Everything is Horrible and Wonderful by Stephanie Wittels - Book Review

"Everything is Horrible and Wonderful" is a memoir that Stephanie wrote after her brother, Harris, died of a heroin overdose in 2015. Harris was an actor and writer, and if you are a fan of Parks and Recreation, you might know him as Harris the Animal Control employee, but he was also a writer for the show and a producer. Stephanie shares so much material that he wrote, emails he wrote her, instant messages that they shared - it's impossible to deny how hilarious he was. But she is also brutally honest about the anger and frustration that she felt towards and still feels. I listened to this book on audio, and it brought me to tears several times listening to her rage against her brother's choices and the long term consequences that will have on her life and everyone who loved Harris. As hard as it was at times to get through, I think this book has a lot to say about drug addiction and I am so glad that I read it. Have you read "Everything is Horrible and Wonderful"? Comment down below and let me know what you thought of this book!

Did You Ever Have A Family by Bill Clegg - Book Review

There are books and plots that are easy to explain, and then there's this book! "Did You Ever Have A Family" by Bill Clegg is told from half a dozen different perspectives, all of whom are involved in a tragedy that happened - a home explodes the night before a wedding, and in the home are the bride, and the groom, as well as the boyfriend of the mother of the bride. The perspective changes each chapter but they all come together to explore grief and blame and healing. One thing about this book is that it demands your full attention, there is no reading this with one eye on the other eye on the book and the other eye on your phone or a television screen. The writing in the book is beautiful and haunting and there are parts of this book that will cause me anxiety for years to come. I generally don't enjoy books with a bunch of different narrators, I think it gives it a very disjointed feel and that's definitely the case in this book, so for that reason I wouldn't recommend it. Have you read "Did You Ever Have A Family" by Bill Clegg? If so, comment down below and let me know what you thought of this book! If not, drop a recommendation below for a book with multiple narrators that you enjoyed!

Five Things I Learned From "We Are All The Same" by Jim Wooten

Non fiction is one of my absolute favorite genres to read. As amazing as fiction authors can be at setting a scene, imagining vivid characters and situations that explore ideas and emotions - real life "true" stories have a lasting impact that is incredibly difficult for me to find in literary fiction. That impact was definitely felt after I finished reading "We Are All the Same" by Jim Wooten. This book shares the story of Nkosi Johnson, a young South African boy who was born with HIV, and how his courage and determination, as well as his bond with the white South African woman who adopted him, brought attention to such an important issue at an incredibly crucial time.

Keep reading to explore the five things I learned from reading " We Are All The Same" by Jim Wooten and to find out if you would like to read this book, too!

Mercies in Disguise by Gina Kolata - Book Review

 

I simply can not imagine being in the shoes of Amanda Baxley. I can't imagine that my grandfather, uncle, and father have died from a degenerative brain disease. I can't imagine that I being faced with the decision of whether to find out if I have the same disease. And I can't imagine the myriad of ways in which life would be different if I found out that the genetic test was positive, or negative. "Mercies in Disguise" follows the story of the Amanda Baxley, and the Baxley family as a whole, as they deal with the emotional and physical blow of this terrible disease. The book also delves into the background, research, and discovery of several degenerative brain diseases.
Keep reading to see my thoughts on "Mercies in Disguise"...

The Most Dangerous Place on Earth by Lindsey Lee Johnson - Book Review

Before reading this book, I'm not sure I had ever really thought of middle school and high school as a dangerous place. I mean outside of a few extreme examples, going to school is rarely life or death. In " The Most Dangerous Place on Earth" the author, Lindsey Lee Johnson, shows just how those years can be dangerous, and why...

Lincoln in the Bardo- by George Saunders - Book Review

February 1862, 154 years ago - Willie Lincoln, age 11, son of then president Abraham Lincoln, died of typhoid fever. After Willie's death, newspapers reported that Abraham Lincoln visited his entombed remains- removing Willie from his tomb and holding his now dead son. George Saunders encapsulates this moment of grief into "Lincoln in the Bardo". Told from the perspective of others caught in the "bardo"- a purgatory, Saunders explores the mind of a mourning Abraham Lincoln, through a truly masterful weaving of fiction and non fiction. "Lincoln in the Bardo" is an absolute must read, and one of my favorites so far in 2017.

Everything You Want Me To Be - by Mindy Mejia- Book Review

"He's not an evil man. Evil is simple. It's a child's explanation for why people do bad things. The truth is always more complicated and worth pursuing..." - Everything You Want Me To Be

I absolutely love books that keep me guessing - not just who did it, but why, and how and when! This book had me on my toes until the very last page! "Everything You Want Me To Be" is an amazingly twisty page turner, that is insightfully written, and I completely loved it!

"Into the Forest" by Jean Regland Book Review

"Oh, I will always remember that moment when, even with the universe spackled above us, bright with an infinity of stars and dark with infinite space, it was impossible for me to believe that Ptolemy wasn't right, that our own Earth, our little tribe, and Eli's hand on my waist were not the center of everything there was." - Into the Forest by Jean Hegland 

I'd never heard of the novel "Into the Forest" until I saw the trailer for the film adaptation, but after watching it I knew I had to read the book! After all,  that is my ( often broken) book to movie adaptation rule - solid effort must be put into reading the book before watching the movie. It's just good common sense : ) Well, I just finished reading "Into the Forest" and feels - but mostly confusion and a little bit of frustration.

BOOK REVIEW// THE LAST ONE- ALEXANDRA OLIVA

" The world in which I now move is a deliberate human perversion of nature's beauty. I cannot forget this. I must accept this. I have accepted this." - The Last One

The Last One by Alexandra Oliva  starts as a peek behind the scenes of a new TV show about strangers dropped into the woods. The competitors on the show complete various challenges, unless they decide they can no longer compete - in which case they can say ‘ad tenebras dedi’ or “ I surrender to the dark” and quit the show immediately. The main character of "The Last One", "Zoo" (her nickname on the show because she worked at a zoo) refuses to quit the show no matter how dire her situation. As the reader, you know much more than Zoo does about her own situation. You knows that there is a virus wrecking havoc, you know that the show proubably isn't going on anymore, and that Zoo is in real danger.

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng- Book Review - The Love of a Family is Tested

What happens to our relationships when we project all of our unhappiness, all of our insecurities, and all of our aspirations onto another person - particularly our children? That central question is asked of us again and again while reading Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng. I really enjoyed reading this book and was blown away by the storytelling!