Book Review: Overlap: The Heart of Happiness by Trevor J Petersen

Book: Overlap: The Heart of Happiness by Trevor J Petersen

Genre: Non-fiction (self help, psychology, etc.)

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

It's been awhile since I've actually done a true review here, but I wanted to feature this one a bit more than my norm has been lately. 

This book takes us on a journey to discover the ultimate path to finding happiness. The author first talks about all the ways he's tried, and failed, to find happiness, and then shares this idea that he's come up with called Overlap. He says that the most important thing with regard to being happy is to "overlap" with living things. He describes it like snorkeling... you can drive by the ocean without looking, or sit on the beach and observe, or maybe wade and get your feet wet... or... you can get in and see what's out there and go snorkeling! Passing, Spectating, Wading, or... Overlapping. This is the key to everything! 

He then lays out the "recipe" of 11 steps on how to do this. These include: opening up, valuing, empathizing, relishing, letting go, attending, participating, getting close (proximity,) intensity, netting (gathering) and giving. Each of these ideas gets a lot of space in the book for what exactly it entails with lots and lots of concrete and practical ways you can add overlapping to your life.

And everything is so thoroughly researched and referenced. With lots of stories and pictures to illustrate it all. It's amazing.

At some points I did think... but this is too hard! And what if I struggle to do stuff like this? And then he addresses those worries and concerns and encourages us all to get out of our comfort zone and live life. It's very inspiring and upbeat and awesome. 

And you might wonder what he means by living things, so he devotes a part of the book giving a detailed list on how he defines this. It's obviously people in our lives (and not just people we know of course, but strangers as well... talk to them!) but pets, ourselves, wisdom (literature and arts and music,) food, and nature. All considered living!

I really enjoyed the experience of reading this book and hope others trying to figure out life and how to enjoy it more will discover it and give some of these strategies a try. There's  A LOT to take in, but I think if we can do it just a little at time, and work on something day by day... we can do it!

December 2022 Books: Mini Review Catch Up

These are the books I read in December! Quite a few more than I normally read because I was really trying to make a push and meet that dang Goodreads goal!

And with this post I might be mostly caught up!

Atomic Habits by James Clear: I finally got to this one that pretty much the whole world has been talking about. And yes, I can see what all the fuss is about. It does lay out a plan for getting into good habits in a way that is very clear (ha clear....get it?) and relatable and that makes sense. I would love to implement something into my life, but I will probably just on about things and forget it all! I gave this one 4 stars on Goodreads.

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren: This was our for fun Christmas book club read and it was pretty perfect for that directive. Our girl goes on vacation with her family and family friends every year, but this year is different in that it might be the last time they are able to do this. And then something happens, everything starts over, Ground Hog Day style. And she gets a couple of tries to get things right and to help fix the issues that are making everyone so sad. It was heartwarming, romantic and fun. I totally enjoyed it. Three stars on Goodreads.

Secrets of the Looking Glass by J. Scott Savage: This an ARC I got from the publisher and it needed to be read in September when it came out. Gah, ooops! It took me awhile thank you to all of lives distractions and my terrible time getting anything read these days! It's the second in the Lost Wonderland Diaries series, which is a delightful fun sort of retelling (not really, but in that world) of Alice in Wonderland. It's so very clever and funny and full of fun riddles and the like. I feel like kids will enjoy it even more than I did! I gave it 3 stars on Goodreads.

Places We've Never Been by Kasie West: I got this one for Christmas and read it in a couple of sittings, because as you know, I love her stories! Another fun YA romance that takes place on a road trip through very familiar places to me. I love that. Our characters are friends, but time has elapsed and things are now on shaking ground. It's fun to see them rekindle things. "Friends, to enemies, to lovers!" I gave it 4 stars on Goodreads.

Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool: Another book I'm reading from my shelves that has been waiting forever. This one takes place shortly after WWII about a 13 year old who has been sent to a boarding school and he befriends a strange and interesting kid named Early, who teaches him all sorts of things about life. Together they go on a quest and navigate growing up. It's very heart warming and sweet. It won the Printz honor award. I gave it 4 stars on Goodreads. 

And that brings us to the end of 2022 reading! I think I might just do a monthly wrap up mini review post this year. And see how that goes. And here's hoping I read a TON more this year than last! 

Top Ten Tuesday: Series I’d Like to Start/Catch up on/Finish and the #ReadWhatYouOwnChallenge

 

Well this prompt is timely since I just declared my participation in Booktuber challenge that's kind of right along these lines! 

That challenge is to read (insert your choice of amount of books here) books from your own shelves before you BUY ANY MORE BOOKS! It's called #ReadWhatYouOwnChallenge. You know we've all done this kind of challenge before, but it's something I've been particularly thinking I need to do anyway. Like TRULY concentrate on doing it and see if I can feel just slightly less guilty about all the unread books around this house.

So I've been reorganizing my hoard of books and as part of that I pared down my TBR to the books I REALLY want to read next... here's that view now:

And so there are books on this shelf that are first or seconds (maybe even thirds and fourths?)  in series... and so it's THOSE that I want to catch up on first. Do you see them? Firefight, Goliath, Son, The Young Elites, Shadow Scale, The Gray Wolf Throne, Magic Study and Fire Study, Oathbringer (ha!), just to name a few. 

If you are interested in my video declaring my participation in the other challenge, here you go. Of course anyone can do this, so join in if you want!!

I'll also be reading Atomic Habits for Nonfiction November as part of this challenge. WAH! I have too many goals, I hope I can accomplish at least some of them!

Book Review: The YouTube Formula by Derral Eves

 Book: The YouTube Formula by Derral Eves

Genre: NF self help

Rating: ★ ★

I randomly ended up getting my hands on this book and was curious about what this dude had to say, so I read it. 

Let me first say I have seen/heard this guy at several conferences for Youtubing and while I can admit he is knowledgable and passionate, I just always get the impression that he struggles with how to actually TEACH his ideas. In these classes, I always get frustrated that he ends up talking about what great things he's done for other creators, but never really gets down to the nitty gritty of HOW he did it, or how things can apply to all creators, or a nice clear list of stuff to do. You know? It's so very frustrating.

Well, and of course, this book is the same way. I gathered a few intersting tidbits, but mostly it's just about experiences he's had in the youtubing world and how great it's all been. I could probably do a page or two of the bottom line tips he gives, whereas this book is like, 200 plus pages. WAH!

Anyway, it was fun to read and see how it's been done for all the popular people. Not much of it can I really use in my own experience and niche.  But some. Yeah, some. 

Youtubing is pretty much the weirdest thing. And all these experts can guess at how it happens, and what to do to make it better. But basically, people are going to click on whatever, and there's not a whole lot you can do to make them do anything different. 

My channel grew really fast and strong for the first couple of years, but then we changed directions a bit and that is a pretty big no no because your audience doesn't change with. It's so very frustrating. So now I'm in a place where I have to decide, do I keep going and try to find the viewers who like what I'm doing? or do I change directions again? Do I start over with something different? or do I just give it all up!

So, yeah, much more than any of you wanted to know about my youtubing struggles, but there you go. I've also been watching a lot of channels that talk about how to get better at this game, and those are interseting too and sometimes even motivating, but mostly, I just keep wondering why I'm even trying. 

It's because I love it I guess!

Anyone else out there reading this trying to do Youtube? Let's talk!

Book Review: Keep Moving by Maggie Smith

Book: Keep Moving by Maggie Smith

Genre: nonfiction  motivational

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

The subtitle for this one is "notes on loss, creativity and change." It all started when the author suffered through a divorce that devastated her. She started writing tweets to help herself get through things. And people really resonated with these tweets and so she compiled them into this book. Mixed throughout the tweets are snippets of her story and the struggles she's faced.

We read this one for book club and found out it wasn't the best to encourage a discussion. I enjoyed reading it and really related to a lot of the thoughts here. However, I didn't mark them and so it was hard to talk about, short of just flipping through the book and reading everything out loud.

Anyway. That being said, while reading it I would sometimes have to stop and really think about many of these thoughts... or affirmations I guess they are called. Some of them really hit home, even though I haven't had a big loss or anything. A lot of them had to do with just being good to yourself and allowing yourself to just keep plugging along despite the negative thoughts. And also how to keep fighting against negative thoughts. Something I deal with constantly. 

So, in the end, I really enjoyed it. Kind want to print up the ones I loved the most and put them where I can see them all the time. You know?

Book Review: They Called Us Enemy by George Takei

 Book: They Called Us Enemy by George Takei

Genre: Graphic memoir

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

This was the other book we read last month for book club. (If you've been paying attention, we've been reading two books per month through the summer. It's been an interesting endeavor!)  I found it to be very interesting in learning about what happened to George Takei's family during World War II and how they ended up in the interment camps. 

It's a great look from a young boy's point of view. He didn't understand a whole lot of what was going on, but he sure did feel the pain from his parents. He makes a big deal about the fact that he really questioned his father later on... and wanted answers to why they did what they did and suffered what they did.

But as a young boy, he adapted well and the whole experience was quite an adventure actually. And it turned out they felt very safe in these camps and built up quite the life for themselves. That was one of the most interesting parts to me... that once they were freed and let out to go about their lives again... that was almost a worse adjustment than going in. And they felt very afraid of everyone. 

But yeah. It's so depressing the way we all have treated each other over the years. And so scary that this sort of thing very well could happen again. I'm glad George Takei has taken this experience and made it sort of his life's campaign.

Anyway, another great book and story that I never would  have read except for book club! I love that!

Book Review: Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

Book: Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

Genre: autobiography/memoir

Rating:  ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

So I didn't really know what expect with this book, but wow, I really ended up loving it. I know this dude is popular out in the news/comedy world, but I don't really know him... I think I may have watched exactly one video of his. So I was like, hmm... do I CARE about his childhood? Other than it will be interesting to learn about South Africa?

Well, turns out he is a fabulous storyteller ( of course he is... thus the comedian in him!) and he can tell it like it is and with such heart and honesty. I really loved it. 

And at the end when we got to more about the relationship he has with his mom... yeah. That got to me. There was a little weepiness. I am a sucker for mom/son relationships.  

This is basically him telling stories from his childhood and a bunch of crazy memories of growing up in a very turbulent environment that is South Africa. He was still very young when Apartheid ended and we learn that meant things just got worse. But the biggest theme from all these stories is that he really struggled with where he fit in. He describes three groups of people: whites, blacks and coloreds. And he didn't fit in with any of them. So he would pick and choose depending on the situation. He has learned a ton of different languages, so he would pick and choose that also, depending on the situation. 

It's all quite fascinating. And sad. Also inspirational for celebrating the human spirit. 

Anyway, like I said, I really ended up enjoying it and it was quite eye opening to learn about. 

We'll be discussing this one in book club next week, stay tuned for how that turns out!

Book Review: The Body by Bill Bryson

 Book: The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson

Genre: non-fiction

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

This one was a book club read and I am actually surprised that the book club voted it in! A  hefty non-fiction? That's quite rare for us! But it was already on my shelf and I'm so glad to have had the push to actually read it, even though I was already intrigued enough to buy it. I started it late, with only about a five days before the book club deadline, and I read it fast and easy! How did that happen? 

Because, it was fascinating and kept me awake and interested, despite some detail that was very scientific and over my head. That's how! It was all just so fascinating.

Sadly, I didn't mark it up or take notes or stick post its in it to remember all the bits that really made me go... Oh really? And so writing a review is tricky because I can't list all these things. But just know, there were tons of them!

We learn a lot about the spreading of germs and viruses, which, as you might guess, is quite a timely subject. We go on a sort of journey through the body and learn how all the different thing work, eyes, ears, brain, heart, lungs, stomach etc... including all the organs we don't even know what they do. Everything! We are told stories along the way of strange and bizarre cases where people had really weird things go wrong. We are told about the scientists and doctors who studied all the different parts over the years, and about their breakthroughs and failures and crazy stories. We are told lots of crazy fascinating statistics and numbers that make us go WOW. And we are told many many scientific terms that is a lot to take in and process. 

All this with the humorous style that we should expect from a Bill Bryson book... and you'll know what I mean if you've read one. It's absolutely delightful. It makes me want to go and read every single one of his books. For real. He can make any subject interesting and relatable. I love that. I envy him his job and talent. How fun would this be? 

Let me give a little warning here though... if you are the type (like some people in my family) that will read something and then instantly think that you have that thing, or feel that symptom and imagine that problem in your own body, then this book isn't for you! If you are at all worried about the amount of germs around us and the craziness that more things don't go wrong with our bodies, then, this book might not be for you! It will put way too many ideas into your head!

Anyway, I feel just a touch smarter for having read this one, and a lot more appreciative of  my body, this thing I have that is quite a miracle even when I hate it and curse it all the time! We need to take better care of ourselves and our body will give back if we do. I am glad that I'm in the middle of this life style change as I read this because it made me feel much less guilty than I would have been otherwise... I am currently trying and I'll give myself a pat on the back for that!

 

Book Review: Educated by Tara Westover

Book: Educated by Tara Westover
Genre: memoir
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 

I've been hearing about this book for quite awhile now. When it lost in our book club voting I decided to not wait any longer and just read it now. And once I got started, I pretty much devoured it.

It's a story about the author's strange and crazy upbringing, and how she escaped it to finally go to school, and then she becomes an amazing scholar breaking all odds to even get a doctorate from Cambridge.

She grew up on a farm and junkyard in Idaho where her parents, but especially her dad, had some crazy ideas that included doomsday thoughts, paranoia, literally translations from the scriptures, and no fear of danger. They didn't believe in doctors, school, or things like getting birth certificates. Basically, he wanted to live off the grid where the government couldn't find him and stock piled food and weapons for the day they did.

The problems arise when he or someone in his family gets gravely injured and they just hope they get better with no help from the doctors. It happened so many times. Also, there's the issue of physical abuse from her brother which no one would believe. (She actually didn't tell anyone about it until later, but they all knew it was happening and just looked the other way.)

So when she was about 16 she decided she needed to get out of there, and the only escape was to go to college. So she studied on her own, stuff she'd never learned up till then, so she could take the ACT. And she need. And she passed. And she got in.

Coming to college was like stepping out into a completely different world and it took her a long while to adjust. But once she did, she embraced this new life, and would have liked to figure out how to mesh her two lives, but it turned out to be pretty impossible. She documents her struggle with that and how for nearly a year she did nothing but watch TV in the midst of her depression over it. So sad.

So, like I keep saying... it's very fascinating and there's so much to think about and talk about, but it's also quite depressing. It's hard to read about the rift between a daughter and her family... even if that family is crazy!

Among all the crazy things, it's a bottom line tribute to learning and how we have an innate desire to learn. And how if we don't go to school, at some point, we crave it. And how some people will do anything to get the education they want so bad.

I'm kinda sad our book club decided not read it because I've been so compelled to talk about it and everyone here is getting sick of me now!! LOL! I'm sure our book club discussion would have been quite interesting.

Let me know if you've read it and what you thought and if you too needed to talk about it a lot afterwards. :)

Book Review: The Girl With Seven Names by Hyeonseo Lee

Book: The Girl With Seven Names by Hyeonseo Lee
Genre: NF Memoir
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 

What a fascinating story. And totally different from the one I read a while back of the boy who also got out of North Korea. (Every Falling Star.) Different and yet the same.

In this situation, our girl is part of a quite well off family. During the famine, they had food. They had things. They had each other. (In the other story, the boy was starving and his whole family disappeared when he was only 12.)

And when it came time to "escape" I found it interesting that she did it accidentally. She simply walked across the ice on the river to have an adventure before she turned 18. The guard on the North Korean side liked her, so he helped her. And passed her off into the hands of a dude on the China side that knew her and he helped her from there. It was so easy!

But once she got to China, it got crazy. Her mom (who had no idea she was doing this, she totally sneaked out without her mom knowing) called her (because she was at her relative's house) and told her to not come back. That she was going to report her missing and do not come back!

So her adventure that was supposed to be for a day, turned into more than 10 years. All this time she thought she would be going back home at some point, but then finally realized that she should just go to South Korea once and for all. (South Korea was the enemy, so this was a hard thing to decide!) And she was able to get a real passport and just flew there and said, hey, here I am!

I am making light because like I said, it was easier for her than for some because she had a LOT of connections. Even though she suffered a lot during those 10 years and had to continuously change her identity and continuously run from the cops and be on her guard all the time.

But the real craziness comes when she convinces her mom and brother to join her. She thought she had it all planned out but then everything went wrong. This is the part of the story where I was especially on edge and forgetting to breathe. Seriously, the crap they went through is CRAZY!

And after all that was over, they both (the mom and brother) wanted to go back!! This is what is also so interesting to me, that the life in South Korea which should seem so blissful to them, is not really, since they are used to things so totally different. The mom wanted to die at home, and the brother left his girlfriend there and that was HARD. So hard. Anyway.

Still, the biggest eye opening thing is just reading about what life was (is?) like in North Korea. It's crazy that people live like that. Even the "well off " ones like our girl's family. It's so hard to imagine that one person, essentially, can turn a country into this. The author of this book makes a point that it's because the people there believe they have no rights. So they do nothing about it. If they realized that they actually have rights, they would rise up and revolt. But they don't believe it, so they don't.

In her new life, she has begun to fight for their rights. And has been doing all sorts of things to that end. She has become famous talking all over the place. She rose to fame especially after she gave a TED talk about five years ago. Here's that:




Other observations. The nature of people... there are some amazing instances in her story where strangers totally helped, and without them, the end of this story would have been totally different. There are some really bad people in the world, but there are also some really really good people. Also, I am impressed at how South Korea deals with the people coming from the North. They have a holding spot where they basically introduce them to the world and teach them how to live in society before they turn them loose. It might seem weird at first, but it's really amazing how they take care of them. They even get money for a time as they are trying to find a job and get on their feet.

Anyway. There are a ton books of  North Koreans telling their stories. And I'm sure they will all be different and yet the same. I really hope that some day the situation changes and that the dreams of all these people will come true and that the two Koreas can be united and families can all be together without fear.

Book Review: The Marriage Bureau by Penrose Halson

Book: The Marriage Bureau by Penrose Halson
Genre: NF WWII
Rating:★ ★ ★

We read this one for book club. It was interesting because it was like our libraries hadn't even heard of it. That's not normal! But I requested them to purchase a copy and now they have one! LOL! Anyway.

The author of this one took over a marriage bureau aka. dating service based in London back a few years ago and became so fascinated with the history of this business that she decided to write a book about it documenting how it got started and highlighting some stories surrounding it.

It started a few years before WWII when our girl Mary was struggling to find her place in life. Several marriage proposals of her own didn't pan out and she bounced from job to job never really settling. Her uncle who lived in India planted an idea in her head that she decided to run with, and to get her friend Heather on board.

So that's how The Marriage Bureau get set up, in a small office in London, with the intent to help people who wanted to get married, but didn't really have time to go through the whole process of finding each other. It was a booming business from the very start!

They had clients fill out information about themselves, and about who they wanted to date. They interviewed them and had a secretary type up all the things. And then basically they could memorize everyone in their system and when someone came in looking for a certain type, they could match people up! The clients paid a small fee to register their information, and then a bigger fee if they got married.

We follow them through the break out of the war, and all the sad stories that happened with that. We follow them through changes and moves and new people added to the business. We learn about many different people and their stories and how they found each other through this bureau. We follow them until they have their 10th anniversary and have a party to celebrate, inviting all the people that they matched up. So much fun!

The thing I loved about this book was the fact that it confirms that everyone has a story. These were all "normal" people, living ordinary lives, but they they all had a story, something interesting enough about them that made this book feasible to write. And something interesting enough about them that we were always left wanting more. That was the biggest complaint people had a book club was that they wanted MORE... a follow up... for these stories. Sometimes we were left hanging a bit!

But for the most part it was great fun reading this book. It was written in a more newspaper-y format, not really a novel narrative, and I think I might have liked it more had it been less... newspaper-y. But still, I enjoyed it very much. Very fun to see how this dating service type business flourished even back in the day... and how this business actually still exists today, despite the invention of computer matching sites.

Book Review Thoughts: I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

Book: I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
Genre: Memoir
Rating: ★★★★☆


It's a crazy story, this one about a girl who was shot in the head on her way home from school in Pakistan. But the complication of the politics of the story as made me always shy away from reading this book. But since we are discussing it tonight for book club, I managed to read it!

And yes, my prediction was correct. While fascinating for the most part, the politics of this region and all the things going on here make my head spin. It's so complicated and hard for me, a person with little or no political sense, to grasp. The culture bits are fascinating and yes, the culture is wrapped up deeply in the politics.

But mostly, while reading... I just kept thinking... BUT WHY??? WHY WHY WHY? It's so hard to understand!!!

I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Malala though and find her rise to fame (even before the incident) to be interesting. To do the things she and her father did in the face of all the crap going on over there is pretty incredible.

And then I find the fact that she survived this shooting to be even more amazing. I think she survived because she was able to get some special treatment... I think if she had just been a "normal" kid with no ties to the right people, she would have not made it. Which makes one ache for all the normal kids.

The other thing I found interesting is that I was so relieved for her and her family when after the shooting they found themselves living in England, totally free to do whatever they wanted! No more fear! But still, they weren't happy because they missed their home and culture and friends so bad. What a hard hard thing.. to be torn between the familiar on one hand and freedom on the other. I really hope this country gets it figured out soon so people can live happily ever after there once and for all. I'm not sure it's ever going to happen.

Bottom Line: Everyone should read this I think, if only to understand the fear and terror the people have to deal with in that part of the world.

Other Reviews:

I love how down to earth Malala and her father sound, yet they are making an extraordinary difference in their country. From One Librarian's Book Reviews

The way her story was told was very grounded in reality, very humble. This is one girl's story. And, yes, in some ways she is extraordinary. But in other ways she's ordinary too. From Becky's Book Reviews

...but most importantly, this is a record of a little girl's triumphing over the Taliban, and that, in my opinion, is a great read anytime. From Reading on a Rainy Day

Despite her youth, Malala is already a true hero, but her work is far from done yet. From The 3R's Blog

Book Review Thoughts: Smile by Raina Telgemeier

Book: Smile by Raina Telgemeier
Genre: Graphic Memoir
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

In an effort to read more widely, the book club has been adding graphic books to our lineup recently. This particular book is our February choice. It's one I've seen floating around for years, I remember it way back from my book fair days, which was a long time ago! It's fun to finally read it!

Basically, the author who is an amazing artist, has illustrated and documented her middle school years, which are defined by the fact that she has to get major orthodontic work because of an incident where she fell and knocked out her front teeth. It does sound quite traumatic and had I been her, I wouldn't have suffered through it quite as well as she did I'm afraid.

And her friends! Sheesh, what terrible friends! I was happy to see that even as a kid, she realized this pretty quickly and made changes. I think most kids would have just been devasted and wallowed in self pity.

It was fun to see the historical and cultural references she made to stuff going on in the world. This was during my "lost years" where I wasn't paying attention to much of anything since I had just entered my life as a mommy with little babies. So while I can't say totally that I related, I did enjoy experiencing it with her.

Bottom Line: I found it to be very fun and a fabulous way to preserve a bit of one's life story!

P.S. I was so happy to see they included a real life picture of the author as she looks today... smiling! So we could see how her smile turned out all these years later!

Other Reviews:

Something I love the most about this book - well, maybe it's just Raina Telgemeier - is the power of storytelling through comics, even stories from your own life. From The Blue Bookcase

What I really love about this book is how well Telgemeier captures tween angst. The accurately portrays many of the struggles tween girls are faced with, from fake friends to body image issues. From The Reading Zone

I really liked the artwork; it’s pretty straightforward panel-based narrative, but I like Telgemeier’s style of drawing, and the book is really bright and colorful throughout. From Fyrefly's Book Blog

I really enjoyed the nostalgia I felt while reading. From Jenni Elyse

Book Review Thoughts: The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

Book: The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
Genre: Non Fiction
Rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

We voted this in for book club reading since everyone had heard such awesome things about it. We heard it was sad, but we heard it was good too.

Well. The sad part was true. As for the good part... I'm not so sure.

In this book, the author rambles on about the death of her husband the year before... and the sickness of her adult daughter, both of which hit at the same time. She goes through her thought process every step of the way, how she relived that night over and over, how everything she saw sent her down a memory vortex, how she believed it wasn't real and that he would come back, how if only she had done such and such a thing, it wouldn't have happened, how everyday she remembered what they were doing the year before on that day when he was still alive. And so on.

I think for people who have gone through similar events, knowing how this particular person got through it might ease some of their pain. Maybe it would help for them to know that they aren't the only one with such thoughts.

She also did a lot of research on the grieving process and threw in a bunch of psychology. For some, this might help them. For others, I'm sure it just sounds like a bunch of craziness.

There was also lots of medical talk, and reminiscing about connections with people who's names had no meaning or basis for me. Those parts I tended to truly skip over.

Bottom Line: I imagine some would find the book helpful and interesting, but I was baffled through the whole thing that it got such astounding praise and won awards and things. I just didn't get how a rambly book like this rises to such heights. Very interesting.

Other Reviews:

The only thing I found even a little insightful was at the beginning, when she talks about grief being a mental illness rather than some temporary condition. From Confessions of a Bibliophile


I guess my point is to not go into this book thinking that it’s going to be easy. It’s absolutely worth it — this was a fantastic book — but it can be emotionally difficult to read. From Sophisticated Dorkiness

Readers won’t find any self help for grieving here but might recognize the various stages of grief and take comfort that they’re not alone in them. From Dear Author

It’s beautifully written, deeply personal, and incredibly moving. From S. Krishna's Books

Book Review Discussion: Boxers and Saints by Gene Luen Yang

Book (s): Boxers and Saints by Gene Luen Yang
Genre: Graphic Historical (these are shelved in the history section at the library. I found that interesting.)
Rating:★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
For: the readathon
From: the library

Short Synopsis: This is the story of the Boxer Rebellion in China that took place right around 1900 between the Chinese and the Catholics. In Saints, we get the story from the POV of a girl who has been converted to the church and ends up wanting to fight in the cause. She never really gets a chance and is (SPOILER) killed defending her faith. In Boxers, we get the story from the POV of a kid who's brothers start a group that becomes a force in the rebellion and who hunts down the Catholics that are destroying their culture. Sadly, his story doesn't go to far either.

My Response: It's a pretty gruesome tale and so frustrating as you can see both sides. And it just makes you want to scream.. why can't people get along and let each other do their thing?? It's madness! It was fun to learn about this event, as I knew nothing at all before hand. Some of the stuff, especially in Boxers, was a bit mystical and complicated and went over my head (especially as I was trying to read fast for the readathon!) but the feeling came across in a huge way.

Bottom Line: Amazing medium to use for teaching us about this historical event. Brilliant even. I totally enjoyed it.

Let's Talk About: Do you know about this event in history? Would you read a graphic novel to learn stuff like this? (I guess most of the graphic novels I've read have actually been non-fiction historical. Interesting that.)

Other Reviews:

But taken together, these books are present an interesting, engaging read that brings up a lot of interesting ethical questions about the nature and cost of war. From Fyrefly's Book Blog

This is what makes Boxers and Saints really work - Yang manages to draw sympathies to each character without having to jeopardize the plot. He shows how there is right and wrong on both sides of the fences, just as it is with most wars, and it is never possible to look at this event and pinpoint who was to blame. From Reading on a Rainy Day

Yang is a master of employing visual and narrative techniques that bring the characters and their struggles to life. From Estella's Revenge

Highly recommended, this graphic novel duo has a place in every library collection. From Walking Brain Cells

Book Review Discussion: As You Wish by Cary Elwes

Book: As You Wish by Cary Elwes (subtitle: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride)
Genre: NF Memoir
Rating:★ ★ ★ ★ ★
For: Fun
From: Bought at the book signing

Short Synopsis: If feel like I've talked your ear off about this book already, but have yet to do an official review. So, as you know I'm sure, this book is about Cary's experience being picked for and then acting in the wonderful 1987 movie, The Princess Bride. It starts when he describes how he got chosen for the part and all the feelings he had. He was a mere 23 years old or so! And then he describes meeting all the other actors and what they were like. Of course, he tells many interesting incidents and stories about shooting the movie and what life was like on the set. Awesome!

My Response: Awesome! Ha. I have gushed and gushed already about this book, but this is all mostly because I've been such a huge fan of this movie from day one when it came out in the theater. So to have this behind the scenes look has been a blast for me and then on top of that to have met and seen this actor twice this past year and get a feel for what he's like (which is way different from what I'd thought all these years by the way!) has just been stuff to gush about.

Some fun stories I loved from the book to tease you with:

• when Cary broke his foot and limped through a few scenes.
• when Cary meet and fell instantly in love with Buttercup
• when Andre let loose some gas during a scene and everyone couldn't stop laughing
• when Mandy (Inigo) and Cary practiced their guts out for the "world's best sword fight."
• when one of the ROUSs was arrested the night before his big scene
• the awesomeness of filming in a real life castle
• the not so awesomeness of filming in English weather
• singing on the set with Mandy, Rob Reiner and Chris Sarandan
• when Cary laughed so hard at Billy Crystal that they had to bring in his rubber dummy to stand in for the scene
• how the Fire Swamp is the first scene they shot and the sword fight is the last. Interesting.

And on and on it goes. 

Bottom Line: I've said it before and I'll say it again, if you love the movie, you'll love this book. I promise.

Let's Talk About: What's your opinion on actors writing a book on their experiences? I must admit, when I first heard he was doing this, I sort of rolled my eyes and felt skeptical. Well, in the end, it was too fun to pass up!

Other Reviews:

As You Wish is a love letter to a film that really has stood the test of generations - and as a fan myself, that made this audio a great listen. Knowing what I know now, I have to go watch the movie again. From The Book Nest

His book is not a self-serving bit of megalomania (a worry I had since it is written by a Hollywood star!) but more of a tribute and a very touching personal recollection of what could be described as the best job of his life. From Beth's Book Nook Blog

One of the things that shines through the pages is how beloved André the Giant (André Rous­si­moff) was. The author seems to genuinely like André, as well as much of the crew, and the stories about him are both endearing and entertaining. From Man of la Book

The biggest surprise for me was how much training the actors had to have for the big sword fight scene. From At Home With Books

The sword fight, just for fun:

Book Review Discussion: Hunt for the Skinwalker by Colm A. Kelleher and George Knapp

Book: Hunt for the Skinwalker by Colm A. Kelleher and George Knapp
Genre: NF 
Rating:★★★☆☆
For: Fun and research
From: The library

Short Synopsis: So there's this ranch in Utah. They call it Skinwalker Ranch. Some people lived there for years. Then they sold it to some other people. Those people could only take it for not even a couple of years before they had to leave. The first part of this book is an account of the stuff that happened to them  (the first people never talked about it) and why they left. They then sold it to a dude who wants to do research, spacey science fiction sort of research. So some specialists were hired to track and analyze and maybe try to figure out the stuff that's going on here. The second part of the book is their experience and findings.

My Response: I found this stuff to be very very creepy. Scary even. Crazy. Weird. Phenomenal. It's fascinating to me actually. But let me just say that nothing freaks me out more than talk of aliens. And that's what all this is about. The myth or legend of the skinwalker, which is why I wanted to read this book in the first place, is barely mentioned. This land is named that because the Native Americans consider the ground cursed and they call it "the path of the skinwalker." While the legend of the skinwalker is touched on, the stuff that happens here really doesn't seem connected to anything Native American at all. It's more about strange lights, many many UFOs, cattle mutilations, worm holes, invisible creatures, wolves that can't be killed, things that happen and yet leave no trace or evidence behind, and lots of poltergeist activity. It's pretty crazy! And it creeps me out!

Bottom Line: Interesting stuff but I ended up skimming over the second part of the book as all the things I wanted to know about were already touched on. If you are fascinated with aliens and extra terrestrial activity and possibility, you should definitely give this book a try.

Let's Talk About: So... what's your feeling an the possibility of aliens living among us? Do you think worm holes (portals to other places or demensions) could actually exsits? What's your level of skepticism when it comes to this sort of thing? Do you think it's all totally bogus? I want to know!!!

Other Reviews:

Only with a lot of critical research will anyone be able to work out exactly what went on here. From Magonia

It’s impossible to sort out the true from the confused and enhanced, but the essence of it is—if even a few of these things truly occurred, there is something about this site that was ideal for weirdness. From Ghost Hunting Theories

Book Review Discussion: Maus Vol. II: And Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelman

Book: Maus Vol.II: And Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelman
Genre: Graphic Memoir
Rating:★★★★☆
For: Fun 
From: Bought for my daughter for school years ago

Short Synopsis: This one started where the other one ended, with our family getting thrown into Auschwitz. We are taken through all the experiences they had here, being separated, figuring out ways to see each other, using skills to his advantage and how much it helped, and sometimes hurt, all the worries about the ovens and the showers. And how it all ended.

My Response: I loved the flashing back and forth between the dad "now" as an old grandpa and dealing with his son and his wife that left and old age, and the dad as the young guy surviving in a concentration camp. The contrast is really amazing between the onery old guy and the competent and resourceful young one. Anyway, such a sad and crazy story, as they all are and once again I'm always left wondering how people made it through these things. I truly did enjoy this graphic art way to tell the story. Quite effective really, and I was surprised how well I actually enjoyed this method.

Bottom Line: Read this.. first the first one and then the second. Just do it.

Let's Talk About: The old Vladek is pretty ornery and mean. But do you blame him? How would you expect a survivor of the Holocaust to act during the rest of their days? I mean... really.

Other Reviews:

Overall, however I think this set of novels is unmatched when it comes to the history of WWII from the perspective of the common Polish Jew. I will be forever marked by it. From You've GOTTA Read This!

Spiegelman adds to the documentation of Holocaust survivors with his father's story, and in the end, makes the story even more real by including a copy of an actual photo of his father. From Bookish

Reading it reminded me of an interview I did with a holocaust survivor when I worked at a daily newspaper. I remember being shocked by how angry he was. In my naïveté I assumed he would feel only gratitude for the fact that he survived, but there are some wounds that you can never truly forgive. From Avid Reader's Musings

If you thought the first one was heart-felt and moving, wait until you get to this one. From Becky's Book Reviews

Book Review Discussion: Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

Book: Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
Genre: NF Memoir
Rating:★★★★★
For: book club
From: I read a library copy, but I have my own book too!

Short Synopsis: Louis Zamperini was a wild child... but when his brother got him into running he was able to focus his energy and he became one of the best runners ever. He went to the 1936 Olympics after only training for a couple of years. He had dreams of going back in 1940 and taking the gold. But before that could happen, WWII started and Louis enlisted and became a bombardier, flying in planes over the Pacific. One time when he was asked to go on a search for a missing plane, his own plane also went down. He, along with two other guys, survived on a raft for 47 days (well, one of the other guys didn't make it.) And then, he was captured by the Japanese and held as POW for two years. He did make it home, but he never made it back to the Olympics.

My Response: Wow, what a story! It's taken me so long to get to this one and I feel bad about that...but we've had plans for years to read it for book club and so I was waiting until that happened. It finally happened! And just in time for the movie this Christmas! I knew the story would be a pretty unbelievable one but still, I was surprised at the things this guy had to endure and am so impressed that he came out of it so well. I found it interesting that he still struggled, that it took him four years or so of crap before he could pull himself out it and live again. It's quite the inspirational story.

The writing is amazing too and I will read anything this author writes. She blows me away with her ability to take a story and make it so readable. And all with such thorough and overwhelming research. I don't know how she does it. I wonder what subject she'll be writing on next?

Bottom Line: Everyone should read this. Everyone. If you have't done it already, put it one your list!

Let's Talk About: If you HAVE read this book, what's the most amazing thing you think he had to survive? The POW stuff? The sharks? Being shot at? Starving? Disease? What's the biggest worst thing? It's hard to pick, don't you think?

Here's Louis with Angelina Jolie who directed the movie.
He died just this past July at 97 years old. 

Here's Louis the runner. 

Here's Louis going to war.

And here's Louis finally coming home, hugging his mom.
This picture makes me tear up!

Other Reviews:

Hillenbrand is a gifted author, one who carefully uncovers the essence of what it means to be human in the face of cruelty, degradation, and hopelessness. Although graphic at times, I could not stop reading this amazing book. From Caribousmom

I admit I wondered if there was some exaggeration in the book, too, but by all accounts the author did flawless research. From Books on the Brain

You will want to cheer for Louie; cry for him; fight for him; and save him. From Alison's Book Marks

What I didn't quite expect to be as emotional was the final section which focuses on his return to the States after the war is over. Those months and years where he had to get on with his life, to return to a "normal" life, his mental and emotional struggles. From Becky's Book Reviews

Here's the trailer for the movie which looks amazing and makes me weepy especially after reading the book:

Book Review Discussion: Laughing At My Nightmare by Shane Burcaw

Book: Laughing at my Nightmare by Shane Burcaw
Genre: NF Memoir
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
For: Review
From:  Received for free from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. (Released Oct. 14, 2014)

Short Synopsis: Shane, the author of this book, was born with spinal muscular atrophy that causes his muscles not to grow or work. This book is his story and how he's lived his life so far (he's only 22 years old or so) with an amazing positive outlook... by laughing and using humor to get through it all. Lots of stories. Lots of jokes. Lots of stuff to think about. This whole thing began after Shane started a blog one day, posting silly and funny things that he has to deal with. It became hugely popular and has now grown into a non-profit organization to help people overcome adversity by using humor.

My Response: I really enjoyed this! Granted, it has some cursing language here and there, and some sex talk and some lewd and crude stuff... but still. It's Shane just saying how it is, you know? And answering, basically, all the hard questions that people will be wondering about. So beware of that if that sort of thing makes you leery, but that being said, the message here is to live your live, no matter what it hands you, with a positive outlook. We all need this message. And the thing is, when all of us "normal" people read this (normal meaning someone who can get up and walk around whenever we want) it will be awfully hard to find ANYTHING to complain about afterwards. It will make you look at your life in a whole new light. And one more thing... can I just say.. his family is amazing. AMAZING I tell you! I mean, he talks about them a lot and you can tell he appreciates them, but I think we need to make a huge deal about how totally awesome they are. 


Bottom Line: I totally enjoyed it and took from it this message... JUST LAUGH! :) 

Let's Talk About: The power of positive thinking. Do you believe in it? Can simply thinking "I can do this thing" really help? Can the opposite be true? If you think so much "oh woe is me, I can't" actually make it come true? I tend to thing so, yes. I think it's an amazingly powerful thing!

Other Reviews:

Shane handles his situation with humor and a "you-only-live-once" perspective on life. From Teen Reads

There are so many morals you can discuss in this book, that I kind of wish I could study it in school. From Boarding with Books


And finally, here's a little look at how this all got started and what made me want to read his book: