👶👶👶👶👶: John & Paul: A Love Story in Songs, by Ian Leslie

ＷＯＷＯＷＯＷ!!!!!! Gather round Beatles fans! This is the winning ticket! What an impeccably researched, authentically conveyed, and exquisitely executed book! This book delves into the complicated and intense relationship between John Lennon and Paul McCartney, two of the most creative singer/songwriter duos of our time. The author had the brilliant idea of sharing their history through the songs they wrote and recorded; what a magnificent journey it is. I had no idea of much of this history, and each song not only brings back a flood of memories but a deeper understanding of these ingenious artists. All at once, uplifting and heartbreaking, this book is one that will absolutely stand the test of time.

Many, many thanks to partner Celadon Books for this beautifully rendered, gifted biography. I will treasure it for years to come!

Read 4/9/25

👶👶👶👶: The Imagineering Story: A History of Disney's Theme Parks as Told by the Designers, by Leslie Iwerks

Many thanks to partners TLC Book Tours and Disney Books for this gorgeous gifted review copy!

WHOOWEE, is this one doozy of a book! Sittin' at whopping 731 pages, this one's not for the faint of heart! But it certainly IS for ultimate Disney fans like me! If you have someone on your Christmas list who adores all things Disney, here's your sign!

This story is loaded with intimate details about the incredible journey of the Imagineering team, from the early days with Walt Disney at the helm to its current-day operations.

Walt Disney Imagineering (once called W.E.D. Enterprises) was the "blending of creative imagination with technical know-how"... Imagination + Engineering. And in Leslie Iwerks' words, "𝐼𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑏𝑢𝑖𝑙𝑑 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚𝑠. 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝑠𝑎𝑦 "𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟,' 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑘𝑦 𝑖𝑠 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡."

It is amazing what these geniuses have accomplished, all to bring a smile to people's faces! From the earliest days, they were the most innovative group developing things such as:

*The first enclosed roller-coasters

*Audio-Animatronics

*AVAC (air-pressurized garbage cans where the trash is suctioned into an underground collection facility)

And they have continued to design the most high-tech inventions to date:

*4D software

*Magicbands

*Projection mapping on intricate buildings (GORGEOUS)

*Omni-coasters (coaster pods that can rotate a full 360° - SO FUN)

*Stuntronics (figures that soar up to 60 feet in the air - SO COOL)

All this ingenuity was begun because one man had the foresight and heart to create "The Happiest Place on Earth"!

"𝐼 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙. 𝐼 𝑚𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑙𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡. 𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑠𝑓𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑚𝑦 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘. 𝐼 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑦 𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛." -𝑊𝑎𝑙𝑡 𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑛𝑒𝑦

Read 11/11/ 22

👶👶👶👶 Strong Ending A Journey from Combat to Comedy

An Audible Original, Strong Ending is a tribute to the scores of military men and women who struggle with reentry into civilian life. It follows the journey of 3 ex-military in particular, as they use comedy as a release and renewal. I had never heard of this stand-up comedy boot camp, but am impressed at the results as revealed in this story. The more varietal programs offered for victims of PTSD, the better. All of these heroes are fully deserving of any and all programs to help them heal. 

Read 12/22/18

👶👶👶👶👶 Until We Meet Again, by Michael Korenblit and Kathy Janger

This raw, gut-wrenching novel, tells the story of the author’s Polish Jewish parents, and their unfathomable journey as Holocaust survivors. As with many of the books that I have read in this genre, I found this novel completely engrossing. I can’t begin to understand the horrors these poor souls endured; what those monsters did to innocent human beings is just beyond my realm of comprehension.

The story itself was well-written and compelling, and kept me interested from beginning to end.

Michael Korenblit couldn’t have found a more touching way to honor his parents, than to forever commemorate their plight in this beautifully written novel.

Read 10/8/15

👶👶👶👶👶 Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand

One word: EXTRAORDINARY!!!  This book was captivating from beginning to end, and it still stuns me that it was all true!  This poor man defied all the odds, and the author does such an extraordinary job of depicting each and every excruciating scene. It is almost too incredible to believe!  This is not only a well-written, captivating book, but an important read that truly shows the strength of the human spirit.  What a true hero Zamperini was; the story speaks volumes of what one can accomplish despite facing innumerable obstacles.  It'll make you re-examine yourself to the extent of being thankful for the minor frustrations in life such as burnt toast:-)!  It'll also make you eternally grateful to the brave men and women who have served our country.

** One of my all-time favorites!

***There is also a junior edition where the violence is toned down a bit, however I still only recommend it for teens.

Read 1/12