Biography, Autobiography, Memoir discussion
Biography, Autobiography, and Memoir read in 2023
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Last Chain On Billie: How One Extraordinary Elephant Escaped the Big Top
[author:Carol ..."
That sounds like it would be really hard to read. I hate reading stories about animal abuse even more than human abuse but then it needs to be told so people are aware.
Battleship: A Daring Heiress, a Teenage Jockey, and America's Horse
Dorothy Ours
4/5 stars
This is a fascinating true story, mainly set in the 30's and 40's, that features Marion duPont, a wealthy woman who lived for her horses and the racing industry; Bruce Hobbs, a 17-year-old jockey who was raised by his father who was also a jockey and a horse named Battleship who becomes the unlikely hero of this book. Very interesting!
For those who have loved A Chorus Line over the decades, or for those who are interested in a firsthand account of the early days of the AIDS epidemic, Third Girl from the Left: A Memoir by Christine Barker is, I may be so bold to suggest, a must-read book. My review:https://mypointbeing.com/2023/04/21/t...
Finding Me
Viola Davis
4/5 stars
Davis, who is an actress, relates her life of poverty as a child and how she got out of it and became an award winning actress who won awards in all the major entertainment categories. This was a fascinating read!
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Finding Me
Viola Davis
4/5 stars
Davis, who is an actress, relates her life of poverty as a child and how she got out of it and beca..."
On my list it goes.
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4 stars
The author writes about his grandfather, who, at the height of the depression, decided to anonymously and under guise of a false name, give money to people who would write to him telling him why they needed it. He remained anonymous until his sister gave a suitcase to his grandson (the author) that contained the letters and the cancelled checks. The author then embarked on a mission to track down people or their family members to find out what happened to them after the depression. The overriding theme of the book is that these people did not want to ask for help, were embarrassed to ask and most of the time wanted to know the benefactor so they could work for the money or pay him back when they could. Sometimes the stories are sad, sometimes they are uplifting. Amazingly, the author was able to contact every family and only one actual letter writer was still alive, as she was only 14 when she wrote her letter. This is also the story of a town, Canton Ohio, and how it went from prosperity to poverty and back to normal after the depression and now, many years later, has fallen back on hard times after many of the factories closed. I deducted one star only because most of the letters pretty much sound the same so after a while I skimmed them, but otherwise, greatly enjoyed reading how people survived the Depression years when they had little to nothing to their names.
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5 stars
Not a complete history of the Academy Awards, as that would be 1000's of pages. Instead, the author focuses on some of the more interesting stories with an emphasis on how the Awards have changed through the years. It starts with the early days of the Oscars, but I found the more recent times more interesting. The author did a great job of researching. It does not get overly detailed in describing the movies and instead focuses on the people who were instrumental in getting the Academy Awards started and how it evolved through the years.
Finished the delightful and informative In the Shadow of the Empress: The Defiant Lives of Maria Theresa, Mother of Marie Antoinette, and Her Daughters by Nancy Goldstone
Hi friends. New author here (just trying to figure it out). The morning after a birthday party she threw for me, I woke up in the hospital to learn that my girlfriend was dead, and I might be going to prison for causing the car crash that killed her. My memoir, Crashing, examines the profound consequences of the moment that forever changed my life and cut short the life of the woman I loved.
According to Darin Strauss, National Book Critics Circle Award winner and Guggenheim Fellow, "Mark L. O'Brien has lived through a tragedy and made something beautiful of it. He has gathered the pieces of his shattered life, and from them built this unforgettable book. Not only will this story of transformation move you; it will challenge your most basic assumptions about guilt, grief, mercy, and justice. Not to be missed."
Crashing: I Love You. Forgive Me.
I'd be so honored if you'd consider reading (you can check out a preview with the first 2.5 chapters on Amazon if you click on "Read Sample" while on the Kindle purchase option).
Feel free to reach out to discuss the book or if you're interested in a book club or bulk order of 10 or more paperbacks. I'm at mark@marklobrien.com.
Warmth and Gratitude,
Mark L. O'Brien
In her essay collection Conversations with Birds author Priyanka Kumar recounts her experiences as a filmmaker, writer, and mother. The underlying theme of the book, however, is how she has encountered birds wherever she has lived.My review:
https://mypointbeing.com/2023/05/04/c...
The True Tails of Baker and Taylor: The Library Cats Who Left Their Pawprints on a Small Town . . . and the World
Jan Louch
5/5 stars
What a wonderful story about a library who took in two Scottish Fold cats, Baker and Taylor. The library and the patrons embraced them and let them live in their library. After the cats were photographed for a poster they became minor celebrities and their fans traveled to the library to see them or write letters to them.
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[book:The True Tails of Baker and Taylor: The Library Cats Who..."
I wonder where they put the litter boxes. I have 4 cats and there are times I would be embarrassed if someone stopped by.
The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race by Walter Isaacson3.5 stars rounded up
It's been nearly a week since I finished this; not only am I behind on reviews, I've been procrastinating.
This is a combination of a biography of Jennifer Doudna and the history of genetic editing, and more of a using her life to tell the story of this. It may not follow any others that way, but we do learn some of their stories to a partial degree as well.
I found the majority of this book interesting; there were a couple of sections I did not, though. I was already familiar with all of the history of the discovery of the double helix including the slighting of the one woman scientist who was already dead who wasn't given enough recognition at the time. In addition, I knew some of the other history. However, I really didn't follow the discoveries of CRISPR RNA because so much of this was going on when I was raising my kids and focused on other areas of science, so I was able to learn something new which was good.
The entire part about mulling the ethics and morals of this was very important, but boring to me personally because I have already gone through that thought process with all of the questions and sides he brought up. However, I have no illusions that the entire world is going to end up handling this ethically, so the book is not one I could come even close to being objective about when it comes to the end result.
In any event, I am not writing about the ethics of genetic editing, but rather reviewing the book. Overall this was well written. I don't mind the science details because they made it more interesting for me, but then I do have a decent background in science having studied biology in university. I thought he did a good job of not getting too deep since he is a scientific layperson himself. However, I can see that not everyone is going to want to read as much detail, and not all of it was equally interesting.
The Nature of Life and Death: Every Body Leaves a Trace, by Patricia Wiltshire3 solid stars
This started out very slowly, but picked up speed once the author -- one of the world's half-handful of forensic ecologists -- started to detail her experience in working on crime scenes. It clearly takes a very specific type of personality, with a great deal of training, to do this tedious, exacting work, and it sounds as if her results can be very powerful in court. All of the cases were interesting despite the large area of blank space in each narrative. She often did not give any times, dates, or enough detail to allow me to look up the cases. She seems uninterested in the outcome in the courtroom and is 100% focused on counting up those mushroom spores to get to the truth. A readable and often fascinating memoir.
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5 stars
I love watching videos where Katie Porter takes on big corporate CEO's. She is so smart and goes into these meetings more prepared than the person she is interrogating. Katie is not what you would think a politician is. She is like your next door neighbor that pops in for coffee. She also has a sense of humor, as you might guess by the title. I thought the most interesting part of the book was when she tells what a U.S. Representative must pay for out of their own pocket. Surprisingly, it is quite a bit, which keeps a lot of every day people from running for office. She fights for the every day working person because she is one too. I wish I could vote for her (she is a representative from California), but hopefully one day she will run for President and then I can.
Becoming
Michelle Obama
5/5 stars
This is a fascinating look at Michelle Obama’s life from her childhood growing up in Chicago, meeting Barack and through her role as First Lady of the White House. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it will definitely be on top of my favorites list this year.
In her new book Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma author Claire Dederer reflects on her personal experience in approaching the work of creative people who do bad things. She looks at her own personal history and asks if she herself might be a "monster."My review:
https://mypointbeing.com/2023/05/10/m...
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4 stars
Interesting stories from an ER physician, the book follows the story of one young woman who collapsed unexpectedly at home and was brought to the ER. I wasn't sure if I like the writing style. I wanted to find out what happened to her and he kept jumping to other stories and then coming back to the main story. I guess that's what keeps us on the edge of our seats and not wanting to put the book down. The doctor comes across as very kind and caring and just the kind of doctor you would want to have in an emergency.
Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her
Melanie Rehak
5/5 stars
Rehak tells the fascinating story of how book serials began. These serials included The Bobbsey Twins, Hardy Boys and in particular the Nancy Drew stories which were written by Harriet Stratemeyer Adams and Mildred Benson. Harriet Stratemeyer’s father had started the business in which he wrote the synopsizes and then farmed them out to other authors to flesh out the stories. These books took off and became a worldwide phenomenon and are still popular.
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5 stars
I loved watching Dr. Pol's show on the National Geographic Channel but they moved it to another channel I don't get and don't want to pay to get. Love this guy! He is a large animal vet. Not many cat or dog stories here but a lot of cow and horse stories. Reading this book was like sitting down and having a chat with the doctor as he reminisces about his career. There are hundreds of stories here as he goes from one story to the next. He only devotes a few paragraphs to each story. He's been a vet for many years, I think it was over 40 years, so he has a lot of stories to tell. If you like the James Herriot stories I think you will like this.
I'm currently reading part-biography, part-sociological study of Volodymyr Zelensky. The book is The Zelensky Effect by Olga Onuch and Henry E. Hale
Lady Slippers: A MemoirHistorical Memoir - explores growing up in the tri-state area during the Great Depression and WWII. Anyone who lives in the NY/NJ area and/or enjoys history would enjoy this firsthand experience.
At some point, we all navigate the loss and grief of a loved one, uncertain how or if we can regain a sense of normalcy to our lives ever again.OK, Little Bird is a virtual handbook, told through a memoir style, fast moving touching, laugh out loud and deeply feeling father daughter relationship. When you turn the last page, readers will find a way to feel whole again and inspired. OK, Little Bird
A Natural Woman: A Memoir
Carole King
4/5 stars
This is a wonderfully, written memoir by Carole King, who relates her life and family history up to 2012. Included in the book is her rise to fame, her personal life and her collaborations with other artists. Definitely for King fans.
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A Natural Woman: A Memoir
Carole King
4/5 stars
This is a wonderfully, written memoir by Carole King, who relates her ..."
Love her and loved this book.
Koren wrote: "Julie wrote: "A Natural Woman: A Memoir
Carole King
4/5 stars
This is a wonderfully, written memoir by Carole King, wh..."
Great book. But she married so many times and got cheated on a lot :-(
Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole
Susan Cain
3/5 stars
I loved Susan Cain's book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking. This new book of hers was very interesting. She discusses the topic that without sadness and yearning that we cannot be a whole person. If you haven't read any of her books, I would start with Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking.
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Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole
Susan Cain
3/5 stars
I loved Susan Cain's b..."
Great review! I'm going to check that out.
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4 stars
I have to say, when I watch news about hurricanes and people that are stranded, I have never wondered what the hospitals and other health care facilities are going through. We assume everyone was evacuated. During Hurricane Katrina everyone did not get evacuated in time. For sure we do not think about what decisions need to be made and who makes those decisions. What if you know people are not going to survive, how do you make decisions who you can help and who you can't. Would you try to evacuate the people that are in the poorest conditions and might be close to death anyway? Or would you evacuate the people that had the best chance of surviving, even though you know the ones in the poorest condition will not survive. What if you do not have enough ventilators and equipment that keeps people alive? How do you decide who gets the equipment. Written before covid, this book focuses on a female doctor who had to make these decisions. She also had to decide if a patient was close to death should they be given medication to 'help' them go sooner, essentially euthanasia. While reading this book, I thought it was kind of long and drawn out but I don't know what could have been left out. Lots of food for thought here.
How Bizarre: Pauly Fuemana and the Song That Stormed the World By Simon GriggSimon Grigg was a record producer who helped make How Bizarre a huge international success for OMC. This is a memoir of the trajectory of the 'one hit wonder' and what happened to Pauly Fuemana (the front man vocalist) after that. At the time, 1996, it was the only NZ pop single that hit the international charts, nothing has broken since until Lorde's Royals.
The memoir is strictly business though, if you want to know more about Pauly Fuemana's personal life this isn't the book to read. I do find out though that his track record is patchy, and like most artists, he was somewhat tortured, difficult to work with, and having a huge international hit did nothing great for his ego!
I would also question however Simon's role in all of this seeing he didn't quite understand Pauly's Nieuan background and where he came from thinking the consolations of money would solve everything, but in reality Pauly spent this royalties like water and ended up bankrupt, dying young aged 40. He did leave behind 6 children though (not even mentioned in the book, just in passing) while Simon tried to take as much credit for making him a star.
Looking back on it now, How Bizarre still has airplay but I think the parody Stole ma Car was even more brilliant. Now the music scene has changed, but I'm not impressed about what I've read about the machinations of the music industry so far. It's all about the $$$ and OMC (stands for Otara Millionaire's Club) exemplified it.
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3 stars
I almost quit this book after the first few chapters. It was just a lot of complaining. He went on and on about having to climb several flights of stairs to get to his job and then complains about the majority of his co-workers. Then he finds out he is going to be the first male to work in the handbag (not purse) section of the store. After that it is more complaining about difficult customers, but it isn't complaining about one customer and then moving on, he keeps coming back to the same customers. At times this book is funny, and I think if there is an audio version it might be really funny. I kept hearing Carson Kressley's voice as I was reading. I would have liked to have read about some of the nice customers (I'm sure there had to be some) and more of a variety of customers, instead of coming back to the same ones.
Mind That Child: A Medical Memoir by Simon RowleyA leading paediatrician writes about what its like to save pre-term babies lives or at least give them a chance, and the state of medical care in NZ today. Lots of interesting information that I didn't really know about.
I don't think I could be a paediatrician though you have to make some heartbreaking decisions.
Bromhead by Peter Bromheadsubtitle 'Scratching for a Living'
Bromhead is a newspaper/political cartoonist in NZ although...he is not the most well known one. I was interested to find out how he became a cartoonist and what other line of work he did. He was from England originally, didn't know his dad and had a mother who tried to kill him by throwing him under the bus when he was 2 years old (so he claims). The rest of the memoir is about his up and down life, marriages, and move to NZ where he set up a successful interior design business. He also seemed to win loads of Qantas media awards (and got made redundant a lot) told in a humorous vein.
Though some of it has me thinking he's a bit of a dirty old man type because he's now married to someone half his age. But then aren't all cartoonists naturally immature anyway? He became a father again in his 70s and now can't remember a lot. But he lived through the blitz and survived. He writes that kids would pick up shrapnel off the ground like it was collectors items.
Of the cartoons themselves they aren't the most humorous I've seen, personally I rate Gary Larsen as the master of the absurd, or Scott Adam's Dilbert. I guess I don't really warm to political cartoonists, as politicians get enough press as it is without people making fun of them all the time.
Code Talker: The First and Only Memoir By One of the Original Navajo Code Talkers of WWII by Chester Nez with Judith Schiess Avila3 stars
My rating has nothing to do with what Chester Nez and the other WW II indigeonous code talkers did.
Before I discuss this book, I want to remember the Canadian Cree Code Talkers of WW II the US government used to help win the war in Europe. If you want to see the bad side of politics, note that the US government has never acknowledged those Cree and Métis men who were every bit as important in Europe as were the Navajo code talkers, but almost no one bothered to seek out their story. Some of them were fluent in French as well as English and Cree. Here is one video about the man who developed the Cree code https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JiUP... but you can find other videos and online articles.
Code Talker book here
This book didn't live up to my expectations because I wasn't all that impressed with much of it--I wanted more time spent on the code and how it was used, but much of it was just another description of the horrors of war. Important, but I've read so many of those before and also books about the Navajo people, although I found the parts about his life more interesting than the horrible battle scenes.
That said, this is an important book for the history it records even if it is the recounting of one man.
In her new collection Quietly Hostile: Essays author Samantha Irby examines her career as a screenwriter and writes about domestic life with her same-sex spouse. Witty and entertaining, but with some NC-17 material.My review:
https://mypointbeing.com/2023/06/02/q...
Cool Dead People: Obituaries of Real Folks We Wish We'd Met a Little Sooner
Jane O'Boyle
4/5 stars
This was such an original book about people we didn't know but still lived unusual lives. O'Boyle gathered these obituaries and compiled them in this book. Not a lengthy read but oh so interesting!
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Cool Dead People: Obituaries of Real Folks We Wish We'd Met a Little Sooner
[author:Jane..."
Now I'm wishing I had kept all the cool obituaries I have read over the years.
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4 stars
There have been many bios written about Jackie Kennedy Onassis and her husband John F. Kennedy but few that are just about Jackie and fewer yet (this may be the only one) that focus on her mother and their relationship. The book was interesting because Jackie and her family did not always have the best relationship. If you have watched the Gilmore Girls, Janet reminded me a lot of Emily, the mother on that show. Their relationship had many ups and downs and things were not always easy. I think you will learn some things you didn't know about Jackie's life.
I've got Jackie and Me on my shelf. It's a novel, about one of Jackies gay friends. I thought it looked interesting, and will see if it says anything about her mother. I can't remember if I read your one or not. I've read so many Jackie books, but this one looks interesting.
Don't Stop Believin' by Olivia Newton-JohnEveryone's a Grease fan, I'm no exception. I liked reading Olivia's memoir about being Sandy, her singing career, and her love of animals, as well as her love-life, daughter, and dealing with cancer.
She's like Doris Day, though she was luckier in love than Ms Day. Both ladies are like rays of sunshine.
Sadly Olivia passed away last year from cancer. In the memoir, she's determined to find a cure and I think her wellness centre has made cancer a lot easier to face than it has in times past when it was just known as the c-word. There's a lot to be said for making treatment more like a spa and being kind to your body rather than a nuclear assault.
This book made me a bit curious to watch the movie Xanadu though. I'd never seen it. Gene Kelly was in it? And he was in his 60s and still dancing? Gotta see that.
Banquet: The Untold Story of Adelaide's Family Murders, by Debi Marshall3 frustrated stars
Debi Marshall's memoir of her investigation into Bevan Spencer Von Einem told me much more than I knew about the Family Murders, the victims, their surviving family and friends, and the investigations that followed. Wildly frustrating as it was full of half-glimpsed conspiracies, unprovable assertions and people whose names could not be used, making it nearly impossible to keep everything straight as I read. I came away with the impression that half of Adelaide knows a tiny scrap of the story, saw something, heard something but doesn't realize that it's important. I also learned a great deal more about the revolting Duncan drowning and what didn't come of it. My advice is to stay as far from Adelaide as you can. Bad things happen there.
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Everyone's a Grease fan, I'm no exception. I liked reading Olivia's memoir about being Sandy, her singing career, and her love of animals..."
I have never seen Xanadu either. It looks a little strange.
She Begat This: 20 Years of the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by Joan MorganNot actually a bio about Lauryn Hill but a music journo's reminiscence of the impact of that one album. I think I gleaned about 2 pages worth of useful information, the rest was just fluff and opinion.
I mean I liked a soul baring album about a woman's heartbreak as much as I liked Carole King's Tapestry album but she wasn't the first to do so nor was she channelling Nina Simone. Lauryn Hills special blend of reggae/soul/hip hop inspired tunes on that album and her struggles as an artist deserved more insight than this quick rehash.
The Premonition
by Michael Lewis
4/5 stars
Fascinating look at epidemics particularly revolving around Covid. The author discusses what caused it, who was affected by it and the men and women who fought it and tried to deter it. Well written!
Since I wrote a longer review than usual, I'll just put in a bit and then the review link instead of my normal full review.Chop Suey Nation: The Legion Cafe and Other Stories from Canada’s Chinese Restaurants by Ann Hui
This was a very interesting book in many ways--part travel and food and part biography/memoir. The part about Canada's Chinese restaurants is an expansion of a feature article Hui wrote for the Toronto Globe and Mail back when she was the national food reporter (she's currently the demographics reporter--she's been a staff reporter there for 13 years.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Levi Strauss: The Man Who Gave Blue Jeans to the World
Lynn Downey
4/5 stars
This is an interesting biography/nonfiction about the life and times of Levi Strauss. Born in Germany, he left for America and ended up in San Francisco in the 1850’s dealing with imported goods. He met Jacob W. Davis, a customer who invented the the riveted denim pants. Davis partnered with Levi in 1871 to produce the blue jeans.
Never married, he supported his family and encouraged his employees to better their lives.
Does anybody read biographies of artists? I'm thinking visual artists not musical artists.Their books tend to be in the arts section and are bigger coffee table books with reproductions of their art in them, and more contributions from different people but their art is in chronological order and they usually tell the story of an artists life.
I've just been reading and looking at
Robin White: Something is Happening Here by Sarah Farrar.Robin White is a NZ artist and her images are striking, and reflect the people, places and circumstances where she lives, both in NZ and the Kiribati. She took up with the Bahaii Faith and so some of that influences her work, as well as the scary images of nuclear holocaust that devastated Hiroshima and played a big part of life in the Pacific, it's hopes and dreams dashed.
Many of her images tell stories and some incorporate words or interesting juxtapositions to make a statement. She uses different mediums, oil paint, woodcuts, and later weaving and tapa cloth.
I've seen her work in art gallery exhibition but this book is a distillation of it and lets you linger over the ones that leave a lasting impression
Biography, Autobiography, Memoir
Books mentioned in this topic
Returning Light: Thirty Years on the Island of Skellig Michael (other topics)My Lucky Life in and Out of Show Business (other topics)
A Spoonful of Sugar: A Nanny's Story (other topics)
To Selena, With Love (other topics)
The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Robert L. Harris (other topics)Mitch Albom (other topics)
Dwight Garner (other topics)
Bruce Springsteen (other topics)
Robert Samuels (other topics)
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Last Chain On Billie: How One Extraordinary Elephant Escaped the Big Top
Carol Bradley
4/5 stars
Bradley relates the tale of the elephant Billie who was captured in Asia and taken to the states to perform in circuses in the most horrible of conditions and who eventually with a lot of help is released into an animal sanctuary. The author also details the cause of animal rights, those who helped and those who tried to rig the system in their favor.