This California artist has been soaking up non-fiction books, learning about local history, the resilience of a kidnap victim and an ancient prophecy that relates to America today. Phew. No wonder the Reading Rabbit looks as if he is in a state of exhaustion. No fluffy beach-reading is happening around here!

1. Bill and I: Building William Shatner’s Belle Reve Ranch by Dalan Smith is a blend of autobiography and biography. It is an honest look into crossing the chasm between regular folks and celebrities. The book also gives a glimpse into the struggles of earning a living in a rural setting. Shatner isn’t the main character of the book; Smith is, as he tells his story of building a horse ranch for an absentee owner. He has nothing but good to say about “Bill” and lets the reader draw his own conclusions about the success of the partnership. I loved the book, but may have been biased by my familiarity with the setting and many of the people within the story. It is one of the few celebrity biographies I’ve ever finished, much less enjoyed! Buy it here.
2. A Stolen Life: a memoir by Jaycee Dugard was a very moving story of a woman who was kidnapped and enslaved from age 11 to age 29. It is graphic and gross in places – I had to skip parts of it. What a survivor! Got it from the library, recommend it, wouldn’t want to reread it. Too painful.
3. The Harbinger: the ancient mystery that holds the secret of America’s future by Jonathan Cahn is written simply, the relaying of a conversation between two people to a third person. It is an explanation that ties 9/11 to a prophecy in the Bible, Isaiah 9:10. It is shocking, because although it is written as a novel, every event, location and speech is actual.