My Greek Books
Welcome back! This month, turned out to be an all nonfiction month! I’ll tell you about a travel memoir, an essay collection, and a self-help/motivational book. Let’s go!
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Trust Your Heart’s Compass: Let Your True Self Guide You On The Paths Of Empowerment, Growth and Joy by Ria Bella*
Independently published (February 4, 2025)
About the author
Ria Bella is a Greek journalist, author, and book translator with a background in media production. Her journalism career began in 2004, after a stint in ANT1 MEDIALAB, where she published her first interviews for Daphne Publications magazines and worked in the newsroom. Ιn 2006, Ria served as a journalist and production assistant for various TV shows including ANT1 TV and Ena Production at Kapa Studios. She also worked as production secretary for ‘Kalimera Ellada’, Greece’s longest-running television newscast.
About the book
Putting her journalism skills to work, Ria researched the heart’s wisdom and its powerful energy. She combines spirituality, science, and psychology to take readers on an inspiring journey of self-discovery. The book offers great insight into the workings of the heart, our intuition, and making our dreams a reality.
Some of the things readers will learn are “how our emotional state attracts or repels people and situations in your life”, “why science views the heart as a “brain” of its own and how this impacts your decision-making”, and how to challenge your belief system and break free from the mental barriers that keep you stuck in past behaviors.
My Greek Books review
Through fascinating insights, Ria Bella uncovers why it’s important to listen to your heart. Trust Our Heart’s Compass is well researched and will serve as a reference guide to everyday life. I learned so much! I’ll refer to this again and again. Get a copy today.
*I read an advance review copy
Tomorrow I Might Be Sausage: An Anthology in Four Seasons by Michael Raysses
Independently published (September 5, 2024)
About the author
A Greek-American originally from Northwest Indiana, Michael practiced law for a year in Chicago, before moving to LA to pursue an acting career. His experiences led him to write. He began penning a monthly column for the Hammond Times in 2002. Under the general title “Greek to Me”, as he felt “affinity for the phrase and its inherent duality”. The column ran in various publications, even making its way to the airwaves, where he voiced pieces of commentary for NPR, through 2013. He’s also the author of a children’s book, entitled Lonely the Only (Create Space, 2016)
About the book
Through those years, Michael wrote more than 100 columns. His editor suggested that he create an anthology of them. The book contains 32 of those pieces, which he categorized according to the four seasons.
My Greek Books review
Michael Raysses shares sharp and witty commentary in Tomorrow I Might Be Sausage. I loved his writing style and couldn’t put it down. Uncle Tasso is a treasure and you’ll enjoy meeting him, too, as well as learning more about Michael’s life and insights. You’ll enjoy this collection, full of laugh out loud moments and poignant tales, many inspired by his Greek heritage and upbringing. Pick up a copy.
HYDRA IN WINTER: An Island Escape in Search of a Greek Pirate by Shelley Dark
Shelley Dark Publications (November 26, 2024)
About the author
After many years, Shelley and her husband left life in the bush of Queensland’s Granite Belt for the beaches of Australia’s Sunshine Coast. Learning about an infamous relative through marriage set her on a quest to learn the history—and turned her into a writer.
About the book
About 20 years ago, Shelley’s son revealed a shocking revelation. He had learned that his father was a descendant of Ghikas Voulgaris—one of the first Greek convicts in Australia. An Hydra native, Voulgaris was a pirate. Fascinated by the history, Shelley set out for Hydra to try to connect the dots. The book chronicles her journey through Hydra, settling into the island’s rhythm, and how it all led her to become a writer.
My Greek Books review
I couldn’t believe this was Shelley Dark’s first work. Through her beautiful prose and vivid descriptions we follow her steps through Hydra. I love how she leaned into the storied island’s vibe and let it transform her. There, as she meandered the twisted lanes, she found a new path in life—likely captured by the spell that inspired the likes of Leonard Cohen and Charmian Clift, among others. If you hadn’t already wished to go to this Saronic island, Hydra in Winter will make you want to pack your bags.
Shelley continued her research, which has led to her forthcoming historical novel based on the life and adventures of Ghikas Voulgaris. Add them to your list.
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My Greek Books—April 2025
Well, that’s it for this all nonfiction month! Now you have three new books to add to your to-be-read list! Check back next month for more My Greek Books. Til then, Happy Reading!
Read more:
My Greek Books—April 2024 Reads
My Greek Books—April 2023 Reads
