As an adult book, Sam Quinones’s Dreamland took the world by storm, winning the NBCC Award for General Nonfiction and hitting at least a dozen Best Book of the Year lists. Now, adapted for the first time for a young adult audience, this compelling reporting explains the roots of the current opiate crisis.
In 1929, in the blue-collar city of Portsmouth, Ohio, a company built a swimming pool the size of a football field; named Dreamland, it became the vital center of the community. Now, addiction has devastated Portsmouth, as it has hundreds of small rural towns and suburbs across America. How that happened is the riveting story of Dreamland. Quinones explains how the rise of the prescription drug OxyContin, a miraculous and extremely addictive painkiller pushed by pharmaceutical companies, paralleled the massive influx of black tar heroin–cheap, potent, and originating from one small county on Mexico’s west coast, independent of any drug cartel.
Introducing a memorable cast of characters–pharmaceutical pioneers, young Mexican entrepreneurs, narcotics investigators, survivors, teens, and parents–Dreamland is a revelatory account of the massive threat facing America and its heartland.
My Review
If you’re looking for a book that explains how the opiate epidemic started and why it became such a pervasive problem, DREAMLAND is the right book. The author explores the issue from all sides, from the actions of a pharmaceutical company to pill mill doctors to some stories of people who became addicted or saw opportunities to capitalize on the addictions of others.
As I read, each new chapter revealed more and more disturbing truths. So many failures at so many levels allowed this problem to take hold and explode across communities across the country.
DREAMLAND doesn’t link to this, but I recently saw a news report from a Washington Post reporter who was part of an effort to publish a database showing how many prescription pain pills were distributed to different counties in the US. I looked up my own county and was pretty much floored by the total number. I suppose I should have been less surprised since Quinones does point out in DREAMLAND that 9 of 10 of the top prescribing counties in the US during the peak of the pill mill problem were counties in Florida.
I definitely recommend DREAMLAND to anyone who wants a deeper understanding of how we got here and why the opioid epidemic happened in the first place.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 14 up.
Profanity/Crude Language Content Strong profanity used infrequently
Romance/Sexual Content None.
Spiritual Content Quinones follows a church-based addiction recovery program.
Violent Content None.
Drug Content Obviously this book contains references to drug abuse. It doesn’t contain graphic scenes showing characters abusing drugs, but gives a lot of information about how drugs were trafficked. One person Quinones describes was raised by an alcoholic, abusive father.
Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog. I received a free copy of DREAMLAND in exchange for my honest review.
The instant her phone rang, Reverend Sharon Risher sensed something was horribly wrong. Something had happened at Emanuel AME Church, the church of her youth in Charleston, South Carolina, and she knew her mother was likely in the church at Bible study. Even before she heard the news, her chaplain’s instinct told her the awful truth: her mother was dead, along with two cousins. What she couldn’t imagine was that they had been murdered by a white supremacist.
Plunged into the depths of mourning and anger and shock, Sharon could have wallowed in the pain. Instead, she chose the path of forgiveness and hope – eventually forgiving the convicted killer for his crime. In this powerful memoir of faith, family, and loss, Sharon begins the story with her mother, Ethel Lee Lance, seeking refuge in the church from poverty and scorn and raising her family despite unfathomable violence that rattled Sharon to her core years later; how Sharon overcame her own struggles and answered the call to ministry; and how, in the loss of her dear mother,
Sharon has become a nationally known speaker as she shares her raw, riveting, story of losing loved ones to gun violence and racism. Sharon’s story is a story of transformation: How an anonymous hospital chaplain was thrust into the national spotlight, joining survivors of other gun-related horrors as reluctant speakers for a heartbroken social-justice movement. As she recounts her grief and the struggle to forgive the killer, Risher learns to trust God’s timing and lean on God’s loving presence to guide her steps.
Where her faith journey leads her is surprising and inspiring, as she finds a renewed purpose to her life in the company of other survivors. Risher has been interviewed by Time Magazine, Marie-Claire, Essence, Guardian-BCC Radio, CNN, and other media sources. She regularly shares her story on American college campuses and racial-reconciliation events. “To Forgive a Killer,” her essay as told to Abigail Pesta published in Notre Dame Magazine, won the 2018 Front Page Award for Essay published in a Magazine, awarded by the Newswomen’s Club of New York .
My Review
When I heard about FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS, I knew I needed to read it. I remember hearing about the shooting in Charleston and feeling deeply disturbed at the boldness and actions of the killer. Rev. Risher tells the story of her family and her journey through grief toward healing with courage and very straight talk. This isn’t a flowery, feel-good story. It’s raw and real, full of struggle, humanity, and faith.
Risher wades into political waters as she describes her personal evolution into an advocate for sensible gun laws and for racial equality in the United States. Hearing her perspective on why she travels the country speaking and how she developed her message moved me, too. It made me think about the way I have conversations with people.
She suggests beginning with a common ground. What is something that both parties agree on? Find that common ground and then build on it. I’m hoping to put this into practice in my own life as I have conversations about social issues with people I care about.
Risher’s frank discussion of racism in America left me with chills. Her calls to action to learn to have difficult conversations, to keep talking about racial issues even when we’re uncomfortable, stick with me even after the pages of the book are closed. I agree with her, and I want to find appropriate ways to be part of those conversations, too.
All in all, I think FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS is a must-read for anyone in America. This shooting happened here, perpetrated by a man with abhorrent ideas, ones shared by too many other people. After an event like that, I find myself wondering what to do, or how to respond. I think this book does a lot toward equipping people to do those very things.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 14 up.
Representation Sharon Risher’s mother, two cousins, and a childhood friend, who are all black, were killed by a white supremacist at their church in Charleston.
Profanity/Crude Language Content Strong profanity used near a dozen times throughout the book.
Romance/Sexual Content Brief recollection of falling in love and getting married.
Spiritual Content Risher herself is a chaplain and calls on her faith to help herself and others through deep grief and anger.
Violent Content Some brief descriptions of the mass shooting at the AME church in Charleston.
Drug Content Simon and his friends drink alcohol, which is legal at eighteen in Australia.
Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog. I received a free copy of FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS in exchange for my honest review.
I am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb Little, Brown and Company Published on October 8, 2013
I come from a country that was created at midnight. When I almost died it was just after midday.
When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education.
On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive.
Instead, Malala’s miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she has become a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
I Am Malala is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls’ education, of a father who, himself a school owner, championed and encouraged his daughter to write and attend school, and of brave parents who have a fierce love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons.
My Review
I’ve been curious about this book for the longest time, and finally I ordered an audiobook copy (I think I saw it on one of Audible’s most recommended books lists or something) and listened to it.
Before reading I Am Malala I hadn’t realized how active she was in speaking out about girls being allowed an education and how she and her family risked so much in order to continue educating young women in Swat in Pakistan.
The story not only gives a great sense of the political and social atmosphere around Malala and her family but also shows her as a girl—someone who enjoys playing with her friends, looks forward to holidays, is thinking about her future, etc.
She’s a devout Muslim, yet also devoted to the rights of girls and women, and she never feels that those two important parts of her life are at odds. Sometimes she explains why the Taliban leaders have certain positions (like their wish for women to remain at home, inside all the time), and why she disagrees with them.
I really want to listen to the book a second time. It might have been easier to read it as an e-book or physical copy. I had a hard time sometimes with keeping the names of places and characters straight. Having the print version would have made this easier for me I think, since so many names were unfamiliar to me.
I couldn’t help but be in awe of this young girl and her courage, though. I really enjoyed the story and it gave me a better understanding of what happened in Pakistan before and after Bin Laden was killed.
Looking back, I kind of wish I had read the young reader’s version of this book so I could recommend it, but this version would probably be okay for most middle and high school readers.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 12 up.
Representation Malala and her family are Pakistan and Muslim.
Profanity/Crude Language Content None.
Romance/Sexual Content At one point Malala hears that some boys have crushes on her and are waiting for her outside her house. She tells them to go away. (Partly she’s concerned about getting in trouble if anyone suggests she was flirting with them, which she wasn’t.)
Spiritual Content Malala and her family, her mom especially, pray verses from the Koran in times of distress and trouble. She discusses the difference between what the Koran says about the behavior of women versus what the Taliban demand in terms of rules about women.
Violent Content Malala survives flooding and an earthquake. She describes hearing bombs exploding and gunfire. At one point, a man boards the van she’s riding in and shoots her in the head. He also shoots a friend of hers in the shoulder. A bullet grazes a third girl.
One of the books that seriously shook up my world (in a great way) was Ingrid Kelada’s 21 Days toHappiness which I reviewed last year. I love how simple and practical the concepts are and how the book contains things like apps and videos to use to help. The book itself feels very interactive, so I’m sure the new e-learning series will be even more engaging. I can’t wait to try it out!
Ingrid is joining me with a guest post as part of a 3 Day Happiness Challenge to give us all a bit of a happy boost as we head into the holidays.
Ingrid Kelada’s 3-Day Happiness Challenge Day 3: Make a List of Things You’re Thankful For
Have an Attitude of Gratitude
Welcome to day three of the Happiness Challenge! If you missed the earlier stops in our three-day challenge, you can still pop back to Day 1: Smiling for Happiness and Day 2: Go Outside to complete those challenges and get extra entries in our giveaway.
Today’s Happiness Challenge will help put things in perspective as we go into the holiday season. Your Happiness Challenge is to make a list of things you’re grateful for. It doesn’t have to be long. Try to write down three to five things you appreciate about your life right now.
Why does this work?
Focusing on the positive reminds us of the things that make us happy. We are safe. We are loved. We have lives filled with comforts and access to amazing experiences. When we remember those things, those positive thoughts dim the worries we might be feeling and help us reevaluate our lives. We get a boost of happiness just from noticing good things.
The truth is, we won’t be completely satisfied by external events or circumstances. To find happiness in life we must first be at peace internally. External events and circumstances can bring us happiness in the moment, but they do not have a lasting effect on our inner self. Life brings a mixture of good and bad circumstances to everyone. To rely on life’s experiences for our source of happiness would mean living life in a constant emotional roller coaster ride. Wouldn’t it be better to learn to have a steady feeling of contentment rather than be at the mercy of circumstances and be tossed from the high and low feelings like a ship in a storm?
That’s where gratitude comes in. The inner contentment that survives the roller coaster ride of life has its roots deep within our being. When we train ourselves to recognize the good things, to stop and be grateful, we are stopping the roller coaster, stepping off, and looking at our lives in a different way.
Simply taking a moment to be grateful boosts our mood and makes us feel happier. Try it now!
Participate in the Challenge!
The giveaway below offers you a chance to share your Happiness Challenge and celebrate the release of the bestselling book 21 Days to Happiness as a new interactive e-learning experience.
3 winners will receive our 3 Days to Happiness E-Learning for free! That’s a 30$ value!
If you don’t win, you’ll still have the option to get the 3-Day to happiness program at the crazy low-price of 9$ for a limited time! It will be available soon at www.KCCPositivePsychology.com
21 Days to Happiness: Increase your Happiness, Productivity and Energy – available in 4-formats: paperback, eBook, audiobook and online e-Learning program…something for everyone!
Struggling to find work-life balance? Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed and frustrated or just want to increase your happiness, you can learn how in just 10 minutes a day!
For some of us, feeling busy or stressed has become the new normal. Others feel okay, but just want a boost to productivity, energy and motivation. Instead of hoping for happiness, what if happiness is something you DO, something you CHOOSE every day? The good news: it is and the solutions are simple. Psychologist and happiness expert Ingrid Kelada provides a step-by-step guide to help you increase your personal happiness and feel more motivated. You can learn how with simple 10-minute strategies. Each day of the 21-day journey focuses on one key area of your life, including:
Time: how to break the cycle of chaos and manage your time effectively.
Body Language: exploring the surprising links between body language and happiness
Relationships: how to make the most of the number one predictor of happiness.
Work: how to use your strengths and talents so that you are engaged and motivated.
Money: what you should spend your money on to feel most satisfied.
In this interactive approach, each “Day” features resources like apps to try, videos to watch for deeper understanding, space for journaling your observations, and tools to help you master these new habits in just a few minutes per day.
About 21 Days to Happiness Interactive E-Learning Program
Sometimes we need more than text on a page to make a message come alive. That’s what the 21 Days to Happiness E-Learning program is all about! The online learning program will make your happiness habits come alive in an easy, accessible way. Purchase the whole series or just a few modules and work through it at your own pace. Each module takes only minutes per day, giving you a chance to focus on a key component so you can add to your happiness toolbox. For more info and promotions check it out here: www.KCCPositivePsychology.com
Special introductory price for “3 Days to Happiness E-Learning Program” – the first three modules of 21 Days to Happiness Program – for only $9 through December 31. A 30$ Value. Christmas is the best time to work on your happiness or offer it as a gift.
About Ingrid Kelada,psychologist and happiness expert
She lives in Montreal with her husband, son and dog.
With over 25 years experience, she offers her expertise and advice to a wide range of clients. She is bilingual and a member of the professional association of Psychologists of Quebec.
About Saving Sex for Marriage in a Fifty Shades World
“A world that respects sex . . . ” Can you imagine a society molded around the principle that sex is a gift? An awesomely amazing gift from GOD? You know, the guy who created it? A place where people totally get that sex is more than simply a pleasurable physical act. Oh, everyone knows that sex is incredible. But because it’s so good, sex is protected from anything or anyone who would try to abuse it. Can you even imagine such a place? Barely, right? Because instead, ours is a “Fifty Shades of Grey” world where sex has been so trivialized that saving sex for marriage is labeled old-fashioned, unnecessary, unimportant. Even worse ridiculous or dumb. But I’m here to convince you that GOD’s design for sex is amazing. That waiting does matter. That sex is worth saving for marriage. Even in this Fifty Shades world. My Review
This first book in the Waiting Matters series talks a lot about why waiting until marriage to have sex is important and why it makes sense from a Christian perspective. Steury is practical and firm but not unkind in the way she addresses the issue. Obviously it will mostly appeal to readers with a Christian worldview.
I liked that the tone of the book is very positive and encouraging. While Steury doesn’t leave a lot of room for excuses, she continually encourages readers to reaffirm a commitment to abstinence and never berates anyone for having made other choices in the past.
The Waiting Matters books make a nice introduction to reasons for abstinence (book 1) and practical strategies for maintaining a successful commitment to abstinence (book 2). They make a great companion to Steury’s novel (and soon-to-be series) Before I Knew You, book one in the Choices Matter series.
Recommended for Ages 12 up.
Content Notes
No profanity. Obviously the book contains some references to sex, but no graphic details.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
The Who, What, When, Where, How and Why of Saving Sex for Marriage (Waiting Matters #2)
Beth Steury
Life Matters Publishing
Published on September 12, 2017
About The Who, What, When, Where, How and Why of Saving Sex for Marriage
Saving sex for marriage is the best decision you’ll ever make.
No matter who you are, how old you are, or where you live. Doesn’t even matter what’s in your past.
“But I already didn’t wait!”
Then a commitment to “renewed waiting” is the second-best choice you’ll ever make. Nothing makes more sense than stopping behavior that puts you at risk physically, emotionally and mentally.
“But it’s hard to wait . . . ”
Of course it is. Waiting is tough, but it’s not impossible. You can do it.
These practical strategies and candid conversations from the “Waiting Matters . . . Because YOU Matter” blog series will help you navigate the choppy waters of saving sex for marriage.
Because sex is worth waiting for. You are worth waiting for. My Review
I liked that this book talks about practical strategies for walking out a commitment to abstinence. Often I hear people talking about how important a commitment to abstinence is without really talking about how to live out that kind of commitment. Steury also doesn’t mince words about what abstinence really means and how a relationship between two people committed to waiting until marriage to have sex should look.
Each chapter opens with a quote or question about sex that a person in a relationship might ask or believe about sex. Steury responds in a clear, concise narrative with explanations that are easy to follow.
I think this book would be a great resource for a church small group study or a lead-in to a discussion about boundaries and ground rules for teens beginning to have dating relationships. Of the two Waiting Matters books, this one was definitely my favorite.
While I think kids 12 and up could read this book, it’s probably best-suited to teens 15 or 16 years old up through college years.
Recommended for Ages 12 up.
Content Notes
No profanity. Obviously the book contains some references to sex, but no graphic details.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
About Be Affected
Be Affected charges young men, especially in the Church, to embrace the value of dating as an aspect of divine image-bearing and offers practical advice on how to do it well. Written from the perspective of a young, single Christian man, this books offers a theological explanation of the importance and goodness of dating, highly-practical advice on asking for and planning effective dates, and honest encouragement for when things don’t go as planned.
From the Introduction:
Books about dating all face one of two problems: either the author is married, or the author is single. In the first case, it’s too easy to think ‘Well sure, that approach worked for you, but that’s just one story.’ What if the married author has fallen out of touch, and he or she doesn’t understand how things are these days? In the case of a single author, even more doubts arise: ‘How can I be sure whether any of this works, if it hasn’t worked out for you?’
That kind of thinking assumes that the goal of dating is finding a spouse, which is true. However, even though the ultimate indicator of success in dating is marriage, there are plenty of ways to be successful without yet having found a spouse. This book will detail some of those ways.
My Review
I really like that this book gives practical advice for early stages of dating. It’s easy to follow, quick to read, and has a lighthearted, approachable tone. I thought the section with ideas for first dates was great, and so was the checklist of things to do before going on a date. (I kind of wish I could go back in time and give that list to a few of the boys I dated, but that’s a whole other story!)
Another really helpful part was the section that talked about how to ask a girl for a date in the first place. I think the simple, direct, no-pressure approach is a perfect model for people as they approach someone they want to date. The emphasis on community– having friends and family to cheer you on and back you up or listen to you process how the date went– as so important really resonated with me, too. Having a good community around you makes a huge difference.
All in all, this book makes a great resource for young Christian men looking to begin dating relationships. I think most if not all of the counsel could apply to girls as well, though it’s addressed specifically to guys. I enjoyed reading Be Affected, and especially enjoyed the part of the book the title comes from, in which the author talks about the importance of being sincere and vulnerable, actually letting others get to know the real you in relationships. Great stuff.
Recommended for Ages 12 up.
Cultural Elements
No racial details given. The author is speaking most directly to young Christian men looking to date women.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.
Romance/Sexual Content
References to kissing. Vague references to sex.
Spiritual Content
The author quotes a couple of verses, one about the how finding a wife is a good thing, according to Proverbs. He encourages readers to pray about any anxiety over upcoming dates or asking someone on a date. More than one section discusses abstinence as the best way to prepare for a marriage relationship and the basis for this lifestyle in the Bible.
Violent Content
None.
Drug Content
None.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
