Marilyn Monroe, On the Couch, Inside the mind and life of Marilyn Monroe.

By Alma H. Bond, Ph.D.


One of the things I liked about this book is the fact that, Dr. Bond did a lot of research and has made each conversation believable. This book may be fiction but by all accounts the things Marilyn could have said; I can resonate with Dr. Bond getting them right. This story is Marilyn talking to her shrink and what was said.

The books starts with a little girl named Norma Jeane Mortenson. Her mother suffered from mental illness and was in and out of mental hospitals all of Norma Jeane’s life. The child was left with friends sometimes and then orphanages at other times. Norma Jeane was a very sensitive little girl. The sexual things that happened to her stayed with her, her whole life. She felt like she was never good enough never smart enough and love never lasted. Her own father she had never met and she had a tendency to become attracted to older men. I was surprised that she had a death wish. Life did not really matter to her. She expressed her feelings in poems she wrote. Or took poems of other author’s and she would change some of the words to fit her life. People can say a lot of bad things about her, but everything she did related back to her childhood and what happened. She wanted to become a very good actress and a mom. She got her first wish but was never able to have a child of her own. She was the sexiest, most beautiful woman of her time but plaque by the way her life lead her. I was born in 1951, and remember my dad and mom talking about the way she died. They think that President JFK and his brother Bobby were responsible for her death. I don’t have an answer for that, but do know she finally got her wish. She went to sleep and never woke up again. To me she was a delicate butterfly who finally got to spread her wings and fly. Excellent book!
Five Stars
PG 16

The Keeper Of The Diary Judith Diana Winston Chewut Press 3435 Ocean Park Boulevard suite 107-37 Santa Monica, CA 90405 www.The Keeper Of The Diary 978-0-9643282-11 $21.84 485 pages Sandra Heptinstall Reviewer I have never read a book like this one before. It is called Visionary Fiction. In fact I did not even know there was this type of genre. What I do know is that the author is brilliant. The story begins with a young woman who lives in San Francisco and has a promising business as a fashion photographer. Yet she has a strong desire to move to L.A. Her friends think she is crazy to go to a place she hates and live there. Yet it is like a strong current is running through telling her she must move. While she is there she works where ever she can get a job. She is broke most of the time and can’t even come up with the money she owes her roommate for her half of the apt and bills. Then one day she gets a call from an old friend who says he found a job for her. It was to be a photographer to tourist heading to Egypt on vacation. It is only for two weeks and the job pays will pay $2,000 dollars and also pay for meals and hotels on the trip. Cassie decided to take the job as she needed the money. One day she discovers a diary in her camera case. As she goes to pick it up she is shocked and her fingers burnt. As she begins to read it she is pulled into what is written. I was pulled into this story also. This story is mysterious, mystical, full of surprises and life changing for Cassie. For me I had to read some parts twice to understand where the story was taking me. This is not a fast read nor is it a lite one. For me the story did not sit well because of my beliefs. But I have to be honest and will give this book five stars.

A Christmas for Katie

I love reading books about Christmas and the Amish religion also. This little book did not let me down. It is the story of Katie who is six and a half years old and Amish. Katie has a mission to get the plastic nativity scene in front of the library fixed up by Christmas Eve. Miss Donovan the librarian does not show much interest in doing so. Katie told her mom that “Miss Donovan seems sad because she does not have a love life.” Katie’s poor mom told her not to be butting into someone’s personal life and that she has a head of grey hair all because of Katie. Then one night Miss Donovan was getting ready to close the library for the night, when the new deputy Conner Fields comes in and asked if he had time to check out some books. While he was there they both heard a noise from outside and an old woman was on the ground saying someone attacked her. From here on the book is pretty predictable. I do want to say “Mom and dad if you are looking down then I’ m so sorry for the way I acted as a child.” Katie and I have a lot in common. Rated G

The Road to Grace

There are so many things I have enjoyed in this book. One is the beginning of each chapter it will say Alan Christoffersens Diary. An example of what I mean is on chapter 13 and it reads as the following. “Whether cautionary or exemplary, there has not yet been a life lived that we cannot learn from. It is up to us to decide which ours will be.” Alan is walking from Seattle, WA to Key West, Florida. Along the way he meets many people each with their own story. I will share with you two people he has meant. One is a polish man who has an unimaginable story of being in a concentration camp and losing his whole family. I have to be honest and say his story made me cry. Then we have the one about the differences in being a tramp or a hobo. Hobo’s, do a lot of panhandling and begging for money. Tramps don’t beg unless they have too. Tramps work and travel from job to job. They don’t have a home or car so they hitch hike. To me what I found to be really profound is the author telling us what the Grace of God really is. How he found it and how we can also. Rated G

Bygones

Bygones

Kim Vogel Sawyer

Barbour Publishing, Inc.

P.O. Box 719

Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683

www.barbourbooks.com

978-1-62029-720-9

$11.99

348 Pages

After doing so many reviews for people, there comes a point where I need to read a book that gives me “SOUL”, food. This book did not let me down. It is a fast read about a young Mennonite girl named Marie who falls in love with young man who is a truck driver. She runs away with him and together they are happy. But after two years of marriage and one baby her husband dies.

She returns to her parent’s house and she is meant by her father who tells her to leave. That she is dead to him. She could never be a part of the community again. She is devastated and leaves with her young daughter.

Only one relative keeps in contact with her and it is her single aunt Lisbeth. Marie named her daughter after her, but calls her Beth. Then one day Marie’s ex-beau Henry Braun showed up at her home bearing bad and good news. Her aunt has died, and left her home and a small café to her daughter Beth. There is but one catch and that is she has to move back to Sommerfeld, Kansas for three months.

What happens next is really life changing.

Rated G

A Rendezvous to Die For


Betty McMahon

Self-published with the tools and support of the people at Lulu.com

978-1-257-93132-3

$14.38

267 pages

Sandra Heptinstall

Reviewer

This book has more twist and turns than apples falling off a tree at harvest time. I had to stop and write down who and what each character played out in the story. I enjoyed the heroin Cassidy and how she tried to handle whatever was thrown her way.

I love the descriptions of the weekend reenactment in the fictional town. The author hits the mark on that. I have been to one myself and could not do a better job than the author has. Plus the way she describes everything around her is interesting. Even though the ending of this book will surprise you, in my own opinion this is not a five star book.

I could not just sit and enjoy reading. I would have to look at my list to see who was who. Or add to my list. If I could go 3.75 I would, but since I can’t then I will bump this book to a four stars. I can see how Cassidy could solve even more mysteries from this book.

The Disillusioned


D.J. Williams

West Bow Press ……A Division of Thomas

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbow.com 1-(866) 928-1204

978-1+4497-8600-7

$24.95 paperback

375 pages

Sandra Heptinstall

Reviewer

The back of this book will tell you a lot about the story that lies within. But you could never imagine what will happen. While it is a work of fiction there is so much truth in it. It is a book that will haunt me the rest of my life.

This is one of the best books I have read in this genre. The way it is thought out and crafted is brilliant. Right from the start you realize it will not be a book you will want to set aside and do other things. For me it was read as much as I can. I even cried at parts of the story.

The atrocities you will read about are happening in different countries every day. My heart breaks whenever I read about children and adults being tortured.

The author gives us a great story that is filled with realism. Thank you D.J. Williams for working so hard and opening our minds to things we know happens, but do not think about enough.

At the end of this book you will see some of the organizations fighting against slavery and child trafficking. Please everyone take a look for yourselves. Buy the book!
  
Rated PG