HerStories Memoir Challenge

February winners, March update

Greetings, fellow memoir-readers! Still going strong, I see. Have you enjoyed your books? What have you learned about yourself through these stories? What have you learned about your writing through these stories?

The winning February review is by Rhonda Esakov, reading and writing about "Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books":

While living through several years of war between Iran and Iraq; with missiles shrieking over head, buildings bombed and lives destroyed, Nafisi and other women in Tehran temporarily escape the violence by delving into the imaginative world of novels. Even as books are disappearing and bookstores being shut down, the author and a hand-picked group of students, all female, meet to talk more about books. Reading such books as “The Great Gatsby”, “Pride and Prejudice” and “Lolita”, they risk imprisonment, rape, beatings and possible execution to claim their independence (privately) from a government that uses fear and intimidation to control them. This intense book gives us a glimpse into a world gone mad-where even something so mundane to the Western world as a reading circle could not be taken for granted.

The drawing winner is Mary Stuever. Congrats, ladies!

Remember, post your reviews for your March books on the Memoiring through March post. Don't forget to post a link to your blog, especially if you are writing more about your challenge experience. And don't be shy about commenting on other reviews--­­­­­­­­­­­­a little peer critique and support can go a long way to boosting a fellow lifewriter.

Happy reading and writing!

Memoiring through March

Please post your March reviews here no later than April 6. I'll announce March winners on April 8. Happy reading!

Memoiring through February

Wow, I can't believe it's March 1 already! This 28-day month really threw me off. I know, it's not like these 28-day months happen with any predictable regularity so I can be prepared for them. All the same, Father Time and I seem to have a love-hate relationship these days. As much as I fight him on it, I suspect he'll continue to win.

Please post your reviews for February here by March 6. I'll announce our February winners on March 8. For those of you who like to work ahead, I'm going to post our March and April threads so you don't have to wait on me.  :)

Don't forget to leave a link to your blogs so we can come visit!

January HerStories review winners

Thank you to everyone who submitted their 4-sentence reviews for January. Looks like we've found a few gems in our stacks of books!

I'm pleased to announce our January winners. Remember, we'll be choosing the month's "spotlight" review, plus drawing another "door" prize from the names of everyone who posted a review for that month.

Our January spotlight review is Linda Hoye's review of "Called Out of Darkness: A Spiritual Confession" by Anne Rice. 

This book was a fascinating journey of Rice’s journey through her childlike faith, to atheism, and ultimately a return to her faith. The first part of the book made me nostalgic for a past that wasn’t my own, but that she depicted in such a way as to make me yearn for the simpler faith-filled time in which she grew up. Her journey away from the church of her childhood, and eventually away from her God was presented in such a way that allowed the reader to empathize and even understand some of her choices. Rice’s honesty in describing her return to her faith is commendable and, while I may not agree with her completely, I appreciate her sharing her experience and expect that this book will resonate with many who have stepped away from the faith of their childhood.

Our door prize winner is Rhonda Esakov. I'll be contacting both winners so you can pick your prizes and we can arrange delivery. Congrats! And I'll be seeing the rest of you back here at the challenge blog for February's reviews!