Buddy Reads

[Koren]

Selina wrote: "Well..do post when you eventually finish - cos my copy is going back to the library. I'm reading something else now.

I don't think I've ever not finished a biography before because it was unreada..."

I will do that. It might be a while as I don't need that book for a challenge so challenge books come first.

[Selina]

Want to come up with another buddy read but my shelf is now empty!

GASP

[Selina]

Ok I filled up my shelf again
These are the memoirs I found interesting in the library today..though they are probably obscure ones to everyone else.

Memory Pieces by Maurice Gee
Dark Star: A Biography of Vivien Leigh by Alan Strachan
The Real Roald Dahl by Nadia Cohen
Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette

Jagged Little Pill is about the musical that was made of Alanis' album. Which is mostly autobiographical.

[Selina]

Does anybody want to read Will by Will Smith
He's gotten a bit more notoriety now with that Oscar slap.

[Selina]

Koren have you finished Edison or still reading it?

I've now picked up Beautiful Country
and a few others but I read some ppl on here reviewing this one that was rated on Goodreads choice awards

[Koren]

Selina wrote: "Koren have you finished Edison or still reading it?

I've now picked up Beautiful Country
and a few others but I read some ppl on here reviewing this one that was rated on Goodreads..."

No. I"m still working on Edison. I don't need it for a challenge so it keeps getting pushed aside. New month means new challenges. I'm in no hurry to finish. I just read a few pages a day.

[Selina]

Koren wrote: "Selina wrote: "Koren have you finished Edison or still reading it?

I've now picked up Beautiful Country
and a few others but I read some ppl on here reviewing this one that was rat..."

Sounds like it's become a bit of a chore if you are 'working' on it rather than 'reading' it!

I thought it was the strangest bio I've come across...never had one that went backwards for a subjects entire life before.

[Koren]

Selina wrote: "Koren wrote: "Selina wrote: "Koren have you finished Edison or still reading it?

I've now picked up Beautiful Country
and a few others but I read some ppl on here reviewing this on..."

Not really a chore. Just need other books that fulfill challenges. I'll probably hit this one a little harder when those books are done. I don't really like the writing style of starting at the end of his life and working backwards. I suspect that is why that style is not used much.

[Selina]

Does anybody want to buddy read with me any book about Temple Grandin? They all sound interesting

Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World

The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin

The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum

Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism

[Kit]

I read The Girl Who Thought in Pictures a few years ago. It would be an extremely quick buddy read 😉.

[Selina]

Well if it's just pictures, does that still count as reading?

[Kit]

Haha! I counted it.

[Selina]

Library is closed over Easter so I'm getting through the books still left on my shelf. Hope everyone's got plenty to read.

I've got

At Home in Japan: A Foreign Woman's Journey of Discovery
and

The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe

at the moment.

[Koren]

Finally got the Thomas Edison book done.

[Selina]

Koren wrote: "Finally got the Thomas Edison book done."

Verdict?
Learn anything new or interesting?

[Koren]

Selina wrote: "Koren wrote: "Finally got the Thomas Edison book done."

Verdict?
Learn anything new or interesting?"

It was pretty heavy reading. I didn't keep track of what I found interesting, and it took me so long to get through it that I don't really remember specifics, but I didn't know very much about Edison going into it so most of it was new to me. I didn't really like the concept of starting at the end of his life and going backward, which might explain why that writing style isn't used very much.

[Selina]

Koren wrote: "Selina wrote: "Koren wrote: "Finally got the Thomas Edison book done."

Verdict?
Learn anything new or interesting?"

It was pretty heavy reading. I didn't keep track of what I found interesting, a..."

Thumbs down for me
I think Edison deserved better.
He should have got the audio book treatment or a book where you press a button and he speaks or it lights up or something!

[Selina]

I found another bio of Marilyn Monroe I hadn't read yet and it sounded interesting, because its by a female author instead of the usual male biographers

Marilyn: The Passion and Paradox by Lois S Banner
It promises to explore the complexities and contradictions of Ms Monroe from a sort of feminist viewpoint - I suppose rendering her more human than previous hagiographies.

I recently saw a Netflix about the mystery of Marilyn Monroe's death. Anthony Summers who wrote Goddess: The Secret Lives of Marilyn Monroe is the investigator and he recorded hundreds of interviews with people who knew her. It does turn out there was a cover-up but it was nothing really to do with Marilyn, but the men she was seeing at the time. Of which we now know, so, I guess it's not surprising or mysterious after all.

[Selina]

Am reading Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography by Laurie Woolever

If anyone wants to read. Good so far - it's compiled from lots of interviews with friends and family, workmates who know him.

[Koren]

Selina wrote: "Am reading Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography by Laurie Woolever

If anyone wants to read. Good so far - it's compiled from lots of interviews with friends and family, workmate..."

That looks like a good book and the reviews that I read were all positive. I think I would like to read it someday, but not right now.

[Selina]

Koren wrote: "Selina wrote: "Am reading Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography by Laurie Woolever

If anyone wants to read. Good so far - it's compiled from lots of interviews with friends and f..."

I recommend it
I've got In the Weeds: Around the World and Behind the Scenes with Anthony Bourdain on my list to read but not come in yet, and I think there are a few others about him that I want to read too. Anyway it would be interesting to discuss when you do read it Koren.

I finished it in one go. He was an outsize personality really but I think inwardly quite conflicted, so it was quite fascinating.

[Koren]

Selina wrote: "Koren wrote: "Selina wrote: "Am reading Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography by Laurie Woolever

If anyone wants to read. Good so far - it's compiled from lots of interviews with..."

I have read In The Weeds. I didn't watch his shows very often but from the book I would agree with your opinion that he had a larger than life personality.

[Karin]

I realize I've been absent a lot, but have just started listening to Just as I Am by Cicely Tyson if anyone is interested in reading it now or in June (it will take a long time to get through it since I listen while driving.)

[Koren]

Karin wrote: "I realize I've been absent a lot, but have just started listening to Just as I Am by Cicely Tyson if anyone is interested in reading it now or in June (it will take..."

I got the Cicely Tyson book from the library a while ago and didn't really get into it and took it back without finishing it. I could probably try it again if I can get it from the library.

[Selina]

How about any bio or memoir on Elvis. I just read one..but there's plenty of others.

[Kit]

Hi, I've started The Queen of Whale Cay: The Eccentric Story of 'Joe' Carstairs, Fastest Woman on Water if anyone wants to read it too. It's pretty easy reading and short with quite a few photos.

I won't start a thread for it unless anyone else wants to read it.

[Kit]

Next year I want to read the below. If anyone wants to do a buddy read on any of them, let me know.

The Fact of a Body: A Murder and a Memoir
Black Dahlia, Red Rose: The Crime, Corruption, and Cover-Up of America's Greatest Unsolved Murder
Shot in the Heart
Pageboy

Maybe:
The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed
House of Versace: The Untold Story of Genius, Murder, and Survival
Spare

[Selina]

I want to read The Woman in Me but will be a while as its got a very long waiting list at the library.

I think I will check out Pageboy. I remember seeing Juno and then Paige turned up in Tales of the City as a male and I was like is this the same person?
I have read almost all of Tales of the City books by Amistead Maupin but I haven't read his bio.

Everything seems so gendered these days like people are kind of obssessed with it. But there is a lot more 'out on the shelves' memoirs now, probably because publishers see a huge market for it. Though I haven't noticed many people writing about the impact of AIDs its still like a taboo topic, even though I've read those around the gay community would say that everyone they knew was dying like flies in the late 80s.

[Kit]

Selina wrote: "I want to read The Woman in Me but will be a while as its got a very long waiting list at the library.

I think I will check out Pageboy. I remember seeing Juno and ..."

Do you want to read Pageboy in say February next year?

[Selina]

Kit wrote: "Selina wrote: "I want to read The Woman in Me but will be a while as its got a very long waiting list at the library.

I think I will check out Pageboy. I remember s..."
Sure. I'll put my name down for it and may get it by then - can't always tell when books will come in.

[Selina]

Does anybody want to buddy read The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times by Michelle Obama

I've got it on my shelf.
I've already read Becoming and her garden book. I'm not sure if this latest is actually a follow up memoir or more of a self-help book.

[Kit]

Selina wrote: "Kit wrote: "Selina wrote: "I want to read The Woman in Me but will be a while as its got a very long waiting list at the library.

I think I will check out Pageboy. ..."

great, I too am on the waitlist for it from the library. I might it sooner I suspect and if so I'm not sure if I'll be able to renew it to push it out to February as there is a queue of people behind me for it too. Play it by ear

[Koren]

Selina wrote: "Does anybody want to buddy read The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times by Michelle Obama

I've got it on my shelf.
I've already read Becoming and her gar..."

I thought I had read The Light We Carry but Goodreads said I haven't. It is available from the library. When do you want to start?

[Selina]

Koren wrote: "Selina wrote: "Does anybody want to buddy read The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times by Michelle Obama

I've got it on my shelf.
I've already read [book:Becoming|387464..."

Hi Koren I already have it and finished it but yes be interesting to discuss it. I posted a review. I got mine from the library. I still have it at home so can keep hold of it for longer.

I'll try and start a thread on it on the Buddy reads if you can find it.

[Koren]

Selina wrote: "Koren wrote: "Selina wrote: "Does anybody want to buddy read The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times by Michelle Obama

I've got it on my shelf.
I've already read [book:B..."

I started it. Don't think it is as autobiographical as Becoming. It's more introspective.