Friday, March 20, 2015

Readers' Choice Spotlight - Non-Fiction


Remember to vote for your pick in each category and to enter the giveaway on this page.






99 Jobs
Joe Cottonwood


A carpenter can fix the house. But how do you fix a broken home? In this award-winning memoir, author and contractor Joe Cottonwood recalls a lifetime making repairs. With each job, he enters somebody's private world. Revealing a life. Or changing it. Everybody needs a little help, a little warmth: the blonde in the hot tub—the dying billionaire—the wounded war vet—the rebel teen— the lonely French teacher—and the author himself. There's good hard work—and some bad work, too. There's the taste of sewage, the jolt of a live wire. Drive to the emergency clinic with a wooden stake through your hand. Feel the satisfaction of work that is honest, simple, strong—sometimes perfect.



Follow the Joy
Jason Kurtz


At 27, I bought a one-way ticket to India. I had no idea what I'd do when I landed, but in the past my most rewarding experiences came when I let intuition be my guide. So, I traveled without an itinerary and found myself searching for an elusive monkey temple, teaching Tibetan monks to sing, "You Are My Sunshine," and holding the hand of a dying man at the Mother Theresa Homes for the Destitute and Dying. Throughout, I followed an inner sense of joy. I could not be sure it would lead me to the happy life I dreamt of, but it was the only choice I had.


The Divide
Nathan Doneen


How far would you go to answer a simple question? 

After his final year at university, Nathan Doneen wasn't satisfied with the direction his life was heading. He had doubts … he had questions. In June of 2013, Nathan set out on his mountain bike to search for answers along the Great Divide, a 2700-mile route that traces the Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico… and he set out alone. 

Thrown into the world of erratic weather, cramped bivy sacks, and overwhelming solitude, Nathan was continually forced from his comfort zone, putting his personal growth on steroids.

With both his future and past in mind, Nathan's revealing and honest account illustrates the challenges of the route—and life—and how it's possible to find the strength and courage to move past them.



You Are Not Alone
Leah Carey



On May 24, 2014, Twitter exploded with stories of women’s experiences of harassment and assault in their daily lives using the hashtag #YesAllWomen. 

With the Twitter conversation as inspiration, 10 women came together to share their stories with each other and the world. They dug within themselves to find wisdom...but they also revealed their own inner conflict about their experiences and their views of the world. They were willing to be vulnerable and admit not only how they have been hurt, but also how they have hurt others. 

Through telling our stories - and hearing the stories of others - we learn that there is much more that unites us than divides us. That is the purpose of this book. To remind you: You are not alone.

I hope that you will hear those words repeating in your head as you read this book and realize how true they are: 
YOU ARE NOT ALONE.



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