Monday Moments - All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert

 All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert is a stunning memoir about love, passion, abuse, craving, and redemption. 

cover blurb : In 2000, Elizabeth Gilbert (author of Eat, Pray, Love) met Rayya Elias. They became friends, then best friends, then lovers - a pair of addicts on a collision course to  catastrophe.  Self-destructive tendencies became the unstable partner.  What if your most devastating heartbreak opened  a pathway to your greatest awakening? 

I have to say this was amazing, frustrating, annoying, and yet compelling to read. I don't think I would have  liked these two in person when they were fighting - way  too intense. Rayya sounds like an intriguing person who could be way, way too much.  Elizabeth Gilbert can be almost too into herself (in my  opinion). And Yet......I found myself turning  pages, shaking my head, and fascinated at watching the trainwreck. Then sad for the finale.  

This would not be everyone's cup  of tea,  but I'm glad I read it (yeah, I sorta speed read through a lot). 

Monday Moments - Margaret Atwood

Margaret Atwood

('nuff said)

Her Book of Lives, A Memoir of Sorts is almost six hundred pages.  It's a weightlifting challenge for the arms. It's a mind blowing challenge for the  brain. 

cover blurb - Atwood unfolds the story of her life, linking key moments to the books that have shaped our literary landscape, from the cruel school year that would become Cat's Eye to the unease of 1980s Berlin, where she began The Handmaid's Tale. 

As she explores her past, Atwood reveals more and more about her writing, the  connections between real life and art - and the workings of one of our greatest imaginations. 

I enjoyed this memoir immensely. Yes,  I  skimmed a bit on some of her parents' history, and sometimes there was almost too much detail on  some camping  trips. But, all in all, this  book is a hoot.  She has  a wicked sense of humor, knows how to convey it on  the page, and I could sense the  twinkle in her eye as she added to this life tale. 

Too many great little turns of phrase to copy here. I chuckled out loud at times. I  was also amazed at her steadfast energy and honor in the craft of writing.  I appreciated her Canadian background, fortitude, and I think it counts for a lot in her makeup.  She's  a tiny person but a force of nature. She had a great love (Graeme) and that shines through. She absolutely knows who she is and does not buckle.  And she's still writing.  She has opinions on the current state of the world. 

She is Margaret Atwood.    'nuff said.      Read her  works and be astonished. 
 

Finally Friday - Rebel Rising by Rebel Wilson

 cover blurb - From the scene stealing star of Pitch Perfect and Bridesmaids comes a refreshingly candid, hilarious, and inspiring book about her unconventional journey to Hollywood success and loving herself. 

Rebel Rising by Rebel Wilson is an excellent memoir. I felt, as I read it, that she  was just hanging out on the  patio and talking to me. Quite a life. From Australia, a shy girl who just knows she's different and blossoms when acting. Incredibly poor, she becomes single mindedly focused on whatever task is at hand. She's enterprising. She plays tennis. She gets a law school degree. She has a gap year  time in  South Africa, and a bout of malaria.

She is candid about  her weight, the journey in regards to her health. 

She is candid about her late blooming love life. 

She is  really, really funny and I read this book with her Aussie accent in my  head. Plus she's far from done - she's  producing, directing, and acting. She's a rebel with  plenty to say. 

Monday Moments Memoir - Eric Roberts

 Do you remember the first time you saw the actor, Eric Roberts, on screen?  His big break was King of the  Gypsies and he was gorgeous. And he could act, just  popped  from the screen.  Star 80, Pope  of Greenwich  Village, Runaway Train, and so many more. 

Runaway Train (or  the  story of my life so far) by Eric  Roberts (with Sam Kashner) is a no holds barred memoir.  cover blurb - In this brutally candid memoir, Academy Award and Golden Globe nominee Eric  Roberts pulls  no punches about  the ups  and downs of his career and his sometimes stormy relationship with his younger, more famous sister, Julia. 

Crazy childhood in Georgia, controlling abusive father. 

Seventeen - off to New York  City - worked and partied with the likes of Christopher Walken, Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis, Robin Williams

Hot star of  the era, affairs with famous actresses. 

Dark side of drugs - way too much cocaine and a horrifying  car  accident

Eric  Roberts has lived to tell the tale of his  life up to now - he is 66.  An actor's actor, he's worked with the best on stage and  screen, he's still active and in the game, and he's still working on his demons. 

I enjoyed the memoir and his sense of humor. What  a crazy life! (so far)

Monday Moments - Written in the Waters by Tara Roberts

 Written in the Waters by Tara Roberts was a fun find in the library. I meandered over to the biography/memoir area and this one caught my eye. What a reading journey!

cover blurb - This lush memoir is the epic story of one woman's life changing journey across three continents to confront the reality of the global slave trade - and find her place in the world. 

Tara Roberts is a National Geographic Explorer in Residence. She documents shipwrecks that once carried captive Africans during the Transatlantic Slave Trade. She leads a podcast series Into the Depths, and was the first Black woman explorer to grace the National Geographic magazine. 

It was a fortuitous day when she discovered a scuba group, Diving With a Purpose, which helps  document the wrecks of ships. Her life became one of discovery for history itself, and for own self history - the stories of her ancestors. 

cover blurb - Tara Roberts joins a cadre of new writers who draw on personal and cultural records to open readers' eyes and hearts. She weaves together the voices of past and present to tell a deeper story of Black identity. 

A complete eye  opener  for me.  I learned  a lot from her travels to Africa, the Virgin Islands, Costa Rica, and home in Atlanta, and the deep South.

p. 248 a friend gives her a quote that is  true to her feelings:  To be African American is to be African without any memory and American without any privilege        

Whoa - think  about it and reflect on that. 

Whatever Wednesday - I Am Debra Lee

 Cover blurb - I Am Debra Lee is a riveting memoir by the former CEO of Black Entertainment Television (BET), about the glamorous and ugly moments of being a high powered Black woman executive in the entertainment industry. 

Debra Lee is impressive, formidable, and quite human. Her behind the scenes stories are intense - a young girl raised in the segregated South, to law school, to being a general counsel for BET, to COO, and finally CEO.  Often the only woman in the room, she had to move past her quiet persona and exert power while  juggling a family.  

She writes - I don't just love Black culture - the magic in our hair, the swagger in our steps, the particular way we can say 'alright now' to fit our changing moods - Black culture saved me.

I like her style, grace, intelligence, awareness, and an appreciation for entertainment history, for black history, for current history and her mistakes and her corrections.  She had to work extra hard and to push back in a very male oriented business. 

She is inspirational and this memoir is worth reading. It explores a world that I don't know, but could appreciate.  I am Debra Lee - damn straight, you are!

Viola Davis - writer, actress, and so much more

 Viola Davis - Finding Me is a wow of a memoir. This award winning actress - Academy, Emmy, Tony (2), Screen Actors Guild is a phenomenon. She is currently the star of The Woman King in a very strong powerful role. She brings nothing but the best to what  she does. 

However, her memoir tells a harrowing tale of poverty, abuse, and a struggle to fit into the world. As a very dark skinned black woman, she did not fit anyone's box of "pretty", "petite", etc. Her voice, her body, her face commands attention. She leaps from the screen now, but it took a lot of hard  work  to get there. 

Cover blurb - So I wrote this for anyone running through  life untethered, desperate and clawing their way through murky memories, trying  to get some sort of self love. 

I am in more awe of her after reading this book. She truly spills her  guts on the page, as she does in  her work.  It  took time, but she found love, adopted a child, and  has her own  production company. 

Kudos to Viola Davis. I look forward  to her continued success and to see what she  brings on screen. 

Finally Friday Fun Memoir

I'm on a bit of a memoir kick as I visit my local  library. This one jumped out at me - Stories to Tell by Richard Marx.  I think I've established I like pop cheesy songs. Richard Marx, an accomplished song writer, had a ton of Billboard Hot 100 hits in 1987, 1989, and has written lots of Grammy winners with other artists (think Luther Vandross, NSYNC, Josh Groban, Keith Urban, Barbra Streisand, et al). 

The hair, the videos on MTV, the falsetto (I like guys that can sing high). Richard Marx was/is awesome. 

His memoir was interesting and was a lot about the actual music making and  writing. As he even says, he had a very normal childhood with parents that loved him and each other.  He married young and had three boys and a twenty-five year marriage. That's a good run. It did not end in scandal.  He is currently married to Daisy Fuentes. 

He was not a party boy. He just loved music, loved writing music, loved working with his band, with other musicians, and he seemed to keep connections and not piss off people.  He has a whole chapter on working with Barbra Streisand, and he questions the "bitch" reputation. He said she was a perfectionist, yes, but also generous, thoughtful, and just freakin' talented. They are good friends  to this day. 

Richard Marx, now 57 or so, seems like a stand-up dude and his Stories to Tell were very interesting in regards to the music scene.  I enjoyed this memoir. 

 

Book Review - Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

My PA book gang just read this rather sad, candid coming-of-age story by Michelle Zauner (musically known as Japanese Breakfast) - Crying in H Mart. I'll be honest since I chose this book that it was quite difficult to take at times due to the heartfelt material. It was a lot deeper than I expected, but in a good way. 

At mid-twenties, Michelle was a waitress and trying to launch a musical career in Philly. She stopped everything and  flew to Oregon to be with her mother who was battling final stages of cancer. Whew!

Her book reveals how she grew apart from and then back to her Korean identity.  cover blurb With humor and heart, she tells of growing up Asian American, straining to meet her mother's expectations, moving across the country, and returning home  to reckon with grief. As an adult she learns to cook Korean dishes that revive her memories. She savors the unexpected solace of weekly trips to her favorite Asian grocery store. 

This book definitely digs into a mother/daughter relationship. I had to keep reminding myself as I read this about her youth. 

p.53 Music rushed in to fill the void. It cracked a fissure, splintered a vein, through the already precarious and widening rift between my mother and me; it would become a chasm that threatened to swallow us whole.  

p.225  The lessons she imparted, the proof of her life lived on in me, in my every mood and deed

As someone who has no knowledge of Korean food, this book offered interesting descriptions to me. Food was a connection to Michelle and her mother and heritage. I want to wander the aisles of H Mart, but not cry. 

I did however cry for Michelle and her mother, for a too young death, and a young motherless adult. 

Crying in H Mart is an interesting memoir, well-written, and it gives insight into Michelle Zauner's (Japanese Breakfast) music. 
 

Monday Book Review - Will by Will Smith (with Mark Manson)

 Will by Will Smith by (Mark Manson) is an entertaining, peppy, breezy read. I've liked Will Smith through the years as the Fresh Prince, the blockbuster megastar, as a guest on talk shows. He's a Philly boy from humble roots who had goals, and dreams, and  he executed them. 

cover blurb This memoir is the product of a profound journey of self-knowledge, a reckoning with all that your will can get you and all that it can leave behind. The combination of genuine wisdom of universal value and a life story that is preposterously entertaining, even astonishing, puts Will the book, like its author, in a category by itself. 

I enjoyed reading this book and indeed, Will Smith, is loyal to his family, friends, and his work and goals. The book gets a bit preachy, a bit full of itself, but I could take it with a grain of salt. Will Smith likes Will Smith - hey, he has every right to brag. Even when he's being humble, even when he's at the bottom, he is still Will Smith. It's easy to judge from this chair. I don't know the man and have not lived his life under the microscope of public scrutiny. It can't be easy. 

But his memoir is a glimpse into a megastar's life. He's not lazy and he's a man with plans. We'll see how they turn out. 

Finally Friday - Foo Fighter's Memoir and More

 Dave Grohl, The Storyteller - Tales of Life and Music is a joy to read. I've seen him on some interview shows and he's an entertaining, energetic man. I've always liked him in the Foo Fighters. I wasn't keen on Nirvana. In general, a lot of his music is not in my wheelhouse. BUT - the sheer enthusiasm he has in music and life makes for a wonderful memoir. 

This book reads like he is hanging out on your patio, drinking a beer (or two or many) and just chatting. It goes back and forth from childhood to present day, as he recounts his life in music. Drumming was in his bones - even when he was beating on a pillow. He memorized music and played along to beats in his head. Never great at school, a pivotal life choice was dropping out and joining the band Scream on tour. From there he never looked back, except when he was starving and tired and questioning himself. 

Dave Grohl oozes honesty in this tale of music and his life. He doesn't back down from questionable decisions or reflect on some stuff that could have gone differently. He is a family man now and his heart is on his sleeve when it comes to his mother (he's very close), his wife and girls. He basks in his luck and is in awe of some choices he made, some people he met, and the sheer drama that is life. 

Cool dude, that's all I can say. Great sense of humor. He's a Foo Fighter, a husband, and a man who loves life. I highly recommend his book, Dave Grohl, The Storyteller. 

Virtual Author Talk - Esther Safran Foer

5/18/20 - I signed into a virtual author talk sponsored by the Dallas Museum of Art and the Dallas Holocaust Museum. The guest author, Esther Safran Foer, was born in a displaced persons camp. Only her mother and father had survived the Holocaust from her whole family.  Her memoir, I Want You to Know We're Still Here, is about growing up in the shadow of the Holocaust.

Her goal in writing this was the history and  to remember - whether happy or sad - but to have it on paper. She learned her father, in Ukraine, had a previous wife and daughter who were killed. Her mother in Poland, as Nazis arrived, grabbed her winter coat, socks, scissors (she could sew). And Esther writes that as a survivor, her mother always kept a ton of sugar, flour, and cereal in the pantry. The mother always wanted to be prepared for dire circumstances.

p. 100 - Esther realized she was the "hinge" between generations of the family - the link. She herself did not experience the Holocaust, and growing up a bit in the displaced camp was fine for a child - kids to play with,  food, etc.  Once out of the camp, Esther did see the toll the war took.Her mother was strong and survived. Her father committed suicide when Esther was eight.

Quite a story, and in hearing the author speak, she said she knew she had to become a writer and preserve the stories, put the memories down on paper for herself, for her sons, and for posterity.

I miss live events at the museums,  but the power of virtual viewing is better than nothing. I enjoyed hearing Esther Safran Foer speak. Her strength, humor, and family view of history was compelling.
It was worth an on-line ticket ($25.00) and I consider it a donation  to the arts. Helps keep my brain from becoming mush.

Book Review - Art of Memoir

Mary Karr’s The Liar’s Club was a sensational memoir. She followed it up with Cherry and Lit. Now she’s using her skills as a writer and years as a professor and combining the two for The Art of Memoir. It is not a step by step how-to book, but rather a general discussion of the elements needed to put a personal story down on paper. From the cover blurb – she breaks open our concepts of memory and identity, and illuminates the cathartic  power of reflecting on the past: anybody with an inner life or complicated history, whether writer or reader, will relate.

She uses other writers as examples and also delves into her own process. She admits to fear. She describes the concern of baring her soul, facing demons, and dealing with her own family and their perspective on their roles in her life. Mary Karr says, “ In some ways, writing a memoir is knocking yourself out with your own fist, if it’s done right.”

Everyone has a story, but how do you make  yours interesting to others?  She discusses all the senses and how to throw your reader into the life you are depicting. She says, “ Everyone has a past, and every past spawns fierce and fiery emotions about what it means.” If you are writing a memoir, you are taking a side and trying to be fair in the exposition of the tale. Will the reader stay on your side? Or will they drift and wonder what you are hiding? It’s a dance of sorts, and words are the musical pacing.

I enjoyed The Art of Memoir and marked off many pages for the wisdom, wit, and advice Ms. Karr shares. She’s been a favorite writer of mine and does not disappoint. P. 215 Writing, regardless of the end result – whether good or bad, published or not, well reviewed or slammed – means celebrating beauty in an often ugly world. And you do that by fighting for elegance and beauty, redoing or cutting the flabby, disordered parts.  Whether you are a writer or a reader, The Art of Memoir will strike a chord in your heart and have you digging into your own life story.

Flap (A True Story from me - the author of My Zoo World)

A late Thursday afternoon, 4ish, and I was finished with my writing for the day. Time to step outside for some fresh air – sit on the patio, read a book, and relax. I cranked the umbrella, plopped in my chair, and checked my phone for any messages. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw dark movement at the umbrella fringe. Frowning, I turned and saw a tiny creature cowering and no doubt thinking, “What just happened?”  It took me a split second to realize, “Oh no, it’s a bat.”  Then, louder in my head as it actually looked at me and opened its little bat mouth with teeth in a teeny bat scream, “OH NO, THAT IS A BAT.” 

I gathered my book and phone and fled the scene. As it took flight, flapping wildly about the patio, I flew into the house and slammed the door shut. (I did not know that I could fly too). I peered through our window slats. The bat careened this way and that, fumbling to position itself. I saw it land on a shaded patio wall. It slowly inched its way behind a hanging picture of flip-flops. This bright cheery scene hid a potential Dracula.  I watched but nothing moved, nor did the creature reappear.  

I texted my husband a long scream and warned him of what awaited his arrival home. He was thrilled. I peered back out and decided it was safe to return to my chair. After all, the goal was sunshine and relaxation. I did not turn my back to the picture and was prepared to flap back into the house again. However, not a creature was stirring. No doubt, the bat felt secure in his new dark slumber, and I had calmed down enough to enjoy the pretty day.  

Ray arrived home and sang the Batman TV show theme song. That was fine. He could have his chuckles as long as he had a plan. Our goal was dinner first and that included Ray grilling hamburgers. No movement from the picture wall opposite the grill area. We ate dinner indoors.  As I cleaned up, I gave Ray his assignment. “Don the Bat cape or cowl, and rid us of our bat.”  Ray approached the picture and carefully lifted it. Yep – the bat was there and not budging. Hmm. I said, “Get the broom and nudge him.” Ray followed my instructions and persuaded the bat to leave. The bat did not circle the patio or initiate combat. He spread his wings and flew off beyond the neighbor’s trees.  

So, we are rabies free, do not have to eat garlic, and I only had to endure the Batman theme song one more day.

 

 

 

 

Book Review: Wild

Wild by Cheryl Strayed is a powerful, blazingly honest memoir: the story of an eleven hundred mile solo hike that broke down a young woman reeling from catastrophe - and built her back up again. (cover blurb)

Strayed's lost. Her mother died, she's barely making a living, she drinks too much, and she destroyed her marriage. Twenty-two years old and at rock bottom, she decides to hike the Pacific Great Trail from the Mojave Desert through California, Oregon, and end in Washington State. Against all odds, she forges ahead on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her. (cover blurb)

Cheryl Strayed does not sugarcoat her life or this trip. She is brutally honest in her writing. Early in the book, I thought maybe she was a bit whiny and I didn't think I'd like her in person. However, she hooked me each step of the way and won me over. Wild is well written with humor and a down-to-earth reality check. You will meet interesting characters along the way, and the Pacific Trail itself is a character in Strayed's memoir.

Chapter 18 - Wet and miserable as it was, the forest was magical - Gothic in its green grandiosity, both luminous and dark, so lavish in its fecundity that it looked surreal, as if I were walking through a fairy tale rather than the actual world.
Join Cheryl Strayed in her Wild trek toward redemption and hope.

Sweet Suite Airhogs

Summer interlude from my plethora of July book reviews. This is the seventh inning stretch from serious blogging, and a night out in the Grand Prairie Entertainment District. Sounds fancy and actually it's quite pleasant. Nestled between Lone Star Park (horse races) and Verizon Music Hall, is the Quik Trip Park for Airhogs Baseball. My husband, Ray, is a sports guy and we got a hook-up for a suite. Sweet! The best of both worlds - crowd noise and heat, then step inside to cool air. No Saturday night square dancing, scrabble, or squash for us. Hot date on a hot night - summer baseball.

The mascot arrives in fine style.

Cotton candy dreams - let's spin a tale from my youth. If you wanted to learn how to bat or play catch at the Crowther household, you called out ,"Mom." This was an equal opportunity home. Sports - mom. Spell check, essay re-writes, or a poster board - dad. Here's a quote from my brother, "Never wanted Dad to play catch, because I'd have to wear a color coordinated outfit and not get dirty." He exaggerates ... a bit. My sister's memory, "Dad was inside reading the paper, unless a wiffle ball hit a car. Then he'd appear and give a disapproving "Heyyyy" with pursed lips." She captured the image perfectly. I think David played Little League one year. He wasn't much for team sports. Can't speak for Lori, but I was usually last picked for a neighborhood game. Aah - memories.

The Airhog boys are 0 -12 now. Won't be called up anytime soon for the big show. Nonetheless, I'm sure they have fun and are living their dream. Crowds cheer, root, jeer, and order another beer. The night ends with some fireworks - great view from our suite, and actually there's a breeze at 10:30 pm. Another HOT Saturday night - genre - sports and romance. What a pair!

Home - a writer's dilemma

They say you can't go home again, but that's far from the truth for me. I'm lucky - I don't have angst from my childhood. Perhaps my writing suffers, but while I live in Texas, this is still "home". I grew up here. My Dad putters (sadly my mother is gone) and while he's modernized his decor, the place is a step back in time. There's still a rotary phone hanging on the kitchen wall. We sit at the kitchen table for hours, laugh, do the NY Times crossword puzzle, and move from meal to meal. It's awesome! (Yes, I'm using an exclamation mark)

Huge oak trees guard the neighborhood. They tower over the two story homes, reign down acorns, and are squirrel paradise. No leaves yet. It's been a late spring and a darn cold Easter - awoke to 37 degrees. Brr. However, once the leaves arrive, there's plenty to rake in the fall.

Crazy rhododendron forest. When these bloom, it's fabulous. I've got a friend here in Texas (Linda T.) who's berserk for this flower. She's researched it and it just won't happen in this climate. Be content with your azaleas in Flower Mound, TX, Linda.

No fences. Merely a forsythia bower separates property. Truly glorious. How can you not smile at the splash of yellow?

Finally, this picture does not do justice to history. Old stone bridge. Old historic mill. I grew up amidst Revolutionary era buildings - we're talking late 1700s here. There's a Quaker meeting house nearby. No doubt George Washington slept somewhere in the vicinity. Look up the William Penn Inn, folks. Anyway, I've lived more than half my life in Texas (how can that be?), but I've got Philly (suburb) soul. (Cue an old Hall & Oates album - yes, I love them. Oates graduated from my high school.) No wonder my writing is skewed.

Joanne