Tag: #Inspirational

Posted in #BookTours

Historic Charleston & the Lowcountry

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

In this elegant hardbound volume, photographers Steve Gross and Susan Daley take you on an intimate tour of some of the finest historic homes, gardens, churches, and plantations of the old city of Charleston and its surrounding Lowcountry. Their luminescent photographs reveal an insider’s look at the definitive architecture and landscape of the region, ranging from private gardens hidden behind wrought iron gates to some of America’s first landscaped garden vistas. From colonial-era French Quarter homes to Federal and Greek Revival townhouses and antebellum plantation houses, the selection featuring old family, private homes to museum showplaces make this an essential book for visitors, architects, preservationists or armchair travelers.

Editorial Reviews 

Review

“In their new photo book, Historic Charleston and the Lowcountry, Gross andDaley describe stumbling upon the Aiken-Rhett House, a Federal-style buildingoriginally designed in 1818. It was decaying, but the pair were intrigued bythe mansion, the remnants of its opulent past and, ultimately, its story.” 
Preservation Magazine 

“Photographers Steve Gross and Susan Daley write in their new, beautifully illustrated book, Historic Charleston & the Low Country (Gibbs Smith, 2016) that ” to walk into a three-hundred-year-old house and feel the resonance of past lives, to make photographs using the same geometry of sunlight coming through windows and doors as generations of inhabitants have experienced it, is to glimpse into history and to be provided with a way to read the past. “Their passion for Charleston’s past shines through in this comprehensive book that showcases in words and pictures over 22 historic homes, plantations and gardens. The authors have gained access to architectural gems of the Georgian, Federal and Greek Revival periods, many of them privately owned. Additional chapters instruct us on the histories of piazzas, wrought-iron work, hidden gardens and churches. This book is a loving tribute to Charleston and its surroundings-and the next best thing to making a visit.” Editor’s Picks, Charleston Style & Design Magazine.

About the Author

Photographers Steve Gross and Susan Daley specialize in photographing interiors and the architecture of the changing American landscape. They are the coauthors of ten previous books on the various styles of American homes and design, including Creole Houses, Old Florida, and most recently Farmhouse Revival. Their work has been published extensively in magazines around the world and is in private collections including the Smithsonian Institution.

Amazon

Posted in #BookTours

The Cherokee Diaspora: An Indigenous History of Migration, Resettlement, and Identity

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

This is in honor of my husband, Craig, who passed away in May of this year. He was a grandson of the Cherokee Chief in Arkansas.

The Cherokee are one of the largest Native American tribes in the United States, with more than three hundred thousand people across the country claiming tribal membership and nearly one million people internationally professing to have at least one Cherokee Indian ancestor. In this revealing history of Cherokee migration and resettlement, Gregory Smithers uncovers the origins of the Cherokee diaspora and explores how communities and individuals have negotiated their Cherokee identities, even when geographically removed from the Cherokee Nation headquartered in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Beginning in the eighteenth century, the author transports the reader back in time to tell the poignant story of the Cherokee people migrating throughout North America, including their forced exile along the infamous Trail of Tears (1838–39). Smithers tells a remarkable story of courage, cultural innovation, and resilience, exploring the importance of migration and removal, land and tradition, culture and language in defining what it has meant to be Cherokee for a widely scattered people.

Continue reading “The Cherokee Diaspora: An Indigenous History of Migration, Resettlement, and Identity” →
Posted in #BookTours

My Next Breath: A Memoir

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

The gripping and inspiring story of acclaimed actor Jeremy Renner’s near-fatal accident, and what he learned about inner strength, endurance and hope as he overcame insurmountable odds to recover, one breath at a time.

Two-time Oscar nominee Jeremy Renner was the second most googled person in 2023… and not for his impressive filmography. His searing portrayals on film ranged from an Iraq-based army bomb technician in The Hurt Locker and a Boston bank robber in The Town to a crooked Camden mayor in American Hustle before he became heir to the Jason Bourne franchise (The Bourne Legacy). Amongst other iconic roles, he also captured hearts as fan-favorite comic book marksman Hawkeye in seven Marvel films.

Yet, his otherworldly success on-screen faded to the periphery when a fourteen-thousand-pound snowplow crushed him on New Year’s Day 2023. Somehow able to keep breathing for more than half an hour, he was subsequently rushed to the ICU, after which he would face multiple surgeries and months of painful rehabilitation.

In this debut memoir, Jeremy writes in blistering detail about his accident and the aftermath. This retelling is not merely a gruesome account of what happened to him; it’s a call to action and a forged companionship between reader and author as Jeremy recounts his recovery journey and reflects on the impact of his suffering. Ultimately, Jeremy’s memoir is a testament to the human spirit and its capacity to endure, evolve, and find purpose in the face of unimaginable adversity. His writing captures the essence of profound transformation, exploring the delicate interplay between vulnerability and strength, despair and hope, redemption and renewal.

The Reviews

Amber B
5.0 out of 5 stars 
Inspiring story of a miracle! Great read!
Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2025
Verified Purchase
Wow! My intention for the night was to just sit down and briefly page through the book, looking at the pictures and knowing I didn't quite have the time to read tonight. However, page 1 sucked me right in and now I'm at Chapter 4, page 59 and might very well read this in one sitting tonight. I've been a huge Jeremy Renner fan since SWAT, Tag is my go-to comedy movie when I need a good laugh, and being an archery enthusiast myself, Hawkeye instantly became my favorite Avenger. I followed him on social media before this happened so once he started posting his recovery, I checked in frequently to help heal my broken heart I felt for him. The way he details every second of that gruesome day makes you feel like you're right there with him on the ice, holding his hand, cheering him on and reminding him to breathe and stay alive for his beloved family. I watched him on Diane Sawyer so it's easy to visualize the area he's describing and the treacherous conditions of the roads, but hearing his own words brings to life the horrific trauma he endured. It is perfectly written and very easy to follow, and I can't put it down. We already knew it was indescribable what he went through, but to see it in words makes me just cringe in my chair and thank God repeatedly that he survived and is doing so remarkably well! What tenacity he has to pull through and focus on everything important in his life, and not wallow in torture and give up. He's a superhero on screen, but seems he is the very definition of it in real life. His family is superb, his love for his daughter makes my heart explode (I have 3 girls, I know the feeling!), and his will to not only live but to thrive is beyond admirable. I'll likely be finishing this tonight, and anxiously awaiting Mayor season 4 to cheer him on! Get this book and be prepared to read it all at once! God bless, Jeremy Renner. The world is so happy you are still here. Much love!

Update: it's 2:00am and I read the whole thing today. He sure didn't have to share this story with the public, but I can imagine perhaps it was therapeutic to relive it, but likely not always in a good way as it's got to be so hard detailing the worst experience of your life. The book had my emotions all over the place; I laughed along with his stubbornness as I could feel it emanating off the pages, and I understood that desperate need to escape the hospital. I teared up as he described the anguish and guilt he felt for "causing" this, though I can't imagine his family holds him guilty for it. I felt so awful for the excruciating pain he had to endure. If I didn't know what the future held for him, this book would have been so much more emotionally difficult to read, but having seen him on Mayor season 3 and numerous times on talk shows and social media, I at least felt relief knowing how well he pulls through before I even got to those parts of the book. However, it's clear that it didn't come without a hefty mental, emotional and physical price tag that he paid in his recovery. Eternally grateful you are still here and proud of you for living with a new outlook and so much positivity. You are an inspiration!

Posted in Daily Thought

Verse of the Day August 13, 2025

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Posted in #BookTours

The Blue & Gray Almanac: The Civil War in Facts & Figures, Recipes & Slang

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree
  • “Help[s] readers to examine this period in history with a more cultural perspective than other books have . . . clear, concise, and crisp . . . fascinating” (San Francisco Book Review).
  • • During the final days of the war, some Richmond citizens would throw “Starvation Parties,” soirees at which elegantly attired guests gathered amid the finest silver and crystal tableware, though there were usually no refreshments except water.
  • • Union Rear-Admiral Goldsborough was nicknamed “Old Guts,” not so much for his combativeness as for his heft—weighing about three hundred pounds, he was described as “a huge mass of inert matter.”
  • • 30.6 percent of the 425 Confederate generals, but only 21.6 percent of the 583 Union generals, had been lawyers before the war.
  • • In 1861, J.P. Morgan made a huge profit by buying five thousand condemned US Army carbines and selling them back to another arsenal—taking the army to court when they tried to refuse to pay for the faulty weapons.
  • • Major General Loring was reputed to have so rich a vocabulary that one of the men remarked he could “curse a cannon up hill without horses.”
  • • Many militia units had a favorite drink—the Charleston Light Dragoons’ punch took around a week to make, while the Chatham Artillery required a pound of green tea leaves be steeped overnight.
  • • There were five living former presidents when the Civil War began, and seven veterans of the war, plus one draft dodger, went on to serve as president.
  • These stories and many more can be found in this treasury of anecdotes, essays, trivia, and much more—including numerous illustrations—that bring this historical period to vivid life.