Biography, Autobiography, Memoir discussion
What Are You Reading Now (anything goes) 2022
This is my first post as a new member. I finished reading Raised in Ruins last night. It is a memoir of a young family living off the land in Union Bay, located in southeast Alaska. I related to this story because I lived across the bay about a decade after the family moved away and raised my children on Prince of Wales Island. So essentially, when the family in the book looked out across Clarence Strait, they saw Thorne Bay, where we would live in the near future, and when we looked across the strait, we saw Union Bay, where they had recently left. The children in Raised in Ruin were completely isolated from anyone else most of the time. The stereo played outside while the children ran and played barefoot on the beach and in the forest. We aren't talking about a California soft sand beach. Alaska beaches are tough. These kids were tough to the core in enduring isolation, loneliness, wildlife, being left alone out there at times, and living in a float house with limited conveniences.
Before the family lived in Union Bay, a fish cannery operated for decades before burning down. The author of Raised in Ruins researched and discovered three amazing stories of past cannery residents, which she shared at the end of the book.
Outstanding read.
Mod
Welcome Melissa. It's always fun to read a book that is local to us.
"Life and Other Near-Death Experiences" by Camille Pagan. She has become my new favorite writer of fiction. All of her books so far grab and keep my attention. Lately, if I'm reading a book and it seems to move too slowly, I'll give up on it, but not hers. I do still very much like Kay Bratt and Catherine Ryan Hyde.
Pūrākau: Māori Myths Retold by Māori Writersedited by Witi Ihimaera and Whiti Hereaka
I enjoyed this retake of all the traditional Maori myths and legends. Includes poems amongst the stories told be different writers. Some of them quite clever. For adults though, some of it not really suitable for children!
House of Hollow
Krystal Sutherland
4/5 stars
In this dark YA novel, the author tells the tale of three unusual sisters who as children disappeared for a month and returned not knowing what happened and with changes in their appearances. This time their older sister, Grey goes missing and Iris Hollow and her sister Vivi take up the challenge of where their sister went and what really happened the first time they went missing! Compelling!
Lady Oracle
Margaret Atwood
4/5 stars
Written in 1976, Margaret Atwood relates the fictional tale of author Joan Foster, a woman who writes gothic romance novels but her real life is more bizarre than her books. I like Atwood’s books and this doesn’t disappoint!
Mod
5 stars
Well researched and well-written exploration into how misogyny, bigotry, and homophobia have long been a part of country music. The book focuses on 3 rising stars of country music-Kacey Musgraves, Maren Morris and Mickey Guyton-who are turning heads and making inroads in Nashville today.
Natural Causes: An Epidemic of Wellness, the Certainty of Dying, and Killing Ourselves to Live Longer
Barbara Ehrenreich
4/5 stars
I have read Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed and enjoyed that book. In this book she talks about how we spend more time worrying about living a long life as we put our bodies through dieting, fitness and medical tests. But science shows that the cells make those decisions on how long we live and not us. That maybe we should live our life fully and not worry about what we cannot control. I thought this was very thought provoking!
Helltown: The Untold Story of Serial Murder on Cape CodWhy Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life
Louis Bromfield was well-known in the mid-twentieth century both as an author and as an advocate for agriculture, but we rarely see his name today. Stephen Heyman has published a biography entitled The Planter of Modern Life: Louis Bromfield and the Seeds of a Food Revolution. It's an interesting profile of a creative and complex individual.My review:
https://mypointbeing.com/2022/08/15/t...
Julie wrote: "Lady Oracle
Margaret Atwood
4/5 stars
Written in 1976, Margaret Atwood relates the fictional tale of author Joan Foster, a woman who writes ..."
Is this the one where she the one where she fakes her own death? Or have I got that mixed up with Surfacing. Have you read any of her latest?
I read The Testaments (sequel to Handmaid's Tale) but not the others as she was getting a bit too sci-fi for me.
Selina wrote: "Julie wrote: "Lady Oracle
Margaret Atwood
4/5 stars
Written in 1976, Margaret Atwood relates the fictional tale of author Joan Foster, a wom..."
This is the one where she fakes her own death.
Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your LifeHi there, I am reading this book - really enjoying it. It does make reference to misleading Christian teachings about boundaries.
The Night Boat. I would have read this ages ago if I had known this was not just a dumb horror novel, but a dumb horror novel that incolves voodoo!
They Both Die at the End
Adam Silvera
4/5 stars
Interesting book about two young men who meet up when they are selected to be on the death list and are to die today but they don't know when. They meet through an app called Last Friend and become good friends on their last day on Earth. As far as I remember the author doesn't discuss why people are selected to die - but I am assuming due to overpopulation. This book sounds weird but I enjoyed it.
The Lady of the Lake
Andrzej Sapkowski
4/5 stars
Ciri has been trying to get home after escaping from the Tower of the Swallow. For all that she has gone through she needs to rely on her inner strength to return to her family and friends. Will she be able to get away for good from Bonhart, the man who hurt her?
Mod
4 stars
Very interesting look at human beings from the beginning of time. Food for thought and reminiscent of Bill Bryson. This would be a good read for a book club.
Been reading some books about Chinese characters, symbols and idioms lately.Won't list them all as it's ongoing but I found this one very good and easy to learn
How to Learn Chinese: Without Even Trying by Freya Yang
Season of Storms
Andrzej Sapkowski
4/5 stars
Geralt of Rivia is in this stand-alone and final novel in which he has his swords stolen and travels around trying to find them and overcomes wizards and monsters to get his swords back. Enjoyable!
At present I am reading 3 books.1:In and out of character autobiography by Basil Rathbone.
2. The Murrow boys. A story of Ed R Murrow and the Murrow boys during WW2.
3.All in. The autobiography of Billy Jean King.
I am enjoying all at the moment, especially The Murrow boys.
Woman in the Dark
Dashiell Hammett
4/5 stars
A young woman on the run shows up on the doorstep and is taken in to help her. However, the couple who live there have no idea what they are getting into.
The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and the History of Comic Book Heroines
Mike Madrid
4/5 stars
Madrid discusses the history of the comic supergirls from the beginning in the 1940’s until the 2000’s. Very detailed and interesting
Several books, 6, I think :)Audiobook: White Fragility: Why It's Hard for White People to Talk about Race by Robin DiAngelo.
Paperbacks: An Autobiography of Malcolm X; Yeltsin by Timothy Colton
2 beta reading projects: one dystopian novel and one memoir about a secret American operation in Laos in 1970.
Ebook: Oil Policy by Ibrahim Muhanna (history/politics)
Mod
4 stars
A very difficult book to read, but one I think everyone that is considering buying a dog should read. It's crazy that puppy mills are allowed to be in business and the laws are woefully inadequate to stop them. The author buys a dog from a pet shop and it doesn't turn out to be what she thought it was going to be and makes her curious as to how dogs are raised that are sold in pet shops. As you can probably guess, most of the backgrounds are horrendous. The biggest take away from this book is that as consumers, we can do a lot to stop puppy mills by researching where our pets come from and not buying from them.
Sensitive: The Power of Feeling in a World that Doesn't by Hannah Jane WalkerSimilar to Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking but slightly different take for HSPs (Highly Sensitive People)
Another book I read was Highly Intuitive People: 7 Right-Brain Traits to Change the Lives of Intuitive-Sensitive People by Heidi Sawyer
However I think this one crossed over into more 'woo' territory as its was published by Hay House and seemed like it was just trying not to say well you have ESP. (Extra-Sensory Perception). Which I don't think I do by the way, just I probably just feel things more than other people who aren't so sensitive. However this can be a GOOD thing not a bad thing.
The Devotion of Suspect X
Keigo Higashino
4/5 stars
Detective Kusanagi gets involved in a case of murder of a divorced man but has no clue who is involved. The man had a contentious relationship with his ex, Yasuko Hanaoka. He had been threatening her and he ended up dead. The wife goes to her neighbor, Ishigami who has feelings for her and he helps deal with the body. The detective has no answers and reaches out to his friend, physicist Dr. Manabu Yukawa, also known as “Detective Galileo” to help his solve this mystery. Very interesting !
Mod
4 stars
Interesting look at the death industry. Similar to Mary Roach's book, Stiff. At times I felt it went on a little too much about the author's personal feelings, but all in all, a well-researched book.
Meditations by Marcus Aureliusrounded up to 2 stars
What a disappointment!
I started off thinking it was going to be rather insightful as there are some excellent points, but it is mixed in with that extremely sexist and misogynistic thinking, religious thoughts that I can't agree with and some asinine thoughts such as people only do evil thing unintentionally. I read this slowly because it's written in point form and isn't something you can read well in a long sitting, IMO.
I'm not sure why I was so keen on reading a Roman thinker from that era when I think about what their society was like, but I've been meaning to read Aurelius for many years now.
The Adventures of Sally
P.G. Wodehouse
3/5 stars
The story surrounds the life of Sally Nicholas, dancer, her adventures with her friends and her beaus during the 1920’s. When she inherits a fortune, things change for her and her lifestyle. It originally was a serial but then became a novel. A fun romp! Was originally a serial.
Mod
5 stars
A beautiful photography book that made me long for days past.
Mod
3 stars
The main character is a heart surgeon who is mourning the loss of his wife due to heart disease. He is having a tough time because he was unable to save her and has left his profession. Then he comes across a young girl who is going through the same thing his wife suffered from. Will he return to his profession to save this girl?
It took me a while to get into this book. Even after I got into it I would come to places where I would think it was a little out there and would never happen. Maybe because I am more a fan of nonfiction, I like a book to be based more on reality. I think it would be a five star book if it was more realistic.
Koren wrote: "When Crickets Cry By Charles Martin3 stars
The main character is a heart surgeon who is mourning the loss of his wife due to heart disease. He ..."
I really liked this book, but then I like fiction. It hovered in between 4 & 5 for me.
Dark Matter
Blake Crouch
4/5 stars
Jason Dessen, physicist lives with his wife and son in the suburbs but one day everything goes wrong and he is kidnapped by unknown assailants. He awakes to find himself in a large cube in a laboratory not knowing where he is. He finds out that he had built a cube that allows the person in the cube to move between infinite worlds and infinite possibilities. Will he be able to get back to his original family or will he end up traveling through time forever? Very interesting!
Mod
3 stars
The main character is a heart surgeon who is mourning the loss of his wife due to hear..."
Did you think the medical scenes were realistic?
Glitz by Louise BagshaweFour trust fund snobs/brats (two sets of sister-cousins) find out their Billionaire uncle is going to cut them off so they have to find jobs.
Cue endless descriptions of all the designer labels they wear, including the men. The Seven Sister series is marginally better than this chick lit. But they are still named after annoying Roman Godesses. (Athena, Juno, Diana and Venus). Grating.
Dave Barry's Book of Bad Songs
4 stars
In a rush today and already had this copied
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mod
4 stars
In a rush today and already had this copied
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show......"
Loved your review, Karin. I thought I had read this book but GR says I haven't. Not sure if I want to. I think it might make me angry. Are most of the songs from the 60's and 70's? Sounds like a bunch of young folks making fun of the older songs. I know a lot of those songs are silly by today's standards but I love them all. You mentioned Donny, Michael and John Denver, and yes, I know who Tony Defranco is. Still have a crush on them all. I think Dave should do an updated version with Boomers making fun of today's songs!
Koren wrote: "Karin wrote: "Dave Barry's Book of Bad Songs 4 stars
In a rush today and already had this copied
https://www.goodreads.com/review/s..."
Actually, this book isn't that-it came out in 1997 and started from a column he wrote in 1992--much of it comes from people who lived through 1962-1992, which are the years he covers. I supposed it depends on the demographic of his newspaper readers back in 1992.
Mod
The Cast by Danielle SteelI think she phoned in this one..an easy read though. About an empty nester divorcee writing a soap opera. The handsome producer/actor falls in love with her in the end. Natch.
Notes on a Cowardly Lion: The Biography of Bert Lahr, With a New Preface by the Author
John Lahr
3/5 stars
This is quite an extensive book on Bert Lahr who was probably best known for his role of the Cowardly Lion in the film, The Wizard of Oz. Written by his son, the author traces his family life and extensive career on Broadway, films and Vaudeville and the actors and actresses he worked with.
Koren wrote: "I see. I think I would like to check it out and see what people are saying, although I might be offended by anyone dissing my Donny, John or Tony!! (Just kidding)"He only disses Donny for re-releasing a couple of dissed songs. Most Americans have no clue who Tony was/is--have you even heard of him before? Was he ever played in the States?
Mod
He only disses Don..."
Tony DeFranco? I don't believe he was a solo artist. He was the lead singer in The DeFranco Family, which, if I remember correctly, was a take-off of the Partridge Family or the Osmonds, but maybe not, maybe that kind of music was just popular at the time. And, like you said, geared more toward teenagers. I only remember one song they did, A Heartbeat Is A Love beat. I found it on You Tube:
https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/se...
Anyway, it was the music I grew up with, and yes, some of it probably sounds corny today.
The Deadly Percheron by John Franklin Bardin5 enthusiastic stars!
A short read that left me happily exhausted because of all the twists and turns in the story. I didn't know what to believe until the very last page. It's been said that Truman Capote invented New York Gothic, but this author came decades earlier...and what a beautiful writer he is. I plan to rush out and buy everything else he's ever published.
I'm reading a lovely memoir called Bowing to Elephants by Mag Dimondhttps://magdimond.com/bowing-to-eleph...
Koren wrote: "Karin wrote: "Koren wrote: "I see. I think I would like to check it out and see what people are saying, although I might be offended by anyone dissing my Donny, John or Tony!! (Just kidding)"He o..."
Yes! But then both Donny Osmond and Michael Jackson started off in family groups. The Osmond Brothers were around before Donny joined them and later broke off.
But I see that you live in Minnesota so either you lived where you could hear Canadian radio stations or they were actually played in the States. WAIT, I see now that they recorded in California. I don't remember what all of those pre-teen magazines said about everyone, just that Donny liked purple. I don't know if it's true, but I chose purple carpet because of that. I was 12.
And all of this time I assumed that the DeFrancos were merely Canadian content. Of course that doesn't always mean much--it can just be Canadians singing American songs.
Mod
I live way down at the bottom of Minnesota, so we didn't get Canadian stations. I didn't even know the DeFranco family was from Canada! Two of my all-time favorites come from Canada- Gordon Lightfoot and kd lang.
Mod
3 stars
I'm not sure the title is accurate. I don't think a lot of the information here is secret and most of it was not strange. But there is a lot of information and history here. Like most books on this subject, it didn't come as a surprise that most of the food we eat is not healthy or safe.
I've got this huge tome that I'm dipping in and out of..all about food from USAThe Great Food Almanac: A Feast of Facts from A to Z by Irena Chalmers
Bit dated now but interesting titbits.
I almost finished I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy. What can I say about her mom? What a manipulative... bad person!
Biography, Autobiography, Memoir
Books mentioned in this topic
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Born to Kill (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
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Diana Raab (other topics)
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The Time of Contempt
Andrzej Sapkowski
4/5 stars
While war has commenced between the elves, other races and humans, Ciri returns in this novel along with Witcher and Yennefer. However, she is in grave danger because there are several who want to control her while her magic is still not under her complete control.