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Title: Rising from the Shadow of the Sun

Subtitle: A Story of Love, Survival and Joy

Author: Ronny Herman de Jong

Narrator: Stephanie Dillard

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-10-18

Publisher: Ronny Herman de Jong

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Rising from the Shadow of the Sun: A Story of Love, Survival and Joy exemplifies the power of positive thinking, of hope, of perseverance even in the most perilous and life-threatening situations and of a mother's love for her children, surpassing even the tragedy of death.

Jeannette Herman-Louwerse ("Netty"), a young mother incarcerated by the Japanese on the island of Java during World War Two with her two little girls, Ronny and Paula, endures starvation, harsh punishments, and diseases for almost four years. They barely survive.

In a secret diary, risking torture and death had it been detected, Netty writes letters to her parents in the German-occupied Netherlands, and gives an accurate historical account of the Japanese invasion and the lives of women and children interned under the brutal regime of the Japanese. She describes the years of physical and psychological suffering, but also the hope, faith, solidarity, and resilience that keep the imprisoned women alive.

Netty's husband Fokko, a pilot with the Dutch Naval Air Force, stationed in Surabaya, escapes with his squadron hours before the Japanese submarines encircle the island. Working under British command in Sri Lanka, Fokkos story is chronicled along the same timeline as that of his wife and children; he, too, survives.

Ronny Herman de Jong, born and raised in the Dutch East Indies, survived four years in Japanese concentration camps during WWII. After the war Ronny studied English at Leyden University in the Netherlands. In 1972 she moved to the USA with her husband and three children and currently resides in Arizona.

Critic Reviews:

"This fascinating chronicle of a Dutch mother and daughter records and agonizing, but eventually triumphant, journey from the horrors of life in a WWII Japanese prison camp in the 1940s to peace and prosperity in the United States in the 21st century." (Ed Williams, PhD)

Members Reviews:

Well Written Nook

The author details her life before, during and after being interned by the Japanese in Java. The captivity of thousands of Dutch men, women and children, is not well know. This author covers a lot of details and personal feelings.

. Ronny Herman de Jong describes how through her mother's strong will the family survived. This is the first book I've seen where the Japanese kill orders are printed .Although the Japanese tried to destroy these orders, they were located decades later and released.

If the war had lasted longer, all prisoners including Americans throughout the Pacific would have perished.

This author continues to write about her life after the war in a very positive, upbeat manner. She went on to have a good life and a wonderful family. It's a testament to her strong will and optimistic views about the future

. I would recommend this book highly. Not just for historical facts, but for the human spirit's ability to survive and over-come horrific situations.

The Compelling Story of a Child Survivor of a Japanese Concentration Camp During World War II

Picture being a child on a war-torn island in the Pacific during World War II. Imagine being interned and starved nearly to death by a merciless and brutal enemy with no compassion for the innocence of your childhood and no empathy for other prisoners, mostly women and children, who suffered along with you.

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Title: Harrier Boys, Book 2: New Technology, New Threats, New Tactics, 1990-2010

Author: Bob Marston

Narrator: Roger Davis

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 35 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-22-17

Publisher: Grub Street Publishing LTD

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

In the second volume of Harrier Boys, as with the first, the history of this remarkable aircraft in service with UK armed forces is illustrated through personal reminiscences of the people who worked with it. The book begins with explanations of the mature concept of operations with the Harrier GR3 in the Cold War. It then progresses through the evolution of Harrier II, starting with the GR5, and updates to the Sea Harrier, while the potential battles to be fought necessitated ever-changing tactics and technology.

The new Harriers used digital developments for airframe, engine, and weapons control. Conflicts in Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, and Afghanistan saw ground-attack missions move towards the delivery of smart weapons from medium level, rather than the dumb bombs and low level of the Cold War era - meaning that the Harrier had once more to demonstrate its legendary versatility. The introduction of the Sea Harrier FA2, with its beyond visual range air-to-air missiles and improved radar, gave much improved air defense. The UK Harrier story ends with the closer integration of the RN and RAF forces, before the aircraft's all-too-early retirement in 2010, possibly decades before other countries forsake this unique capability.

Members Reviews:

Excellent book on the Harrier Jump Jet!!

Excellent book on the Harrier Jump Jet!!

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Title: Financial Fitness

Subtitle: The Journey from Wall Street to Badwater 135

Author: William Corley

Narrator: William Corley

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 57 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-12-17

Publisher: WHC Enterprises

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

William "Chip" Corley began his career as a stockbroker after graduating college flat broke. Growing up in a middle-class family in Clarksville, Tennessee, one thing was clear to him early on: he wanted to be successful and earn a lot of money. Upon becoming a stockbroker, Chip had no contacts, no money, and no experience. What he did have was a burning desire to succeed.

While the investment industry offers tremendous financial opportunities for the ambitious and driven, it is also a roller coaster ride of uncertainty, full of highs, lows, and the pressure to produce. Being a stockbroker and recommending investments to others is considered one of the most stressful ways to earn a living. The failure rate is 90 percent. To make it requires long hours on the job, endless phone calls, research, and high-volume sales quotas.

Chip rose to the challenge, which proved to be a great fit for his relentless work ethic. His early achievements and potential landed him a job on Wall Street in New York City. It was there he rose to the next level in his career. For 20 years, Chip continued to push.

By 2004, the toil of it all caught up with him. Chip was diagnosed with hypertension and given a lifelong prescription for medication to control it. It was at that moment Chip understood that it was time to implement changes. He began to make health a top priority. In the decade to follow, Chip transformed himself from a middle-aged workaholic to a top-caliber endurance athlete. By learning to eat properly, incorporating yoga into his routine, exercising regularly, and utilizing mentors and coaches, his health flourished. Fitness became the passion that led him to the next chapter of his life.

In 2005, he ran his first 5k with his son, Chipper. From there, he continued his athletic pursuits by running a 10k; half and full marathons; 70.3 and 140.6 Ironman triathlons; 50k, 50-mile, 100k, and 100-mile ultramarathons; and ultimately, Badwater 135, considered the world's toughest footrace.

Financial Fitness chronicles Chips journey in the world of investing and business to his path fueled by fitness and health, and offers tons of tips en route to inspire others to find their own financial and physical well-being.

Members Reviews:

Amazing and Inspirational!

What made the experience of listening to Financial Fitness the most enjoyable?

Mr Corely is clearly passionate and knowledgable about both financial and physical fitness. I love how easily applicable his philosophies. This transcends physical and financial fitness. This is a life skills book!

What other book might you compare Financial Fitness to and why?

Unshakeable by Tony Robbins - Focus on mindset to succeed!

What about William Corleys performance did you like?

It is clear that he lives and owns this. His southern drawl is also nice to listen to.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes

Any additional comments?

Love it!

Motivational: Fitness and Financial Success Story!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This book is for anyone striving to achieve a higher standard of healthy living and financial success.

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Title: Strap on a Pair

Subtitle: A Middle-Aged, Middle-Management, Middle-Class Mom's Quest for Something More

Author: Abby Lou Walker

Narrator: Abby Lou Walker

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 49 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-09-17

Publisher: Vivian Lou Publishing

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

There was only one problem with Abby's good life. It was slowly killing her. Tired of mundane roles at work and exhausting routines at home, uninspired by the corporate BS, and desperate to do something anything to feel alive, Abby Lou Walker was determined to keep living the good parts of her life and satisfy her desire for something more.

Armed with a bit of curiosity, some courage, and a love of high heels, she strapped on a pair and set out on her quest. What transpired was a hero's journey of epic proportions full of inspired steps and chance encounters that empowered her to launch her own company, trample internal demons, find joyful balance as a wife, mom, and entrepreneur, and ultimately hit her stride with the help of numerous allies who showed up along the way.

Strap on a Pair is Abby's raw and humorous account of this adventure, written to inspire courage and curiosity in fellow middle-aged, middle-management, middle-class moms who crave something more.

Members Reviews:

As Amazing As I Knew It Would Be

When I listened to Abby on Glambition Radio, she strummed my pain with her words. It was like I was hearing my own words come from someone elses mouth. So, I got the book. I love how vulnerable she was willing to be to achieve this goal. Perfect imperfection.

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Title: The Voyage of the Southern Sun

Author: Michael Smith

Narrator: Michael Smith, Aaron Patrick

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-01-17

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Michael Smith spent 20 years restoring Melbourne's beloved Sun Theatre and becoming one of Australia's last independent cinema operators. He then set off on a rather different journey: to become the first person to fly solo around the world in an amphibious plane.

With limited flying experience, no support team and only basic instruments in his tiny flying boat, the Southern Sun, Smith risked his life to make modern aviation history. His adventures include an unexpected greeting by Special Branch on his arrival in the UK, a near-death experience while leaving Greenland, and a wondrous journey up the Mississippi. In just seven months he made 80 stops around the globe, exploring 25 cities and communities, and visiting some 70 cinemas. All along the way Smith updated his online journal, cheered on by 50,000 followers.

In 2016 he was named Australian Geographic's Adventurer of the Year.

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Title: World Changer: A Mother's Story

Author: Karen Vaughn

Narrator: Karen Vaughn

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-03-17

Publisher: Freedom Press

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

On August 6, 2011, 30 American soldiers aboard Extortion 17 perished in the single greatest loss of Navy SEAL lives. Among them - Aaron Carson Vaughn, a small-town boy who grew up in the hills of Tennessee and lived a life larger than most.

Told through the eyes of Karen, Aaron's mother, this tender story of faith, family, and love grips the heart and shows how one family raised an American warrior filled with courage, tenacity, and patriotism. The Vaughn's story is not one about war or about a grieving family, but rather one of triumph and God's sustaining grace.

Woven throughout Karen's story is practical advice for today's parents. Also included at the end is a study guide for those who desire to go deeper and learn how to raise children who live life so well that they leave a legacy.

Members Reviews:

A wonderful story of patriotism and faith!

This was an incredible book! Read by the author with portions read by her husband, it really puts the reader into the middle of this amazing family. The full force of the emotion of their son's sacrifice comes through in a powerful way. I literally had tears streaming down my face as they read their account of the day their son gave his life for our great nation. In my opinion, this is a must read for every American and every parent. If only we could all raise children with such a sense of patriotism, our country would be so much better. Thank you Aaron for the example you set and the sacrifice you made. And thank you Karen for sharing his story and yours in this book.

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Title: Only God Knows Why

Subtitle: A Mother's Memoir of Death and Rebirth

Author: Amy Lyon

Narrator: Amy Lyon

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-02-17

Publisher: Lyon's Den Studios

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

"Write that book. Love God and Isabelle."

Amy Lyon took her orders seriously, and in this transformative memoir, the author takes listeners on a gut-level journey as she shuffles (less than perfectly) through postpartum depression, the tragedy of losing an infant, and intense anger toward God - all while asking the question that plagues so many of us: What on earth am I here for?

In time, she proves that - buried beneath the thick layers of sorrow - hope and joy can exist...even if you refuse to believe.

Members Reviews:

Best Book I've Read in a Long Time

Yesterday I started one of the best books I have ever read -- " Only God Knows Why" by Amy Lyon. I want to ask you to purchase this - for your library, your daughters, your book clubs, your church reading groups. It is the story of Amy who lives south of Minneapolis and her struggles with believing in God, post-partum depression, and the death of her four month old daughter Izzy. She shares with us the absolute faith and love of her husband Chad. I am purchasing a copy for my daughter and my church. God's Peace and Blessings to Amy and Chad and your family.

Everyone who's ever been touched by post-partum depression, infant loss, or grief MUST read this book!

One of my very best friends wrote the book, "Only God Knows Why: A Mother's Memoir of Death & Rebirth" - I got an advanced copy tonight and made the mistake of sitting down to read it as soon as I got home (at 10:30 pm). I don't know if it was because I was so close to the story, or that Amy is just a great writer, but I couldn't put it down! I highly recommend this book to anyone, especially those dealing with infant loss, or grief of any kind. It is SOOO good!

Touching

This was an "open book" about an honest young woman that reveals the touching story of her struggles with God. I would highly reccommend this to anyone with children, and especially to anyone who knows someone who has lost a child. She is a gifted writer and I truly felt her raw emotions come thru on each page. I was very touched.

Five Stars

Touching story

A REAL TEAR JERKER

It was hard to put this book down. It was a true life experience of this aggrieved Mother her husband and family. The love they had for their baby daughter, and the difficulty of coming to grips with her loss.

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Title: Our Billy: Billy's Memoirs, Book 2

Author: William McCaughey

Narrator: Jeffrey Knecht

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 15 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-29-17

Publisher: William Simpkin McCaughey

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

This is my memoirs, part two. This is a story about the British art world - a Scottish and Glasgow story. This is a story of achievement of the 60s, 70s, and 80s, and one man's love for the world.

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Title: One Day We'll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter

Subtitle: Essays

Author: Scaachi Koul

Narrator: Scaachi Koul

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 29 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-28-17

Publisher: Penguin Random House Canada

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

For listeners of Mindy Kaling, Jenny Lawson, and Roxane Gay, a debut collection of fierce and funny essays about growing up the daughter of Indian immigrants in Canada, "a land of ice and casual racism", by the irreverent, hilarious cultural observer and incomparable rising star Scaachi Koul.

In One Day We'll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter, Scaachi deploys her razor-sharp humour to share her fears, outrages, and mortifying experiences as an outsider growing up in Canada. Her subjects range from shaving her knuckles in grade school, to a shopping trip gone horribly awry, to dealing with Internet trolls, to feeling out of place at an Indian wedding (as an Indian woman), to parsing the trajectory of fears and anxieties that pressed upon her immigrant parents and bled down a generation. Alongside these personal stories are pointed observations about life as a woman of color, where every aspect of her appearance is open for critique, derision, or outright scorn. Where strict gender rules bind in both Western and Indian cultures, forcing her to confront questions about gender dynamics, racial tensions, ethnic stereotypes and her father's creeping mortality - all as she tries to find her feet in the world.

With a clear eye and biting wit, Scaachi Koul explores the absurdity of a life steeped in misery. And through these intimate, wise, and laugh-out-loud funny dispatches, a portrait of a bright new literary voice emerges.

Critic Reviews:

"One Day We'll All Be Dead is an absolutely wonderful, impossible-not-to-love book. Whether writing about race or girlhood, the Internet or family, Scaachi Koul's writing makes each issue feel fresh and newfound. Hilarious but thoughtful, Koul draws you into her life and makes you never want to leave." (Jessica Valenti, New York Times best-selling author of Sex Object)

"Toronto journalist and BuzzFeeder Scaachi Koul has carved a niche for herself as a uniquely outspoken critic. As a writer of colour, her collection of essays offers her usual derisive wit and sharp take on a life caught between Western and Indian cultures, not just as a woman, but as someone keenly aware enough to know that the world is an outrage and we're just living in it." (National Post)

Members Reviews:

Fun and thought-provoking

I came into this book expecting a few laughs but not much substance. It ended up leaving me with things learned and a new perspective on things I thought I knew already. The laughs were more chuckles than actual laughs, but I'll forgive it because Koul is rather charming in her writing.

It's billed as humor (or at least that it was presented to me as), but it's more of a collection of essays on being a woman with a very defined cultural background. She writes about her family, about being Indian but born and raised in Canada, about being a girl and all that entails in today's world, and she does it all with charming ease that tackles even the toughest topics with élan.

Culture clash and growing up as an outsider minority

First hand experience and account of prejudice and racism, ignorance played out, on and offline.

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Title: Estranged

Subtitle: Leaving Family and Finding Home

Author: Jessica Berger Gross

Narrator: Jessica Berger Gross

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-29-17

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

To outsiders, Jessica Berger Gross's childhood - growing up in a "nice" Jewish family in middle class Long Island - seemed as wholesomely American as any other. But behind closed doors, Jessica suffered years of physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her father, whose mood would veer unexpectedly from loving to violent.

At the age of 28, still reeling from the trauma but emotionally dependent on her dysfunctional family, Jessica made the anguished decision to cut ties with them entirely. Years later, living in Maine with a loving husband and young son, having finally found happiness, Jessica is convinced the decision saved her life.

In her powerful memoir reminiscent of Jeannette Walls's best seller The Glass Castle, Jessica breaks through common social taboos and bravely recounts the painful, self-defeating ways in which she internalized her abusive childhood, how she came to the monumental decision to break free from her family, and how she endured the difficult road that followed. Ultimately, by extracting herself from the damaging patterns and relationships of the past, Jessica has managed to carve an inspiring path to happiness - one she has created on her own terms. Her story, told here in a careful, unflinching, and forthright way, completely reframes how we think about family and the past.

Critic Reviews:

"[A] memoir of love, abuse, despair, and hope . . . a reminder that any family can hide a secret and that many victims of abuse go their entire lives without speaking out about it." (

Booklist)

Members Reviews:

page-turner

beautifully written. cathartic for anyone . especially those of us that have experienced estrangement.

Deepley Personal and Vastly Relevant

What I love about this memoir is that even though Jessica Berger Gross is telling her own story, it raises such compelling questions for all of us. When are relationships too toxic to hold on too, how can we set boundaries in the relationships we chose, and just how complicated but imperative this process is if we want to live lives in alignment with our own truth. I loved reading this book. It was moving and compelling and made my heart grow. I found it to be so hopeful. How she reconciled her own choices and forgave in her own way without choosing to participate in abuse is just such a beautiful and poignant portrait of strength.

This is a thoughtful and moving memoir about how family ...

This is a thoughtful and moving memoir about how family relationships shape us, and about how one can gain the strength and courage to end relationships that have caused deep harm. This book illustrates our capacity to understand, process and forgive abuse while choosing not to continue the relationship in which it took place. The writer's familiar, conversational style takes you along with her on her inspiring journey from an unpredictable abusive childhood to adulthood where she was able to create the family she always craved. This is not a memoir of the most horrific abuse one could imagine, it is in its "everydayness" that it finds its power - - a regular family in a regular suburb, with emotional and physical abuse that leaves lasting scars.

Like life, this memoir is full of ambivalence and ...

Sometimes you read a memoir of a childhood so horrific, you know for certain the author cannot maintain a relationship with their parents. This is not that memoir.