Book Review: Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali

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Infidel is Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s 2006 memoir and tells of her remarkable journey from impoverished Somalia to the Dutch parliament. It’s also about her intellectual and spiritual journey, as her mind was broadened by Western ideas and she began to question the Muslim faith that is so deeply ingrained in Somali culture. Continue reading

Book Review: The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson

Erik Larson has done it again! The author of Dead Wake and The Devil in the White City brings history to life with his latest, The Splendid and the Vile. This time he tackles the first year of Winston Churchill’s tenure as prime minister, with splendid results. Continue reading

Book Review: Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds by David Goggins

I read Can’t Hurt Me as part of the 12 Months of Reading Goodness challenge. February is the month to let a loved one pick a book for you to read and so I asked my husband to do that. When you ask a self-help book junkie to pick your next read, chances are you’ll be reading a self-help book, which is what happened to me. I designed the challenge to help people get out of their reading comfort zone, and this is certainly something I wouldn’t have chosen for myself, so it worked in that respect. Continue reading

Book Review: Educated by Tara Westover

This is a book that lived up to its hype. Educated has graced numerous bestseller lists, was a finalist for several awards, and made the rounds through endless book clubs and it’s easy to see why. Tara Westover’s memoir about her childhood as a Mormon survivalist would probably be gripping enough as its own story. But the second chapter of her life, in which the self-educated author attends both Cambridge and Harvard, is equally astounding. Continue reading