Puzzles Presents: Ultimate Reading Challenge 2015 discussion
Challenge #26 - a memoir
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Jessa
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Jan 10, 2015 02:30PM
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Not my father's son - Alan Cumming I have been a fan of Alan Cumming for as long as I can remember. I've watched countless movies, seen him perform a number of times and look forward to his daily instagram posts because I just think he is delightful. When his audiobook came out, I couldn't wait to have his Scottish brogue entertain me on my trips to and from work. I thought this book would be as humorous as he always appeared to me. Imagine my shock when I started his memoir and learned about all the abuse and torment he suffered as a young child/man.
This book was a tough read (well in my case, listen), not because it was terrible, but because it truly pulls at the reader's heart strings. It's raw, honest and emotionally draining to learn about some of things Alan Cumming endured in his early years. To hear about everything he was put through and to see how he's turned it all around is amazing. After listening to this book, I have gone back and re-watched a few of his movies, ones that he spoke about in the book, and saw them with new eyes. If you enjoy Alan Cumming, this book is an absolute must!! And I highly recommend listening to the audiobook to really hear the emotions in his voice and his wonderful accent!
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I was first introduced to the actress, Kate Mulgrew, as Captain Kathryn Janeway in the Star Trek: Voyager series. It was one of my favorite television series growing up and it was nice to have such a compelling character as a captain of a spaceship. Since then, she has since enjoyed a resurgence of acclaim as Red in Netflix’s Orange is the New Black. When her first memoir, Born with Teeth, came out, I knew I just had to read it and learn more about the actress behind these characters. The memoir is penned with a sense of vulnerability, grit, and dry humor. She is very frank about her past, relationships, and mistakes. She is also incredibly funny, especially recounting her childhood. I both read the book and listened to it as an audiobook. Kate does the reading herself and really embeds it with her theatrical talent.
