1,000 reviews and counting! Plus, What I Know for Sure by Oprah Winfrey (review)

I was a little busy when the time came for my little blog to have 100,000 hits, and missed celebrating it, although I did a little dance of joy when I realized that I had passed that milestone!  It never occurred to me that anyone would actually look at my blog when I first started and it has been a remarkable learning experience.  The funny thing is, I only started because the site I was doing my reviews for had a link to this thing called Google, and Blogger was one of the features...and I was curious.  I have learned a lot (and been frustrated a lot of times, lol) and I have had the glorious opportunity to meet other bibliophiles and even to have my reviews quoted!  But, imagine my shock when I realized that in just over 5 years, I have read and reviewed more than 1,000 reviews (link).  I am exceedingly grateful to Night Owl Reviews for giving me the opportunity and I am in awe at the number of titles that they handle at any one time, with more pouring in all of the time.  I thank all of you who take the time to read my opinion of what I read...and it is indeed my opinion.  I try hard to be fair, not insulting to an author's hard work, and not to reveal any spoilers and I hope I provide some small service to help readers choose their next story to read!  (and don't forget to enter Night Owl's Winter Booklover's Contest at this link -- I will get an extra entry if you click on the link!)


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Blurb

After film critic Gene Siskel asked her, "What do you know for sure?" Oprah Winfrey began writing the "What I Know For Sure" column in O, The Oprah Magazine. Saying that the question offered her a way to take "stock of her life," Oprah has penned one column a month over the last fourteen years, years in which she retired The Oprah Winfrey Show (the highest-rated program of its kind in history), launched her own television network, became America’s only black billionaire, was awarded an honorary degree from Harvard University and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, watched friends and colleagues come and go, lost beloved pets and adopted new ones, and celebrated milestone birthdays. Throughout it all, she’s continued to offer her profound and inspiring words of wisdom in her "What I Know For Sure" column in O, The Oprah Magazine.
Now, for the first time, these thoughtful gems have been revised, updated, and collected in What I Know For Sure, a beautiful audiobook packed with insight and revelation from Oprah Winfrey. Organized by theme—joy, resilience, connection, gratitude, possibility, awe, clarity, and power—these essays offer a rare and powerful glimpse into the mind of one of the world’s most extraordinary women. Candid, moving, exhilarating, uplifting, and dynamic, the words Oprah shares in What I Know For Sure shimmer with the sort of wisdom and truth that listeners will turn to again and again.


Review (of the audiobook version):

What I Know For Sure by Oprah Winfrey is a four CD set of selections from the column that Ms. Winfrey has published in her eponymous magazine. She muses on a multitude of subjects and events in her life and provides insight into how she has achieved the hard-won state of tranquility and grace that she lives in. There are fascinating glimpses of some of those who have shaped her life and philosophical statements about her, and our, journeys through life.

I have never been a fan of audiobooks, but admittedly, I have only tried a handful. I was apprehensive about requesting to review this title yet I am a very big fan of the author, who has done so much to create positivity in the world, so I took a deep breath and tried something new. Wow. Why was I concerned? I am used to hearing Ms. Winfrey’s practical utterances and have improved my life due to several of the individuals who she has spotlighted, most notably Eckhart Tolle, whose philosophy has definitely made my life much smoother.  


I forget what a melodious speaking voice this exceptional woman has, and how she can make even the most esoteric of topics intriguing. I admit that she gets pretty philosophical with some of her musings but for the most part, listening to these CDs was like listening to a close friend sharing her trials and tribulations, her frustrations and her triumphs. I was delighted to hear about the cases of synergy that allowed her to do things like celebrate her birthday with close friends who were able to give her one of her most memorable concert experiences, and I could not stop laughing as I listened to the strain that a cross-country trip with her best friend, Gayle, threatened to wreak on their relationship. Ms. Winfrey shares the self-knowledge that she has garnered and allows us to see the influence that many individuals, both famous and not-so-famous, have had on her journey to self-knowledge and self-acceptance. The combination of wry humor, honesty, and insight into the human experience will enrich the listener’s life and prompt one to meet the challenge offered Ms. Winfrey by the late Gene Siskel...to determine what you know for sure. Personally, I know for sure, that this is my 1000th review for Night Owl Reviews and I have had a blast reading and reviewing all of these wonderful books! 

© Night Owl Reviews 

I received a copy of this title in return for an honest review.