Book Reviews by Ehlen Administration

The Great Pretender: Confessions of a Semi-Incorrigible Southern Catholic Boy by Robert R. Randall My rating: 4 of 5 stars Johnny Malloy is just a typical Catholic kid growing up in the Deep South during the 40s and 50s, but he never quite feels like he fits in. While he struggles with typical kid/teenage things like girls, school and money, as well as some deeper issues like discovering his father is actually his step father and that he and his close friends all have a dark, common link, he can never quite shake the notion that he is not meant to stay in Meridian, MS. Will he decide to enlist or head to CA or NY to chase his musical dreams? The Great Pretender works well as a memoir, more than a novel in my opinion, and there were some writing quirks that started to annoy me, such as the overuse of the adjectives “embryonic” and “incorrigible.” But I did love the description of the time, and some of the honesty about reality of the atmosphere in the Deep South during the 40s/...

I had a border collie named Chance. He was the first dog my husband and I got after we got married, and when he died - 3 well-guarded kids and squirrel-free yard later - we mourned his loss. Like Weiskircher’s dogs, and his wife, Chance died of cancer. We only suspected his illness after it was far too late to attempt any treatment; it was in his spleen. There are still times I tear up thinking about how much I love that dog still. He was a dog who instinctively protected, patrolled, and processed everything that needed to happen in the order it needed to happen. Reading Flying Geese and the Hope Dogs, most chapters reminded me of Chance. While I don’t associate his loss with the loss of a beloved spouse, I was constantly enchanted with the portraits of Genie intertwined with his dogs, and on some level was able to engage with the story through its twists in turns, in part because I too have been surrounded by dogs for most of my life. I’m grateful to be ab...

From a criminal mind to the mind of Christ by Melody Wolfe My rating: 4 of 5 stars Melody has battled addiction, been incarcerated, survived the death of her husband and faced mental health diagnoses head on. She admittedly struggled to walk the straight and narrow, and wondered if it could even really be done. As a Christian, she knew she was a bad witness. But how do you work your way up to walking the walk? Of course the answer is you don’t. Melody found that only when she embraced the mind of Christ and let him do the directing could she walk the walk. Melody writes From a Criminal Mind to the Mind of Christ from a very open, raw perspective of someone who has been through it and while far from perfect, has embraced the radiant person that she is meant to be in Christ. I should note, this is written specifically from a Christian perspective and is intended for those who can embrace Christianity as part of their recovery process, if you are not already a Christian. There is a...

The Law of Attraction Saved My Life & It Can Save Yours by Kenneth Griffin Jr My rating: 3 of 5 stars Have you ever seen that Saturday Night Live sketch with Tina Fey as Sarah Palin and Amy Poehler as Hillary Clinton? Ok there were a few, but this one had Tina Fey optimistically saying something to the effect of, “You just gotta want it!” Which sends Amy Poehler into maniacal laughter responding (again to the effect of), “Oh, ok, that must be my problem, I just didn’t want it enough!” If you haven’t go watch it on Hulu , it’s hilarious. And completely honest, because we all know that no one - man or woman - has ever wanted to be President more than Hillary Clinton. If there was ever anyone who would be able to think herself to the Presidency, it’s Hillary. That sums up my ultimate reaction to this book. I have a cursory understanding of the law of attraction, although I fully admit it has never been a primary course of study for me. What intrigued me was the author’s prom...

The Tears of Olive Trees by AbdulKarim Al Makadma My rating: 4 of 5 stars Karim has made up his mind, he’s volunteering his skill as a physician in Somalia. His wife, Sara, isn’t super happy about it, but she understands his need to go. For the average person, particularly the average Western person, to understand you have to go back to his homeland, and his father being forced out of it. Karim grew up in the refugee camps of Palestine, and feels a sad kinship with the children in Mogadishu. Karim tells us of his family’s life in Palestine, and how they were forcibly evicted and how his father helped him to rise above circumstance to be a success. The Israeli/Palestinian conflict started long ago, and this book does not resolve the conflict. Karim himself acknowledges the history and depth of the conflict, and details his personal resolve to rise above it. That being said, if you have never read a first hand account of a Palestinian refugee this is a fabulous insight into the mo...

I Was an Unsolved Mystery: A Fugitive's Story by Thomas Lion My rating: 4 of 5 stars Tom Lion was done with his pot-dealing days, not that he thought there was anything wrong with smoking pot. It was a moral issue, as far as he was concerned rather than a government one. Unfortunately for him, the US government thought differently, particularly during the War on Drugs of the 80’s and 90’s. In his memoir, he details his life a fugitive, on the run from his capture that was due, in part, to his appearance on the hit TV show Unsolved Mysteries. To say Lion’s memoir is well-written would be an understatement and probably selling it a little short. While the narrative could have used a once-over in editing to catch a few minor mispells and text corrections, the characters are well-developed and relatable, and the memoir from prison style is quite engaging. His details about money laundering, national politics sway of the drug market, and drug lifestyle are fascinating and really ...

Although author Alexander McDonald seems to think that the first in his series of books, Hire Me or Fire Me, is a novel, it is pretty clear that he is writing more of a memoir of his life as a resentful Canadian immigrant from Scotland. As a young lad his parents moved the family for job reasons, and a young McDonald deeply misses his romanticized Scottish boyhood. The rest of the book details his dislike of Canada both in the school system and the employment situations. As the title suggests, the bulk of the book focuses on his many jobs in the sales field, starting with the typical short-lived and ill-fated teenage jobs at a gas station, a funeral home and McDonalds, and continuing with cars and pharmaceutical sales. Largely, the book suffered from a lack of focus, as it seems to be a memoir posing as a novel, but also tries to bring in little tidbits of wisdom gleaned from the sales world and constant interaction with people. He can’t quite find the voice he wants, as it is larg...

Black Sheep in Tokyo by Bruce Stark My rating: 3 of 5 stars If you have ever wondered what it is like to work behind the scenes on robotics and animatronics this book has some interesting anecdotes and stories. It follows Robotics Electrician Bruce Stark primarily as he participates in building Tokyo Disneyland, as well as some of his work on a few movie sets like Jurassic Park and Lake Placid, both of which prominently feature large creatures. It starts in the late ‘70s and goes through the early ‘90s. Although some of the stories are really interesting, it is clear that Mr. Stark is an electrician and not exactly a writer. It’s a little disjointed at times, and there is not really an overarching story, just strung together memories. It ends a little abruptly. There are some really neat pictures, and I would love to see more of those because they really serve to illustrate some of the more complicated aspects of Mr. Stark’s work, which aren’t always easy to picture in your head...

RSD in Me! by Barby Ingle My rating: 4 of 5 stars I had never heard of RSD (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy) before I read this book, although I have friends with Fibromyalgia, which sounds similar as far as managing constant pain and coming up with strategies to manage daily life with a chronic condition. RSD is a chronic pain condition generally brought on by trauma or injury, and is characterized by a burning sensation in various parts of the sympathetic nervous system. As a social worker I really appreciate the general tone of this book of being your own advocate and being hopeful about a positive outcome. One of the main things I do is help clients taking control of their future and advocating for their own needs and future, and author Barby Ingle-Taylor does an excellent job of encouraging chronic pain patients to effectively navigate the stages of grief while maintaining a positive outlook on life. She advocates using faith, psychotherapy and associated techniques, and a sup...

An Unspoken Compromise by Rizi Xavier Timane My rating: 4 of 5 stars I had not heard of Rizi Timane or his ministry prior to reading this book, and I am very interested to learn more. This is part memoir, part treatise, of a woman who believes she was actually born a man, and the journey she took to become he. It is a fascinating and honest account, and I appreciate that not all of the interactions or endings were portrayed happily. I think people need to know exactly how difficult it is, particularly when you add the element of faith, as Rizi is a practicing Christian, or as he puts it, a “Jesusian.” As a Christian, reading this book is challenging. I have always been one to point out the flaws of humanity when practicing their faith (Crusades, anyone?), and although I do not know if I agree entirely with his interpretation of Scripture I love hearing interpretations other than my own. I also appreciate honest debate, and particularly that Rizi takes his own medicine, so to spe...