Blog Archives
Ride
Morgan wanted out. After spending her childhood with her abusive mother, alcoholic father, and successful sister, she wanted nothing more than to carve her own path in life as a film director. Likewise, Alayna wished to have a picture-perfect family, even if it meant putting her dreams of singing behind her. Separated by the trauma of their past and brought back together by the death of their mother, these two sisters want nothing more than to move on with their lives. But that’s easier said than done, especially when home means old ghosts are lurking around every corner.
Inspired by the music of Lana Del Rey, author Zachary Ryan tells the compelling story of two sisters trapped by circumstance and family ties as they try to right the wrongs of the past in his newest novel, Ride. The story itself is a beautifully written tale of trauma and healing. As the chapters flip between Alayna’s and Morgan’s perspectives, the reader is welcomed to the full scope of the story and both sides of the sister’s harsh upbringing. In this gripping book, Ryan doesn’t stray away from difficult topics such as suicide and drug abuse but accepts them as a brutal part of life. His willingness to discuss both the good and the bad brings the story to life.
Zachary Ryan tells a narrative that makes it hard not to feel genuine sympathy as you watch the sisters work their way through old ghosts and drudge up long-buried trauma. He writes the story in a way that allows you to bury yourself under the words. With the exception of a few jarring jumps between past and present, this book was a captivating and smooth read, and I found it hard not to put it down.
Ride is a compelling women’s fiction novel about the strained relationship between sisters and the struggle to work through past trauma. Readers will be taken on a journey of self-discovery and reflection as the sisters heal from their upbringing and find a way to move forward in life.
Pages: 341 | ASIN: B0BKYHV2PT
How To Eat A Shit Sandwich : and Keep Smiling
This bluntly honest memoir is both funny in its wit and terrifying in its candor. Annette demonstrates that while horrible things can happen to wonderful people, they don’t have to define us. You don’t have to have gone through things as Annette did to be able to identify with the themes of tenacity, fortitude, and moving forward in life, even when things don’t go exactly as you had intended.
It’s a tale of tragedy, happiness, heartbreak, lessons about life, love, relationships, and some things that will make you shake your head. This will be a trip down memory lane for some of us while a history lesson on what life was like at its darkest moments for others. Because of Annette’s skill with language, it was like she was narrating the scenes personally to me. I felt as though I had been miraculously transported to be present for each and every scene as I read about Annette’s life. This book could provide a way out of the dark for anyone who has ever had to encounter the misfortune to eat a shit sandwich.
This book was a page-turner that I couldn’t put down. You will be able to relate to sections of Annette’s book as you read it, and it will bring you back to a time in your life when you felt like an outsider or that you were being bullied, exploited, insulted, or neglected in any way. Her work contains some upsetting tragic events, but she still manages to mask the agony with humor.
I couldn’t put this fantastic book down. I had to keep reading to see what else Annette had to say. I heartily endorse this it. I believe that we can work together to bring about the necessary reforms if more of these tales are told. We can make a difference by speaking out about issues like these.
How To Eat A Shit Sandwich: and Keep Smiling is a passionately told true story. Annette Densham’s memoir will leave readers with much to think about and better understand the importance of getting on with life despite bad things happening. Simply said, this book is a fantastic read! There will unavoidably be tears as well as loud laughter, shock, feelings of rage, and frustration.
Pages: 426 | ASIN : B09K3FCFS4
Destiny Lives on Fairhaven Street
Violence. That’s all C.J ever knew as a child. From the brutal bullying by boys at school to his father’s fiery fists of rage, his life was nothing short of a nightmare. When his abusive father and traumatized mother divorced, C.J shed his childhood nickname and began searching for the real Chris. It is at this time he meets Danielle, the girl next door. With an instant attraction, their worlds collided and erupted into a magnificent world of love and trust from the start. Danielle became a beacon of hope that guided Chris through the most challenging years of his life, a time when he was discovering who he was and who he wanted to be. However, Chris ended up moving to Michigan, ripping him away from Danielle just as their young love blossomed. Can Chris move past the trauma and distance to win Danielle?
Author C.J. Hudson thrusts the reader into his world of pain and belittlement by his father and bullies at school. The scenes of abuse were hard to get through, and I absolutely hated C.J.’s father for how he treated him, but that also shows the author’s writing is descriptive and moving. This impassioned story reads like a journal written by the author to his sons about his childhood life and how he met their mother. I was able to connect with the author, and I enjoyed being able to read about his thoughts. I understood his reasoning for not liking certain things like his real name or something as minute as oatmeal.
C.J.’s and Danielle’s relationship made me smile because she loved him for who he was. Reading about how Bob, C.J.’s uncle, treated him was heartwarming and, I must say, the best part of the author’s memoir. It brought a smile to my face when C.J. began to feel the real love and get the right parental guidance. I don’t know why I was surprised by the ending of the author’s memoir, maybe because a part of me was rooting for him to win Danielle back.
Destiny Lives on Fairhaven Street is an inspirational memoir of trials and triumphs. Readers will follow as the author finds the strength to survive the things that life throws at him and watch as he tries to build a better life and legacy for his own sons.
Pages: 258 | ASIN B0BHTP7FH9
Don’t Keep Hiding Your Painful Secrets
Carbon Under Pressure is your memoir of surviving three of the worst years of your life while trying to hold your family together. Why was this an important story for you to share?
Back in 2017 I made a promise that once I supported my daughter through her ordeal, I would do all I could to stop this tragic suicide epidemic we are facing globally.
My story takes you on every step of my journey as I peeled back the layers to reveal a deep, dark secret that had been tormenting my child for longer than I could have imagined. It was not until I discovered her secret that I realised the true impact being silenced has on our mental health. I knew I had to speak out and share my story with real rawness and honesty.
My story lifts the curtain on mental health, suicide, domestic violence, child and sexual abuse. All too often we hear about these topics through reports or statistics, but statistics rarely stir us into action the way a powerful real story can.
What is a common misconception you feel people have about suicide?
I feel the biggest misconception out there is: Talking about suicide will lead to and encourage more suicides.
There is so much stigma associated with suicide which impacts people’s ability to speak out about their suicidal thoughts. When in fact talking about suicide will not only reduce the stigma, but it will also encourage people to speak out about it, to share their story with others and to also seek help.
Discrediting this myth can open our eyes to the fragility of those who soldier on in silence when their world has been shattered. I hope this will encourage us all to support one another to create a more compassionate, respectful, and honourable society.
What is one piece of advice someone gave you that changed your life?
When I was in the middle of living through this nightmare and consumed with guilt and regret, someone shared this quote with me that completely changed my perspective and how I live my life. The quote is:
“It doesn’t matter what has happened to you, it matters what you do with what has happened to you. Life is like a poker game. You don’t get to choose the cards you are dealt, but it’s entirely up to you how to play the hand.” ― Regina Brett
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
Every reader will possibly relate to a different moment in my story. There are lessons about finding the strength to seek justice, about learning to let go and accept that you cannot control everything in your life, and about realising what a mother’s unlimited love really looks like.
But if you’re looking for one universal lesson, I believe what we can all take from my book Carbon Under Pressure is this: don’t keep hiding your painful secrets. They become burdens too heavy to carry and they hold you back from living fully and freely. Breaking the silence is the bravest and most empowering thing we can do. That’s when things really begin to change.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Rose thought she had it all, then she discovered her husband’s hidden life. The revelation crushed Rose, and the breakup shattered her family. Battling through heartbreak and betrayal, she thought the worst was behind her, but nothing could prepare Rose for what came next.
In this raw and confronting story, we follow three years in Rose’s life. With a rare honesty, she reveals the painful emotions of a mother watching helplessly as her daughter battles a tormenting secret. It will push her to the edge, but just as the nightmare promises to end, Rose’s family is haunted by a new and more ominous threat. Will the intense pressure tear her apart, or can she find the strength to face her demons and save the ones she loves?
Carbon Under Pressure is based on real events. Rose’s story is shocking, riveting and unforgettable, and what happened to her could happen to anyone.
Mia’s Odyssey
Mia’s Odyssey: Taking Back My Soul by Mia Odeh is an insightful memoir that offers a journey into a woman’s intricate and complicated life. Mia was born in Palestine, the place where she spent most of her childhood. She was joyful and wanted nothing more than to be with her family and see the sunset from the rooftop of her house. However, her beautiful and innocent reality was quickly broken as her family decided to sell her off to an older, unknown man.
At only sixteen and still feeling like a child, Mia experiences a series of events that wake her up to the cruel reality that comes with some people. Right away, she’s forced to move to America, far away from her family, an unknown place with a language that she couldn’t even begin to understand. Her husband, who everyone believes to be her father, doesn’t support her and quickly shows the monster hidden beneath.
Mia’s story is heartbreaking, focused mainly on a traumatic past filled with sexual and domestic abuse. Yet, despite this, her outlook on things and her resilience to survive and to save not only herself but her children will remain as the silver lining of this book, showing how bravery and determination can take a person out of the depths of the most miserable situations.
The emotional book is incredibly written. Fast-paced and concise, this memoir offers every detail that a reader needs to know to understand Mia’s situation and exposes the cruel reality of so many young girls and women out there, a reality that’s often hidden behind closed doors. However, given the nature of the subject at hand, the book was hard to read. It was simply distressing realizing what this young girl had to endure every day in her own home, being trapped in her own personal hell. Seen as nothing but a servant and a breeding animal, Mia eventually plans her way out of this lifestyle for her and her own children’s sake. She is looking to find a new way to live without the continuous torture, humiliation, and trauma she had to endure.
Mia’s Odyssey: Taking Back My Soul by Mia Odeh and Mike Ball is an unforgettable memoir that will open the eyes of many people. It will make you think more compassionately about the people you may encounter in your daily life. These people might be experiencing unspeakable things without no one even noticing. This is a feminist story and, above all, a story of overcoming that will inspire the fights of many.
Pages: 232 | ASIN : B0B46V571M
Destiny Lives On Fairhaven Street
Used to an environment of violence and lovelessness, a young boy named CJ went about his days in resignment and acceptance that this is the life he will experience until his last breath. In school, he was either bullied or ignored. At home, he and his older brother got beat up by their alcoholic father, and their mother was no exception to the treatment. When CJ’s mother decides to end the marriage, he meets the person who will change the course of his life forever, Danielle. Their blissful three years as friends-to-lovers end when the divorce of CJ’s parents leads him to Michigan, leaving Danielle with only a heart-shaped pendant, and his promise to return. With eight years between his departure and arrival back to the love of his life’s door, CJ recalls his journey and the lessons he learned along the way.
Destiny Lives On Fairhaven Street is a compelling memoir of CJ’s journey from a fragile and abused boy to a strong and empowered man, all through the power of love. The author’s story tells us that we are the masters of our own fate, and no matter what world we live in, we can choose to be different. From the very start of the story, we are immersed into the harsh world the author lived in. CJ was expected to be just like his father by everyone around him, but in the end, he promised firmly to himself that he is going to break the cycle, and with the proper drive, he was able to prove it. It may look like a typical story of perseverance, but understanding CJ’s experiences and seeing how it affected him in the present, his life is very admirable. He saw the good during times of hardships and he was still able to build a life he envisioned.
From the beginning, I found it endearing that he told his story in a narrative manner to his two children, because I felt that it gave the book a conversational feel. Although there are some events that are unimaginable for some readers, such as the abuse, I was able to grasp just how heavy these parts are with the way the author described it. Furthermore, this may not be the first time I read a book that features domestic violence, but the fact that these stories are publicized is crucial in our world today, and every single one of these stories must be heard.
Destiny Lives on Fairhaven Street is a captivating and motivating memoir that will push its readers to believe in three things —love, fate, and hope. I highly recommend this to people who are going through a lot in life and are looking for a sign to continue on, because CJ is living proof that we can be triumphant. I hope this memoir can help readers to accept that we deserve this one thing, no matter how we measure it —happiness, and that we must not be afraid to seek it.
Pages: 258
LITERARY TITAN 