August has followed summer out the door, but the weather was as lovely as the majority of my reading, with more highs than lows. The first week of September is about to end so I thought I ought to check in with what worked and what didn’t before I head into all the new fall releases. The Postcard is historical fiction based on a real family history that encompasses ... Read More...
Happy at Any Cost by Kirsten Grind
As more entrepreneurs turn into billionaires and spend much of their fortunes on flying to space rather than on the problems of Earth, Tony Hsieh's story is both inspiring and tragic. A man whose mission was to make people happy, but couldn't find happiness for himself. I reviewed this biography last year, but it recently came out in paperback. Definitely worth a ... Read More...
Down and Out in Paradise
When Anthony Bourdain died four years ago, most people were stunned. How could a man with so much to live for, a man adored by people around the globe, kill himself? He was a world traveler, sharing his love of food to show the commonalities rather than the differences between various cultures. In Down & Out in Paradise journalist Charles Leerhsen looks for answers in ... Read More...
Happy at Any Cost
While Zappos may be an easily recognizable name to anyone who shops online and loves shoes, Tony Hsieh is probably not. I knew of him because he was often profiled in business news for his unique take on the best way to run a successful company. Happiness. Zappos was consistently ranked in the top 10 of best companies to work for by numerous magazines—Forbes, Fast Company, ... Read More...
Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography
Suicide is always shocking to those left behind, but when it’s someone famous, someone with what looks to be a “dream” life, it feels even more inexplicable. This was the case June 2018 when Anthony Bourdain killed himself. Bourdain was a chef turned television personality who created the iconic No Reservations and Parts Unknown series. He traveled globally in search of great ... Read More...
The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson
It’s May 1940, but Hitler is already on the move, invading and collecting countries like Monopoly properties. In Great Britain, Prime Minister Chamberlain has lost the confidence of his party and is going to be replaced. It is a momentous time in the world and in British history. Winston Churchill fulfills his lifelong dream of being Prime Minister when he is chosen as the ... Read More...
