Jan 20, 2026 | Book Award Winners, Home, Garden, and Pets
Congratulations on your gold book award!
Synopsis
Clutter can be a real pain in the you-know-what. And even worse are the social media posts and magazines and books featuring perfectly organized rooms, shelves, and cabinets that make you feel even worse about your messes. This organization book isn’t like that.
Give Clutter the Middle Finger is here to reprogram the stigma and judgment we have about clutter, reshape the goal of what being organized really feels and looks like, and ultimately stop letting clutter control our emotions and the evaluation of our self-worth. In these pages, professional organizer Meggie Mangione guides us to understand that the goal of organization is not to find perfection but freedom—freedom in your schedule, in your spaces, your mental bandwidth.
Clutter can accumulate as an expression of mental health, and with honesty and empathy, Meggie will show you how to manage clutter and the underlying issues that cause it. With practical strategies and tips, she will empower you to get back to doing the things you love the most in life all while making you laugh and feel accepted for who you are.
For those with the clutter whirlwinds we call kids or who have schedules packed to the brim, Give Clutter the Middle Finger is a refreshingly humorous and empathetic guide to getting your stuff under control. Let’s shift how we feel about our stuff so we can stop fighting clutter and get back to living our best lives!
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Author Bio
Meggie Mangione is an accredited Professional Organizer and has been the owner of the organizing services company Organized Life Design in Houston, Texas, for over ten years. Meggie has shared her obsession with organizing at the organizedlifedesign.com blog as well as being featured in print and online with Domino, Real Simple, the Food Network, and Houzz. She runs on alternative 90s rock music, morning coffee, Jesus’s teachings, running half marathons, and spending quality time with loved ones. Meggie lives with, ahem cleans up after, one loud mouthed Italian husband, Sal; two strong willed, hilarious daughters, Sophia and Lucia; and two stubborn, joyful dogs, Lil Jon and Biggie Smalls.
Learn more about the Nonfiction Book Awards here.
Sep 11, 2024 | Book Award Winners, Home, Garden, and Pets, Self-Development and Psychology
Congratulations on your silver book award!
Synopsis
In Feng Shui: A Homeowner’s Guide to Abundance, award-winning Feng Shui master Jane Langof reveals a modern approach to the ancient art of Feng Shui. This definitive guide demystifies the ancient practice and offers a clear path to a home that is not just a place to live but a sanctuary of abundance.
In Feng Shui: A Homeowner’s Guide to Abundance you’ll discover:
- Energising Your Space: Learn how to enhance the flow of positive energy in your home, for greater vitality, love, and success.
- Elegant Balance: Combine modern design aesthetics with the profound principles of Feng Shui, creating beautiful spaces that are energetically aligned.
- Room-by-Room Transformation: Jane guides you through applying Feng Shui in every room of your home, from the entryway to the bedroom, ensuring every space promotes harmony and prosperity.
- Practical Wisdom: Avoid the common pitfalls and misconceptions that lead to ineffective or counterproductive design choices. Jane focuses on actionable, practical Feng Shui solutions that bring about real change.
- Harmonious Living: Create an environment that not only resonates with abundance but also supports your journey toward personal growth and fulfilment.
Jane Langof’s experience and knowledge have seen her working with innovative design professionals and luxury property owners worldwide since opening her practice, Feng Shui Concepts in 2008. With a keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of the interplay between space and energy, Jane has created a guide that is as practical as it is inspirational.
Whether you’re looking to refresh your living space, embark on a major renovation, or build your dream home from the ground up, this book offers the insights and tools you need to create a home that reflects your aspirations, supports your well-being, and invites success into your life.
Begin your journey towards transforming your home into a sanctuary of harmony and abundance with Feng Shui: A Homeowner’s Guide to Abundance.
Warm, practical and no-nonsense, Jane Langof has written the essential resource for creating a beautiful, abundant home.
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Author Bio
Jane Langof is a multi-award-winning, internationally accredited Feng Shui master and designer. Jane has worked with energy-conscious property owners and design teams since 2008, bringing her expertise to luxury properties, residential homes, commercial venues and community spaces worldwide. Jane is passionate about sharing the life-changing benefits of Feng Shui, to bring more positive energy and abundance to the world, one home at a time.
Learn more about the Nonfiction Book Awards here.
Dec 20, 2023 | Book Award Winners, Home, Garden, and Pets, Memoir, Pets and Animals
Congratulations on your gold book award!
Synopsis
A memoir of second chances, healing, and how rescuing a dog rescued me
Having never had a dog of his own before, Don was not prepared for what it meant to adopt one of the most behaviorally difficult rescues in the shelter. But something about Barbie, a mutt that everyone had given up on and so fearful and unresponsive that she was within days of being put down, convinced Don to open his home and his heart for the first time to a canine companion, changing both of their lives forever.
Interspersed with Don’s most poignant memories of volunteering at his local animal shelter, The Mutt for Me follows the many misadventures of Don and Barbie on their mutual journey of growth and healing. You’ll see Barbie transform from the terrified, despondent recluse to the lively and almost always well-behaved dog she is today.
As the first-time dog dad of a pup in need of significant behavioral development, Don shows that with enough love, patience, and dedication, anyone can provide a home to a rescue animal. The Mutt for Me is a heartwarming story about how our pets have the capacity to transform and heal us as much as we can do the same for them.
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Author Bio
Don Hughes was born in Johnson City, Tennessee, before moving at an early age to a Chicago suburb called Lake Zurich. After graduating high school, he received a bachelor’s degree in political science and history from the University of Illinois, followed by a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. He began working on political campaigns in Illinois right after college, starting out as a volunteer by walking precincts, stuffing envelopes, and attending fundraisers. Eventually he worked his way up to paid staff jobs on the Senator Charles Percy reelection campaign in 1978 and the George H. W. Bush campaign for president in 1980. The highlight of his political career was being elected at age twenty-seven to the Palatine Park District Board of Commissioners. Following graduation from the Kennedy School, Don focused on shaping public policy in the areas of health care, insurance, behavioral health, and Medicaid at the state level until retiring in 2020. He served as deputy director for policy and health care policy advisor for Arizona Governor Janice Brewer, overseeing a staff of ten policy advisors. He was responsible for reforming the behavioral health system, expanding Medicaid, innovating health care, and improving insurance practices. In 2017, Don found his true calling volunteering at the Maricopa County Animal Care and Control West Shelter as an adoption counselor. In 2018 alone, he helped more than 275 dogs and eighteen cats find their forever homes.
Learn more about the Nonfiction Book Awards here.
Oct 23, 2023 | Book Award Winners, Home, Garden, and Pets, Pets and Animals
Congratulations on your silver book award!
Synopsis
Brooklyn Goes Home is the true story of how one greyhound sparked a movement to close the worst dog track in the world. After spending eight years in a small, dark, and empty concrete cell, he finally found his forever home with greyhound advocates Christine Dorchak and Carey Theil.
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Author Bio
Christine Dorchak and Carey Theil are the co-founders of GREY2K USA Worldwide. An attorney, Christine specializes in pari-mutuel law and has drafted laws to successfully prohibit dog racing in several states and countries. She has been featured in national publications including the Huffington Post, Forbes, and American Dog. A long-distance runner, she has competed in seven Boston Marathons. Carey has decades of legislative experience and has been quoted in hundreds of news articles about greyhound racing published across the globe. In his free time, Carey volunteers for various non-profit organizations and is a National Master in chess.
Learn more about the Nonfiction Book Awards here.
Aug 28, 2023 | Book Recommendations & Reading Lists - Nonfiction, Home, Garden, and Pets, Memoir, Pets and Animals
My Life in a Cat House: True Tales of Love, Laughter, and Living with Five Felines by Gwen Cooper
BenBella Books; Reprint edition, November 5, 2019
My Life in the Cat House is a collection of stories that humorously shares the highs and lows of owning cats.
The 30,000 Mile Cat: Travels Across America by Ginnie L. Hansen
Independently published, January 2, 2021
This book shares the story of how a stray cat shook up a couple’s life and details the travel adventures the three of them shared.
Second-Chance Cats: True Stories of the Cats We Rescue and the Cats Who Rescue Us by Callie Smith Grant
Revell, September 15, 2020
Second-Chance Cats is a collection of true stories about rescued cats that left their owners asking themselves, “Who rescued who?”
A Street Cat Named Bob: And How He Saved My Life by James Bowen
A Thomas Dunne Book for St. Martin’s Griffin; Media tie-in edition, October 25, 2016
A Street Cat Named Bob, a New York Times bestseller, tells the heartfelt story of how a sick street cat wandered into the author’s life and changed it forever.
Mala’s Cat: A Memoir of Survival in World War II by Mala Kacenberg
Pegasus Books; First Edition, January 4, 2022
Mala’s Cat is the remarkable story of a young girl’s escape from the Nazi’s and how a stray cat acted as a beacon of hope and guardian angel in her struggle to survive.
Trooper: The Heartwarming Story of the Bobcat Who Became Part of My Family by Forrest Bryant Johnson
Skyhorse; Reprint edition, April 21, 2020
Trooper highlights the incredible story of how an orphaned and injured bobcat integrated itself into the life of its rescuer.
Soul Cats: How Our Feline Friends Teach Us to Live from the Heart by Tamara Schenk
Made for Success, January 11, 2022
Soul Cats explores the profound bond that can exist between humans and cats and the healing that can occur from these friendships.
Iris Grace: How Thula the Cat Saved a Little Girl and Her Family by Arabella Carter Johnson
Skyhorse, April 25, 2017
This book tells the remarkable story of how a cat quickly became a saving grace for a child with autism and, as a result, allowed her to blossom.
The Cat with Three Passports: What a Japanese Cat Taught Me about an Old Culture and New Beginnings by CJ Fentiman
Silver Vine Press, November 9, 2020
This book outlines CJ’s journey getting comfortable with the uncomfortable – with the help of a silver tabby.
Mar 8, 2023 | Book Award Winners, Home, Garden, and Pets, Memoir, Spirituality and Religion
Nonfiction Book Award Status: GOLD
Synopsis
The true story of a devastating flood that destroys six-year-old Suzie Jones’s house and calls into question everything she thought she knew about home, family, and God.
It’s the summer of 1972, when six-year-old Suzie Jones and her siblings are whisked away from their home in the middle of the night, never to return again. Hurricane Agnes has triggered a devastating flood that destroys the family home and business. Suzie and her family are then set on an exhausting yet exhilarating four-year journey to build back their lives.
Suzie bounces from one quirky family member to the next before she and her family settle into a government-provided trailer for the next two years. When Suzie and her family meet a community of kids and their free-thinking parents living in the other trailers, their lives are changed forever.
This tale of loss, love, and discovery, told through the eyes of a child, is at times laugh-out-loud funny and at others deeply poignant. Chock-full of 1970s nostalgia, Suzie’s story is a delightful trip down memory lane for those who lived through the decade and a vibrant illustration of life in the ’70s for those who did not.
From the Flood teaches us that even the most difficult life circumstances provide unexpected gifts.
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Author Bio
Suzanne Jones is an expert in the field of trauma recovery through somatic methods. She has presented workshops and talks at Omega Institute, Kripalu, mental and behavioral health facilities in the greater Boston area, and national conferences. She has been profiled on CNN and in Yoga Journal, the New York Times, Shape, and Whole Living. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Sue has supported hundreds of women through her online trauma recovery program (TIMBo). Her first book, There Is Nothing to Fix, received international acclaim and won several awards. From the Flood is her second book and is a retelling of the events of Hurricane Agnes that her and her family lived through..
Mar 3, 2023 | Book Recommendations & Reading Lists - Nonfiction, Home, Garden, and Pets, Pets and Animals
Sorry I Barfed on Your Bed (and Other Heartwarming Letters from Kitty) by Jeremy Greenberg
Andrews McMeel Publishing; And Other Heartwarming Letters from Kitty edition, April 2, 2013
In this book, comedian and writer Jeremy Greenberg shares hilarious stories that perfectly sum up the love/hate relationship cat owners have with their felines.
Chicken Soup for the Soul: My Hilarious, Heroic, Human Dog: 101 Tales of Canine Companionship by Amy Newmark
Chicken Soup for the Soul, September 7, 2021
This book perfectly marries humor, relatability, and a bit of tugging at the heart strings as it shares heart-warming stories involving our furry companions.
Sorry I Pooped in Your Shoe (and Other Heartwarming Letters from Doggie) by Jeremy Greenberg
Andrews McMeel Publishing; 0 edition, October 11, 2011
Sorry I Pooped in Your Shoe gives a humorous look into what our dogs may say to us if they were given the chance.
The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of the Whole Stupid World by Matt Kracht
Chronicle Books, December 21, 2021
Filled with snarky remarks and wit, this book highlights the birds of the world and their sometimes-questionable antics.
The Speckled Beauty: A Dog and His People by Rick Bragg
Vintage, September 21, 2021
The New York Times bestseller The Speckled Beauty is a heart-warming, hilarious book that shares the escapades of Speck.
100 Animals That Can F*cking End You by Mamadou Ndiaye
Voracious, July 5, 2022
This book is a useful field guide to dangerous animals perfectly paired with copious amounts of humor.
If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal: What Animal Intelligence Reveals About Human Stupidity by Justin Gregg
Little, Brown and Company, August 9, 2022
If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal takes a thought-provoking and amusing approach to evaluating animal behavior compared to human behavior and intelligence.
Juniper: The Happiest Fox by Jessika Coker
Chronicle Books; Illustrated edition, March 27, 2018
This book gives readers an inside look into the life and funny shenanigans of the Instagram famous fox Juniper.
Mar 2, 2023 | Book Award Winners, Home, Garden, and Pets, Memoir, Parenting and Relationships, Pets and Animals, Self-Development and Psychology
Nonfiction Book Award Status: GOLD
Synopsis
On her way home from a national dog competition, Susan gets the call telling her that her son, Kevin, has died. With a new reality to navigate and no directions, Susan seeks solace in her Golden Retrievers Manny and Tripp, who demonstrate the power of presence and unconditional love. They journey alongside her as Susan untangles the complicated emotions attached to the stigma of how Kevin died and witness the extraordinary connection she nurtures with him across the veil. This inspiring memoir will speak to anyone who is learning to live with the unfixable, and readers will discover that life after loss can include hope, peace, and purpose.
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Author Bio
Susan Lynch is a former competitive dog trainer who has been training, competing and volunteering with her Golden Retrievers since 1995. She founded Life with Rune, a Facebook group that hosts hundreds of free training videos and socializing techniques that she recorded with her own puppies. In 2021, she was awarded the Lifetime Achievement award by the Golden Retriever Club of America for her dedication to educate new puppy owners. Her memoir, Life After Kevin; A Mother’s Search for Peace and the Golden Retrievers that Led the Way, is available on Amazon and BarnesandNoble.com. Learn more about the author at www.susan-lynch.com.
Feb 18, 2023 | Book Reviews - Nonfiction, Home, Garden, and Pets, Science, Math, Politics, Social Sciences, Sports and Outdoors
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teaching of Plants
By Robin Wall Kimmerer
Reviewed by Jeanine Boyers
Braiding Sweetgrass is a botany book that, due to its subject matter, I did not expect to enjoy. Yet, it weaseled its way into my mind and changed my thinking – probably forever.
The author, Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer, is a Potawatomi professor of botany. She melds formal scientific studies, stories, and what she refers to as “indigenous ways of knowing” into a book that is both an observation of the relationship between human and earth and an instructive guide on how to heal that relationship.
She begins the book with a retelling of a Haudenosaunee creation story about Sky Woman who falls to the earth and survives through the help of the animals. As a result, one of the animals, muskrat, loses his life for the greater good. In this story, the reader is first introduced to the idea of reciprocity and our interdependence on all of the beings in nature – including the animals, plants and trees, water, and fungi. Using retold tales, braided with her own stories, experiences, and knowledge, Dr. Kimmerer illustrates interconnectedness, proving her thesis that “all flourishing is mutual” and that one cannot exist without the other.
In Braiding Sweetgrass, Dr. Kimmerer tells the reader that she chose the study of botany over poetry. However, it is difficult to believe that she let go of one thing in pursuit of the other because, despite her chosen study and profession, she is also clearly a poet. Her writing is lyrical, using imagery and metaphor to guide readers into a deep understanding, and, like a poem, leaves the reader to ponder ideas long after they have put the book down. Without preaching or scaremongering, Dr. Kimmerer advances the idea that we must heal our relationship with nature in order to flourish. Her book gives us hope that this is not only possible, but is the natural order of things. Like the teachings of any excellent professor, her lessons invade, sending the student back into the world wanting to be a better human.
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Jeanine Boyers
Feb 10, 2023 | Author Interviews, Health and Wellness, Home, Garden, and Pets, Memoir, Parenting and Relationships, Prescriptive Nonfiction, Self-Development and Psychology
Author Name:
Connard Hogan
Book Title:
Once Upon a Kentucky Farm: Hope and Healing from Family Abuse, Alcoholism and Dysfunction
Website URL:
https://www.connardhogan.com/
Link to book page on Amazon:
Amazon
Social Media Links:
FB – https://www.facebook.com/connard.hogan
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/connard-hogan-9400b349/
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiKk_yZw3mUJ4wDl_ANur4Q
What is your book about?
Connard seeks harmony and escape from his parents’ marital conflict over his father’s binge drinking and physical abuse of his mother. He finds respite during visits to his maternal grandparents’ Kentucky subsistence farm, where life appears peaceful. There, he experiences unconditional love from extended family members and the exuberance of large family gatherings, and gains appreciation for nature and the rhythm of the seasons. Over time, however, Connard is forced to grapple with his role in killing both domesticated and wild animals. In addition, family tragedies leave him no choice but to face issues of death and personal loss. Connard shines a light on the struggles of those living with trauma and encourages appreciation of the healing powers of unconditional love.
What inspired you to write your book?
I came to believe that sharing my experiences (and wisdom) could be helpful to others. In addition, I like crafting mental pictures with words.
What is a typical day like for you?
Cold cereal and coffee before I sit at my desktop computer to begin writing (drafting, editing, etc), checking and responding to my emails, checking and responding to social media notifications. Usually, I’m absorbed until dinner time, except for a lunch break.
What do you most enjoy about what you do?
Crafting a good turn of phrase and conjuring visualizations.
What are some favorite books you’d recommend to our readers?
Dandelion Wine; The Things They Carried; The Deep History of Ourselves; 1491.
What advice do you have to offer our readers?
Dispense with the myth of “writer’s block.”
What would people be surprised to learn about you?
My mountain climbing successes and that I’ve visited the highest point of every state in the US, plus DC!
What’s next for you?
Publication of my army/Vietnam experiences/trauma. Coming early 2023.
Would you like to be featured? Contribute an interview here, or check out our contributions page here.
