Spending her earliest years in a cult, Guinevere rarely saw her mother and was raised communally. She strove to be "good", make the adults in charge happy, and to follow the rules. But in Melvin Lyman's "The Family", whims could bring about castigation, isolation and worse, and often did. When girls were 13, they were selected as "junior wives" for the older men, with all that that entailed. Misogyny was the day-to-day norm. After proving herself helpful to the daughter of the cult leader and his current paramour, Guinevere found herself in the upper echelon of the cult hierarchy, traveling with the elite tier and living a very different life than she had before. All of that changed when her mother lost favor with the powers that be, and Guinevere's nuclear family was ousted completely from The Family--along with her mom's boyfriend. Thus, a new and horrific chapter in her life began. This book is a real page-turner, and kept me hooked to the end.

Born female in a very Christian culture, author Shannon T. L. Kearns relates his experience through the feelings of "otherness" while trying to fit in as a child, then adolescent, and finally young adult pursuing a position as a pastor. His realization that he actually identified as a man, and then ultimately acting on that knowledge is the crux of this book. I commend Kearns for making hard decisions and remaining kind in the process (or at least it seems so in the book). Spoiler alert: I would say that his lack of understanding as to why his wife was less than enthusiastic about his gender change rankled with me a bit. It seems logical that if one is a lesbian, which is how the couple identified when they married, one of them wouldn't be excited about suddenly being married to a man. Right? So while I felt his handling of his mom and his faith (remarkable, really) were kind and sensitive, he did seem to have a gigantic blind spot when it came to his marriage. I also thought there would be more scriptural "meat" bolstering the notion that the bible is often misinterpreted when it comes to issues of gender/sexual fluidity. There is a reading list and he did put his spin on a few passages, but it was lighter in that area than I had expected.

Wow. Author Lisa Belkin deftly tells the story of three families, from their "old country" origins four generations back, to their adopted home, the United States. Three men were ultimately involved in a murder, and we wonder as the book winds its way along, which will be which. I find that some authors include way too much superfluous material about characters, rendering the story mind-numbing and hard to read. Maybe to prove they did the research? Maybe to make the book longer? I don't know, but this book is not that, be assured. Although she fleshes out the family members, it's interesting and helps one "know" their stories and what made them tick. As this book was nearing its dramatic conclusion, I was still unsure of the outcome and as tense as if I were reading a hot summer mystery. The absolute cherry on top is that the author is actually related to one of the characters. Wanna find out which one? Read it!

Pauline Harmange remembers the difficult decision she (and her partner) made to terminate a pregnancy in this small but potent book. Her experience led her to tell not only her own story but those of other women. The result is, as one who thinks may expect, that one can feel conflicting emotions at the same time. And that despite sadness over what might have been, sometimes people are hanging on by a thread and a baby would break the tenuous hold one has on sanity and/or stability. The stories told here are raw and emotional, and definitely gave me something to think about. Just because it may have been the right decision at that time, it doesn't mean it's ever "over" for the woman (or man) involved.

Local Niles resident, Rick Burgess relates some of his most incredible memories in this self-published memoir. From his childhood tales of cozy community camaraderie to the airwaves to aeronautical dramas, he's lived a full life. Honestly, it makes me feel more than a little boring . . .

One night in 1850, Harriet Beecher Stowe was called upon to hide a fugitive, John Andrew Jackson, a runaway slave. Her interaction with that man would have a deep effect on her and bring about staggering nationwide fractures that resonate today. The inspiration for Uncle Tom's Cabin was a real man--a man who had incredible drive, courage and guts. From a start in bondage to international fame, his story arc is related astonishingly in this well-researched book. Not all ended up rosy for Jackson, but his story is fascinating.

In a small, midwestern town, families survive but struggle. There is sadness and loss. Biases exist, and people act on them at times. This is a story about regular folks with their successes and foibles, sometimes clashing but ultimately trying to do what's right. Good guys mess up, and people learn they can be more compassionate than they thought. A warm story.

When you grow up watching Star Trek with your dad and sister, then marry a guy who also loves the show (and all its sequels), you definitely romanticize the notion of space travel. High-tech combinations of five-star hotels staffed by nerds so brilliant they're cool--what's not to love? Well, in typical Mary Roach fashion, my preconceived ideas were dashed. She dispels the myth of the sleek astronaut life and boils it down in all sorts of ways . . . from how crews are selected to the decidedly unglamorous realities of living in space, all with her signature wit. Once upon a time I fantasized about going to space. Let's just say I don't anymore.

If you've wondered why the self-proclaimed "Christians" are the meanest people in the room, this book might shed some insight on why that is. Turns out that the wackadoodle "evangelicals" (sorry about my quotes all over the place) that are so loud and proud have an agenda, and it's not anything about "loving thy neighbor as thyself" or "turn[ing] the other cheek". Nope. It's very much geared toward patriarchy, racism, sexism, etc. What a list of attributes. It was a well-cited and interesting book that made me feel a lot of big feelings. None of them Christlike, I'm afraid.

Math is not my friend. I never studied finance. Barely got through statistics. So when we signed up with a financial advisor and I sat through our meetings listening to him speak in his unintelligible language, I thought it was time to take the bull by the horns, knuckle down, and educate myself. Hence my purchase of this fine book. Did I understand everything Paco was saying? No! Did the book have humor and whimsical illustrations? Yes! So to me it was a winner. Paco is amusing, and whip-smart, but not judgey. My kind of finance teacher. So while I'm still not qualified to hang out with our financial guy talking investment-speak, I'd read anything else by this author, truly.

This tome dives deep into the inner workings of the mom in a newly growing family, her push/pull feelings of profound devotion to her son while navigating brittle post partum (?) depression. The protagonist, Julia, meets someone who begins to fill the voids in her soul, and she spends more and more time alongside this older, seemingly wiser woman who appears to have it all together. When her connection to the family brings her opportunities she ends up regretting, there are consequences. This book felt very, very real, as if the author herself has grappled with some difficult topics. While the book kept me reading, it wasn't any kind of "feel-good" experience. Plenty of angst and good-old family-style miscommunication to really muddy the waters. Also, I take issue with the blurb on the back cover, as the "friend who almost ended her marriage" most decidedly did not do that. It was a choice that Julia made herself. I kept thinking of that line throughout the book, and have to say it rankled with me. The author is a really good writer, if this is your kind of story.

I love a courtroom drama, legal show, surprise testimony. Having seen that the series All Rise, which I liked a lot, was based on this book, it was an easy decision to nab the book. The book's always better than the movie/series, show, right? Um, maybe not this time. Although it felt deeply researched, I felt it was a slog, it was depressing, and felt heartless and hopeless. Maybe it was just me? Part of it was the writing style--I found the threads hard to follow. Sorry, Steve. I'm astounded (and impressed) that someone read this book and made an entertaining show out of it.