It’s time for some book talk, AND I’m excited to tell you about a new eBook too!
April 23 is World Book Day. I try to talk about books around this date every year, specifically, cancer books.
I know, I know. Who wants to read or talk about cancer books, right?
Well, I’m not sure. I know I do though. Let me know if you do (or do not) down in the comments.
As I’ve mentioned before, sharing about books other cancer bloggers/authors have written makes me happy, which is why a couple years ago I started compiling a list of some of my favorites.
I’ve added a few more that I’ve read and/or recommend, so check out my updated list here.
Now, for a few updates on my books.
In case you didn’t know, Facing Your Mastectomy & Making Reconstruction Decisions is now available for FREE via my Library. This makes it super accessible to anyone.
Getting Past the Fear: A Guide to Help You Mentally Prepare for Chemotherapy doesn’t always get the attention (from me) it deserves.
So, here’s a shameless plug.
Getting Past the Fear is still available on Amazon, of course, and most online booksellers. It’s also available here in pdf format.
I’ve yet to see another book that addresses how to prepare emotionally for chemo. Others do a fine job of talking about all that other stuff like what side effects to expect and how to manage them. Getting Past the Fear purposefully is not about that. It’s about pre-chemo preparedness with a focus on the reader with breast cancer.
Cancer Was Not a Gift & It Didn’t Make Me a Better Person: A memoir about cancer as I know it, continues to resonate with readers who are interested in a no-sugarcoating breast cancer narrative. Frankly, this is also why it does not appeal to everyone.
One of my favorite reviews comes from Gayle Sulik, PhD, author of Pink Ribbon Blues, who wrote this:
Nancy is a truth-teller. She was not about to sugarcoat the messy realities of her experience with breast cancer, her mother’s experience with metastatic breast cancer, her grief about her mother’s death, the uncertainty she faced as she discovered that she had a genetic predisposition to breast cancer, her trepidation about the future, her disgust with the pressure to be a cancer-fighting superhero, or the many other topics often dismissed within the dominant cancer narrative.
And this:
Stordahl covers a lot of ground in this book, sharing intimate details about her thought processes, medical decisions, personal interactions, and emotional states as she manages the “shit storm” of cancer diagnosis and treatment, all in the aftermath of her mother’s. At times funny and ironic, it’s still not the happy cancer story. But it’s real. And it’s needed.
Read the full review here. (Thank you for letting me to do a little bragging.)
More reviews can be found here.
At the risk of sounding too self-promotional (nobody else is going to do it), here are five easy ways YOU can support authors, including me.
1. Write a review on Amazon (or elsewhere).
When I shop online, I read reviews. (Don’t you?) Reviews are helpful for improving rankings, increasing sales and yes, making authors feel good. Everybody needs encouragement. Reviews work wonders in more ways than one. (Click on the image below to read more reviews or to write one.)
2. Follow authors you like on social media and subscribe to their email lists.
Subscribe to my weekly emails here. If you’ve already subscribed, thank you!
3. Ask your local library to order books by authors you like that are not currently on the shelves.
4. Donate books to your cancer center’s library or other places that accept donated or used books.
5. If you belong to a book club, suggest titles by authors you want to support to be your club’s pick of the month.
Cancer Was Not a Gift & It Didn’t Make Me a Better Person might be perfect for your club’s October selection. (Bulk rates are available.)
6. Tell others, pass on copies and/or give the gift of books.
Word of mouth matters, be it literally or via social media. Shares, likes, posts to your page(s) or actual gifting physical copies are invaluable ways to show support.
Finally, I want to let you know about a new eBook I’ve put together.
All the #MetsMonday Featured Posts thus far, have been compiled into an eBook which is available in my Library, and it’s FREE!
The goal is to amplify voices of those with metastatic breast cancer. This is one more way to do that. Gathering these fabulous contributions in one spot will hopefully make them easier to find, read and learn from.
It’s truly an honor to feature all these talented writers on Nancy’s Point and now in Voices as well.
The title of this new FREE eBook is appropriately, Voices Vol 1. (There will hopefully be a volume 2 down the road.)
Get the password to my Library.
So, that wraps up this book talk. If you’re still reading, thank you!
If you’ve read any of my books and /or done any of the things on the above list to help promote, thank you!
Thank you for sharing this post too!
Do you read cancer books, why or why not?
What’s your favorite cancer book?
What are you reading right now (any genre)?
Ilene Kaminsky
Thursday 22nd of April 2021
Nancy how can I communicate my gratitude other than give you as much promotion as possible through my media outlets. Yesterday I had an interview with Lisa Laudico who’s the host of SHARE’s This MBC Life. She’s doing an episode dedicated to therapeutic writing and MBC. I plugged your site, your previous books, your Met Monday guest featured writers and this new book. Lisa will include a link to your site and your books and to Marie’s JBBC blog in the episode notes. I told her the support of the breast cancer community that continues to energize my heart even when my brain feels tired should be discussed. And why the importance of engaging online results in friendships and in increasing awareness of our writing. We give voice to those who need to know they’re not the only ones who feel the way they do and that they’re not alone. Just knowing that what I write matters sometimes makes all the difference in the world.
Nancy
Friday 23rd of April 2021
Ilene, Thank you so much for your willingness to share about and yes, promote my writing. I really appreciate it. I know what you meant when you said, "just knowing that what I write matters sometimes makes all the difference in the world". So true. And thank you so much for contributing to the new eBook "Voices"!
Linda
Wednesday 21st of April 2021
Under the pen name of Adelyn Zara, I write books about women who have faced or are facing cancer. (And here I go shamelessly promoting: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Adelyn+zara&ref=nb_sb_noss_2) One that's out already is called Finding Peace; another one is about a woman with MBC who is angry. It'll be out next year and will be called Confidentiality. And the third book is about an older lady whose cancer returns and she decides NOT to have treatment (which of course makes some people very unhappy). The title of the last is Fine, Just Fine. All these stories are written as my therapy. I do read cancer books, too! and I got a lot of suggestions from you, Nancy!
Nancy
Friday 23rd of April 2021
Linda, I really enjoyed "Finding Peace" and part of the reason is that the main character has cancer and yet, the book isn't really about that. Mostly, it's about love. I look forward to reading your next two books.
Kelly Shanahan
Wednesday 21st of April 2021
I read books about cancer all. the. time. Some are more scientific in nature, many other are memoirs. Paul Kalanithi’s “When Breath Becomes Air” is a favorite. “Between Two Kingdoms” is in my TBR pile. Not solely cancer related but an incredible read (I’m about 2/3 through) is Walter Isaacson’s portrait of Jennifer Doudna and the race to CRISPR, “The CodeBreaker”
Nancy
Friday 23rd of April 2021
Kelly, I can't seem to read enough of them either. I appreciated "When Breath Becomes Air" too. And I can't wait to read "Between Two Kingdoms". I tend to wait for the paperbacks to come out. The "CodeBreaker" sounds pretty intriguing too. Thank you for sharing!