Biography, Autobiography, Memoir discussion
Biography, Autobiography, and Memoir read in 2020
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Koren wrote: "Doctored: The Disillusionment of an American Physician by Sandeep Jauhar3 star
I generally like memoirs..."
It's too bad this was a disappointment, but I just checked your medicine and medical shelves and added a few to my want to read shelf, especially the book about those twins, since we studied them for a nature vs nurture thing BEFORE the boy raised as a girl was told he was born a boy, etc. I will say no more since you have left that unrevealed...
Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics By Dolly PartonThe ultimate book for Dolly fans, with lyrics from a selection of the hundreds of songs she wrote over the years, ones she performed or wrote for others, photos, and anecdotes about each one.
What an amazing lady, and an absolute joy to read. Heavy though, make room on your coffee table for this one.
Note - I'll have to listen to the audiobook as well.
Mod
The ultimate book for Dolly fans, with lyrics from a selection of the hundreds of songs she wrote over the years, ones s..."
I saw this book in the bookstore and it is big and heavy and also it was $50. I can get it in e-book form from the library. Would you recommend reading it in e-book form?
Mod
4 stars
Kind of a sad memoir, as the author was old enough to remember her mother but young enough (11) that she longs for more time and feels a sense of loss for not having her mother to share more of her life. Natasha's mother, Natalie Wood, drowned on a boat at the age of 43. For a while I was wondering if she was going to discuss the fact that her step-father has at times been a person of interest in the case, but she does eventually get to that. I was touched by how much love Natasha has for the people that have been instrumental in her life. If it wasnt for her mother's death I think she would have grown up in a loving family without too much trauma. The book is well-written, but I will deduct 1 star because at times it felt like it was a 'look at who I know' story, but otherwise interesting.
The Fire She Set, Leigh Overton Boyd, Lisa Overton, and Emily Adams5 stars!
The author, one of the members of a family split up and changed forever by a deadly fire, sets out to find the truth about what happened using anything she can turn up, talking to surviving family members, the investigators who worked in the case in 1974, forensic experts and more than a few others. As the story deepens the reader realizes there is much, much more to clarify than who set the fire and why. I absolutely could not put this one down.
Koren wrote: "Selina wrote: "Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics By Dolly PartonThe ultimate book for Dolly fans, with lyrics from a selection of the hundreds of songs she wrote over th..."
How much is the e-book? If reading e-books is your thing then go for it. I borrowed the hardback from the library. I would probably go for the audio book version though, I don't know if that comes with the e-book as well.
I haven't really got into e-books as it tends to lose the format and picture layout of the book when scrunched down to fit the device. You also don't get the beautiful butterfly endpapers.
Mod
The ultimate book for Dolly fans, with lyrics from a selection of the hundreds of songs she..."
I usually have 1 e-book going just because of the convenience of portability. I usually download them from the library but agree with you on format and picture layout. Also, if I look at an e-book too long I get really bad headaches. The Dolly book is so big I think it might take more than 2 weeks to read, which is all we get with an e-book.
It's mostly her songs and how she came to write them and pictures, so it's not like a conventional memoir. A lot of her story is in her lyrics. It took me only three days to read, but then I'm a fast reader.
I can imagine what a great audio book it would be, but I'm not sure if her recorded and performed songs are included or if she is speaking her song lyrics.
My favourite bit is the mystery song, which she wrote and is in her Dollywood museum, kept locked in a chest and not allowed to open until 30 years later, when she'll be like 100 years old.
Koren wrote: "More Than Love: An Intimate Portrait of My Mother, Natalie Wood by Natasha Gregson Wagner 4 stars
[bookcover:More Than Love: An Intimate Portrait of My Mother, Natalie Wood|5276601..."
Interesting, I remember reading a memoir written by Natalie's sister, although Natalie's life was kind of eerie. Her mother was a bit strange, Eastern European and very superstitious. Natalie had a fear of water and her mum always had premonitions she would drown someday.
Mod
4 stars
[bookcover:More Than Love: An Intimate Portrait of My Mother, Natali..."
I hope you can read the memoir by her daughter. She does address the sister's memoir. According to the daughter, the sister seems to be mentally unstable and just out for what she can gain monetarily from her sister's death.
So apt for the current climate and a tonic for those in need of rekindling a sense of hope is Dan Walker's Remarkable People. This includes his account of how American aircraft crew ultimately sacrificed their future for that of some youngsters in Sheffield when the pilot attempted to salvage his crew's lives after weather thwarted a mission and then how this spiralled into a mark of tribute involving both sides of the Atlantic. It also includes stories of hope in adversity, such as fundraising in later life, struggles with health and forgiveness of terrorism. All awe inspiring and motivating memoirs. A lovely read that has an inspirational impact.
As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl by John Colapintorounded up to 4 stars
As soon as I heard about this book, which was about 20 years after it came out (missed it due to where I was in my life), I knew I had to read it, since the books we used in my university had NOT updated their information about this case (I can't remember when it was first revealed), but because it was discussed a great deal in some of my women's studies classes because it was part of the prevalent feminist theory, I knew all of the false reports on this man.
Not a spoiler: in short, identical twins were taken in for a circumcision due to a condition they had, the correct doctor was not there, and the GP botched it to the point that the baby's penis was destroyed. This was in the mid-1960s and reconstructive surgery was very rudimentary and very poor. When he was over a year old his very young parents (then aged 20 and 21) heard a fallacious claim from an apparently respectable scientist at John Hopkins that babies were neutral and if they acted within a certain window of time, he could become a girl. Shocking as this may seem in the 21st century, in the mid-twentieth century the blank slate baby thought was still around--it was all nurture, and not nature, according to this man and others. Bear in mind that the fields of psychology and endocrinology were not particularly advanced yet, and, in my opinion, at that time psychology was still more of a pseudoscience. This was the first decade of the pill where women who got it were given hormones at a far higher level than necessary, etc. Also, this "expert" in gender identity was full of hogwash, but you can read about that yourself.
In any event, the doctor thought he had the perfect set up because there was an identical twin and they would be raised in the same home--he had a control. Once again, not very advanced thinking since there were only two of them.
Suffice to say that this is not an easy read emotionally, but it's worth while.
Mod
3 stars
Mara Wilson is probably best known for her role in the movie Mrs. Doubtfire and Mathilda. So you could say she hit her peak when she was 5 and 8 years old. I was disappointed she didnt speak more about her movie roles, but then I suppose you dont have many memories when you are 5 years old. The rest of the book seems to be about teenage angst. Its not until the end of the book that we see grown up Mara. I got a little tired of all the whining and negative insight into her teenage life.
Koren wrote: "Where Am I Now? by Mara Wilson3 stars
Mara Wilson is probably best known for her role in the movie Mrs. Doubtfire and Mathilda. So you could s..."
Definitely skipping this one. Isn't she kinda of young to write a autobiography?
Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood by Alexandra FullerThis books was rather choppy and all over the place. Alexandra's parents are British ex-pats and I don't really know what they are escaping from or what they are doing in Africa, aside from managing farms and skipping out when the going gets tough. They farmed in three different countries - former Rhodesia, Malawi, and Zambia. Shades of the Glass Castle here, though this time it's mum who's drunk. There's casual racism, white privelige (they have African nannies, gardeners, cooks and houseboys and treat them very badly) and lots of description of bodily functions amid the tragic events.
I got through it, but I didn't love it. I'm not a dog lover, so not something I would ordinarily pick up. Alexandra comes across as a somewhat whiny younger sibling. As children, they learn to shoot people. Colonialism at it's worst.
Mod
3 stars
Mara Wilson is probably best known for her role in the movie Mrs. Doubtfire and Mathilda. ..."
Hope you are sitting down when you read this but right now she is 33. The book was published in 2014.
Selina wrote: "Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood by Alexandra FullerThis books was rather choppy and all over the place. Alexandra's parents are British ex-pats and I don't r..."
You're the second GR person I know in 2 days to not be impressed by this book.
As the year closes, and we review the books we read this year, I am curious which rate as the best and which the worst. Also feel free to list Honorouble mentions and your surprise read (something that was way better than expected and was so good you were surprised)For me, My top book of 2020 was Paris and Other Disappointments because it was light hearted, funny and warm (what we needed) and the worst book by far (maybe ever!!) was The Price of Fortune: The Untold Story of Being James Packer.
A couple of honourable mentions go to My Sister Milly it was an absolutely harrowing read but helped me understand what families who are victims of crime go through and Girl A: My Story that told the story behind the Rochdale grooming gang Scandal that was front page news a few years back. All This in 60 Minutes was a delightful read combining humour history and travel, and finally The beautiful poignant true story Hana's Suitcase: A True Story My surprise Book of the year Was A Bear Called Paddington a children’s book I had never got around to reading, which filled me with such joy that I now recommend it to everyone!
Mod
Rebecca, we have a discussion going for our favorite reads of 2020. Would you like to move your topic there?
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
I am listening to Natasha Tretheway's Memorial Drive. Her voice is like a silk scarf and the words so melodic that I have had to go back and re-listen her beginning chapters.
Koren wrote: "Julie wrote: "Koren wrote: "Where Am I Now? by Mara Wilson3 stars
Mara Wilson is probably best known for her role in the movie Mrs. Doubtfire ..."
Time goes by fast!
Julie wrote: "Koren wrote: "Julie wrote: "Koren wrote: "Where Am I Now? by Mara Wilson3 stars
Mara Wilson is probably best known for her role in the movie M..."
Great movie, Matilda.
Apparently it's been made into a Broadway musical as well.
I read this one a while back and agree I wasn't really caring too much about her teenage friendship dramas. But her child's perspective of movie-making was interesting. At that age children are just natural actors as they are used to pretending and make believe anyway. It's just play to them.
Most actors I think are actually children who never grew up lol.
Biography, Autobiography, Memoir
Books mentioned in this topic
Where Am I Now? (other topics)Where Am I Now? (other topics)
Girl A: My Story (other topics)
The Price of Fortune: The Untold Story of Being James Packer (other topics)
My Sister Milly (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
John Colapinto (other topics)Fred Kaplan (other topics)
Ólafur Egilsson (other topics)
Monica Dickens (other topics)
Sam Staggs (other topics)
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For fans of the original Roald Dahl movie - and the stand out brat - Verucca ..."
Added to my list!