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Little Matches: A Memoir of Finding Light in the Dark – Book Review

Grief isn’t a story. Until it becomes one. There’s grief, and then there’s grief that leaves you gasping for breath. "Little Matches" by Maryanne O’Hara is the latter. It’s a book that doesn’t just tell a story—it sits with you, presses into your chest, and makes itself at home in the quiet spaces of your heart. And yet, somehow, it doesn’t leave you drowning. Instead, it hands you a match in the darkness. Maryanne’s daughter, Caitlin, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF) at two years old. If you don’t know much about CF, let’s …

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On Call in the Arctic: A Doctor’s Survival Guide to Miracles, Medicine, and Mayhem

Life has a way of sending curveballs, but few can rival the one thrown at Dr. Thomas Sims in 1971. Just as he was about to begin his pediatric surgical residency, Sims got the kind of letter that could derail even the best-laid plans: a draft notice for Vietnam. Instead of stitching wounds in a battlefield M.A.S.H. unit, Sims was offered a different type of war zone—Nome, Alaska. With his very pregnant wife, young daughter, and a van full of pets, he traded the temperate halls of California hospitals for the bone-chilling barrens of the Alaskan …

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“Die With Zero” Review: Balancing Money, Memories, and Life’s Peaks

Confession time: I'm someone who often finds it difficult to spend on myself, unless it involves trekking gear or a solo travel adventure. Even then, I'm the first to opt for the budget hostel over a swanky hotel. So, when I picked up Die With Zero by Bill Perkins, I was ready for a clash of my frugal instincts with its bold propositions. This book presents a compelling viewpoint on how we handle our finances across the span of our lifetimes. The essence? Spend your money to enrich your life with experiences, because you can't take it with …

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Viola Davis’s Memoir: An Unforgettable Journey of Resilience and Redemption

Viola Davis's memoir, "Finding Me," is a captivating glimpse into the life of an incredible woman. If, like me, you've been a long-time admirer of her acting prowess, this book takes you on an even deeper journey into her personal life and the challenges she's overcome. What's more, listening to her narrate the audiobook adds a whole new dimension to the experience. A Childhood Marred by Hardship From the very beginning, Viola immerses us in her tumultuous childhood. Poverty, substance abuse, and violence were daily companions in her …

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Arlene Blum: Breaking Trail

From Molecules to Mountains - A Trailblazing Journey of Self-Discovery and Resilience It's the gripping memoir of Dr. Arlene Blum, where every chapter is like a page-turning adventure. She's the kind of pioneer who blazed trails for future generations, and her journey embodies the spirit of exploration and discovery. This woman is an absolute force of nature. A Rocky StartArlene grew up in an orthodox and dysfunctional Jewish family in Chicago. She had a pretty restricted upbringing. A casual comment from her Aunt Shirley "That child …

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Book Reviews

1. Incurable Optimist: Living with Illness and Chronic Hope This was such an incredible memoir of a college-going girl - Jennifer who learns that she has a chronic autoimmune condition where her kidneys are failing. What follows is the next two decades of her battle with this disease, ranging from scans, biopsies, dialysis, and multiple transplant surgeries, and how all of this impacted her and her family. With the constant uncertainty of getting a kidney transplant, infections, motherhood, staying in hospital for months, …

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How do you read books?

One friend saw me reading 'Made to Stick' which is the only book where I’ve used an entire packet of sticky notes and then some more. He asked, so what were the top learnings from this book? And I went blank. He asked again, seriously, not even top three or one? I went blank again. My mind chatter as much as I can recall was - I’ve to come up with an intelligent answer summarizing the best points.I’m not good with summaries, I’m more of a story person.How can one summarize a great book?Why haven’t I re-read this book?I should have …

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Books & Me

Even before I learned to read/write, books were my sanctuary, my safe haven. The former years of my childhood were spent in a big Marwari joint family. My mom was almost always in the kitchen. She would make a circle of magazines and books around me and make me sit in the center. Even if she was occupied for hours at a stretch, I would keep turning every single page of those magazines patiently and make my way from start to finish of the circle. I think I was around 1-2 yrs old at the time. She was sometimes late in giving me food but even if I …

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