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Travel Wings Clipped by Pandemic, Adventure Travel Writer Linda Ballou Pens Historical Novel About Equestrian Explorer Lady Isabella Lucy Bird: Embrace of the Wild

February 19th, 2021

I was not initially familiar with the story of Englishwoman Lady Isabella Lucy Bird, so I didn’t know what to expect when I began reading Linda Ballou’s newest book, Embrace of the Wild: Inspired by Equestrian Explorer Isabella Bird. However I was lucky enough to read it just days after publication, and am pleased to tell you a little bit about the book. Right up front, let me say I was gifted this copy because Linda Ballou, an adventure travel writer, is NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate, and writes a regular column about her travels for the National Association of Baby Boomer... Read More

The Theft of Memory: Losing My Father One Day at a Time

August 17th, 2015

The Theft of Memory: Losing My Father One Day at a Time Author: Jonathan Kozol Reviewed for the NABBW by: Anne Holmes If you know National Book Award winner Jonathan Kozol for his lifetime of work among our nation’s most disadvantaged children, you’re aware of his seminal books like: Savage Inequalities: Children in America’s Schools Amazing Grace: The Lives of Children and the Conscience of a Nation, or Fire in the Ashes: Twenty-Five Years Among the Poorest Children in America These books, along with about a dozen others, have branded Kozol as a fine writer, a man who, as... Read More

Cleopatra: A Life

June 10th, 2015

Cleopatra: A Life Author: Stacy Schiff Reviewed by Anne Holmes for the NABBW This is an amazing, “can’t put down” type of book. Something I’d never have anticipated, since it’s a biography of a person who lived and reigned Egypt at least thirty years BC. So huge credit goes to author Stacey Schiff, who not only did her own research for this book, but writes of Cleopatra in a very compelling way. Consider, for example, the opening paragraph to the first chapter, titled, “That Egyptian Woman:” “Among the most famous women to have lived, Cleopatra VII... Read More

The Time of My Life: A Righteous Brother’s Memoir

June 10th, 2015

The Time of My Life: A Righteous Brother’s Memoir Author: Bill Medley with Mike Marino, Foreward by Billy Joel Reviewed by Anne Holmes for the NABBW I’ll avoid the temptation to report that this is a “righteously good read,” but I will promise you that this is an incredible memoir, full of soul and inspiration. Bill Medley, obviously one half (with his late partner Bobby Hatfield) of the pioneering “blue-eyed soul” group, the Righteous Brothers, tells a story that packs a punch. It’s more than just his personal recitation of their many iconic musical hits. But... Read More

Tom: A Life Saved – Lives Lost

April 13th, 2014

Tom: A Life Saved – Lives Lost Amazon Barnes & Noble Author: Goffinet McLaren Reviewed for the NABBW by: Anne Holmes The Premise of this Dramatic Biography Could be the Plot for a WWII-focused Action Film Starring Viggo Mortensen or Brad Pitt. Here’s the scenario: It’s April 16, 1943, a night with a full moon — and World War II is in full tilt. You’re part of a seven-man RAF crew, flying a Lancaster bomber, during one of the RAF’s largest Bomber Command sorties. It’s the middle of the night, and your hugely important mission – along with 599 other bombers — is to... Read More