Biography, Autobiography, Memoir discussion
What Are You Reading Now (anything goes) 2017
Julie wrote: "Koren wrote: "Just started This Life I Live: One Man's Extraordinary, Ordinary Life and the Woman Who Changed It Forever by Rory Feek. Now I have a dilemma. I need to get some house..."Physical book or ebook when you're still.... Audio book when you have to get stuff done. It's the only way to survive.
Mod
Well, I didn't get much done. Started the book yesterday and finished this afternoon. I rarely do audio books. I just cant keep my concentration on them. I have one I'm trying and I keep starting over cause I cant remember what I heard. Review to follow.
Mod
5 stars and a heart and a box of tissues.
If you are not familiar with Joey + Rory they are a husband and wife country music duo. They first came to my attention when they entered a talent contest show on TV called Can You Duet. I followed their music and watched their TV reality show. They seemed like they had a dream life. Then shortly after giving birth to their only child, a daughter, who was born with Down's Syndrome, Joey was diagnosed with terminal cervical cancer. Her husband Rory has so graciously shared their journey with us on his blog. This book is Rory's autobiography and how he came into his faith to face life's hurdles. The story is honest and he's not afraid to tell us his faults. The story flows, almost in a lyrical way, which is not surprising considering this guy is a master songwriter and has written some well-known country songs.
Mod
Its one of those books where you cry through the whole thing but its a good cry that makes you feel better when you are done. I love Joey and Rory and didn't want this book to end. Rory does say that if you want to know more about there journey to check out his blog, as there is more than could ever be put into a book.
Mod
2 stars
I had a hard time getting into this book about a wife who was murdered, originally thought to be by her husband but turned out to be her lover's wife. An interesting case but not written in an interesting way. But don't let my opinion sway you. Most of the reviews for this book are 4 and 5 stars so read it and see what your opinion is.
The Girl on the Train
Paula Hawkins
4/5 stars
In a drunken state, Rachel observes something from her window on the train that she takes everyday to view the life that once was hers. Shaken from the event, she seeks to find out what happened, not knowing that she is endangering herself. This was told through the eyes of the three women involved in the story. I had a very hard time putting this down!
I realize I am probably the last person to have read this but I enjoyed it so much I read it in a couple of days.
I am now reading the one you recommended Koren -Gaining Ground: A Story of Farmers' Markets, Local Food, and Saving the Family FarmGood so far am in the middle of it, the chapter about the goat. lol
Alex wrote: "Yes PleaseI just started reading Amy Poehler's "Yes Please"!" I've read it, and I own it. How far are you now?
A Beginner's Guide to Acting English by Shappi Khorsandi. I've read Firoozeh Dumas' books and enjoyed learning about Iranian culture. This book is following suit and I'm enjoying so far.
I'm not sure yet whether or not The Manson Women A "Family" Portrait is going to be biographical or not -- the author keeps saying it will be, but 1/4 of the way in I'm not seeing it yet.
A Manual for Cleaning Women: Selected Stories
Lucia Berlin
5/5 stars
This is a compilation of short stories written by Lucia Berlin over the years. Berlin uses her experiences to frame her stories about living in hard times and hard places, working through addiction and the prejudices of others. If you are looking for some feel good stories, pick another book but if you are looking for great writing by an amazing author you are in the right place.
Technically not a true bio so I added to this section.
Fishface wrote: "I'm not sure yet whether or not The Manson Women A "Family" Portrait is going to be biographical or not -- the author keeps saying it will be, but 1/4 of the way in I'm not seeing it..."This turned out to be several thumbnail biographies of Manson women who were actually convicted of murder, plus the two Charleses -- Manson and Watson. The analyses she makes were entirely based on self-report and she pays no attention to the fact that dozens of Manson women, notably Linda Kasabian, never hurt a fly. She never spoke to anyone in the Family who was not a killer. With that said, I thought the information and insights were often fascinating and often believable.
Mod
5 stars
A good book to read if you have recently lost a loved one or are continuing to grieve. Of course, you have to be open to the idea that people can communicate with others after they have passed on.
Mod
5 stars
This book was interesting for me because I wanted to learn more about the Loon Lake cemetery, which is about 20 miles from me. I was fortunate to be able to go to the cemetery when the author was in Jackson, MN and took a tour group to the cemetery. This made the book a lot more interesting because I listened to him explain the procedures and the different equipment they used. It was very interesting to read about the paranormal activity at the Jackson county fair, which is about 13 miles from me, a place I have visited several times and didn't know anything about the paranormal activity and now want to go back with a different perspective.
If you are into the paranormal/ ghost hunting shows on TV I think you will like this book.
Julie wrote: "The Girl on the Train
Paula Hawkins
4/5 stars
In a drunken state, Rachel observes something from her window on the train ..."
I read it in March so if you are the last person in the world to read it I was the second last!
I really enjoyed it too ( I read it in 2 days! ) I read quite a lot of mysteries/thrillers but I didn't spot the 'twist' until ( I'm guessing) the author wanted me too. A four star read for me - I rarely give five but this might have got four and a half if I could have!
The Beautiful Cigar Girl: Mary Rogers, Edgar Allan Poe, and the Invention of Murder
Daniel Stashower
3.5/5 stars
In 1841, Mary Rogers, a beautiful, young woman who worked in a cigar shop is found dead after being missing for 3 days. Her death incites the newspapers to analyze the crime in a morbid fashion for months and is the main story in the city with hundreds of articles and theories brought forward about her death. Even Edgar Allan Poe becomes involved in the case and writes a story with similarities to Mary Rogers death in order to prove who killed her. Enthralling!
Mod
4 stars
This books should scare the heck out of everyone. From the 60's to the 80's chemicals were being poured, stored in the ground, flushed down the drain at Camp Lejeune. The aftermath wasn't seen until the mid-80's. For me it raises the question: How can people keep on disposing chemicals and think they are just going to disappear and never be seen or heard from again. It makes me wonder how many other places have been contaminated that we don't know about.
The Night Gardener
Jonathan Auxier
5/5 stars
This wonderful Young Adults story revolves around Molly and Kip who are traveling through England after escaping the potato famine of Ireland in the mid 1800's. They have become separated from their parents and are looking for jobs to support themselves. On their travels they come to a manor where they are taken in as servants. They soon discover that they were hired because no one else would take a job there. The longer they stay there they notice something is not quite right with the family who are all becoming ill and they encounter a mysterious stranger who comes at night to take care of the tree growing into the house. I had a hard time putting this down and would love to see this made into a film.
Amityville: House of Lies, London Knight2 measly stars
The basic message of this book is good -- that almost everyone who's ever attempted to discuss the events at 112 Ocean Avenue, Amityville Long Island has been lying. But the author comes across as nearly illiterate, unable to make a point clearly and not that inclined to back up his points with carefully-laid-out facts placed in the same chapter as his conclusions. I think he has a lot of gall calling Butch DeFeo's IQ into question based on the killer's lousy spelling and penmanship, when Knight himself doesn't even know the difference between a plural and a possessive and put two spelling errors in the sentence that called Defeo stupid. If you want to know this story AND make sense of it, I have two alternate reading suggestions: The Amityville Horror Conspiracy by Stephen Kaplan and High Hopes: The Amityville Murders by Gerard Sullivan. Those will get you where you want to go.
Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek Just finished reading. I was born near Austin Texas and went to preschool there before I moved out of state. The 15 year old author talks about her experiences at a school closer to the US-Mexico border. They can see smoke from drug wars. The school brings in dogs to search for drugs multiple times a month. Nothing like what I remember from preschool. I wish she had written more about it. Her focus was how she used a popularity guide written in the 1950s to try to become popular in her school in 2015. I waited to see if she'd mention how sexist the book might be but she happily embraced the suggestions and seemed happy in the end. I didn't love the book but found it funny here and there and interesting in some places.
The Nun's Story by Kathryn HulmeI'm not sure if this is a novel or a memoir, I have seen the movie of it, and then found out through Mr google that the author was friends with a nun and it's based on her life.
Well..she was more than friends she was like her lesbian life partner.
I'm about halfway through, I picked it up because I had a workmate who's catholic and she told me she wanted to be a nun. I'm like why?
And also do nuns because they live with females only just kind of turn lesbian? Cos this happened with another nun in a memoir I read, that she was attacked by lesbian nuns. She wasn't one herself she left and got married.
I don't know. I guess I'm just concerned for this friend and don't know what to say, I mean what do you say to someone who says they want to be a nun. I'm not catholic. Good for you?
Which is why I am reading this book. Even though its quite old. I'm sure its not all Sound of Music..but the nuns there were very strict I can't imagine why anyone would want to be one.
Selina wrote: "The Nun's Story by Kathryn HulmeI'm not sure if this is a novel or a memoir, I have seen the movie of it, and then found out through Mr google that the author was friends with a nu..."
I don't think you can judge nuns by a few books or movies. I think most women nowadays become nuns out of their love of God and their wish to serve him and do acts of charity. Though at one time women did not have as many choices as they do today.
Selina wrote: "The Nun's Story by Kathryn HulmeI'm not sure if this is a novel or a memoir, I have seen the movie of it, and then found out through Mr google that the author was friends with a nu..."
Well, a lot of people want to be nuns because of the strictness. They want to lead disciplined lives in the service of God. Of course, as the nun-rape anecdote illustrates, that can backfire sometimes.
That's true - about the strictness. I think maybe people like that security, like how some people get married for security too. You can still love God and serve Him and do acts of charity without being a nun. But maybe at the time it was the only option, well, for catholics.
I've nearly finished the book and she wants out because she feels like she can't obey the rules and it hurts her conscience to be a hypocrite. In the novel/story its the male doctor that tells her he doesn't think she's a real nun. She's too intelligent and ambitious or something.
I thought my workmate was super ambitious and couldn't really see her being a nun?!
Just finished reading "I am Spock" by Leonard Nimoy. Now I'm starting "Sully" the untold story behind the miracle on the Hudson. Sully: My Search for What Really Matters
Selina wrote: "That's true - about the strictness. I think maybe people like that security, like how some people get married for security too. You can still love God and serve Him and do acts of charity without..."
Maybe just a different kind of ambition...Once upon a time it was the only option you had if you didn't want to get married, and it was absolutely the only way on earth a woman could get an education if she wanted one.
I;m making progress on Memoirs of Lacenaire. I thought it was going to be a borefest until I finally got past all the introductory notes, prefaces and forewords. The meat of the book is quite a good read.
Eleanor & Park
Rainbow Rowell
4.5/5 stars
Teenagers, Eleanor and Park meet on the bus one day when Eleanor is forced to sit with Park. Both are very uncomfortable but slowly their relationship develops as their background stories unfold and Eleanor finally finds some she can trust and maybe love but will her stepfather break them up. . . Loved it! Not just for teenagers!
Universal Harvester
John Darnielle
3.5/5 stars
A man finds that the VHS tapes at the store where he works at are being altered and his boss becomes obsessed with the tape mystery. A woman leaves her husband and child and they look for her unceasingly. A brother and sister find a car filled with ancient video tapes and try to find who left them there. These are the stories that interconnect in Darnielle's book set in rural Iowa. While this book is considered to be part of the horror genre, you won't find this book to be a true horror tale but there is an uneasiness to these tales that are hard to shake especially when there are no clear conclusions to the mysteries.
Now reading Becky: The Heartbreaking Story of Becky Watts by Her Father Darren Galsworthy, a dad's memoir of his daughter's murder. It's a devastating read.
Hi, I'm new here btw! I am just reading "Jottings" by Liz Smith (✝ RIP 2017), having read her memoir "Our Betty" previously. That was snippets from her life account and these are vignettes of what are sometimes life based and sometimes creative tales. It has been interesting to share her memory of the 1950s' great fog from this book with others of a certain age who retain a memory of it from their own perspective and so has been a bit of a conversation starter with some older residents in the residential home I work at.
Hi! (I'm new here, Sarah, by the way)I'm just reading "Jottings" by Liz Smith (British comedic actress, born 11/12/21 - died 24/12/16, ✝ RIP, of various TV shows inc. "Emmerdale," "The Sweeney," "The Lenny Henry Show," "2point4 children," "The Vicar of Dibley," "The Royle Family" and the film "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". I find her interesting as she grew up where I lived for some years, Scunthorpe (having died not too unrecently in Worthing near where a cousin lives). Also she has experienced hard times, divorce and disapproval and yet she has humour and insight and as a latecomer to the popular scene of stage and screen age 50 and a long liver, deceasing aged 95, she offers hope to those who may aspire for more out of life as they age.
Having enjoys her previous book "Our Betty" which features snippets of her life story, I was interested to see this book which is more clips of her life with some creative imaginings too. Only so far through (and other books on the go) but so far it has been somewhat inspiring and rewarding to share her account of the 1950s' great fog with those of a certain age at the residential home where I work and gain a perspective on this memorable weather event in their lives.
Mod
I'm just reading "Jottings" by Liz Smith (British comedic actress, born 11/12/21 - died 24/12/16, ✝ RIP, of various TV shows inc. "Emmerdale," "The Sweeney," "..."
Welcome Sarah!
Welcome, Sarah!I just finished Runaway Father -- see the review on the other discussion, I highly recommend it -- and will have to proceed more slowly with The Girl in the Belfry because it's a fragile antique book that can't be dragged around the county in my bookbag.
Sarah wrote: "Hi! (I'm new here, Sarah, by the way)I'm just reading "Jottings" by Liz Smith (British comedic actress, born 11/12/21 - died 24/12/16, ✝ RIP, of various TV shows inc. "Emmerdale," "The Sweeney," "..."
Welcome Sarah!
Mod
3 stars
A lot of this is 'cleaning 101'. For instance, if you pick up everything before you go to bed you wont have to do it the next day. So if you are new to housework you might appreciate this. I did get a few recipes for homemade cleaners, but most (if not all) you could get by doing a search on Pinterest.
Koren wrote: "The Organically Clean Home: 150 Everyday Organic Cleaning Products You Can Make Yourself--The Natural, Chemical-Free Way by Becky Rapinchuk 3 stars
A lot of this is 'cleaning 101'..."Who has got time to make 150 cleaning products?! Couldnt you just make one or two that do the job for everything?
Selina wrote: "Who has got time to make 150 cleaning products?! Couldnt you just make one or two that do the job for everything? "I believe that's the whole point of all those books with names like 101 USES FOR BAKING SODA IN YOUR HOME.
Mod
4 stars
This is a True Crime book but could be considered biography due to the large amount of background information on all of the characters.
This is one true crime story where you actually feel kind of sorry for the murderer. He seemed like such a sweet little kid but was born to a mother who was not prepared to care for him and gave him up permanently when he was around 3 years old. He then went through a series of foster homes before finally being adopted by a couple who were very abusive physically and mentally. He also had an adopted older brother who they were abused. When the boy was about 17 he killed both of his adoptive parents. The son does not talk very much about what the breaking point was in his mind that made him do what he did so that is not discussed very much. The book does go deep into the backgrounds of the parents and the two sons and I liked that a lot. The only thing I didn't really care for was how the book goes back and forth in time quite a bit so if you put the book down for a while sometimes it was hard to get back into where they were at in the timeline, but otherwise, a well-written book.
Thanks for all the welcomes - some interesting life accounts to consider here also! :)
The Girl in the Belfry, Joseph Henry Jackson4 and a half stars!
Wow! What a great read this one is. Find it and read it if you can. The defendant in this case was essentially the Wayne Williams of his generation. Out of a slew of titles like The Bell Tower: The Case of Jack the Ripper Finally Solved... in San Francisco and The Letter F that try to cast doubt on Theo's Durrant's conviction, this is the only one I've found that explains exactly why the jury found him guilty. Based on the lead detective's notes -- the discovery of which in the wreckage of the San Francisco earthquake must have bordered on the miraculous -- and the many, many, many interviews everyone involved in the case (including Durrant himself) gave to the press -- this is deeply researched and wonderfully told. The author takes you through the trial evidence step by step without putting you to sleep. Like all books published in the 1950s, this is well-written and the copy was edited by a qualified professional familiar with the English language, not a colorblind gorilla.
Mod
3 stars
This is a pretty one-sided look at alternative therapies. If you listen to this author you would think that all alternative therapies are snake oil. While there is some good information here, I would have liked to have seen a discussion about alternative therapies that do work. Or maybe the author hasn't found any yet. I do believe in using natural remedies whenever possible and that they can be used in conjunction with modern medicine. Also the author condemns some pretty prominent people in the natural healing business. I would have liked to have seen a discussion about the positive things these people are doing. I would have also seen a discussion about essential oils. There were some oils mentioned in passing. I'm a huge believer in essential oils but I'm pretty sure the author would not be. The take away from all this is that if you believe it will work then it will as the mind is a powerful thing.
Light Bulb Baking: A History of the Easy-Bake Oven
Todd Coopee
3/5 stars
This is a short history of the Easy-Bake Oven, a toy for young girls (and later on marketed to boys) to learn how to bake. If you ever had one or wanted one, this is a must read.
Mod
Light Bulb Baking: A History of the Easy-Bake Oven
Todd Coopee
3/5 stars
This is a short hi..."
Yep. I had one. I also had one of those things that made candy shaped like insects that were gummy candy. I think it was called Creepy Crawlers.
Fishface wrote: "Selina wrote: "Who has got time to make 150 cleaning products?! Couldnt you just make one or two that do the job for everything? "I believe that's the whole point of all those books with names li..."
I saw one book called 1001 books to read before you die.
And no it didnt include reading that one, which was obviously 2002 pages thick.
Only the Dead Know Burbank: A Novel
Bradford Tatum
3/5 stars
Maddy and her mother have a secret. During the Spanish flu epidemic in the earlier 1900s, her mother conjures up an evil spirit and saves them from death but submits them to everlasting life. Maddy and her mom are then separated and Maddy survives WWI working in film in Europe and then eventually ending up in Hollywood post war with a friend. She finds her niche in making horror films but since she doesn't age she realizes she will have to move on again and again. . . . This book had its highlights and I enjoyed how the author used the novel to show Maddy’s influence in horror films and the use of real horror actors as characters in the book but I just didn't find this very scary.
Nine Coaches Waiting
Mary Stewart
4/5 stars
Having been a big fan of her Merlin series, I was very excited to read Nine Coaches Waiting. This suspenseful romance involves Linda,a young woman brought to France to be a nanny for Phillipe, a young boy who has lost his parents and is living temporarily with his relatives while his guardian is away. Linda bonds with Phillipe but not all is well at the estate and Phillipe has had a couple of unusual accidents. Amidst these events, Raoul, Phillipe's uncle comes to the estate and a attraction between him and Linda begins but Linda becomes wary of the family and takes off with Phillipe fearing for his life. The story has aged a little but I enjoyed it.
Biography, Autobiography, Memoir
Books mentioned in this topic
Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose (other topics)Hardball: How Politics Is Played, Told by One Who Knows the Game (other topics)
Escaping the Arroyo (other topics)
Stolen Lives: The Untold Stories of the Lawson Quins (other topics)
The Humanure Handbook: A Guide to Composting Human Manure (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Kate Alcott (other topics)Annie Hartnett (other topics)
Rachel Joyce (other topics)
David Mitchell (other topics)
Diane Setterfield (other topics)
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You need to mount some sort of bookstand on your rake! Or your head!