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A Billion Years by Mike Rinder
When I learned that Mike Rinder, former head of the Office of Special Affairs for the Church of Scientology, was finally publishing his memoir, I smashed that pre-order button so hard. I opted for the audio version, which is read by the author. Rinder was raised in Scientology and rose in its ranks during his 40+ years in the church, including signing the infamous billion-year contract to become a dedicated member of the Sea Organization. Rinder knew the madman founder himself, L. Ron Hubbard, and worked alongside him as a special Commodore’s Messenger. But it was post-LRH’s death, when David Miscavige proclaimed himself the new leader of the church, that…
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I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy is kind of everywhere lately—and rightly so. Between the double-take of a title combined with a stunning cover shot, many readers (including me) couldn’t resist checking it out. I never watched iCarly or Sam & Cat on Nickelodeon and was only peripherally aware of Jennette as a former child star. But you don’t have to be a fan of either show to read the book and connect with it on a deeply emotional level. First, a bevy of content warnings: Jennette grew up as a child star with a narcissist mother who desperately tried to live vicariously through her child’s fame and…
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Assassinations that Changed the World by Nigel Cawthorne
I’m kind of a dummy when it comes to history, owing to a very flawed educational system combined with a lack of curiosity as an adult. It’s something that I’ve intentionally sought to change over the years, but there’s just so much to catch up on. I appreciate books like this one, which is an overview for those of us who are clueless about history. Assassinations that Changed the World reads kind of like a Wikipedia rabbit hole: learning about one person’s death leads to another, which leads to another, and so on. The book covers well-known figures, such as Archduke Franz Ferdinand, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr.,…
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The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
The Prophet is considered a classic book and for a while I was confused about it. Is it fiction? Is it non-fiction? How exactly does it provide guidance for everyday life? Is it a religious text? Turns out that it’s classified as spiritual fiction, which makes sense when you read it. To me, it reads very much like the Bible—specifically, Proverbs or the parables of Jesus in the Gospels. Except the narrator gets pretty mystical at times, like when the townspeople ask him to expound on his thoughts concerning pleasure and love. Overall, I thought the book was just…okay. I can see why it’s loved by many, but for such…
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Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower
I’ve read quite a few cozy mysteries to date, so there has to be a unique hook to really catch my interest. Murder in Amish country? That’ll do it. (I might also have a soft spot for the 1985 romantic thriller Witness.) Assaulted Caramel features Bailey, a New York chocolatier (read: fancy chocolate maker) who’s summoned back home to Amish country in Ohio when her grandfather falls ill. Bailey’s grandparents run an Amish candy shop, which is where Bailey had first learned the fine art of chocolate making. While in town to help care for her grandfather, a sketchy property developer winds up dead. Along the way, while investigating the…
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10% Happier by Dan Harris
A book so good, I read it twice (years apart, but still). On my second read, I read the revised edition, which includes new material. Prior to reading 10% Happier, I had known of Dan Harris from his work as an ABC news correspondent. But I really learned more about him when I found out that he had a panic attack on live tv during Good Morning America. If you can handle watching it, it’s still up on YouTube (with my apologies for the appearance by Dr. Oz). There’s something voyeuristic in the second-hand embarrassment, I’m sure, but I also just really felt for the guy. As someone who has…
