Lucy Turns Pages: Books to Read and Learn More About Other People's Experiences

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Do you like to read about other people's experiences of things like mental health, race and chronic illness? Then check out these books!

Thirteen Words volume 1

From funny and uplifting to reflective and sometimes downright depressing this poetic and colorful picture book offers quick glimpses into the author's life and mind. While not always a pretty sight, each illustrated 13-word poem is highly relatable and thought-provoking.

Not taking himself too seriously, in the first of 72 fully illustrated poems the author promises:
"If your looking for meaning behind these words, you'll find a blank page."

Personal and revealing, in one poem the author explains that:
"Secrecy is too tiring so I tell everyone everything; especially the most embarrassing."

A couple pages later he confesses:
"Twisted and tortured in mind, body, and soul, I heroically begin another day."

An adult poetry and picture book.

Free on Kindle Unlimited

Volumes 2 and 3:

Monty's Almanac 202x

Monty’s Almanac 202x is an autobiographical collection of short stories, poetic prose, and quirky cartoons about a young boy and his comic misadventures growing up on a commune in Vermont during the 80’s. Structurally and aesthetically inspired by The Old Farmer’s Almanac, this collection is arranged by the four seasons.

Free on Kindle Unlimited

Monty's Very Short Shorts

"I never intended it, but this project became my daily journal for this crazy year. This is the result. A bit messy, but isn't that how life works?"

"366 Fully self-illustrated very short stories and poetic prose" (For best viewing use color-capable device!)

"My words are as varied as the experiences life has thrown at me. Always personal and emotionally honest. Mostly autobiographical, observational, and free of fake news. Periodically humorous, sometimes intentionally but often not.

"This work contains 366 illustrated very short stories, one for each day of the year 2020 based on the #vss365 prompt on Twitter. This is the first collection of such stories that are fully illustrated. I never intended it, but this daily short story practice became my daily diary for this crazy year. This is the result. A bit messy, but isn't that how life works?

I started writing during the extended spring festival in January 2020, just as the epidemic (later pandemic) set in and we went into quarantine. I had no specific plan at the time, but I had done some expressive writing about a year previously as part of a mental health/chronic pain treatment program and found it difficult but productive. The difficulty came from it raising many painful memories and emotions. The productivity came from being able to reframe those past experiences in a new healthier context and process the emotions.

Free on Kindle Unlimited

Black Girl Magic

Rachael DK invites us into her world as a multicultural Black writer and cancer survivor, examining the truths and fictions we tell ourselves and others as we teeter on the tightrope between meaning of life and mortality, guilt and redemption, fear and courage, hope and change. In this latest poetry collection she shares new and old poetry based upon the emotional and physical pains she journaled throughout her life. It's about Black life, an appreciation of it, and our power to transform it. Anyone can read Black Girl Magic in Poetry to gain respect for one another's journeys, honor our anger and heartbreak as humans, and unleash our truest dreams.

Free on Kindle Unlimited

The Truth About Change and Awakening: A Memoir

With wisdom and humor, Rachael DK invites us into her world as a writer and survivor, examining the truths and fictions we tell ourselves and others as we teeter on the tightrope between meaning and mortality, guilt and redemption, fear and courage, hope and change. The emotional and physical pains she journaled throughout her life are ultimately revealed to the reader. Her memoir offers a deeply personal yet universal tour of our hearts and minds and providing the rarest of gifts: a boldly revealing portrait of what it means to be human. So many of the author's struggles as a two time suicide attempt survivor, breast cancer survivor, chronic illness sufferer—though rare when combined, are a reflection that helps readers see things in a new light, and rediscover simple pleasures and everyday joy. It is the story of how any of us can begin to trust ourselves enough to set boundaries, make peace with our bodies, honor our heartbreak, and unleash our truest dreams so that we finally look at ourselves and say: There I am, the real me.

Free on Kindle Unlimited

Sad, Black, and Fat: Musings From The Intersection

This book delves into the experiences of a young woman trying to navigate life’s twists and turns. She often finds herself standing on the corner between one identity and the other trying to decide which road to take. This collection of poems and essays are a reflection of the joys and sorrows of traversing through the intersections of life.

Another Day in Paradise (Tails from Paradise)

A warm-hearted, autobiographical story told by an author who really knows her subject, the location and the lifestyle in a small village in the Algarve, as seen through the eyes of a British couple, who made the move seeking a quieter, more serene way of life. What lurks in the shadows of paradise, however, is a life-changing illness she has struggled with in the past and now comes to the fore. They have made Portugal their home.

Will they be able to navigate the health system and succeed in getting her the urgent operation needed, to prevent her from spending the rest of her life in a wheelchair? This adds tension to an otherwise gentle, amusing, highly descriptive story, filled with wonderful observations, funny clashes of culture and an entertaining learning curve for all concerned. The dialogue is so authentic, you can hear their voices. The characters appear real and 3-dimensional and the supporting cast of cats and dogs at times threaten to steal the show. This is a fulfilling and satisfying read, uplifting, positive and makes you long for a sequel.

Free on Kindle Unlimited

Our Little Piece of Paradise: 2 (Tails from Paradise)

When a young British couple, Karen and Nick first took a holiday in the Algarve in Portugal, little did they know that 35 years on they would find themselves permanent residents and much-loved members of the local community, well-known for rescuing and housing stray animals, working alongside the local vet and even helping the local fire brigade!

This eagerly awaited sequel to Karen’s acclaimed and hugely popular first book “Another Day in Paradise” continues the story of life in the Algarve, its miracles and challenges as Karen lives with the aftermath of a spinal operation, gets herself through a gruelling language test hoping to gain citizenship and pursues her passion for rescuing cats and dogs, all of them characters in their own right.

Another heart-warming slice of life from an author with a brilliant eye for both the absurd and the humane as she shares the reality of living their dream.

Free on Kindle Unlimited

The Darkness and the Light