The Glass Castle

Scribner

The Glass Castle
Jeannette Walls
2005

The Summary
"The Glass Castle is a remarkable memoir of resilience and redemption, and a revelatory look into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and uniquely vibrant.  When sober, Jeannette's brilliant and charismatic father captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and how to embrace life fearlessly.  But when he drank, he was dishonest and destructive.  Her mother was a free spirit who abhorred the idea of domesticity and didn't want the responsibility of raising a family.

"The Walls children learned to take care of themselves.  They fed, clothed, and protected one another, and eventually found their way to New York.  Their parents followed them, choosing to be homeless even as their children prospered.

"The Glass Castle is truly astonishing--a memoir permeated by the intense love of a peculiar but loyal family."

The Good
It took me a long time to pick up and read The Glass Castle.  Like literal months.

First, I wasn't sure I wanted to read a memoir.  I was firmly entrenched in my romance novels and fantasy stories, and I didn't want to burst my own bubble by reading about the real world.  Second, I'd never read anything by Walls and, if I'm being honest with myself, I wasn't sure I wanted to start reading her now.  I mean, what if she was awful?  I hated the idea of slogging through a poorly written memoir.

However, The Glass Castle is anything but poorly written.  Jeannette Walls is a phenomenal writer.  As I settled in to read, I discovered she had a compelling voice and an incredible story to tell.  Her memoir tackles difficult subjects--like neglect, abuse, mental illness, homelessness, etc.--but Walls treats these things delicately.  She recounts her life in such a way that you are able to see it through her eyes as she grew from a child to a young woman.

The Glass Castle is sad and tragic, but it's ultimately a compelling and hopeful story about survival.

The Bad
Read below.  I have a bit of a spiel.

The Ugly
This book infuriated me.

Walls is a wonderful writer and her memoir is insightful, thoughtful, and incredibly fascinating; however, I wanted to argue that this was not a memoir about "the intense love of a peculiar but loyal family."  I didn't see loyalty (except between Jeannette and her siblings) and I didn't see love and I didn't see a quaint, peculiar little family; I saw intense neglect, if not outright abuse, and child endangerment and alcoholism.

I understand Walls loved her father and I understand that her father, as much as he was capable, loved his children.  However, I thought both her father and her mother were selfish, neglectful, and thoughtless to the health, well-being, and safety of their children.  I have only to point out that the first chapter that Walls was severely burned as a child while trying to cook her own food.  She was hungry and her mother wasn’t going to make her anything, so she did it on her own.  She couldn’t have been more than five.

Or then there’s the incident where she was flung from a moving vehicle.  Accident or not, that’s just reckless endangerment and it could have killed her.  Or there’s also the chapter where she speaks about digging old food out of the trash cans at school, so she wouldn’t starve.  All the while, her mother was squirreling away food for herself and not bothering to feed her children when she obviously could.

I only saw loyalty between the Walls children.  They protected and looked out for each other, they would help provide for the others; in fact, I imagine the only reason they survived their heinous childhood in West Virginia is because they stuck together.  Even after their parents undermine them again and again, they stick together.  Her sister escapes to New York first and then, one by one, they all manage to leave West Virginia--and their parents--behind.

Her father, no matter how much he professed to love his children, did not.  I understand that some parents or guardians struggle to provide for kids; however, sometimes you have to make difficult choices to provide for your children.  He could have sacrificed his pride and applied for federal assistance; they obviously needed it, so why wouldn't he ask for help?  Instead, he would lie and cheat and steal, and then blow his money on alcohol and hookers.

And why couldn't their mother do the same?  She could hold on to a job; in fact, she did for a little while.  I know she didn't like it.  No one wants to work at a job they hate, but, in order to provide for her children, couldn't she have kept a job long enough to put food on the table and start her search for a new job in the meantime?

Obviously not.  That would require a sense of selflessness and empathy she didn't possess.

This book disgusted me on so many levels, and it infuriated me.  I couldn't stand reading about how much Walls adored her father, only to have him disappoint her time after time.  It's heartbreaking as she comes to realize that the Glass Castle--her and her father's shared dream--will never become a reality.

Let's Pretend This Never Happened

Penguin Books

Let's Pretend This Never Happened:  A Mostly True Memoir
Jenny Lawson
2012

The Summary
"When Jenny Lawson was little, all she ever wanted was to fit in.  That dream was cut short by her fantastically unbalanced father and a morbidly eccentric childhood.  It did, however, open up an opportunity for Lawson to find the humor in the strange shame-spiral that is her life, and we are all the better for it.

"In the irreverent Let's Pretend This Never Happened, Lawson's long-suffering husband and sweet daughter help her uncover the surprising discover that the most terribly human moments--the ones we want to pretend never happened--are the very same moments that make us the people we are today.

"For every intellectual misfit who thought they were the only ones to think the things that Lawson dares to say out loud, this is a poignant and hysterical look at the dark, disturbing, yet wonderful moments of our lives."

The Good
Jenny Lawson is hysterically funny.

Even when bad things happen, she's willing to share them with others and laugh about what happened to her, or, at least, convince others to laugh with her as she relives the trauma.  Although she doesn't have a filter, which translates to some rather outlandish statements, Lawson is able to capture a unique voice in her memoir that makes her stories relatable and memorable.

She's a bit absurd, I know, but she's hilarious.  Even when she's faced with traumatic experiences, like Stanley the Magical Squirrel or her high school agriculture class where she lost a turkey baster inside of a cow (don't ask) or wearing a deer sweater (which is more sickening than you imagine), she manages to make these memories funny for her readers.  Moreover, she has the ability to appeal to anyone who has had a non-traditional upbringing or who has ever thought their life is absolute mayhem.

She also captures those feelings of growing up and striking out, what it's like to go back and realize that the home you once knew--the childhood you'd unexpectedly treasured--is gone.  Life changes, life keeps moving forward and you find out quickly that you can't go back.  Lawson perfectly captures that melancholy and she expresses it in a way that feels familiar, bringing out an emotion that pinches at your heartstrings.

Her book, no matter how wild and absurd and occasionally crazy it may seem, is an examination of childhood, mental illness, marriage, friendship, and motherhood.  It is a depiction of life that can seem ludicrous, but it is a full life with family, friends, love and laughter.

The Bad
I will admit that Lawson's work can be an acquired taste.  I love her books, both Let's Pretend This Never Happened and Furiously Happy; however, I think she could rub some people the wrong way.  She's sardonic, witty, sarcastic, but she has a mouth like a sailor and she's not afraid to discuss any subject.

I'm not joking.

No matter how unbearably awkward, excruciatingly personal or heartwrenchingly horrifying, Lawson will tell you all about her experiences.  Sometimes, it's difficult because you feel like a bit of a voyeur; other times, you waffle between feeling relief that you don't have to deal with the absurdity she does or you feel a kinship for the odd and unusual things that happen to her because you endured the same.

The Ugly
Life can be an ugly, ugly business.  Lawson, for the most part, manages to take the sting from tragedy by making her readers laugh at the absurdity.  It still hurts, but, at least, some good does come from the bad.

Unfinished 7

W.W. Norton Company

Okay.  So, I started reading Bonk by Mary Roach after I finished reading Packing for Mars.  After reading a review on Goodreads that cracked me up, I decided I would give it a try--and I kind of regret it.

First off, Mary Roach is hilarious.  I liked Packing for Mars, and I think I could have enjoyed Bonk if I just hadn't been traumatized by some of the stories.  I like to think I'm not a prude, but when sex leads to disfigurement, count me out.  I just can't do it.  It gives me this weird squirmy feeling inside, and I just can't cope.

Mary Roach is a great author, but I just don't think I can handle Bonk.

-

Gallery Books

I picked up Tyler Oakely's Binge out of curiosity.  I'd seen it in the YA section at my local library and I thought it might fit my Read Harder Challenge, so I thought, "Why not?"  It seemed interesting and it would help me mark off one of my challenges.

Wrong.  On both accounts.

Oakley is a pretty funny, I'll give him that; however, I just wasn't taken with his memoir.  I like that he's so very candid about his experiences, even the most embarrassing ones, but I found there is something as too much of a good thing.  Oakley tells me a little more than I would normally like to know about his personal experiences, and I just found myself quietly closing the book and returning it to my library.

-

Death of a Darklord by Laurell K. Hamilton had so much potential.  It was beautifully written, it carried intricate characters with interesting talents, it had magic and fantasy and adventure.  It struck all the right notes for me.  I was so excited to read it, especially as I started in on the first couple of chapters.  I was intrigued by the villain and I wanted to see where the story would go.

Wizards of the Coast

And then I made the mistake of looking up the book on Goodreads and discovering, much to my astonishment, that it was part of a series.  I learned Death of a Darklord is a stand-alone novel in a series roughly based in the same world (or something along those lines).  Not necessarily a bad thing, right?

Except it's part of a horror series.

When I picked up Death of a Darklord, I expected a fantasy novel.  I expected magic, mischief, adventure, trials and tribulations, before eventually culminating in a relatively happy ending.  There's always a little tragedy in every fantasy story; however, I always expect to find a satisfying conclusion, if not an outright happily-ever-after.

Death of a Darklord is a horror story.  It's full of tragedies, one after the other--and it literally doesn't get any better.  If I'd gone into this novel with the knowledge I was reading a tragic story, I probably would have been fine with it.  As the cover gave no inclination as to what I would find, I started reading with the expectation of a good ending and I was incredibly disappointed.  I put it aside without ever really finishing it.

-

Pantheon

War and Turpentine wasn't a bad novel.  It's based on Stefan Hertsman's grandfather, a would-be painter who lived through and fought in World War II.  Hertsman regales readers with embellished stories of his grandfather, his grandmother, his family, and, ultimately, his legacy.

It's an interesting book that reminds me of The Things They Carried, in that there are some truths buried beneath the fiction; however, it just didn't grip me like Tim O'Brien's earlier novel.  Personally, Hertsman's novel isn't for me.  I didn't care for the style or the feel of the novel, even though I wanted to enjoy it; I didn't like the characters, I didn't like the way they felt or the way they made me feel; moreover, I found myself growing bored with it at regular intervals and casting it aside for more interesting fare.

I'm sure it's a fine book, but it's just not for me.

Navel Gazing: True Tales of Bodies, Mostly Mine (But Also My Mom's, Which I Know Sounds Weird)

Gallery Books

Navel Gazing:  True Tales of Bodies, Mostly Mine (But Also My Mom's, Which I Know Sounds Weird)
Michael Ian Black
2016

The Summary
"You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll call your mom.

"New York Times bestselling author Michael Ian Black pulls no punches in this hilariously honest memoir, a follow-up to the acclaimed You're Not Doing It Right.  When Michael's mother receives a harrowing medical diagnosis, Michael begins a laugh-out-loud examination of health, happiness, and the human body from the perspective of a settled (and sedentary) husband and father of two.  With trademark wit that has made Michael's other books popular favorites, Navel Gazing is a heartfelt and poignant memoir about coming to terms with growing older and the inevitability of death.  It is also a self-deprecating and deliciously frank remembrance of exercise failures, finding out his is part Neanderthal, and almost throwing down with fellow author Tucker Max.

"Michael Ian Black may not have the perfect body.  Or be the perfect father.  Or husband.  Or son.  But readers will laugh as they recognize themselves in his attempts to do better.  And, inevitably, falling short."

The Good
When I first picked up Navel Gazing, I realized I recognized the author's name.  He was relatively famous, I knew that; I'd seen him on a screen somewhere, even if I couldn't remember exactly where.  However, I'd never recognized him as a writer.  It surprised me, and I couldn't help wondering if this wasn't just another book by a celebrity with a ghost writer.

Except Michael Ian Black isn't just another celebrity writing a book about his career; rather, he's a man writing about the trials of everyday life with a terminally ill parent.

He discusses his family and his life as he grapples with his mother's deteriorating health; he discusses his health and what he's not doing to improve it; he discusses his beliefs, his religion and how it impacts him as his mother grapples with one medical diagnosis after another.  It's a candid account on life in general and full of humorous musings on health, happiness, and faith.

I loved reading Black's memoir for the simple fact that I could relate to him.  When he talks about his health and his worries regarding growing older, yet he doesn't want to schedule another appointment with the doctor, I understood his fear of disease and his subsequent reluctance to do anything about it.  I mean, it sounds exactly like something I would do; in fact, it sounds like something I've done.

Likewise, when Black discussed his floundering attempts to become healthy and, for instance, decided to take up jogging as a healthier alternative to binge watching Netflix, I understood and connected with his experiences.  I understood his struggles with weight and physical exercise (it's exhausting), and I recognized his desperate desire to discover something deeper, more important in his running routine.

"The toughest thing about training for the half marathon was the time commitment:  hours per week, hours that could have been more fruitfully spent not running.  Why did I persist, week after week, through the summer heat and into the chilly days of autumn?  What was my fascination with running?  [...]  What did I want?  The truth is, I knew what I wanted from running, but I couldn't quite bring myself to admit it:  I wanted enlightenment.  And this is where are all my convoluted feelings about my body and Mom's declining health and aging and my own fear of death and praytheism congeal into a goopy sludge.  This is the nexus.  It is a stupid nexus, to be sure, but I could not quite shake the idea that running could save me."

I laughed at his self-deprecating humor, of course, but I enjoyed his candor and I connected on a personal level with his experiences.  I know what it's like to struggle with weight and health concerns (doesn't everyone?), and I know what it's like to hope that you can find something--anything--in physical activity.  You hope to find enlightenment, contentment, peace--you know, something--and it's always a little disappointing if you don't.

Overall, I loved the reading Navel Gazing.  It's fun and humorous, like it's intended to be, but it's also insightful and relatable.  It connects on a deeply human level, exploring our individual foibles and disappointments, our worries and fears and insecurities.  Personally, I came away from Navel Gazing with a familiar, "intense...almost electrical connection" to another human being.

It's a feeling that I'm sure any reader will appreciate after finishing Black's memoir.

The Bad
No complaints.  His humor is sarcastic, slightly odd, so I can see how it might rub people the wrong way; however, I loved his sense of humor and I loved his candor as he talked about his experiences as a child with a terminally ill parent, as a parent with children, and as a human being with health concerns of his own.

If I have one complaint it might be that Black sometimes skips quickly to the next thought without any segue or break between subjects.  It's pretty common through his memoir, but I think it's a pretty easy quirk to overlook.  He might jump to a new subject without warning, which could be construed as confusing or annoying (depending on how you look at it); however, I wouldn't call it a deal breaker.

The Ugly
Cancer.

Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen: How One Girl Risked Her Marriage, Her Job, and Her Sanity to Master the Art of Living

Hatchette Books

Julie & Julia:  365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen:  How One Girl Risked Her Marriage, Her Job, and Her Sanity to Master the Art of Living
Julie Powell
2005

The Summary
"Powell needs something to break the monotony of her life.  So, she invents a deranged assignment:  she will take her mother's dog-eared copy of Julia Child's 1961 classic, Mastering the Art of Frech Cooking, and cook all 524 recipes in the span of just one year."

Truthfully, the subtitle says it all.

The Good
I read Julie and Julia by Julie Powell as part of my Read Harder Challenge for 2016 (which you can read more about here), and I was absolutely delighted with it.

Amusing, candid, and insightful, I really enjoyed listening to Julie Powell's memoir--or food memoir?  I'm not really sure where it falls in the grand scheme of things, but, regardless, I thought it was a wonderful book.  It's riotously funny, yet strangely poignant.  Oddly enough, it reminds me of Jenny Lawson and her memoir, Furiously Happy--yet just a tiny bit less chaotic.

Not by much, considering Julie Powell undertakes to make 524 different recipes, many of which take hours to prepare, in just one year in a crappy little apartment in Queens.  It's astonishing the things she (and her marriage) manages to survive, including:  biological clocks, frozen pipes, disastrous dinner parties, inane dead end secretarial jobs, break downs, Blanche days, and celebrity crushes.

It's really a pretty amusing book, especially if you decide to listen to it as read by the author (which I did--and which I highly recommend); however, it's not quite the food memoir I expected.  In fact, Julie and Julia is more memoir than food.  Julie is hellbent on recreating all of Julia Child's recipes in Mastering the Art of French Cooking, vol. 1 and, in her journey, she learns how to make a variety of dishes and confronts some of the most trying times of her life.

While it features a lot of cooking, Julie and Julia feels like it's more about the experiences of cooking and the results, specifically what happens to the author as she slogs through more than 500 French recipes, than the actual cooking, but I can't say I minded.

Julie and Julia is strangely heartwarming and incredibly amusing.  To me, it strikes just the right balance that makes it a memoir worth reading, especially if you have the chance to listen to the author tell her own story.  It makes Julie and Julia that much more memorable.

The Bad
I will note that while I was listening to the audiobook I discovered I borrowed the abridged version.  I don't know if the audiobook had the full text, but I do know I missed a few things that might otherwise have filled in details or fleshed out the characters involved.  It was my only disappointment in a book that was, otherwise, wonderful.

The Ugly
Okay, I'll be honest:  I liked Julie, but, sometimes, I just couldn't handle very much of her.

I mean, I liked her and I liked her style of writing.  I loved listening to the audiobook, because it has this authenticity to it, this genuine emotion that seeps through every chapter.  However, I could only take so much.  She was very dramatic and she stressed out so easily--and, confidentially, she stressed me out when she went on a rant about how cooking was going to ruin her and so on...and, sometimes, it was just a little too shrill, you know?

Happy New Year: Read Harder Challenge 2016

Since I completed my Read Harder Challenge of 2016 and filled in all the categories recommended by BookRiot, I created some of my own unique categories.  As part of my continued challenge, I've decided to:

1. Read a book by or about a librarian (or about a library)
2. Read a medical book (fiction or nonfiction)
3. Listen to an audiobook romance
4. Read a brand new, recently published book (anything from 2016)
5. Read a spin-off from a classic novel and/or fairy tale
6. Read a book about cake (fiction or nonfiction)
7. Read a fantasy book featuring dragons

Gotham Books

I thought it might prove fun to dive into some new books I might not otherwise find.  Some are based on recommendations from co-workers, while others are based on books from my TBR pile--and still others are just ideas that seemed like fun.  And with the countdown to the New Year on, I can't wait to tell you all about the books I've read, starting with a book by (and about) a librarian:  The World's Strongest Librarian by Josh Hanagarne.

If you've never read Josh Hanagarne I highly recommend his memoir.  It's funny, it's candid, it's insightful, and, ultimately, it's uplifting.  Although Hanagarne does discuss religion, his main focus is his family, his battle with Tourette's, his struggles with infertility, and his general love of the library and all things literary.  It's enjoyable to see his passion for his family, his books, and his weightlifting come to the forefront as he learns to balance all the different aspects of his life.  Overall, it's a pretty great read.

Next, I read (or, rather, listened to) a medical book--a historical medical drama, fyi--by Tessa Harris:  The Anatomist's Apprentice.  Narrated by  Simon Vance, The Anatomist's Apprentice was an interesting deviation from my usual reading material.  Thomas Silkstone is a young anatomist from Philadelphia who finds himself in England about the time of the Revolutionary War, caught in the midst of a medical mystery...and a murder  It's dark, rather macabre, but it's ultimately fascinating with the sheer depth of detail and history included.  I enjoyed my time in Silkstone's world, and I found myself quickly gravitating to book number two, The Dead Shall Not Rest.

Bantam

As for listening to an audiobook romance, I decided to check out more by Sarah Addison Allen and picked up The Peach Keeper.  Now, let me give you a warning, I have read almost everything by Allen, except Lost Lake (that one is currently in my TBR), and I have loved almost everything she's written.  The Peach Keeper was no different.  I loved the characters and the complexity of their histories; I loved the little hints of every day magic she weaves into her novels; I even loved the ghost story, which is saying something, as I am not a fan of ghosts.  It was a wonderful visit back to her world, and it was so much fun recognizing an old friend.

I also picked up a brand new book just published this year, a little novel by J. Ryan Stradal called Kitchens of the Great Midwest.  Another audiobook, I know, but it was just as rewarding as any other.  Although it follows a myriad of characters, it focuses on Eva Thorvald and her life as she grows into her own--and all the foods that influenced her in the process.  That's really the simplified version; Kitchens of the Great Midwest is much more complex, much more nuanced than I make it out to be.  It's a recurring cast of characters centered around Eva, but it's quite unlike anything I've ever read.  It's wonderful, and I absolutely adored the narrators, Amy Ryan and Michael Stuhlbarg.

G.P. Putnam & Sons

Speaking of new books, I also discovered Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye, which fit nicely into my category for a spin-off novel based on a classic work or a fairy tale.  There were several options for this particular category, but I decided on Jane Steele because Jane Eyre.  I love Jane Eyre (as is probably apparent here), and I loved having the opportunity to reimagine her story not as the quiet, resolute girl who refused to give ground to anyone or relinquish her personal beliefs, but as the sharp, deadly woman with no qualms whatsoever of killing if it means protecting herself and her own.  It's fascinating the contrasts, and I came to love Jane Steele equally for her unwavering commitment to being bad.  It's a rousing good time.

Next, I decided to keep my love of food alive with a book about cake and sisterhood:  The Secret to Hummingbird Cake by Celeste Fletcher McHale.  While I will admit that I liked Garden Spells and The Glass Kitchen better, I enjoyed reading McHale's debut novel--and I absolutely loved getting to know her characters.  I liked Carrigan and I liked Ella Rae for their bravery, sass, and sheer stubborness, but I adored Laine.  She's the impetus of the story, the reason for it all, and, like Carrigan and Ella Rae, I felt an unexpected affection and wonderful kinship with her.  I enjoyed reading their story more than I thought I would.  For a debut novel, The Secret to Hummingbird Cake was pretty great.

Little, Brown Books for
Young Readers

Last but not least, I read a fantasy book featuring dragons with How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell.  I picked Cowell's novel up because I fell in love with the movie of the same name; however, I was a little disappointed.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed reading How to Train Your Dragon.  It's fun, it's inventive, and it's a great series for young readers (I especially liked the Hairy Scary Librarian), but, unfortunately, it's not what I expected.  I made the critical mistake of judging the book in comparison to the movie--and they're two very different creatures.  How to Train Your Dragon the book is very different from How to Train Your Dragon the movie, and it's best not to go into either one with the same expectations.

Read Harder Challenge (Part Eight)

This week, I'm just barely eking by with my Read Harder Challenge.  After reading these last books, I have officially finished my list:

1. Read a book that is set in the Middle East
2. Read a nonfiction book about feminism or dealing with feminist themes
3. Read a food memoir

Little, Brown and Co.

To start off, I finally finished reading I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai.  It only took my 6 months, but I finished it and, honestly, I'm glad I did.  It's a fascinating story that's both heartbreaking and incredibly informative, offering insight into the various cultures and relations of Afghanistan.  Although her story is grim, it's simultaneously uplifting.  Personally, I enjoyed reading about her and her father's endeavors to bring education to local children--and particularly to the young women of the community.

Malala is a skilled narrator.  She's bright, she's hopeful, she's very detailed and she's very intelligent.  Although her book is a translation, which is sometimes apparent, I felt like I could read and relate to her feelings.  She does a fine job of connecting to her readers, detailing her thoughts and feelings--and making her voice heard.  She makes a compelling argument for education, for giving women equal education opportunities.  Truthfully, you can see why Malala Yousafzai is a Nobel Prize Laureate.

I also had the opportunity to read a short (and rather famous) essay by Virginia Woolf:  A Room of One's Own.  As an avid reader and, ahem, English major in college, you would think I'd have taken the opportunity to read A Room of One's Own, but, until this year, I had yet to make more than a cursory acquaintance with Woolf's work.  Unfortunately, I wasn't enamored by her essay.

Harcourt Inc.

A Room of One's Own makes some very valid points.  It's important to read and, after reading it, it's something that all young women should have a chance to read at least once in their life.  However, I had a hard time reading Woolf's essay, because I just couldn't seem to focus on one thing before it jumped to another.  For instance, in the first few pages when Woolf described Oxbridge and her experiences at the esteemed university, I thought it took quite a long time to get to the point--and, confidentially, I found myself growing a little bored as I waited for her to come to a conclusion.  Not that her writing is bad, mind you; I just struggled to stay committed given her style of writing, so I'm not sure if that's so much her failing as my own.

The point is, I finished reading A Room of One's Own and I have a new appreciation for Woolf.  She's a talented writer, but, personally, I'm not so sure she's the writer for me.  I appreciate her work and I appreciate the significance of her essay, but I don't think she's the one and only feminist writer for me.

Last but not least, I read Julie and Julia by Julie Powell.  It's riotously funny, yet strangely poignant.  Oddly enough, it reminds me of Jenny Lawson and her memoir, Furiously Happy--yet just a tiny bit less chaotic.  Not by much, considering Julie Powell undertakes to make 524 different recipes, many of which take hours to prepare, in just one year in a crappy little apartment in Queens.  It's astonishing the things she (and her marriage) manages to survive, including:  biological clocks, frozen pipes, disastrous dinner parties, inane dead end secretarial jobs, break downs, Blanche days, and celebrity crushes.

Hatchette Books

It's really a pretty amusing book, especially if you decide to listen to it as read by the author (which I did); however, it's not quite the food memoir I expected.  In fact, Julie and Julia is more memoir than food.  Julie is hellbent on recreating all of Julia Child's recipes in Mastering the Art of French Cooking, vol. 1 and, in her journey, she learns how to make a variety of dishes and confronts some of the most trying times of her life.  While it features a lot of cooking, Julie and Julia feels like it's more about the experiences of cooking and the results, specifically what happens to the author as she slogs through more than 500 French recipes, than the actual cooking, but I can't say I minded.

Julie and Julia is strangely heartwarming and incredibly amusing.  To me, it strikes just the right balance that makes it a memoir worth reading, especially if you have the chance to listen to the author tell her own story.  It makes it memorable.  However, I will note that while I was listening to the audiobook I discovered I borrowed the abridged version.  I don't know if the audiobook had the full text, but I do know I missed a few things that might otherwise have filled in details or fleshed out the characters involved.  It was my only disappointment in an otherwise wonderful book.

Read Harder Challenge (Part Six)

I'm working on my Read Harder Challenge again, and this time I decided to:

1. Read a book out loud to someone else
2. Read a book that is by an author from Southeast Asia
3. Read a book about politics, in your country or another (fiction or nonfiction)

Putnam

First off, I read Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson out loud to my boyfriend.  At first, I read a few pages to my dog, but she didn't seem particularly interested and, moreover, she apparently had better things to do.  My boyfriend, on the other hand, was a little more receptive and seemed to enjoy Lawson's crazy (figuratively speaking) memoir.

He and I both enjoyed reading Let's Pretend This Never Happened, because it was just so funny.  After reading Furiously Happy, which is fueled by Lawson's frenetic energy and her off-kilter sense of humor, Let's Pretend This Never Happened was familiar ground--and equally hilarious.  I loved hearing about Lawson's childhood, her struggle to become an author, and her struggle to acclimate to her various disorders.

It's really quite funny, and it's hard not to laugh at the seemingly random and entirely crazy things that have happened to the author.  But, be warned, some of her stories may be jarring or, more accurately, scarring.  I mean, the incident with Stanley the Magical, Talking Squirrel left me with a feeling of revulsion and horror that's hard to beat.  But the embarrassing (and traumatizing) experience involving Jenny and a particular cow does its best to rival it.

William Morrow

Next, I read Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo, a Malaysian author.  Set during the British colonization of Malay, Ghost Bride is an intricate and beautiful novel full of Chinese folklore and regional myths and Malaysian history.  The story revolves around Li Lan, a young woman from a poor aristocratic family, who finds herself confronted with an unusual proposal:  a spirit marriage to a young noble who recently perished.  But Li Lan has no interest in becoming a bride for a ghost.  In this haunting debut novel, Li Lan must fight for her freedom--and possibly her very soul--if she ever hopes to escape the clutches of the dead and marry the man she truly loves.

Li Lan was a lovely, dynamic narrator.  I found it interesting to see how she changed as a person from her experiences in the underworld and through her relationship with the mysterious, enigmatic Er Lang.  Li Lan did a wonderful job of explaining much of the customs and beliefs in Malay without overwhelming you by offering too much information or leaving you lost, unable to discern what is happening in the narrative.  It strikes a perfect balance, which I greatly appreciated.

Ghost Bride is a bit of an unusual story, yes, but it's absolutely fascinating.  I was enchanted by Choo's descriptions of the spirit world and the rules which govern them, by the intriguing (and, sometimes, terrifying), full-bodied characters she created, by the history of the Pacific nation.  In short, it's a wonderful book--and I absolutely loved it.

Last, I read The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli.  I was not impressed, let me say so now.  I know part of that is because I purchased a translation that was--well, let's say less than spectacular.  While I was reading, I noticed little mistakes.  Some were simple typos, but a few were glaring grammar mistakes.  It's almost like the original Italian text was just fed through Google and published even with the transcription mistakes.

Dante University 

Plus I was so bored ALL THE TIME.  (Sorry for the capitals, I just feel that statement needed extra emphasis.)  It took me literal weeks to finish reading The Prince, even though it was only 114 pages.  I just couldn't keep up with it.  I was bored by it after only a few pages, and I couldn't stand reading it after I realized I couldn't consider the text reliable.

It was terrible.

I finished the book only because I needed a book on politics as one of the requirements for my Read Harder Challenge.  But, honestly, I wouldn't subject anyone to my copy of The Prince.  I would read it again for a college course, if necessary; otherwise, I don't think I'd ever read it again if I didn't have to read it.

The World's Strongest Librarian

Gotham Books

The World's Strongest Librarian
Josh Hanagarne
2013

The Summary
"A funny, book-obsessed kid, Josh Hanagarne was born to Mormon parents in rural Utah.  He plotted escape to Piers Anthony's land of Xanth, freaked himself out with Stephen King's Pet Sematary, and fell feverishly in love with Fern from E.B. White's Charlotte's Web.

"Large for his age, Josh was playing the role of Tree in his elementary school play when he suddenly started twitching uncontrollably.  Turns out the tree had Tourette Syndrome.

"By the time Josh turned twenty, his tics had become too drastic to ignore.  Desperate for liberation, Josh tried all possible treatment:  well-intentioned chiropractic massage from a future convict; antipsychotic drugs that left him in a fog; even Botox injected directly into his vocal cords to paralyze them, which left him voiceless for two years.  The results were dismal.

"As his tics worsened, the list of casualties grew:  Josh's relationship with his girlfriend, his Mormon mission, his college career, countless jobs, his sense of self, and--slowly but relentlessly--his faith.

"It turned out to be weight lifting that provided the most lasting relief, as Josh learned to "throttle" his tics into submission in the weight room.  Under guidance from an eccentric, autistic strongman--and former Air Force tech sergeant and prison guard in Iraq--Josh quickly went from lifting dumbbells and barbells to performing increasingly elaborate feats (like rolling up frying pans and bending spikes).  What started as a hobby became an entire way of life--and an effective way of managing his disorder.

"At an imposing 6'7" and literally incapable of sitting still, Josh is certainly not your average librarian.  He is an aspiring strongman, bookish nerd, twitchy guy with Tourette Syndrome, devoted family man, and tearer of phone books.  A tall, thin paradox in thick glasses.  Funny and offbeat, The World's Strongest Librarian traces this unlikely hero as he attempts to overcome his disability, navigate his wavering faith, find love, and create a life worth living."

The Good
The World's Strongest Librarian is a sweet, amusing book that confronts the normal issues of life and Tourette's.  I found Josh Hanagarne's memoir both engaging and entertaining, a overall enjoyable story by an excellent writer.  He captures his own unique voice, conveying his humor and heartbreak through the pages as he struggles with religion, life, Tourette Syndrome, love, infertility, fatherhood and more.

It's insightful and humorous and completely candid, and it's sure to pluck at your heart strings.  He illuminates all the usual challenges with Tourette's, expressing his grief and his embarrassment and his feelings of futility, and he offers insight into all the difficulties in working for a library, but he keeps an upbeat attitude and tells his story with, I imagine, a grin.

It's also very well-written; more importantly, it's accessible.  His honesty lends a special quality to his work and allows him to write a particularly exceptional memoir that's full of life and vitality.  And I appreciated his love of books that were sprinkled throughout his work.  As an avid reader, I could relate to him through his love of books even if I couldn't always relate to his syndrome or his exercise routines.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Hanagarne's book.  It's memorable, fun, interesting, and vastly entertaining.  I especially loved his insight into the everyday workings of the Salt Lake City Library.  It reminded me of reading I Work at a Public Library by Gina Sheridan, and I enjoyed his stories of working as a librarian that left me reminiscing of my own experiences at the library.

Plus, I loved the acknowledgements page.  I know that might sound odd and, honestly, I usually don't pay much attention to acknowledgements, but I found myself cracking up as Hanagarne paid the usual thanks to friends and family and editors and others who have influenced his work--and left such an indelible mark on him.

I enjoyed it probably more than I should have.

The Bad
Sometimes, I thought The World's Strongest Librarian struggled with pacing.  It seemed to drag at different intervals and, moreover, it felt a little scattered.  I would occasionally mistake the present for the past, switching his current experiences as a librarian with his past experiences as a child or adolescent because certain sections were clearly defined.

I wouldn't consider it a deal breaker, merely a quirk to notice if you're reading Hanagarne's memoir.

The Ugly
Life is not always easy, or pretty.  In fact, it can be utterly heart-breaking and tragic.  After reading about his fight with Tourette's, his struggles with infertility and adoption, his personal agonies over religion, I found it's sometimes difficult to stomach it all.

Furiously Happy

Flatiron Books

Furiously Happy:  A Funny Book About Horrible Things
Jenny Lawson
2015

The Summary
"In Furiously Happy, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jenny Lawson explores her lifelong battle with mental illness.  A hysterical, ridiculous book about crippling depression and anxiety?  That sounds like a terrible idea.

"But terrible ideas are what Jenny does best.

"As Jenny says, 'Some people might thing being "furiously happy" is just an excuse to be stupid and irresponsible and invite a herd of kangaroos over to your house without telling your husband first because you suspect he would say no since he's never particularly liked kangaroos.  And that would be ridiculous because no one would invite a herd of kangaroos into their house.  Two is the limit.  I speak from personal experience.  My husband says that "none" is the new limit.  I say he should have been clearer about that before I rented all those kangaroos.

"'Most of my favorite people are dangerously fucked up but you'd never guess because we've learned to bare it so honestly that it becomes the new normal.  Like John Hughes wrote in The Breakfast Club, "We're all pretty bizarre.  Some of us are just better at hiding it."  Except go back and cross out the word "hiding."'

"Furiously Happy is a book about embracing everything that makes us who we are--the beautiful and the flawed--and then using it to find joy in fantastic and outrageous ways.  Because, as Jenny's mom says, 'Maybe "crazy" isn't so bad after all.'  Sometimes crazy is just right."

The Good
Furiously Happy is uproariously funny, brutally honest, completely candid, and absolutely absurd.  Jenny Lawson has a quirky sense of humor that sometimes borders on vulgar--no, rather she cross the line on vulgar and waves at you from the other side--but the shock value in her stories keeps them interesting and her ability to capture an unusual story, a tragic event, or a strange set of circumstances, makes her second book thoroughly hilarious and patently insane.

Lawson has a unique way of telling a story.  She frequently deviates from a set path, skipping merrily along, before she reverts back to the original narrative.  She distracts herself with new stories, but she has ADD, among other disorders, which explains quite a lot--and, I think, tends to make her storytelling interesting.

Her history might be a little fractured by her inability to stay focused, but I think she perfectly conveys herself and her story.  She shows her audience her real self and adequately characterizes her family and friends.  She really brings everyone to life, showing off their unique characteristics and attitudes, and offers extraordinary stories.

Like how her husband bought her a mounted bear head, which is when she learned he really did love her.  Or how her father stumbled across a stuffed giraffe and discovered a tribe of individuals with a love for ethically achieved, taxidermied animals, just like Jenny.  Or her strange penchant for hosting midnight cat rodeos.  Or her unusual encounter with a doctor who removed her gallbladder (an experience which, she claims, proves she's turning into a zombie one organ at a time).

I mean, you can't not laugh at the ridiculous, sometimes terrible things that happen to her and the equally terrible ideas that strike her fancy.  Altogether, it's a hilarious and irreverent romp through mental disorder, family drama, and horrible things that are inadvertently funny.

The Bad
I've already admitted it, Furiously Happy is an odd story.  Sometimes fragmented and just plain weird, it's a strange, scintillating and comically absurd memoir--but I absolutely loved it.  Lawson isn't a perfect author or even a perfect person, but I found her quirks, her struggles, and her unusual conversations with her husband and friends to be appealing.

It's funny, and it's relateable.

The Ugly
Mental illness isn't a pretty thing to witness.  Lawson had a way of making me laugh, which sometimes lessens the impact of witnessing her struggle with mental illness, but, as she points out, it's still "no fucking picnic."

Dad is Fat

Crown Archetype

Dad is Fat
Jim Gaffigan
2013

The Summary
"Have you ever read a book that changed your life?  Well, neither has Jim Gaffigan.  This may be because Mr. Gaffigan is lazy and has poor eyesight, or it may be because he has five very young children and lives in a two-bedroom apartment in New York City.  Yes, five children.  No, he only looks Mormon.  Jim is just like you:  busy, self-consumed, and exhausted.  The only difference that may be that Mr. Gaffigan is a comedian and very, very good-looking.

"I know what you are thinking.  Finally, another book from a comedian!  Finally, a book about parenting from a comedian.  Finally, another self-congratulatory book flap obviously written by the author.  Well, fear not, reluctant but probably book purchaser.  I'm not saying Dad is Fat is the book that will change the world, but there is strong consideration of having this book, the one you are holding, added to the New Testament.  Yes, that's right, the Bible!  All I have to do is get the pope on the phone and it's pretty much a done deal.  Anyone have his number?"

The Good
Full of laugh-out-loud stories that are sure to make parents and prospective parents giggle, Dad is Fat is both fun and funny.  It's cut into small, manageable bites, so you'll be able to read and enjoy his book even if you can't read it in one sitting.  I especially like that Jim Gaffigan manages to make his book sound just like an on-going comedy act.

No, really.

If you've ever listened to one of Gaffigan's shows on Comedy Central or Netflix, you'll recognize his voice in Dad is Fat.  It's a unique blend of sarcasm, storytelling and absolute absurdity that makes his stories hilarious and, in my opinion, gives him a singular narrative voice.

Basically, if you enjoy his brand of stand-up comedy, you'll enjoy his book.

The Bad
While I do think Jim Gaffigan is a funny guy, Dad is Fat felt like one, long stand-up show.  It's funny and, I'll admit, it kept me giggling from beginning to end; however, it has an almost repetitive quality to it.  It doesn't change and, after a while, it's humor starts to grow a little stale.

The Ugly
No complaints.  It's really very mild.  He's a "family-friendly comedian."

Well, more or less.  I'm not really sure if he identifies himself as being family-friendly.  I think he just sort of stumbled into the role.

A Street Cat Named Bob

Thomas Dunne Books

A Street Cat Named Bob
James Bowen
2012

The Summary
"A Street Cat Named Bob is an international sensation, landing on the bestseller list in England for fifty-two consecutive weeks and selling in twenty-six country around the world.  Now, James and Bob are ready to share their true story with readers in the United States.  This is a tale unlike any you've ever read, and Bob is a cat who possesses some kind of magic.

"When street musician James Bowen found an injured cat curled up in the hallway of his apartment building, he had no idea how much his life was about to change.  James was living hand to mouth on the streets of London, barely making enough money to feed himself, and the last thing he needed was a pet.  Yet James couldn't resist helping the strikingly intelligent but very sick animal, whom he named Bob.  He slowly nursed Bob back to health and then sent the cat on his way, imagining that he would never see him again.  But Bob had other ideas."

The Good
I was pleasantly surprised by A Street Cat Named Bob.  When I picked it up at the recommendation of a coworker, I was a little hesitant; however, I'm glad I took the opportunity to read it, because it is a great book.

Granted, I was originally attracted to Bowen's memoir since it featured a cat (and I love cats and dogs, if you can't tell from some of my other reviews) and I liked reading about his growing relationship with Bob, his ginger tomcat, but I think I also appreciated the way his story developed.  James Bowen is an excellent narrator and, with the help of Garry Jenkins, his character, his tone of voice--the qualities that make him unique as an individual--shine through the entire work.

I found the book was easy to read, full of remarkable little stories and memories that make it singularly satisfying.  It's a simple affair, straight-forward in its retelling of life with a stray cat, but it's so honest and earnest.  Bowen is a candid narrator, recounting all the hope and peril of day-to-day addiction recovery.

It's easy to get sucked into the story, like how pedestrians gravitate toward Bob when Bowen is "busking."  It's undeniable.  (And don't worry if you don't know what "busking" means right now.  Bowen is sure to fill you in.)  It's heart-warming and sweet--and I was so glad I had the chance to pick up A Street Cat Named Bob.

The Bad
I don't really have any complaints.  A Street Cat Named Bob is a solid story with an excellent set of authors.  Bowen and Jenkins work well together, creating a memoir that's surprisingly poignant and hopeful.  It's book that I highly recommend reading if you're an animal lover, especially if you're of the variety who have picked up Marley & Me.

The Ugly
Drug addiction, plain and simple.

A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent

Tor Books

A Natural History of Dragons:  A Memoir by Lady Trent
Marie Brennan
2013

The Summary
"All the world, from Scirland to the farthest reaches of Eriga, knows Isabella, Lady Trent, to be the world's preeminent dragon naturalist.  She is the remarkable woman who brought the study of dragons out of the misty shadows of myth and misunderstanding into the clear light of modern science.  But before she became the illustrious figure we know today, there was a bookish young woman whose passion for learning, natural history, and, yes, dragons defied the stifling conventions of her day.

"Here at last, in her own words, is the true story of a pioneering spirit who risked her reputation, her prospects, and her fragile flesh and bone to satisfy her scientific curiosity; of how she sought true love and happiness despite her lamentable eccentricities; and of her thrilling expedition to the perilous mountains of Vystrana, where she made the first of many historic discoveries that would change the world forever."

The Good
Dragons hold a special place in my heart.  Like Isabella, I've always loved them - from reading Eragon by Christopher Paolini to The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien to a more recent encounter with Rachel Hartman's Seraphina - and I have a suspicion that I always will.  So, as you might expect, I absolutely adored A Natural History of Dragons.

Finely crafted and thoroughly "researched," Marie Brennan's novels is a thrilling and enjoyable beginning to a new series.  I especially loved the attention to detail in A Natural History of Dragons.  Brennan is careful to make her characters - and dragons - believable, giving them qualities and characteristics that make them almost tangible.

Take Isabella, for instance.

As a scientist, Isabella makes observations and carefully documents the facts as she knows them.  She has a thoroughness and creativity that makes it easy to become immersed in her world, whether she's living in Scirland or adventuring in Vystrana.  She has such a unique voice, alternating between a young lady first making historic discoveries and an old woman reminiscing about her past, that it actually feels like a memoir.

Although Isabella is a scientist, her narrative isn't bulky or unwieldy.  She doesn't make her readers wade through a bunch of scientific gibberish or unfortunate anecdotes, she doesn't over inform her readers; rather, she explains without inundating her readers with facts, letting you join in without getting bogged down - and her intelligence and sharp wit shines through her work.  It's really, truly enjoyable to read her account of Vystrana.

And, if we're being honest, I absolutely loved the illustrations included in Isabella's account.  It gave her "memoir" a genuine feeling, like a field book or a diary, and it gave a face to the characters - as well as the dragons - and made them that much more tangible.

The Bad
I don't know that I have any complaints.  I thoroughly enjoyed A Natural History of Dragons.

The Ugly
Dragons are predators.  As such, they are dangerous and, moreover, they are deadly - and they will certainly prove it when they are in danger.

Hyperbole and a Half

Touchstone Books

Hyperbole and a Half
Allie Brosh
2013

The Summary
Taken from the award-winning blog of the same name, Hyperbole and a Half chronicles the musings (and misadventures) of Allie Brosh.  Simultaneously enlightening and hilarious, Brosh's graphic memoir is chock full of amusing anecdotes, enjoable asides, humorous stories (see:  "The Goose Story"), and psychological introspection that's sure to hit you right in the heart and, more importantly, cause uproarious laughter.

The Good
I absolutely adored Hyperbole and a Half.  I think I laughed the entire time I was reading.  With it's crude illustrations, blunt sense of humor, foul-mouthed narrator, and heart-breaking honesty, Brosh's novel is an absolute gem.  Granted, I liked some stories more than others (again, see "The Goose Story"), but I enjoyed the entire book and devoured it in a single night.

Brosh was honest and funny and, truthfully, entirely relatable as she recounted her experiences and shared her most intimate memories.  Her flaws - which I can say I share a number of them - are what make her real, make her so intensely accessible as an illustrator and a narrator.  She's an absolute joy to read, and she knows how to tell a story, which makes Hyperbole and a Half well worth reading.

The Bad
Truthfully, after I read about Allie's encounter with a rogue goose, nothing else could quite compare.

The Ugly
Allie Brosh is brutally honesty about her experiences.  She shows her readers that life isn't all about sunshine and rainbows.  Sometimes, its just rain clouds - and corn (which doesn't make sense now, but it will.  Trust me.)

-

For more on Hyperbole and a Half, check out Allie Brosh's blog:  http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/

Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog

William Morrow

Marley & Me:  Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog
John Grogan
2005

The Summary
"John and Jenny were just beginning their life together.  They were young and in love, with a perfect little house and not a care in the world.  Then they brought home Marley, a wiggly yellow furball of a puppy.  Life would never be the same.

"Marley quickly grew into a barreling, ninety-seven-pound steamroller of a Labrador retriever, a dog like no other.  He crashed through screen doors, gouged through drywall, flung drool on guests, stole women's undergarments, and ate nearly everything he could get his mouth around, including couches and fine jewelry.  Obedience school did not go good - Marley was expelled.  Neither did the tranquilizers the veterinarian prescribed for him with the admonishment, 'Don't hesitate to use these.'

"And yet Marley's heart was pure.  Just as he joyfully refused any limits on his behavior, his love and loyalty were boundless, too.  Marley shared the couple's joy at their first pregnancy and their heartbreak over the miscarriage.  He was there when babies finally arrived and when the screams of a seventeen-year-old stabbing victim pierced the night.  Marley shut down a public beach and managed to land a role in a feature-length movie, always winning hearts as he made a mess of things.  Through it all, he remained steadfast, a model of devotion, even when his family was at its wit's end.  Unconditional love, they would learn, comes in many forms.

"Is it possible for humans to discover the key to happiness through a bigger-than-life, bad-boy dog?  Just ask the Grogans."

The Good
I loved this book.  I loved every bit of it.

As an experienced journalist, John Grogan has an incredible skill with words and he has a wonderful story to tell that encompasses a universal human experience:  owning a rambunctious dog.  He describes Marley with such careful detail, making sure to catalog the usual problems that (most) pet owners experience and the simple joys of having a devoted dog in one's life.

Honestly, Marley & Me hits close to home.  Having owned pets for most of my life, I know exactly what kind of complications one can run into when owning a dog, especially an aging pet, but I also know how critical they are to our daily lives, how important they are to our hearts and, truthfully, our well-being.

Dogs can be an aggravation.  They slobber, they bark, they tear things up - staircases, bike pedals, wood trim, shoes, clothes, socks, books, and surely more - and they know how to make a mess; however, they are family.  They give us love and affection, joy and laughter.  They are our constant companions through life and, no matter the costs, we love them and care for them.

As Grogan pointed out, "A dog judges others not by their color or creed or class but by who they are inside.  A dog doesn't care if you are rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull.  Give him your heart and he will give you his."

And that's just about the best thing there is.

The Bad
I have no complaints about Marley & Me.  It's an exceptionally well-written story that appealed to me for its emotional depth and its ability to relate to the reader.

The Ugly
I cried.

I'm not joking.  I bawled like a baby at the end of this memoir, because, like the other members in the Secret Brotherhood of Dysfunctional Dog Owners, I know exactly what it's like to own a crazy canine and what it's like to lose one of the best friends you'll ever have.

44 Horrible Dates

Sourcebooks

44 Horrible Dates

Eddie Campbell

2012

The Summary
"What I have to tell you in this book will seem almost unreal.  But you are going to have to keep reminding yourself that these are real dates.

"For everyone who can empathize and knows what it's like to be on at least one crappy date, this book is for you.

"For everyone who wants that dinner back or sat through a boring, horrible movie only to determine that the person you were with was a complete and utter tsunami, this book is for you.

"For everyone else, buckle your seat belt and turn off your phone, because a massive car wreck is about to begin."

The Good
For the most part, I enjoyed Eddie Campbell's 44 Horrible Dates.  It's candid and shocking and, truthfully, it is like a massive car wreck - and I just couldn't look away.  I mean, some of the individuals he dated are absolutely horrifying.  It's just too gruesome to look away.

Some parts were funny:  Campbell is candid and blunt, and his brutal honesty paints a vivid picture that's sometimes hilarious, sometimes dramatic.  It's an interesting look at one man's love life as he struggles to meet the right the right person and, more importantly, discover for himself what he wants in a relationship.

The Bad

44 Horrible Dates wasn't a great book.  I had fun reading it, and I enjoyed it for the most part; however, I don't think that it was a great book.  A chunk of it felt like shock value, as if the writer was trying his hardest to scandalize his readers, and another chunk of it just felt like one long litany of complaints.

The Ugly
Some of Campbell's dates are awful - no, not just awful, but truly disturbing, disgusting, and alarming.  You have Pierre (aka the "Hot Dog"), of course, but then there's drugged up Roger (aka In-n-Out Burger) or Walter (I'll leave that one out to see for yourself) - and any one of the other 41 horrible dates that Campbell has had in his lifetime.

How to be a Heroine: Or, What I Learned from Reading Too Much

Vintage Books

How to be a Heroine:  Or, What I Learned from Reading Too Much
Samantha Ellis
2014

The Summary
"While debating literature's greatest heroines with her best friend, thirtysomething playwright Samantha Ellis has a revelation - her whole life, she's been trying to be Cathy Earnshaw of Wuthering Heights when she should have been trying to be Jane Eyre.

"With this discovery, she embarks on a retrospective look at the literary ladies - the characters and the writers - whom she has loved since childhood.  From early obsessions with the March sisters to her later idolization of Sylvia Plath, Ellis evaluates how her heroines stack up today.  And, just as she excavates the stories of her favorite characters, Ellis also shares a frank, often humorous account of her own life growing up in a tight-knit Iraqi Jewish community in London

"Here a life-long reader explores how heroines shape all our lives."

The Good
As an English major and lover of literature, I thoroughly enjoyed Samantha Ellis' memoir.  Clever, clear, and comical, How to be a Heroine is an absolute gem if you love reading - or, basically, if you just love the idea of a strong, female protagonists who can hold their own in a story.

I especially loved the insights that Ellis had to offer on her favorite heroines, her hopes and fears in taking to heart the lessons of these amazing ladies of literature.  She's candid about her reservations, insightful in her exploration of literature, and just plain fun.  She's a wonderful writer, an excellent storyteller, and a fantastic scholar.

I mean, even if you aren't a fan of literature, Ellis makes her book - and, subsequently, the books she reads - accessible to a larger audience.  She succeeds in making literature, even the dry and boring parts, truly fun.  (Of course, I may be biased.  I was an English major in college and this book is kind of perfect for me.)

The Bad
Honestly, I have no complaints.  Ellis is an excellent writer:  candid, vivid, descriptive, and otherwise fun and intriguing.  I might not have always had a background in the books she read, such as Wuthering Heights, which makes her writing a little less accessible.  But I believe that's mostly my fault as opposed to an actual problem with the book.

The Ugly
Spoilers.

If you don't want to spoil the ending of classic novels for yourself, don't read this book.  Ellis takes a long hard look at some of the most important and dynamic pieces of literature and, in her exploration, she examines everything from characters, plot, writing devices, and more.  Which means she will tell you how a story ends - which means if you were hoping to be kept in suspense a little longer, there's a very good chance you will find the ending spoiled.