Susan Bugbee had no idea what life had in store for her when she married Frank Borman. However, she did know that their love would carry them through. Susan dutifully followed Frank all over the world as he graduated from West Point and chose to be a fighter pilot and then a test pilot which led him to a career with NASA. When Frank entered the Air Force, Susan read The Army Wife and followed the orders in the book as Frank followed orders for a mission. She didn't bother Frank with household details or concerns about herself or the kids and always had a nice outward appearance and a smile on her face. When Frank went to space in the Gemini 7 mission and later in Apollo 8, Susan's anxiety, depression and addiction began to take over as she had watched so many other military and astronaut wives bury their husbands. However, Frank and Susan's love only grew throughout their time together and when Susan needed help, Frank was there for her. Susan received the treatment she needed and went on to help other wives who have been through the same traumas.


Far Side of the Moon is not only a story of the amazing astronaut Frank Borman, but of the outstanding woman who supported him through everything- Susan Borman. The focus is on their relationship and how Susan dealt with the hectic, uncertain and suspenseful nature of being married to a fighter pilot and astronaut. Susan's early life was punctuated by the death of her father, which her mother blamed her for. Left with a mother who was clearly narcissistic, Susan tried to make the best of things, but knew that something was missing from her life. Frank helped to fill in some of what Susan was missing, but in trying to fulfill the duties of a military wife, Susan slowly lost herself. Susan's story outlines the trials of a military wife and the disconnect of what she is feeling inside with what she had to present to the outside world. Susan stated that as military wives "they didn't get to experience the need to touch glory in some way. They just had to sit quietly and stoically and hope to God they never saw the black car pull up in their driveway." Seeing so many of her friend's husbands die doing the same thing that Frank was doing was a contributing part to Susan's depression, addiction and anxiety. While Susan was dealing with all these feelings and raising a family, Frank's mission-based mindset led him to command Gemini 7 and Apollo 8. Gemini 7 was a record setting flight travelling more than 5.1 million miles and completed 206 orbits during 14 days in space. Apollo 8 made 10 orbits of the moon in 24 hours and broadcasted from space. While Frank's accomplishments will go down in history, he owed a lot to his wife and couldn't see the effect of his career until he was finished.


This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is the autobiography of amazing human being, Harriet Jacobs. Harriet wrote her memoir under the name Linda Brent and changed the names of the people who owned her as well as helped her due to fear. Harriet's upbringing and education leads to very well written account of her harrowing time as a slave. She has even written a preface saying that her accounts may be difficult to believe, but they are very true.
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Harriet had an unusual experience as a slave. Her younger years were spent with what she called a "kind mistress." Harriet spent most of her time sewing, playing, and learning. However, when that mistress died, Harriet was given to another family member. The master of Harriet's new house, Dr. Flint, becomes obsessed with Harriet and begins to manipulate, degrade and possess her fully. Harriet uses her cunning and intelligence to outsmart him as well as extreme perseverance and strength. Harriet escapes to her grandmother's house and hides in a small garret above a shed for seven years before she escapes to the North. The entire time, Dr. Flint does not give up on finding Harriet. I was constantly amazed by Harriet's fortitude, especially when in her garret and constantly staying ahead of Dr. Flint's manipulations and lies. Even when Harriet was in New York, she refused to be seen as anyone's property and did not want to be bought by another in order to be granted freedom. Harriet made excruciating choices for her survival including leaving her children and pushing her body to its limits. Harriet wrote her story in order to inform and inspire women of the North to the situation of women in the South. Her story is still engaging, inspiring and educational for people today.

Glow Your Houseplant Garden is a beginner's guide on how to get your houseplant to not just survive, but thrive in your home. Even if you are a more experienced houseplant owner who hasn't quite figured everything out yet, this book might set you in the right direction. I really enjoyed that this guide wants houseplant owners to set their intention with their plants as another member of the household who needs care as the living being that they are. There are separate sections to guide you through everything you need to know such as: lighting, heat, humidity, soil, water, houseplant placement, pots and seasonality. There is a list of good starter houseplants as well. I do wish there were separate and specific care guides for the plants mentioned. There are definitely some good tips that I can put into action to help my houseplants live their best life.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

Ellen Nichols spent her youth travelling from one town to the next, going wherever her father's position as a Methodist Reverend sent them. Stationed in the deep south, mostly Alabama in the 1940's-1960's, Ellen experienced a variety of views on race and Civil Rights as well as plenty of her own adventures and misadventures in being a Reverend's daughter.


Remember Whose Little Girl You Are is a memoir of Ellen Nichols' time growing up from girlhood through college in the deep south.  The years that Ellen's stories cover are integral to United States history and Civil Rights. Ellen's stories range from humorous to heartbreaking.  The most intriguing stories were of Ellen's precocious nature and her insights and involvement in the Civil Rights movement.  Her father's views were different from most in the South, giving her a liberal view and making Ellen an activist since birth.  I really enjoyed that story of Ellen and her college roommates showing up at a march in Montgomery and being some of the only White protestors there.  Later, at her college when asked to appear in front of the Dean, Ellen speaks for her group and refuses to apologize for fighting for rights. I am amazed at her will to fight and her actions taken for the rights of others.  I would have loved more insights into her actions taken and how she feels about circumstances in the United States now.  Some of the stories flowed together well, some were more disjointed anecdotes. A relatively short memoir, Ellen covers love, loss, captures important moments in history as well as the feeling of unity yet disparity in the South. 


This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

​Amy Weinland Daughters reconnected on Facebook with one of her camp friends that made an impact on her over 30 years ago.  Amy learned that her friend Dana's son was going through cancer treatment and wanted to connect with her on a more personal level than Facebook comments or likes.  Amy sat down to write her a letter but realized she didn't have her address.  Amy started to wonder what being a Facebook friend meant.  When Dana's son Parker died, Amy continued to write Dana letters to support her in a more meaningful way.  These letters made Amy wonder what would happen if she wrote all 580 of her Facebook friends a handwritten letter, no matter how awkward or tenuous the relationship. 

Dear Dana is a humorous and heartwarming memoir about a task combining contemporary relationships on Facebook with the lost art of letter writing to dig deep into the meaning of friendship. I loved Amy's forthright and honest style of writing about her letter writing adventure as well as her sense of humor.  I could relate to Amy wanting to reach out to an old friend in a time of need and have often seen people on Facebook going through a hard time, I applaud her bravery and #CONSTANT help.  Religion is a big part of Amy's life and while this aspect didn't resonate with me, I did appreciate her new forged relationship with Dana.  I also loved how many of her letters found people in their time of need.  Through her letter writing Amy discovered what it means to be a friend and connect with people on a personal level.  I enjoyed seeing how many people felt more comfortable sharing personal things in written form and revealing that everything may not be as it seems online.  Amy's journey was insightful on many levels and while I don't think I'll be writing letters to all of my Facebook friends anytime soon, I am more encouraged to reach out to those in need in letter form.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

​J.A. Mills began her career as a journalist but did not find her passion until she fell into a story about the plight of Asiatic Bears being farmed for bile and body parts.  Mills made a promise to help the bears and was soon working for conservation organizations such as TRAFFIC, the World Wildlife Fund and Conservation International.  While working in the field, she was introduced to a similar issue for tigers.  Through some daring work, Mills uncovered the full extent of the tiger farming trade in China.  After seeing the damage being done to tigers in the wild and on the tiger farms, Mills goes to battle against major forces for this majestic and endangered species. 

In this nonfiction memoir, Mills recounts her struggles and triumphs in the international wildlife conservation field.  Mills takes us on her exciting, heartfelt and emotional journey into the underbelly of wildlife trade.  While I have some knowledge of the wildlife trade, I was not aware of all of the major players and their deep rooted interests in the trade.  As Mills dives further into trade, I was surprised at the risks she took in order to find out the truth behind what was going on.  I was also surprised at the major players, their motivations and the amount of money animal trade brought in.  I admired Mills tactics on befriending some of the players within the trade and getting the people of China on her side.  While focused in Asia, Mills also explores a bit of wild animal trade in the USA.  In some instances, the USA is contradictory in policy for other countries and what it allows in it's own borders. Mills also visits Carole Baskin's Big Cat Rescue and remarks on the man we know as Joe Exotic.  Written six years ago, Blood of the Tiger is just the beginning of the tiger's struggles and what people have done to stop wildlife trade.  While there have been significant strides during this time, wildlife trade is unfortunately still an issue.  Reading this during COVID creates an even stronger plea to end wildlife trafficking as China's bushmeat trade is the likely cause of the outbreak. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

​History is Delicious is a vibrant book filled with food from around the world and information on how the food was developed through different cultures.  The book focuses on several countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.  Each section focuses on how the culture and cultural diffusion through colonization, war, immigration, and trade created the signature foods of the area.  Must-try dishes and other food features important to the region are also included.  

History in Delicious is a middle grade level book perfect for a budding foodie.  I do wish there were more recipes and pictures.  Even I had a hard time picturing all of the delicious sounding foods that were described and there was only one recipe per geographic area.  However, all of the different foods described did spark my interest in going out and trying some different things.  I also think maps would have been helpful to pinpoint where exactly each food was from.  I did enjoy the honesty in showing how food has blended through history and passed through cultures
Definitely made me want to try some new dishes and expanded my sense of what foods are out there. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

​Have you ever wanted to change something in the world around you?  Have you ever been mad about how you are being treated?  Have you wanted to do something about it but didn't know where to start?  Girls Resist! is the perfect place to start.  Girls Resist!  is a step-by-step guide to activism providing a realistic and broken down approach that anyone can follow so that activism is a reachable goal. KaeLyn artfully guides you through the activism process from empowerment through campaign plans, demonstrations and rallies to phone banking, fundraising and being a successful ally and preventing burnout.  Using practical approaches, down to earth language and practical tips, Girls Resist!  makes creating change feel possible.  


Broken up into eight sections, Girls Resist! not only offers how-to knowledge, but breaks down important information on privilege, bias, equity, inclusion, diversity, and intersectionality.  Understanding these roles in your own life are key to creating effective change.  I found these sections particularly insightful, even as an adult in helping me to understand where I stand in the world and how to help others where I am.  Girls Resist! is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to find the power within themselves to resist.

​Martha Matilda Harper was a young Canadian immigrant who came to Rochester, NY as a domestic servant in the late 1800's.  Martha dreamed of doing more with her life and used a hair tonic recipe to catapult her into the business world.  Martha opened a series of salons that focused on inner health promoting outer beauty.  She hired former domestic servants like herself and trained them in her method- The Harper Method, creating what we now know as the franchise.  The Harper Method, products, and inventions thrived until the 1970's, 20 years after Martha's death; however, her legacy seemed all but forgotten. 


Martha Matilda Harper and the American Dream is an eye-opening and revealing biography about a woman whose legacy might have been lost to time.  Biographer, Jane Plitt became interested in Martha's story after finding out that Martha was one of the first women in the Chamber of Commerce.  From there, Jane became determined to uncover Martha's story.  While many details of Martha's story have been lost, Jane has uncovered parts of Martha's life from her childhood in Canada to her death in 1950.  Martha Matilda's story should be one we learn about alongside suffragists such as Susan B. Anthony and inventors like George Eastman.  Extensive research has been done to attempt to put back together Martha's life and legacy. I was amazed at Martha's impact during her time and her tenacity to overcome obstacles.  I hope her story continues to unfold.

Collard Green Curves is an inspiring biography of a life that led to momentous change in a community through a series of trials, misfortunes and perseverance. Theresa Bowick reflects on her life growing up in  Rochester, NY with sincerity and genuine contemplation of the events that shaped her, both positive and negative.  Through Theresa's heartfelt and down to earth writing, I could easily relate to Theresa's story even though hers is so different than my own.  Theresa puts her whole self on the page in order to show the high and low curves of her life through her youth, relationships, schooling, marriage,  and body image struggles to show her growth and ability to change herself and the world around her.  I was continually impressed by her strength and capacity to build herself back up.  Even more than changing herself, Theresa became a positive force within her community rallying a community that told her 'people don't exercise here' to become healthy. ​