Recommendations based on Etched in Sand: A True Story of Five Siblings Who Survived an Unspeakable Childhood on Long Islandby Regina Calcaterra

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. Coming Clean

    by Kimberly Rae Miller
    A memoir of growing up with hoarder parents and the emotional toll it takes on the author.

    Kimberly Rae Miller is an immaculately put-together woman with a great career, a loving boyfriend, and a beautifully tidy apartment in Brooklyn. You would never guess that behind the closed doors of ... (Barnes & Noble)

  2. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

    by Daniel James Brown
    An inspiring story of a rowing crew battling against the odds to win gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

    This novel is about the University of Washington eight-oared crew that represented the United States in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, and narrowly beat out Italy and Germany to win the gold medal. The ... (Wikipedia)

  3. When I Was Puerto Rican

    by Esmeralda Santiago
    A young woman's memoir of her immigrant journey from Puerto Rico to New York City.

    Esmeralda Santiago is the oldest child her parents have together, although her father has an older daughter she doesn't know about. Her parents' relationship is damaged as her mother suspects her ... (Wikipedia)

  4. American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History

    by Chris Kyle
    An inside look at the life of the deadliest sniper in U.S. military history.

    From 1999 to 2009, U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle recorded the most career sniper kills in United States military history. The Pentagon has officially confirmed more than 150 of Kyle's kills (the previous ... (Goodreads)

  5. Too Busy Not to Pray: Slowing Down to Be With God

    by Bill Hybels
    A guide to help busy people make time for prayer and connect with God amidst the chaos of life.

    The 10th-anniversary edition of this popular book challenges you to take time to pray, to listen to God, to respond to what God is saying to you, and to overcome prayer barriers. ... (Goodreads)

  6. Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War

    by Karen Abbott
    Uncovering the untold stories of four women who risked their lives as undercover spies during the Civil War.

    Karen Abbott, the New York Times bestselling author of Sin in the Second City and “pioneer of sizzle history” (USA Today ), tells the spellbinding true story of four women who risked everything to ... (Barnes & Noble)

  7. Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction

    by David Sheff
    An intimate look at a father's struggle to understand and help his son through his addiction.

    With a new afterword Now a Major Motion Picture What had happened to my beautiful boy? To our family? What did I do wrong? Those are the wrenching questions that haunted David Sheff’s journey through ... (Goodreads)

  8. Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's

    by John Elder Robison
    An honest account of a man's life with Asperger's, exploring his unique perspectives.

    Ever since he was small, John Robison had longed to connect with other people, but by the time he was a teenager, his odd habits—an inclination to blurt out non sequiturs, avoid eye contact, ... (Goodreads)

  9. The Elephant Whisperer

    by Lawrence Anthony
    A story of the unlikely bond between a conservationist and a herd of wild elephants.

    When South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony was asked to accept a herd of 'rogue' elephants on his Thula Thula game reserve in South Africa, his commonsense told him to refuse. But he was the ... (Goodreads)

  10. 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works

    by Dan Harris
    A story of self-improvement through mindfulness and meditation.

    Winner of the 2014 Living Now Book Award for Inspirational Memoir, Nightline, anchor Dan Harris embarks on an unexpected, hilarious, and deeply skeptical odyssey through the strange worlds of ... (Barnes & Noble)

  11. Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story

    by Ben Carson
    An inspiring story of a young man overcoming poverty and discrimination to become a renowned neurosurgeon.

    In 1987, Dr. Ben Carson travels to Germany to meet a couple, Peter and Augusta Rausch, who have twins conjoined at the back of their heads. Dr. Carson believes he might be able to successfully ... (Wikipedia)

  12. Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI

    by David Grann
    Exposé of a series of murders of the Osage Nation in 1920s Oklahoma and the FBI's investigation.

    In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Indian Nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, the Osage rode in chauffeured automobiles, ... (Goodreads)

  13. Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence

    by Sarah Young
    Devotional insights on how to experience the presence of Jesus and find peace in life.

    After many years of writing her own words in her prayer journal, missionary Sarah Young decided to be more attentive to the Savior's voice and begin listening for what He was saying. So with pen in ... (Goodreads)

  14. Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness

    by Susannah Cahalan
    A journalist's journey of survival and recovery from a rare autoimmune disorder.

    An award-winning memoir and instant New York Times bestseller that goes far beyond its riveting medical mystery, Brain on Fire is the powerful account of one woman’s struggle to recapture her ... (Goodreads)

  15. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

    by Frederick Douglass
    Memoir of a former slave's journey to freedom and his struggle for human rights.

    Born a slave circa1818 (slaves weren't told when they were born) on a plantation in Maryland, Douglass taught himself to read and write. In 1845, seven years after escaping to the North, he published ... (Goodreads)

  16. A Child Called "It"

    by Dave Pelzer
    True story of a child's unbearable suffering at the hands of an abusive parent.

    Also see: Alternate Cover Editions for this ISBN [ACE], ACE #1, This book chronicles the unforgettable account of one of the most severe child abuse cases in California history. It is the story of ... (Goodreads)

  17. In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex

    by Nathaniel Philbrick
    True account of a whaling ship's disastrous voyage and the survivors' struggle for survival.

    "With its huge, scarred head halfway out of the water and its tail beating the ocean into a white-water wake more than forty feet across, the whale approached the ship at twice its original speed - ... (Goodreads)

  18. Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God

    by Francis Chan
    A faith-based exploration of the power of love, God's sacrifice and our response.

    Have you ever wondered if we're missing it? It's crazy, if you think about it. The God of the universe—the Creator of nitrogen and pine needles, galaxies and E-minor—loves us with a radical, ... (Goodreads)

  19. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

    by Stephen King
    A series of personal reflections on the art of writing, and the power of story-telling.

    "Long live the King" hailed Entertainment Weekly upon the publication of Stephen King's On Writing. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is ... (Goodreads)

  20. The Broken Circle: A Memoir of Escaping Afghanistan

    by Enjeela Ahmadi-Miller
    Enjeela and her family flee Afghanistan during the Soviet-Afghan War, facing danger and uncertainty as they seek refuge in Pakistan and eventually the United States.

    An emotional and sweeping memoir of love and survival—and of a committed and desperate family uprooted and divided by the violent, changing landscape of Afghanistan in the early 1980s., Before the ... (Goodreads)

  21. Finding Gobi: The True Story of a Little Dog and an Incredible Journey

    by Dion Leonard
    A heartwarming memoir of a runner who finds an unlikely companion, a stray dog, during a grueling 155-mile race across the Gobi Desert.

    Like A Streecat Named Bob before it, Finding Gobi is a truly heart-warming story for animal lovers worldwide… In 2016, Dion Leonard, a seasoned ultramarathon runner, unexpectedly stumbled across a ... (Goodreads)

  22. Oogy: The Dog Only a Family Could Love

    by Larry Levin
    A heartwarming story of a rescued dog who overcomes abuse and becomes a beloved member of his family.

    In the bestselling tradition of, Rescuing Sprite, comes the story of a puppy brought back from the brink of death, and the family he adopted. In 2002, Larry Levin and his twin sons, Dan and Noah, ... (Barnes & Noble)

  23. This Is Me: Loving the Person You Are Today

    by Chrissy Metz
    Actress Chrissy Metz shares her journey to self-love and acceptance, inspiring readers to embrace their own unique qualities and worth.

    An inspirational book about life and its lessons from the Golden Globe and Emmy nominated star of NBC’s This Is Us. When, This Is Us, debuted in fall 2016, a divided America embraced a show that ... (Barnes & Noble)

  24. Bad Girls of the Bible: And What We Can Learn from Them

    by Liz Curtis Higgs
    A humorous and insightful look at the lives of ten biblical women who made mistakes, but ultimately found redemption.

    Women everywhere marvel at those good girls in Scripture–Sarah, Mary, Esther--but on most days, that's not who they see when they look in the mirror. Most women (if they're honest) see the ... (Goodreads)

  25. Small Fry: A Memoir

    by Lisa Brennan-Jobs
    A memoir of Lisa Brennan-Jobs, daughter of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, and her complicated relationship with her father.

    Born on a farm and named in a field by her parents–artist Chrisann Brennan and Steve Jobs--Lisa Brennan-Jobs's childhood unfolded in a rapidly changing Silicon Valley. When she was young, Lisa's ... (Goodreads)

  26. Plenty More: Vibrant Vegetable Cooking from London's Ottolenghi

    by Yotam Ottolenghi
    A cookbook filled with inventive and flavorful vegetarian recipes, showcasing the versatility of vegetables in modern cuisine.

    The hotly anticipated follow-up to London chef Yotam Ottolenghis bestselling and award-winning cookbook Plenty, featuring more than 150 vegetarian dishes organized by cooking method. Yotam Ottolenghi ... (Goodreads)

  27. The Lost Child of Philomena Lee: A Mother, Her Son and a 50 Year Search

    by Martin Sixsmith
    A true story of a mother's search for her son, who was taken away from her by nuns and sold for adoption in America.

    When she became pregnant as a teenager in Ireland in 1952, Philomena Lee was sent to a convent to be looked after as a “fallen woman.” Then the nuns took her baby from her and sold him, like ... (Goodreads)

  28. The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom

    by Miguel Ruiz
    A guide to transforming one's life by adopting four simple agreements.

    In The Four Agreements , don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, the Four Agreements offer a ... (Goodreads)

  29. A Work in Progress

    by Connor Franta
    A memoir of self-discovery and personal growth, chronicling the author's journey from childhood to YouTube stardom.

    In this intimate memoir of life beyond the camera, Connor Franta shares the lessons he has learned on his journey from small-town boy to Internet sensation so far. Here, Connor offers a look at his ... (Goodreads)

  30. Recovery: Freedom from Our Addictions

    by Russell Brand
    Comedian Russell Brand shares his personal journey of addiction and recovery, offering a 12-step program for those seeking freedom from addiction.

    A guide to all kinds of addiction from a star who has struggled with heroin, alcohol, sex, fame, food and eBay, that will help addicts and their loved ones make the first steps into recovery “This ... (Barnes & Noble)