East County Magazine
DARK SIDE: TRUE STORIES FROM A TEENAGE POT SMUGGLER
Printer-friendly versionMemoir by Stu Stall Reviewed by Pennell Paugh April 1, 2025 (San Diego) — Stu Stall, a life-long resident of Coronado, has released a second memoir — Dark Side: True Stories from a Teenage Pot Smuggler. The book is filled with tales of adventure, danger and betrayal. Stall’s life in his twenties seemed carefree — full of parties, women,
AUTHOR OF BOOK ON JOHN D. SPRECKELS SPEAKS IN LEMON GROVE APRIL 3
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service March 30, 2025 (Lemon Grove) – The Lemon Grove Historical Society’s “History Alive” lecture series continues this Thursday, April 3 at 7 p.m. with local author Sandra Bonura speaking about her new book, Empire Building: John D. Spreckels and the Making of San Diego. The event will be held at the H. Lee House in
LOCAL RESIDENTS OBJECT TO TRUMP SLASHING FUNDS FOR LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS
Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery Photo courtesy of Library Foundation San Diego March 26, 2025 (San Diego) – On Friday, March 14, President Trump issued an Executive Order intended to drastically reduce funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the only federal agency dedicated to funding library services. “Without IMLS funding, the 37-branch San Diego Public Library system
SUMERLAND: A HAUNTNG NOVEL SET IN SAN DIEGO
Printer-friendly version Novel by M. Lee Buompensiero Reviewed by Pennell Paugh March 6, 2025 (San Diego) — Long-time San Diego resident, M. Lee Buompensiero has released an award-winning novel, Sumerland. The story is full of romance, unusual hauntings, heart-warming dog crises and mishaps. Kate Post inherits the San Diego historical Liebersohn mansion after her mother, whom she rarely saw and
THE INSIDIOUS DISEASE OF CANCER AND BRAIN TUMORS!
Printer-friendly version Brain Surgeon: A Doctor’s Inspiring Encounters with Mortality and Miracles, by Keith Black, MD (Wellness Books, trademark of Hatchette Book Group, Inc., New York, NY 2009, 226 pages). Book Review by Dennis Moore
SOUNDS OF YESTERDAY: NOVEL CENTERS ON AUTISTIC MAN’S TROUBLED ROMANCE
Printer-friendly versionBy Jacob Hubbard Reviewed by Pennell Paugh February 24, 2025 (San Diego) – Long-time San Diego resident Jacob Hubbard has written a debut novel, Sounds of Yesterday, about a romantic relationship during COVID as experienced by an autistic man. For five years, Rob and Ana overcome career challenges, achieve emotional stability, and survive a global pandemic. Though they each
COUNTY BREAKS GROUND ON NEW CASA DE ORO LIBRARY
Printer-friendly version By Shauni Lyles, County of San Diego Communications Office Video by James Kecskes February 20, 2025 (Spring Valley) – County officials and community members broke ground Wednesday on a project that will bring a new library branch to Casa de Oro to meet the growing needs of the community. The new library will be located at 9610 Campo
CAITLIN ROTHER TO RELEASE UPDATED EDITION OF BODY PARTS FEB. 25
Printer-friendly version East County News Service January 21, 2025 (San Diego) – New York Times bestselling author Caitlin Rother, an investigative journalist and former San Diego Union-Tribune reporter, will release an updated edition of her true-crime book, Body Parts, on February 25. The book takes a deep psychological look at serial killer Wayne Adam Ford, a trucker who confessed to
TOUCHING INFINITY: A JOURNEY INTO THE HEART OF A SUPERNOVA
Printer-friendly version Novel by Mark O’Bannon Reviewed by Pennell Paugh January 19, 2025 (San Diego)—San Diego resident Mark O’Bannon has released a new science fiction romance, Touching Infinity (Imperium Prequels). In a society where arranged marriages are considered more sensible and enduring, Alastronia DeTroyes, a young planetary scientist, is excited to find herself traveling into a system that she
THE COLONIAL FARM: LA MESA AUTHOR’S LATEST BOOK FOCUSES ON PLIGHT OF KENYAN FARMWORKERS
Printer-friendly versionUpdate: The author will have a book signing event at the San Carlos Library onApril 25 at 2:00 p.m. By Wanjirũ Warama Reviewed by Pennell Paugh January 1, 2025 (La Mesa) — Wanjiru Warama a resident of La Mesa, provides true stories of how her family and community lived in abject poverty on British colonial farms in Kenya in
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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting — not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine’s local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.
SAN DIEGO TRUE CRIME NOVELIST RICHARD CARRICO TO SPEAK AT MISSION TRAILS FEB. 8
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service January 27, 2024 (San Diego) – Monsters on the Loose—a true crime novel by award-winning author and historian Richard L. Carrico—is set in San Diego in 1931. With forensic evidence at the time not quite what it is today, many murders went unsolved. In this gripping novel, San Diego historian and anthropologist Richard L. Carrico details
A LOVELY GIRL: LOCAL AUTHOR PROVIDES INSIGHTS IN CASE OF NOTORIOUS KILLER
Printer-friendly versionReviewed by Pennell Paugh January 21, 2024 (San Diego) — A Lovely Girl, the Tragedy of Olga Duncan and the Trial of One of California’s Most Notorious Killers tells of a 1958 murder as the evidence was collected. The story ends with the last woman to ever be executed in California. Local author Deborah Holt Larkin tells
WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS, MEN ARE FROM MARS!
Printer-friendly version Cooked vs. Uncooked Spaghetti, by Dr. Tania Hormozi, PSYD, LMFT (Made in the USA, Muncie, IL., July, 2023, 137 pages). Book Review by Dennis Moore January 12, 2024 (San Diego) – Dr. Tania Hormozi is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist practicing in San Diego, California for over 10 years. She holds a Doctorate degree in Marriage
CHINA BOY, A WORK THAT TRANSCENDS TIME
Printer-friendly versionAuthor Gus Lee interviews with Anat Tour, host of East County Magazine Show’s “Bookshelf” feature on KNSJ View video Hear audio January 8, 2024 (San Diego’s East County) — In an engaging conversation with esteemed American author and ethicist Gus Lee, Anat Tour, host of East County Magazine Radio Show’s “Bookshelf” on KNSJ Radio, explores the depths of Lee’s
ODYSSEY’S END
Printer-friendly version By Pennell Paugh January 3, 2024 (San Diego) – Odyssey’s End is the tenth book in the Rick Cahill series by local author Matt Coyle. Private investigator Rick Cahill lives in the San Diego region and as in the series’ other books, he takes the reader on real streets and neighborhoods.in He accepts a lost-person assignment from a
CHERIE KERR, AUTHOR OF CHARLIE’S NOTES, SHARES MEMORIES OF HER JAZZ MUSICIAN FATHER
Printer-friendly versionView video of interview Hear audio aired on KNSJ Radio By Miriam Raftery December 12, 2023 (San Diego)—Anat Tour, host of the East County Magazine Radio Show’s Bookshelf, recently interviewed Cherie Kerr on her award-winning book, Charlie’s Notes. This moving memoir of her father, jazz musician Carluchi (Charlie) DePietro, chronicles his struggles from his roots in a New York
CAN LOVE OVERCOME MAGICAL HYPNOTIC TRAINING? MYSTIC PRINCE: VIXEN IS LATEST IN RICHTER’S SERIES
Printer-friendly versionBook by M.A. Richter Reviewed by Pennell Paugh December 9, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) – Local author M.A. Richter announces the release of Mystic Prince: Vixen. The book is a fantasy-adventure that follows Khael, an enlightened prince in 2773, who has just regained his crown. He reestablishes a government and places his mother, a princess, to oversee day-to-day
BOOK-2 OF THE COLONIZED SERIES AND KENYA’S MAU MAU REVOLT: A PEASANT’S TALE
Printer-friendly version Book by Wanjiru Warama Reviewed by Pennell Paugh November 14, 2023 (La Mesa) — Wanjiru Warama is a resident of La Mesa, and a member of the San Diego Writers and Editors Guild. The author provides true stories of how her family and community lived in abject poverty on British colonial farms in Kenya. Her historic
WHEN YOUR HEART SAYS GO: MY YEAR OF TRAVELING BEYOND LOSS AND LONELINESS
Printer-friendly versionBook by Judy Reeves Reviewed by Pennell Paugh November 8, 2023 (San Diego) – In When Your Heart Says Go, San Diego author Judy Reeves uses memories in her journals, fragments from her writing practice notebooks, short stories, flashes of both fiction and nonfiction, personal narrative essays, and poems to share a piece of her life from thirty years
THE GRAY: LIVING WITH ANXIETY AND FINDING WAYS TO COPE
Printer-friendly version Book by Chris Baron Reviewed by Pennell Paugh November 8,2023 (San Diego) – Award-winning local author Chris Baron, an English professor at San Diego City College, has crafted a beautifully written, compelling story in his latest book, The Gray. Sasha experiences bullying at middle school. His anxiety becomes so bad that he called it The Gray. Afraid that
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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting — not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine’s local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.
East County Magazine
Pretty Happy: healthy ways to love your body
Printer-friendly versionBook by Kate Hudson Review by Heidi Hope October 5, 2025 (San Diego) – Pretty Happy is a New York Times best-selling self-help book written by my favorite actress, Kate Hudson. She thoughtfully researched each area and provided a variety of questions to ask, as well as suggestions to reference and ideas for carrying out each lesson to take
Lucas and Emily’s Food Bank Adventure by Dave Grunenwald
Printer-friendly versionReviewed by Pennell Paugh September 28, 2025 (San Diego) – Lucas and Emily’s Food Bank Adventure is a children’s book for 5- to 10-year-olds. It is designed to inspire children and their families to volunteer in community programs that help those in need. In the book, two friends and a grandparent visit a group that make and deliver sandwiches. Next,
Author Tanya Harris hosts book signing Sept. 21 at Grossmont Center to benefit domestic violence survivors
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service September 5, 2025 (La Mesa) — Local author, domestic violence survivor and advocate Tanya Harris will host a powerful community book signing and awareness event on Sunday, September 21, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the gazebo at Grossmont Center mall (5500 Grossmont Center Dr., La Mesa). The community-focused event is designed to
Blood in the Water: an A.J. Hawke legal thriller
Printer-friendly versionNovel by Donald McInnis Reviewed by Pennell Paugh September 4, 2025 (San Diego) —Blood in the Water, though fictional, exposes a flaw in the United States’ tripartite federal government structure as established in the Constitution. The third branch of government, the Judiciary, cannot enforce its rulings, even when those rulings are necessary for protecting an individual citizen’s rights or the constitutional powers of