gothic tale about two young men, LeRoy who is bi-racial and Harmon who is white. LeRoy comes from a poor background and never knew his father because his mother was a prostitute. When they both end up in jail overnight they end up becoming the best of friends. They share a lifetime of experiences that includes working together and drinking together. Towards the end of Harmon’s life they both become involved with Edna, a wealthy widow who takes them into her vacation home by the river. Their stories are similar in the sense that they both have a hard life and struggle to survive and rely on alcohol to help them cope which only makes life more difficult for them. The people and experiences that make up their lives are intertwined with race, class and religion.

‘No Place to Pray’ by James Carpenter is a gritty and dark tale of American life peppered with issues dealing with class, race, alcoholism and friendships that endure the test of time. It contains adult language and situations that may not be appropriate for all readers. The story is told through a series of flashbacks and has shifting points of view mixed in with LeRoy’s fantasy and adventure stories. At times this makes it hard to follow the story but it does not take away from the richness and impact of the overall tale. The characters are relatable and well developed and the prose is rich with imagery. It is recommended for fans of Southern gothic stories that deal with deep friendships, survival, as well as race and class struggles.

*A copy of this book was given for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are solely the author’s.

Book review: ‘The Other Einstein’ by Marie Benedict

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‘The Other Einstein’ is Marie Benedict’s historical fiction novel about Albert Einstein’s first wife. Photo: amazon.com

Marie Benedict is a lawyer and, with the pen name Heather Terrell, author of historical novels such as ‘The Chrysalis,’ ‘The Map Thief,’ and ‘Brigid of Kildare.’ Her most recent novel ‘The Other Einstein’ was released in October. It is a historical novel about Mileva “Mitza” Marić, Albert Einstein’s first wife and whose contributions to the special theory of relativity have been the subject of much debate for more than a century.

‘The Other Einstein’ tells the story of a brilliant young woman whose story was lost in Einstein’s shadow. At the age of twenty she is the only woman studying physics at an elite school in Zürich while other women her age are already married with children. She is determined to master physics and mathematics and has put marriage and friendships on the backburner to achieve her dreams. Her parents, particularly her father, have always encouraged her pursuit of a higher education. This was partly because she has a limp due to a bad hip so they feared she would never have suitors and would have to rely on herself. Everything is going well until she catches the eye of a fellow student. His name is Albert Einstein and he promises to treat her as an equal in both love and science. He keeps his promise at first but due to difficult circumstances they eventually grow apart and go their separate ways.

Very little is known about Mileva “Mitza” Marić so it is worth noting that ‘The Other Einstein’ is a fictional account of her early life. It is told from her point of view and gives readers an insight into what it must have been like to be a woman trying to have it all in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The story flows effortlessly and the characters are well developed and relatable. At the end there is a Q and A section with the author that is worth reading to get background information about her research and views on the book’s subjects. This would make an interesting choice for a book club and the reading group guide’s questions are sure to get the conversation going. It is recommended for fans of historical fiction centered on intellectual female characters.

*A copy of this book was given for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are solely the author’s.

Book review: ‘Bedlam’s Door’ by Mark Rubinstein, MD

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‘Bedlam’s Door’ by Mark Rubinstein, MD is a collection of true stories.

It is interesting when authors take the experiences in their professional lives and use them to guide their writing. Whether they are medical doctors, lawyers or psychiatrists, these experience give their writing credibility and depth. One such author is Mark Rubinstein. He is a physician, psychiatrist and assistant professor of psychiatry who writes mysteries and thrillers about people driven by forces they cannot control. Some of these include “Mad Dog House,” “The Lovers’ Tango” and “Mad Dog Justice” which was a finalist for the ForeWord Book of the Year Award. He has also written five nonfiction medical advice books. His latest book is “Bedlam’s Door: True Tales of Madness and Hope.” It is a collection of true stories of patients that the author and his colleagues saw in psychiatric consultation or for treatment.

In the preface to “Bedlam’s Door” Mr Rubinstein states that as is often the case where true cases are presented and to protect those involved, the patients and facilities are composites of real patients and locations. That does not make the stories any less poignant or shocking as they take the reader deep into the world of mental illness. Each of the fourteen cases is presented separately and most come with an afterword that gives additional information such as treatment or analysis of the patient’s condition and what happened to the patient in the long run. Some of the ones that stand out include “A Man of Means” because no one ever found out what was wrong with this patient and “When a Patient Knows More Than the Doctor” because the patient came in asking for help because she feared she might harm herself but was sent away with no treatment and ended up killing herself. The patient in “Off the Wall” comes in suicidal and even though he is put in a straitjacket and every precaution is taken to prevent him from killing himself he rams himself again a wall and dies of a head trauma.

“Bedlam’s Door” by Mark Rubinstein MD reads like a collection of short stories but these are true stories of patients who required mental help. They are each interesting on their own but as a whole it is an impressive look at mental illness. Hopefully this will lessen the stigma attributed to mental illness in modern society. It is recommended for readers who appreciate an in-depth look into a psychiatrist’s point of view as well as the treatments given. For those wishing to learn more about psychiatry, psychology and mental illness there is a section of suggested readings at the end as well as a glossary of terms used.

*A copy of this book was given for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are solely the author’s.

Book review: ‘Infamy’ by Robert K Tanenbaum

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‘Infamy’ by Robert K Tanenbaum is the latest book in the Butch Karp-Marlene Ciampi series. Photo: amazon

 

Robert K Tanenbaum is a trial attorney and The New York Times bestselling author of thirty one books which include twenty-eight novels and three nonfiction books. He is best known for the popular Butch Karp-Marlene Ciampi series. The series begins with “No Lesser Plea” and his most current novel “Infamy” marks the twenty-eight and features prosecutors Butch Karp and his wife Marlene Ciampi. This time they team up to solve the murder of a US Army coronel while facing corruption at the highest levels of the United States government.

“Infamy” begins with the Prologue that has the jury about to deliver a verdict in a New York courtroom. From there it goes back eleven months to the Middle East where several people are killed in what becomes the beginning of a political cover up. Back in the states a former Army veteran suddenly murders three people in Central Park before giving himself up. After fleeing the scene he ends up at the Central Park Zoo where he takes hostages and claims he shot those people because he was being used in mind control experiments and was set up. He asks for immunity and in return he offers to name names and gives the operation code name ‘mirage.’ As Karp gets involved he finds that the corruption surrounding the case puts him, his friends and even his family in danger but he is determined to find those responsible.

Even though this is the latest in a long line of Butch Karp-Marlene Ciampi novels it is not necessary to be familiar with the characters or their backstory to enjoy or understand the story. It is a fast paced political thriller that combines courtroom drama with politics and is hard to put down. The action flows from chapter to chapter and is easy to follow. Mr Tanenbaum makes good use of dialogue to move the story along and the language is easy to understand without being too simplistic. “Infamy” by Robert K Tanenbaum is recommended for fans of legal and political thrillers similar to John Grisham.

*A copy of this book was given for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are solely the author’s.