Tag Archives: books

January 18, 2026 · 3:41 pm

AlzAuthors now part of the All Home Care Matters family

In case you didn’t hear the news, AlzAuthors is now officially part of the All Home Care Matters family.

I’ve been fortunate to be part of the AlzAuthors community over the years and had the opportunity to share The Memories Project blog, my personal essay collection The Reluctant Caregiver, and more recently, poetry. I look forward to this new chapter and supporting the mission of sharing the work of authors writing about the Alzheimer’s and dementia experience. In addition to showcasing books, AlzAuthors hosted a podcast and a film festival.

AlzAuthors celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2025. I’m grateful to all of the volunteers who donated their time and talent to build and grow such a wonderful organization.

You can read more about the transition on the All Home Care Matters website.

For those who have contributed to or have used AlzAuthors as a resource, the website and its helpful content will remain available. Stay tuned as new opportunities to share and connect become available.

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December 12, 2024 · 8:46 am

Give the gift of books

When I was cleaning out my parents’ condo, I came across so many books! I’d donated many books to the local library over the years, so I couldn’t believe how many books were still left when I did the final cleanout. Most of the books belonged to my father, who had a deep interest in WWII history, as he lived through the bombing of his hometown of Belfast when he was a child.

Reading was my father’s passion. He was a voracious reader and always had a book or two on his nightstand or coffee table. He sparked my love of reading, and some of my happiest childhood memories are Saturday afternoons spent with Dad in the library. I still enjoy physical books, but I do most of my reading now via e-books. It’s just more convenient and I’m at a point in life where I want to downsize, beginning with my possessions.

With that being said, books can make wonderful gifts this time of year so I want to let you know about Smashwords 2024 End of Year Sale. I’m a participating author in this sales event so you can get e-book versions of The Reluctant Caregiver and CBD for Caregivers for half off from Dec. 12 through Jan. 1, 2025. Use the code SEW50 at checkout.

Digital books can make ideal gifts for those who live far away or for last-minute gift ideas. If you are gifting a book to a caregiver, you may wonder, do caregivers have time to read? It really depends upon the individual circumstance, but reading can be a source of respite, a way to whisk away to another world, even if one only has time to read a page or chapter at a time. A great resource for books that are curated by and for dementia caregivers can be found at AlzAuthors. Their collection includes everything from memoir to self-help to children’s books.

Speaking of children’s books, my tale about my senior rescue dog, Slow Dog, is also still available.

Murphy posing with his book.

Hope you get to enjoy the gift of a good book this holiday season.

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July 1, 2024 · 10:00 am

Summer reading recommendations for caregivers

It has been sweltering in Atlanta for the past month, and summer just began. When it’s too hot to be outside for long, I’m going to turn to one of my favorite pastimes that often gets pushed to the side: reading. I read all day as part of my job, but reading for pleasure is something that I wish I did more. My Kindle is full of books I haven’t started yet, and I have plenty more on my wish list. Reading is something that makes me feel close to my dad, and I feel I inherited my love of books from him.

I could write a book about the many amazing books available for dementia caregivers, but here are my top recommendations:

I’m honored to have “At the Crossroads,” a poem about my father, included in Poetry for the Dementia Journey: An AlzAuthors poetry Anthology. This new collection was published in June and is available on Amazon. Check out AlzAuthors for a large and impressive library of books that inform and support dementia caregivers.

I’m participating in the Smashwords Summer/Winter sale. Get the e-book version of my award-wining collection of personal essays, The Reluctant Caregiver, for half-off (just 99 cents!) during the entire month of July. Enter the code SSW50 at checkout.

If you’d like to honor the memory of dementia awareness advocate Wendy Mitchell, who died earlier this year, consider one of her books. One Last Thing is aptly titled as her final work. Somebody I Used to Know is her best known and highly acclaimed book.

Finally, another shameless plug: Chicken Soup for the Soul: Living with Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias is a wonderful collection that captures the highs and lows of the dementia caregiving journey. I’m honored to have a story about my father, “French Toast,” included in this edition.

What books are on your summer reading list?

For more suggestions beyond books, check out my Caregiver Product Recommendations page, with a list of products that I used while caring for my parents.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Image created by Microsoft Copilot.

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June 2, 2024 · 9:00 am

Poetry for the Dementia Journey: An AlzAuthors Anthology available now

I’m excited to share that Poetry for the Dementia Journey, an AlzAuthors Anthology, is now available.

A poem I wrote about my father, is included in the collection. “At the Crossroads” is about the week I spent with my father in a hospital in Albuquerque in the last month of his life. He was in a medically induced coma so I spent many long hours looking out the window of his room.

I’ve found that beyond personal essays, writing poems about my caregiving experiences has been healing for me. Writing poems encourages me to distill memories using concise language and experiment with perspective and voice.

I had a chance to review an early copy of the book and was so moved by the poems people wrote about the dementia experience, from a myriad of perspectives.

To celebrate the launch of the collection, AlzAuthors is hosting a reading on Monday, June 3 at 4 p.m. ET. I’ll be participating, so I hope to see you there. If you are not able to attend live, the session will be recorded. You can access the Zoom link here..

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May 8, 2023 · 8:00 am

Consider sharing your caregiving story

I had a great time at the Atlanta Writers Conference Book Fair. It’s been awhile since I’ve attended a conference in-person. It’s always inspiring to see so much creativity on display.

To that point, I met several caregivers at the Book Fair who shared their personal caregiving stories with me. If you are on the fence about writing about your caregiving experience, I would encourage you to try, even if it’s in a personal journal and not for public consumption. Doing so can be a cathartic experience. You may find that you do have lessons to share that would benefit other caregivers. If so, there are many self-publishing platforms available, in addition to the traditional publishing route.

Understandably, while you are an active caregiver, you likely will not have time to work on a book project. I scribbled down notes, quotes, scenes, anything that I thought I might want to revisit in written form later. Sometimes having a bit of distance can help in framing an experience in a balanced way, but capturing those visceral images in real-time was important for me. I published The Reluctant Caregiver 2 years after my mother’s death and 6 years after my father’s death. Of course if you’ve been following my blog from the beginning you know I began The Memories Project within weeks after my father’s death. At the time I thought I would mainly be writing about my father’s journey with Alzheimer’s but then my mother fell ill. By the end of my caregiving journey with my parents, I had a variety of experiences and lessons to share.

No doubt you will too.

[To give you inspiration, check out the recording of Poetry for the Dementia Journey, a poetry reading event hosted by AlzAuthors. At about the 37-minute mark, you can hear a poem I shared about my father.]

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March 5, 2023 · 2:15 pm

Celebrate Read an Ebook Week

It’s Read an Ebook Week. While I’ll always love the feel of pages in a physical book, I do almost all of my reading using my Kindle. It’s just more convenient for my lifestyle.

If you are an electronic book fan, this is a great week to take advantage of special deals. I’m participating in the Smashwords promotions. You can get The Reluctant Caregiver and CBD for Caregivers for just 99 cents today through March 11. Note: It looks like the promotion is so popular that the Smashwords website is experiencing some technical difficulties. If you get a broken link, check back later.

If you are looking for a digital children’s book, you can get Slow Dog for just $2.99 on Amazon.

Happy Reading!

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November 13, 2021 · 1:12 pm

AlzAuthors Caregiver Appreciation Month Book Sale and Giveaway

As many of you know, I am a member of the AlzAuthors group, which has grown over the years to include a diverse and impressive membership. I love how the AlzAuthors library represents so many varied genres, from memoirs to self-help to children’s books. We have non-fiction and fiction books that focus on Alzheimer’s and other dementias. We have books for those living with dementia and books for their caregivers and other family members, such as grandchildren. Much gratitude to the organization’s leadership, who have tirelessly worked to encourage the group to grow in membership and outreach.

In honor of Caregiver Appreciation Month, AlzAuthors is hosting a book sale and giveaway. The promotion runs through Nov. 17. It’s a good time to stock up on books that are heavily discounted, some even offered for free. These books can make thoughtful gift ideas for the caregiver in your life.

You can get the digital version of my award-winning collection of personal essays, The Reluctant Caregiver, for just 99 cents.

Please share the giveaway information with fellow caregivers.

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July 10, 2021 · 10:44 am

The Story You Are Living Is Bigger Than You Know — Life, Love, and Alzheimer’s

“Right now, you may only feel the weight of its burden rather than the weight of its significance, but one day you will look back and realize everything you have learned from this experience.”

So true, can’t wait to read this book!

The Story You Are Living Is Bigger Than You Know — Life, Love, and Alzheimer’s

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November 7, 2018 · 8:00 am

AlzAuthors releases anthology, hosting National Family Caregivers Month book sale

alzauthors book sale promo

November is National Family Caregivers Month. The National PACE Association says this year’s theme is “Caregiving Around the Clock.” If you’ve been a caregiver, you wholeheartedly agree with that theme!

AlzAuthors has two exciting promotions going on to mark the special month. First, the group of Alzheimer’s authors has released an anthology, Alzheimer’s and Dementia Caregiving Stories, featuring the personal stories of 58 AlzAuthors contributors. I am honored to be one of the contributors. The book will be released Nov. 7.alzauthors anthology cover

AlzAuthors is recognizing and honor family caregivers of those with dementia across the country by hosting a book sale and giveaway. The eBook sale will run from Nov. 7-Nov. 13. Books will range in price from free to $2.99, to help those on limited budgets access worthy books that can help them on their own caregiving journeys.

My book, The Reluctant Caregiver, will be on sale for just 99 cents during the promotion. The award-winning collection of personal essays offers a nontraditional view of family caregiving, and includes several essays about the challenges of caring for those with dementia.

This is the last AlzAuthors book sale of the year, so don’t miss out!

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April 17, 2018 · 8:46 am

The Reluctant Caregiver wins a gold medal

 

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It may  not be a Pulitzer, but The Reluctant Caregiver earned a gold medal at the 2018 Independent Publisher Awards.

I know my parents would be proud of me, though maybe not so thrilled about what I wrote about them.

The award was a pleasant surprise. I entered a handful of book contests after the publication of The Reluctant Caregiver last year. The Independent Publisher Awards, better knows as the IPPY’s, is well-known, having been around 22 years. The award ceremony will take place on May 29 in New York City and I’m going to fly up for the day to attend the ceremony and hopefully track down a few of my dad’s old haunts.

There are some people who feel these contests are a waste of time and money. I understand the concerns and some are valid, but I choose contests to enter where I would appreciate the prize, even if it isn’t money. For self-published authors like myself, every bit of promotion is worth, ahem, gold.

If you want to learn more about The Reluctant Caregiver, you can visit my website, joyjohnston.com.

 

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