Barb Walsh

The Longest Way Home One Man's Quest for the Courage to Settle Down by Andrew McCarthy Hi again Book Lovers! You know I cannot read just one book at a time. I need to have selection. Andrew McCarthy, from such movie gold as Pretty in Pink, St. Elmo's Fire, New Waterford Girl, uhhhh - Weekend at Bernie's (?),  is also a travel writer.  I am really excited about this one - I have just begun but can tell it is going to unravel into hilarious hijinks, heart-warming love stories, a fist fight or two and a few awkward travel moments. Would Ernest Hemingway or Jack Kerouac approve? I'm not sure. But you can bet I'll tell you all about it! Now where is my copy of Pretty in Pink? _____________________ Well, I finally finished this gem of a travel book. But I have so many questions! Andrew McCarthy, upon finally getting engaged to the love of his life, (which he refers to only as 'D' through the entire book) embarks on a journey to the remote re...

A Good Man By Guy Vanderheghe I finally cracked the spine on this book. For anyone who loves Canadian fiction as much as I do - Mr. Vanderhaeghe is a must read. I am loving this book and will update you with all of the juicy deets in a future post.

Secret Letters of the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma If you have kept up with my blogs, or raided by bookshelf or my ipod or my Twitter,   you would probably notice that I own every book, audio recording, video and podcast by Robin Sharma.  Formerly a lawyer, he is a speaker, author and business/self-help guru (a word he never uses to describe himself). Much like " The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari ", Robin's first best-seller, this book offers teachings on success in business and in life through the journey of the protagonist, Jonathan, the cousin of Julian, for those of you familiar with the main character from The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. When we first meet Jonathan, he has separated from his wife, worries he has disappointed his young son by not being there for him, works long hours at a job he has grown to dislike and he is emotionally, physically and spiritually depleted. Motivated by the concern of his mother, he agrees to meet up with Julian an...

Just Kids by Patti Smith When I picked up " Just Kids " , I didn't really know very much about Patti Smith. I do know she is a bit of a punk revolutionary with a poet's heart -  think Joni Mitchell or Bob Dylan. Her lyrics are strong and painful and gorgeous. She has an unmistakable voice and sound. Just Kids is the story of the friendship of Patti and artist/photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, in New York in the '60s and '70's. Littered with popular culture references to some of the most influential musicians, artists poets and events of the time - 'Happy Xmas. War is Over' billboard by John Lennon, the passing of Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Edie Sedgwick, and Andy Warhol and the Chelsea hotel and its infamous history - Allen Ginsberg, Janis Joplin, Jim Carroll, Sam Sheperd.  Words interweave the story of artist and muse, love and loss and the growth and eventual success of both Patti and Mapplethrope, each in their own right. ...

   I stumbled upon Gabrielle Bernstein's video log (vlog) articles on The Huffington Post and was immediately intrigued - a little hippie, a little Chanel, life-coach extraordinaire.  Coincidentally, she wrote a blog post on Kris Carr's crazy sexy life .com  recently and, if you missed my last post, I had just finished reading Kris Carr's Crazy Sexy Diet and was now ready to take in the teachings of Gabrielle Bernstein. You can check her out here . I would be remiss if I did not also mention Gabby's second book " Spirit Junkie " which I am cruising through for the second time. I will get to that review later, faithful book-lovers. (Gabby's third book is due at the end of 2012 - yay!). Add more Ing gives a little background on Gabby -  ultra-successful at age 21, her addictions to drugs, partying and relationships had left her empty, broke and lonely. After hitting rock bottom, she asked the universe for help. What she received was beyond...

Crazy Sexy Diet  by Kris Carr Have you ever heard anyone say "this book changed my life". Does it get no more from you than a sniffle or an eye roll? Well, get ready - this book changed my life, for real. But not in the way you are expecting. Or perhaps in exactly the way you are expecting. How am I to know what you are expecting, dear reader? For those of you unfamiliar with Kris Carr, here is a very brief synopsis: New Yorker, actress, 'Bud Girl', documentary filmmaker, wellness warrior, Cancer survivor. Her documentary Crazy Sexy Cancer will absolutely blow you away. You can find it at your local bookstore, library, groovy independent movie rental store, friend's really well-stock dvd collection, or on-line.  At 32, Kris was diagnosed with an incurable cancer of the liver and lungs. Crazy Sexy Cancer documents her experiences with different kinds of therapy and food on her journey to becoming a "healing junkie".  She also documen...