Category: Biographies

Indie Weekend: From Meidelach to Matriarchs: A Journal by Mirta Ines Trupp

BonnieReadsAndWrites7 Comments

Indie Weekend is my effort to help Independent authors with marketing, which is a huge task. If I can help even a little, I’m happy to do so. You can help too by sharing this with everyone you know on social media. Below please see a book description, book review, author bio, and purchase links for From Meidelach to Matriarchs by Mirta Ines Trupp.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

BOOK REVIEW

This helpful journal provides interesting biographies of 100 remarkable Jewish women, and then gives the reader a chance to reflect, answer questions, and write their own thoughts in journal format at the end of each chapter. It is an informative and helpful resource. The journal questions appear to be structured primarily for those of the Jewish faith, but anyone can benefit from reading about these strong and accomplished women. Some of the inspiring biographies included are those of Author Edna Ferber, Journalist Anita Brenner, Artist Anna Ticho, Figure Skater Lily Kronberger, and 96 other women who contributed in the areas of education, business, philanthropy, politics, and more.

This inspiring book introduces the reader to women they might not have known about before. It is also a place to write down personal thoughts and ideas. This book is recommended to anyone of Jewish faith or anyone who wants to read some interesting histories that they may not have discovered before.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mirta is a second-generation Argentine; she was born in Buenos Aires in 1962 and immigrated to the United States that same year. Because of the unique fringe benefits provided by her father’s employer- Pan American Airlines- she returned to her native country frequently- growing up with “un pie acá y un pie allá” (with one foot here and one foot there).

Mirta’s fascination with Jewish history and genealogy, coupled with an obsession for historical period drama, has inspired her to create unique and enlightening novels. She has been a guest speaker for book clubs, sisterhood events, genealogy societies and philanthropic organizations. Sharing her knowledge of Jewish Argentina has become her passion.

Besides being an avid novel reader, she has had a lifelong love for choral music and is a devoted Beatles fan.

Mirta’s Social Media:

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS | BOOKBUB

PURCHASE LINK

*Click on the cover below to purchase/view this book on Amazon.

BEFORE YOU GO…

*If you read the book(s), please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as anywhere else you review books. Some people feel very daunted by writing a review. Don’t worry. You do not have to write a masterpiece. Just a couple of lines about how the book made you feel will make the author’s day and help the book succeed. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it.

*Please click on the WordPress “share” buttons below and share these books with your Twitter (X), Facebook, and/or WordPress followers. A little bit of assistance from all of us will help Indie authors go a long way!

2023 Year End Book Survey

BonnieReadsAndWrites20 Comments

This Year-End Survey was originally hosted by Jamie over at The Perpetual Page Turner.

This is an opportunity to look back over the year of reading and recall some of our favorites, and even some not-so-favorites. I’d love to see your answers to some of the questions in the comments

Here’s my 2023 Year-End Survey. If you click on the covers, it will take you to my reviews of the books.

2023 READING STATS

Number of books you read:  154

Re-Reads: 

Most Popular Genre: For me it’s Historical Fiction. 

BEST IN BOOKS

Best Book You Read In 2023? Kinfolk by Sean Dietrich

Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t? The Exchange by John Grisham. Wow, what a disappointment! This was supposed to be the further adventures of Mitch McDeere from The Firm, but turned out to be a book that any character could have been plugged into. I felt like Mitch was used for sales and nothing more.

Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read? Fourth Wing. It has much stronger language than I usually read and too many sexual situations, so I was surprised that I loved it. But I loved it because: DRAGONS!

Favorite new author you discovered in 2023? Sean Dietrich. He’s not new, but new to me! He’s written over 30 books, and after reading Kinfolk, I plan to read everything he’s ever written!

SEAN OF THE SOUTH (Sean Dietrich’s Blog)

Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone? The Reformatory by Tananarive Due. I don’t read horror, and this was a cross between magical realism and horror, but it was beautifully written and also an important book because it was based on real-life murders of African American boys at a school that actually existed in Florida.

Most beautifully written book read in 2023? Also The Reformatory. Absolutely beautiful writing.

Most memorable character of 2023: Andarna in Iron Flame

Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2023 to finally read? Fourth Wing

Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2023? The shortest was 7 pages and the longest was over 800 pages.

Favorite Book You Read in 2023 From An Author You’ve Read Previously? The Good, The Bad, and the History by Jodi Taylor, the most recent book in her amazing Chronicles of St. Mary’s series (Not counting the Christmas short story, which was also amazing).

Best Book You Read In 2023 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure? Also FOURTH WING. I read it because everyone was RAVING about it. I loved it too.

Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read? Enola Holmes and the Mark of the Mongoose

The Enola Holmes books are so much fun. Enola’s quirky personality and her banter with Sherlock always make me smile.

Hidden Gem Of The Year? The Audiobook of Spare by Prince Harry. Listen for yourself as Harry reads it. Don’t rely on biased media accountings of what he said. He does an amazing job.

Most Unique Book You Read In 2023? Also Spare. The Audiobook of Spare was unique as it was read by a Prince and gave us more real insight into royal life than the tales spun by the media. 

YOUR BLOGGING/BOOKISH LIFE

Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.) Other than a local author signing, I didn’t attend any events in 2023, but I plan to do that more, especially author signings.

Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2023? Went over 500 reviews on Netgalley. I also became a Co-Editor for Historical Novels Review, the magazine of the Historical Novel Society.  Was on the Book Bloggers Novel of the Year panel for the first time.

Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year? The only challenge I really entered this year was the Goodreads Challenge, and I did complete that.

Book Announcement: John Wetton: An extraordinary life #JohnWetton #preorder

BonnieReadsAndWrites5 Comments

A book about the life of legendary bassist John Wetton is now available for preorder. There are two editions available at www.johnwettonbook.com 

7th March 2023: John Wetton: An Extraordinary Life is now available for preorder in two editions of this very special and much anticipated book created with John’s family and management. For a limited period, people can choose to be a part of it by adding a name to the Roll of Honour of supporters printed in the back. Preordering also comes with a discount on the standard retail price. 

Both the Classic and black-jacketed Signature edition (signed by John’s widow Lisa and son Dylan) contain the first-person testimony of some seventy-plus people who knew and worked with John from his school days and throughout his long, illustrious career, including Family, King Crimson, Uriah Heep, Wishbone Ash, Roxy Music, U.K., Asia, the John Wetton solo band and beyond. Among the stories of friendship, music and sometimes craziness in the book from Bill Bruford, Geoff Downes, Robert Fripp, Carl Palmer, Rick Wakeman, Phil Manzanera, Steve Hackett, Steve Howe and others, are reflections on what made John such an unforgettable musician, all-round good guy, and prog rock legend.  

Along with tales of musical success from those who knew him best are testimony from friends and family, who do not steer clear of John’s problems, but rather explain the why, the how, and eventual triumph over them, in honest and touching recollections.  

John Wetton An Extraordinary Life is only available to preorder at www.johnwettonbook.com; inclusion in the Roll of Honour will only be available for a limited period.  

Link to YouTube announcement by Lisa Wetton: 

www.johnwettonbook.com 

Self-Published Spotlight: Step Lively: New York City Tales of Love and Change

BonnieReadsAndWrites2 Comments

A fictionalized biography. Step back in time to 1980 in New York City.  “Step lively!” – what the subway conductors used to say when you got off the train — describes Jill, as she and her husband Alex “step lively” in adjusting to their new life in Manhattan. In their move to the city, they realize a long-held dream and struggle like all of us, to find their place in the world.

Each tale is a slice of life of the “ordinary,” the minutiae of daily life.  The tales can stand alone, but as a whole they compose the mosaic of Jill’s life. As she and Alex discover the city, we see the unraveling of love and dreams against the backdrop of change.

A cast of others joins the couple in their world: a businessman from Iceland the night John Lennon is shot, a restless philosopher, a born-again come-to-Jesus elevator man in their building, a talking parakeet, and Jill’s grandmothers. Then there is Jill’s bicycle. A character itself in the collection, it transports her through the streets of her beloved Manhattan. Much of what we see is from the handlebars of her bike – from there we explore Greenwich Village and the Upper West Side and get glimpses into the city’s loneliness and its rapid changes.  We see the direction Alex and Jill’s lives take in this constantly changing landscape that is New York City.

BUY LINKS

AMAZON|AMAZON UK

*Kindle Unlimited Subscribers can read this book for free.

#BookReview: Determined to Stand

BonnieReadsAndWrites3 Comments

Determined to Stand: The Reinvention of Bob Dylan by Chris Gregory is an in-depth look at Dylan’s work from 1997 to the present. It paints the picture of a gifted artist who was not content to just perform his already iconic songs of the 1960s, but who wanted to change, grow, and explore different types of music and art. This is an extensive review of Dylan’s work from 1997 to present, but it also looks back on his early work and rise to fame. There is in addition a comprehensive discography that includes detailed descriptions of Dylan’s later songs and the author’s review of their meaning and their impact. This is not a tell-all biography of the man. This is a thorough, comprehensive, and meticulously researched review of his work that will impress any Dylan fan and music fans in general.

I do not claim to be an expert on Bob Dylan or even a superfan. I am a casual fan who likes some of his iconic songs, but knew very little about his life and his eclectic body of work. I learned so much about him that I did not know, such as the fact that he became a Christian in the late 70’s and recorded Christian music until the early 1980s. I learned that he was an artist not just in music, but an author and painter as well. Among his many awards are both the Nobel and Pulitzer prizes. That is just a little of the vast amount of information readers will learn about Bob Dylan in this book. The discography is amazing, and the author provides beautifully thought out descriptions, insights, and reviews of each song. The author also walks us through Dylan’s live performances and provides perceptive commentary. This book is not a light read. Determined to Stand is an in-depth history and review of the later work of Bob Dylan, and could easily be used to teach a college course. I would take that class, and I think the author should teach it! I would highly recommend that fans and students of music history check this one out.

I received a free copy of this book from the author. My opinions are my own and are voluntary.

BUY DETERMINED TO STAND

AMAZON UK (The Amazon US link is unavailable at present, but the author is trying to resolve this. Below is a link to the author’s website where it can be purchased instead.

BUY ON CHRIS GREGORY’S WEBSITE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

(In his own words)

Chris Gregory

I have been exercising my ‘pen’ for many years, thanks to Mum and Dad who ‘hothoused’ me with my  letters when I was a tot!  I wrote my first novel when I was eight (sadly lost!) but have been turning out many millions of words ever since. I’m now a fully independent publisher through my imprint the plotted plain press.

I perform on a pretty unusual stage act as a poet using music, sound collages and multi-media effects.  I have also worked as a teacher and lecturer at all levels inside and outside the education system. It’s my belief, though, that the existence of digital media means that the borders between ‘education’ and ‘entertainment’ are rapidly disappearing. I hope to educate and to entertain!

CHRIS GREGORY’S WEBSITE