Rediscover Your Happy Place with ‘The Blue Zones of Happiness’ [REVIEW]

Emily and Ruby — One of the secrets to longevity is happiness, and these two in Boulder, Colorado seem to have that in spades. (Photo by Mark Doliner, Flickr)

Last time I chatted with Dan Buettner, he introduced my radio audience to the concept of “blue zones,” those places on our planet where people seem to live the longest . He also taught us why they have such remarkable longevity. Now, in The Blue Zones of Happiness, he uses further research to show us why these folks are also among the happiest in the world and what key strategies we can impliment in our own lives to find our happy place. Continue reading “Rediscover Your Happy Place with ‘The Blue Zones of Happiness’ [REVIEW]”

Jathan FinkOctober 23, 2017October 23, 20172 Comments

Books, Contest

Meet World War II’s Courageous Nurses in ‘The Fire by Night’ [REVIEW]

Field hospital nurses — Meet some of the American military nurses who risked their lives during World War II in Teresa Messineo’s *The Fire by Night*. (Photo by Marion Doss, Flickr)

We’ve often heard, read, and watched epics about the brave men (and sometimes men who were barely more than boys) who courageously served in the various branches of the military during World War II. But we seldom hear about the women who sacrificed their youth and freedom to serve in wartime hot zones as military nurses who worked tirelessly to save lives and mend and watch over the injured soldiers who were carried in off the field, barely clinging to life. Teresa Messineo’s engrossing novel, The Fire by Night, finally brings these stories to dazzling, vivid life. Continue reading “Meet World War II’s Courageous Nurses in ‘The Fire by Night’ [REVIEW]”

Jathan FinkOctober 19, 2017October 18, 20172 Comments

Books, Contest

Discover Redemption and Hope Among ‘The Crows of Beara’ [REVIEW]

Dunluce Castle — Get swept away to the verdant Irish coast in Julie Christine Johnson’s *The Crows of Beara*. (Photo by Ricardo Cabral, Flickr)

With a marriage on the rocks and a troubled past she’d like to forget, one woman leaves America behind and heads to the rocky Irish coast with hopes to salvage her career and build a new life in Julie Christine Johnson’s The Crows of Beara.
Continue reading “Discover Redemption and Hope Among ‘The Crows of Beara’ [REVIEW]”

Heather FinkOctober 18, 2017October 21, 20175 Comments

Books, Contest

Readers Will Never Forget Their ‘Last Christmas in Paris’ [REVIEW]

Gifts — Before his life is over, he must go back to where it began in Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb’s *Last Christmas in Paris*. (Photo by justkids, Flickr)

The Great War changed the global landscape forever. Never before had the entire planet been engulfed in war, and yet at the time, no one had any idea just how long the conflict would last. Communities were flattened, families torn apart, and friends separated. Yet, despite it all, romance still managed to thrive and blossom amidst the ashes. Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb’s new novel, Last Christmas in Paris, recounts one such story. Continue reading “Readers Will Never Forget Their ‘Last Christmas in Paris’ [REVIEW]”

Jathan FinkOctober 17, 2017October 17, 20174 Comments

Books, Contest, Videos

♦ Single Mom Takes a Stand in Wiley Cash’s ‘The Last Ballad’ [REVIEW]

Textile mill workers — In 1929, one woman took a stand for what is right and changed the course of American history. Discover her riveting story in Wiley Cash’s *The Last Ballad*. (Photo courtesy William Morrow, YouTube)

There have always been unsung heroes in America’s history, people seldom recognized for their significant impact on our culture and way of life, even when those changes came with great personal sacrifice. In Wiley Cash’s new novel, The Last Ballad, readers are introduced to one such woman in a book that is one of the most enthralling, authentic, and relevant novels we have read in some time. Continue reading “♦ Single Mom Takes a Stand in Wiley Cash’s ‘The Last Ballad’ [REVIEW]”