Koncocoo

Best New England U.S. Biographies

Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison
NOW A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES • #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER With a career, a boyfriend, and a loving family, Piper Kerman barely resembles the reckless young woman who delivered a suitcase of drug money ten years before. Convicted and sentenced to fifteen months at the infamous federal correctional facility in Danbury, Connecticut, the well-heeled Smith College alumna is now inmate #11187–424—one of the millions of people who disappear “down the rabbit hole” of the American penal system. transcends the memoir genre’s usual self-centeredness to explore how human beings can always surprise you.” — USA Today “It’s a compelling awakening, and a harrowing one—both for the reader and for Kerman.” —Newsweek.com. Look for special features inside. Convicted of drug smuggling and money laundering in 2003 for a scheme she got tangled up in 10 years earlier when she had just graduated from Smith College, Kerman, at 34, was a self-surrender at the prison: quickly she had to learn the endless rules, like frequent humiliating strip searches and head counts; navigate relationships with the other campers and unnerving guards; and concoct ways to fill the endless days by working as an electrician and running on the track.
Reviews
"It's a basic overview of living in prison, living with yourself knowing that you are the reason you are where you are, and dealing with the ups and downs of, well, being alive in a situation where you might as well be dead."
"I can honestly say Piper could have been any of us we've all made mistakes that could have landed us in a bunk next to hers."
"I normally don't watch a TV show before reading the book but didn't know this was out."
"I decided to read this to see if Piper is as annoying in reality as the character is on the show."
"I found this one not nearly as interesting as "In the Sanctuary of Outcasts"... another prison memoir but one with a much more interesting twist- the prisoner is sent to a federal facility co-housed with the last leper hospital in the States."
"I liked reading this book, and appreciated learning later that Piper Kerman now devotes a great deal of her time to prison reform -- you go, girl! But that's okay, because the conflict of this upper middle class, educated WASP going to prison is plenty interesting, and I appreciate her creating a record of her time and her thoughts."
"From the start it seemed Piper Kerman was too much of the spoiled brat type that I despised growing up. It almost read as one of the millennial personal essays that are all the rage now, and frankly, kinda ruined the previous good will toward her that had built up."
"In my book group, discussion of Orange Is the New Black focused largely on social and economic elements which lead to women's imprisonment the lack of rehabilitation and job training opportunities the system provides, and the high rate of recidivism."
Find Best Price at Amazon
Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison
NOW A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES • #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER With a career, a boyfriend, and a loving family, Piper Kerman barely resembles the reckless young woman who delivered a suitcase of drug money ten years before. Convicted and sentenced to fifteen months at the infamous federal correctional facility in Danbury, Connecticut, the well-heeled Smith College alumna is now inmate #11187–424—one of the millions of people who disappear “down the rabbit hole” of the American penal system. transcends the memoir genre’s usual self-centeredness to explore how human beings can always surprise you.” — USA Today “It’s a compelling awakening, and a harrowing one—both for the reader and for Kerman.” —Newsweek.com. Look for special features inside. Convicted of drug smuggling and money laundering in 2003 for a scheme she got tangled up in 10 years earlier when she had just graduated from Smith College, Kerman, at 34, was a self-surrender at the prison: quickly she had to learn the endless rules, like frequent humiliating strip searches and head counts; navigate relationships with the other campers and unnerving guards; and concoct ways to fill the endless days by working as an electrician and running on the track. Years later, the consequences catch up with her in the form of an indictment on conspiracy drug-smuggling and money-laundering charges. Entering prison in 2004—more than 10 years after her crime—Kerman finds herself submerged in the unique and sometimes overwhelming culture of prison, where kindness can come in the form of sharing toiletries, and an insult in the cafeteria can lead to an enduring enmity.
Reviews
"It's a basic overview of living in prison, living with yourself knowing that you are the reason you are where you are, and dealing with the ups and downs of, well, being alive in a situation where you might as well be dead."
"I can honestly say Piper could have been any of us we've all made mistakes that could have landed us in a bunk next to hers."
"I normally don't watch a TV show before reading the book but didn't know this was out."
"I decided to read this to see if Piper is as annoying in reality as the character is on the show."
"I found this one not nearly as interesting as "In the Sanctuary of Outcasts"... another prison memoir but one with a much more interesting twist- the prisoner is sent to a federal facility co-housed with the last leper hospital in the States."
"I liked reading this book, and appreciated learning later that Piper Kerman now devotes a great deal of her time to prison reform -- you go, girl! But that's okay, because the conflict of this upper middle class, educated WASP going to prison is plenty interesting, and I appreciate her creating a record of her time and her thoughts."
"From the start it seemed Piper Kerman was too much of the spoiled brat type that I despised growing up. It almost read as one of the millennial personal essays that are all the rage now, and frankly, kinda ruined the previous good will toward her that had built up."
"In my book group, discussion of Orange Is the New Black focused largely on social and economic elements which lead to women's imprisonment the lack of rehabilitation and job training opportunities the system provides, and the high rate of recidivism."
Find Best Price at Amazon
The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea
It was the storm of the century, boasting waves over one hundred feet high―a tempest created by so rare a combination of factors that meteorologists deemed it "the perfect storm." “Riveting…The natural upheaval holds center stage and acts as a character, but the story converges upon human beings―in this case, the six-man crew of the doomed Gloucester swordfishing boat Andrea Gail .”. - Boston Globe. “One reads with the most intense concern, anxiety and concentration; and if one knows anything at all about the sea one feels the absolutely enormous strength of the hurricane winds and the incredibly towering mass of the hundred-foot waves.”. - Patrick O'Brian.
Reviews
"Good book."
"The author's research on tuna fishing is amazing."
"The book talks about the life of fisherman and how dangerous sword fishing is, but despite the dangerous voyages, fisherman have to make money somehow even if it means risking their lives and never coming back to their loved ones."
"Much better than the movie."
"Must be read much better then the movie."
"It was almost as informative as being in that area and having a knowledgeable tour guide tell the story of the place and the people. Since I have a deep concern for the sustainability of the environment, it is of interest to read about the forces that push people to essentially destroy the very hand that feeds them. The book combines a personal life story, history, psychology, and world economics and even international relations."
"This book was extremely well researched and very detailed and descriptive...I couldn't put it down, and quite frankly learned so many things from it that I was not aware of regarding the risks taken every day by commercial fisherman everywhere, nautical terms, all about charts, weather tracking and patterns, rescue protocall...just sooo many new things."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Western U.S. Biographies

A Child Called It: One Child's Courage to Survive
It is the story of Dave Pelzer, who was brutally beaten and starved by his emotionally unstable, alcoholic mother: a mother who played tortuous, unpredictable games--games that left him nearly dead. This book is a brief, horrifying account of the bizarre tortures she inflicted on him, told from the point of view of the author as a young boy being starved, stabbed, smashed face-first into mirrors, forced to eat the contents of his sibling's diapers and a spoonful of ammonia, and burned over a gas stove by a maniacal, alcoholic mom.
Reviews
"This book has started an inner healing process.As I started reading, I started crying, crying so loudly that I started wailing."
"This book helped know that I was never alone in what I went through as a child."
"A girl I worked with told me about this book one day, and I decided I wanted to check it out."
"This book is a healing power to me, since I never have the mind to open up to Any body what i suffered during my stay with My aunty."
"I read this book years ago."
"Love this book."
"The child in the story had a good life for his first four years and then the abuse started. To have had a good life with loving parents then allo of a sudden you start being abused."
"I had read all of the Dave Pelzer books."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Mid Atlantic U.S. Biographies

The Glass Castle: A Memoir
Now a major motion picture from Lionsgate starring Brie Larson, Woody Harrelson, and Naomi Watts. MORE THAN SEVEN YEARS ON THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LIST The perennially bestselling, extraordinary, one-of-a-kind, “nothing short of spectacular” ( Entertainment Weekly ) memoir from one of the world’s most gifted storytellers. "Jeannette Walls has carved a story with precision and grace out of one of the most chaotic, heartbreaking childhoods ever to be set down on the page. "The Glass Castle is the saga of the restless, indomitable Walls family, led by a grand eccentric and his tempestuous artist wife.
Reviews
"Love this book dearly , I have bought it for several friends."
"Great book!"
"This is an extraordinary tale of a family that lived on the fringes of society and what became of the children of that family."
"Amazing to know that the author actually lived like the story tells!"
"Great read."
"Beautifully written memoir."
"VERY well written, an incredible story, and a fascinating psychological study."
"Really good.... Hard to put down."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Midwest U.S. Biographies

Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World
You can't even begin to answer those questions until you hear the charming story of Dewey Readmore Books, the beloved library cat of. Spencer. , Iowa. . As his fame grew from town to town, then state to state, and finally, amazingly, worldwide, Dewey became more than just a friend; he became a source of pride for an extraordinary Heartland farming town pulling its way slowly back from the greatest crisis in its long history. She lives in. Spencer. , Iowa. .
Reviews
"Being a relatively recent (5 years) cat guardian, I cannot imagine life without my kitty."
"While Myron doesn't shy away from telling the bad with the good, there are numerous passages explaining Dewey's playful side and the uplifting effect he had on his human companions. (As an aside, I actually felt more sorrow for Myron's parent's cat, Max, who was killed due to neglect at the veterinarian's office in the prime of his life.). Thank you Vicki for the book and for taking care of a wonderful feline friend, and thank you Dewey for being an emissary for the human-animal bond and reminding ourselves of the value of love and friendship."
"If you've ever owned a cat, you will just eat up every word, every adventure, every cuddle in this book."
"Because I enjoyed the first book about Dewey, I wanted to see how much of the story would be included in the children's book."
"Dewey is a delightful story for cat lovers."
"I read this book as a book club selection and would never have read it otherwise, not being a fan of sickly-sweet cat books."
"My children thought the song was for our cat, not the other way around, the years do not dim the LOVE."
"Although I knew what was coming in the end of the book, I still found myself sobbing out loud (in my gym on the exercise bike!)."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Southern U.S. Biographies

The Glass Castle: A Memoir
Now a major motion picture from Lionsgate starring Brie Larson, Woody Harrelson, and Naomi Watts. MORE THAN SEVEN YEARS ON THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LIST The perennially bestselling, extraordinary, one-of-a-kind, “nothing short of spectacular” ( Entertainment Weekly ) memoir from one of the world’s most gifted storytellers. "Jeannette Walls has carved a story with precision and grace out of one of the most chaotic, heartbreaking childhoods ever to be set down on the page. "The Glass Castle is the saga of the restless, indomitable Walls family, led by a grand eccentric and his tempestuous artist wife.
Reviews
"Love this book dearly , I have bought it for several friends."
"Great book!"
"This is an extraordinary tale of a family that lived on the fringes of society and what became of the children of that family."
"Amazing to know that the author actually lived like the story tells!"
"Great read."
"Beautifully written memoir."
"VERY well written, an incredible story, and a fascinating psychological study."
"Really good.... Hard to put down."
Find Best Price at Amazon
Home > Best Books > Best Biographies > Best Regional U.S. Biographies > Best New England U.S. Biographies