Review: Go Ask Alice

Go Ask Alice by Beatrice Sparks
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Man, I'm torn about this book. At first I liked it. Then I hated it. Then, as a parent, I was horrified. Then I was back on board. Then, the ending.

Really not sure what to rate this one yet. I'll be back.

Ok, now I'm back.  Still not loving it.  I am going to give it 1.5 stars, but I'm rounding down in this instance because this would serve as a cautionary tale for NO ONE in this day and age.  It is dated and has not stood the test of time.  Alice, you need to look inside yourself for the answers, and the answer to this one is, get your shit together.  Please.

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Review: Drinking: A Love Story

Drinking: A Love Story by Caroline Knapp
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I love reading books about addiction. It reminds me not to fly too close to the sun. Anorexia, alcohol, drugs, really anyone's dance with the dark side. Drinking: A Love Story, has been on my TBR shelf for years and I finally picked up a copy to read.

Caroline Knapp's story is a familiar one. She was a high-functioning alcoholic who finally decided where her elevator stopped before crashing to the ground. From the outside, many people thought she was fine. Her family and friends knew she needed help, but help only comes when you are ready to accept it. Knapp doesn't have major screw-ups that often lead people to their rock bottom, but she was smart enough to know when to get help, and she's stayed on track. Kudos to her for finding the strength to do it.

Disjointed at times, Knapp keeps the reader at arm's length and you don't necessarily feel her pain like you do in other memoirs. Read it if you enjoy a successful journey to recovery. Three stars.

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Review: Squall

Squall by Sean Costello
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was on a survival kick, and picked this one up for free. Probably a good thing. I mean, it's not terrible, but it didn't earn the third star.

Drugs. Bad decisions. Remote setting. Mary Sue and Gary Stu people caught up in the middle of some bad things. Very bad things. With very bad people. Implausible in parts, ridiculous in others, I still gave it the 2 star "it was ok" rating because, in the end, I was entertained more than I was rolling my eyes.

The ending was cheesy, but I still thought it was ok.

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The Grove

The Grove by John Rector

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I'm not 100% sure how to rate or review this book. You know how it is when you read something so outside of your norm that you are left scratching your head? That's me right now.

It's horror for one, and I rarely read horror. The main character is completely crazy. You spend half of your time doubting his narrative and the other half shaking your head because he. is. crazy. And I listened to it on audio, which changes the experience. So overall I'm landing on a two 1/2, because it was strange and I have a lot of mixed feelings about the book and the characters. So I guess the author did his job.



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The Glass Castle

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Nature vs. nurture. It's a long-standing debate. I personally think nurture has a more to do with how you turn out as a person, but Jeannette Walls might have just proved me wrong.

This is the story of growing up with two parents who, to put it nicely, both have issues. My armchair psychiatrist degree says they both just might be mentally ill. Definitely co-dependent. And really bad parents. Jeannette and her siblings grow up roaming from place to place as her parents run from people of the real and imaginary sort. They are poor, and hungry, and really don't seem to realize how crazy their upbringing truly is. I can't believe no one stepped in and helped these kids, but I'm sure there are families right now who have it just as bad or worse and are under the radar like them.

This book made me mad. And sad. I realize it could have been worse for the Walls children. But what was there was bad enough. Now get off the computer, go hug a loved one, and be grateful for all that you have. It's a miracle Jeannette Walls grew up to make something of herself, so her nature won out over the terrible nurture she received. 4 stars for Jeannette and a virtual high five from me.



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The Girl on the Train

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Man, I hated these characters. The only characters I hated more were the ones in Gone Girl. What a frustrating story!

Rachel. She's a mess. She is a mess, and needs serious therapy. She is a liar, and an alcoholic, and a terrible, terrible roommate. I. Do. Not. Like. Her. Everything bad that happens to her is basically her fault. When the main character is so awful I have a hard time caring what might happen to them.

And the other characters? They are just as bad. It was like a train wreck reading about their messed up lives. I can muster not an ounce of pity for any of them. Simply atrocious behavior that ruined everything about the mystery for me.



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The Girl Who Fell From the Sky

The Girl Who Fell from the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This book was an expected surprise. I started reading it when I saw it on my Oyster app, knowing nothing about it. I'm glad I did.

Rachel. Poor Rachel. The sole survivor of an unspeakable tragedy, she grows up with her grandmother and aunt and tries to find her place in the world. I can't relate to the issues of race, class, and social justice, but I found it fascinating to see a different side to things. Rachel's voice was strong throughout the book. She doesn't fit in either the "black" world or the "white" world, and is caught somewhere in the middle of it all.
Part coming of age novel, part examination of race and class issues in America, and part mystery of what really happened on the roof that day, it's worth the read.



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Winter's Bone

Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Wow. Not what I was expecting. Really good.

Drugs. Guns. Violence. Ree Dolly lives in poverty in the Ozarks. Her father skips bail, leaving it up to Ree to take care of her mother and two little brothers while trying to track him down before they lose the farm. The Dolly clan lives up to a code, if you cross the line, you pay the consequences. Ree finds herself caught in the middle of family loyalty and doing the right thing for herself and her future.

This book is bleak, but riveting. Ree is a fighter, and she does whatever it takes to help her family survive. Every scene made me feel cold and grateful not to live in poverty in meth country around psychotic kin. A really great read.









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Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain

Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain by Portia de Rossi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love to play armchair therapist. Books about addiction and recovery are a personal favorite of mine. It's fascinating to hear what drives others to the decisions they make, and to try to figure out what caused it all. In Portia de Rossi's case, it seems to be a destructive cocktail of her father dying at an early age, her drive for acceptance through modeling and acting, and hiding the fact that she is a lesbian, with a side dish of her feeling her mother wanted her to be perfect, pretty, and straight. Whether this is actually true or just what she heard internally, we can't really be sure, but she seems to have worked through most of it. I found myself wanting to sit her down and tell her that who she is will be enough, and to just enjoy life.

I first discovered Portia de Rossi on Arrested Development, one of my all-time favorite shows. I was never a fan of Ally McBeal so I had never watched her on it, and had only heard with half an ear about her struggles with her weight in the tabloids. To me, she will always be Lindsey Bluth. It was interesting to read about her descent into the depths of her eating disorder and how she finally came to terms with being who she really is, although hopefully she understands that's a journey that never ends, and she will be in recovery for the rest of her life. A well-written account of the struggles with an eating disorder. WARNING: some of her stories may trigger behaviors if you have struggled with ED in the past, so be careful.

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Stories I Only Tell My Friends

Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've always enjoyed Rob Lowe: St. Elmo's Fire, The West Wing, and Parks and Rec, but I wouldn't consider myself a huge fan. Sure, he's pretty, and he's taken some great roles. Billy Hicks was one of my first crushes: the pretty, dangerous, incorrigible bad boy with a heart of gold silently screaming, "fix me; love me!" Sam Seaborn was the perfect package: smart, witty, and doing important things for important people. And who couldn't love Chris Traeger? He was literally the best person to move to Pawnee. Ever.

However, you don't have to love Rob Lowe to love this book. It's well-written, and he shares lots of interesting stories about growing up in Ohio, breaking into show business, and the wins and losses along the way. My favorite part was about getting his role in The Outsiders and the subsequent adventures in filming. You can see by his stories that Charlie Sheen has always been a little off-center, and Tom Cruise has always been intense and crazy. I also enjoyed his stories of growing up in the excesses of Malibu, how he felt like the outsider growing up, and his journey to stardom when he wasn't mature enough to handle it. He shares some of his struggles with addiction and gives small glimpses into what seems to be a strong marriage and happy family life. His journey could have gone a very different way, and I think he's grateful for what he has.

If you want a glimpse into what drives someone to persevere as an actor, this is a read for you. I've never had that drive, that pull, to push myself outside of an ordinary life, so it was fascinating to read what kept him going. It was surprising, and an interesting perspective. Clearly it's why I'm not a star--I would never tolerate the bullshit he did to maintain his fame. That, coupled with the cool stories about movies, shows, and actors made this an entertaining read.

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Social Science Week

Social Science

This week we each read a social science book from one of the subtopics we laid out for Reading University.  Our subtopics needed to fit one of the following criteria:

Anthropology - fiction or non-fiction book set in a culture or country different from yours
Religion - fiction or non-fiction book about a religion, sect, or cult, or about a religious figure
Psychology - fiction or non-fiction book about psychology, a psychological disorder, a psychiatrist, or where the main character has a mental disorder
Education - fiction or non-fiction book about education, an educator, or set in a school
Political Science - fiction or non-fiction book about a political movement, government, politicians, or spies


Books Selected:

Zach (Political Science - Politics and Governments)

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
My rating: 4 1/2 of 5 stars

A Game of Thrones is an epic series by George R.R. Martin (aka the American Tolkien). In the first book, Ned Stark becomes the hand of the King, not by choice. What happens next is full of political intrigue, violence, and drama. If you enjoy medieval settings, adventure, politics, or high fantasy books, you should definitely check out this series.




Michelle (Psychology - Addiction and Recovery)

Blackout Girl: Growing Up and Drying Out in America by Jennifer Storm
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Pull out your powdered wigs and gavels, everyone, because judgments are incoming!

Blackout Girl is a book about one woman's journey into addiction at age 12 to her recovery 10 years later. Along the way, terrible, terrible things happen because of her poor decisions, the company she keeps, and her family. Yes, her family. I place partial blame on her parents. Jennifer Storm has a lot of love for her father and disdain for her mother. It's clear she doesn't blame her father for his poor parenting skills or lack of involvement, but there is a lot of blame for her mother along the way. I blame all three equally for the route Jennifer's life took. This book hits all of the qualifications for addiction: traumatic emotional event? Parental divorce? Siblings involved with a "bad crowd"? No parental rules, supervision, or involvement? Between the cutting, the drugs, and the staying out all night, I wanted to stage an intervention with the entire family.

I believe some people do have a genetic disposition for addiction, and Jennifer Storm also lived in an environment that created the perfect storm for her life's journey. Kudos to her for finding her way out before she killed herself, and she seems to have come to terms with who she is and has a relatively normal adult life.

You will want to shake her and her parents along the way, but stick with the story until the end to hear what she learned and how she made a commitment to change her life one day at a time. Then go hug your kids and tell them to never, ever touch drugs, and ground them for a week just to be safe. Just kidding! Mostly.


Maddie (Political Science - Politics and Government)

Divergent by Veronica Roth
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Divergent is set in future Chicago, and the government has split society into 5 factions: Dauntless for the brave, Candor for the honest, Abnegation for the selfless, Erudite for the intelligent, and Amity for the happy. When each kid turns 16, they go to a sorting ceremony and choose which faction they will join. That faction becomes their family. The story is about Tris, the choices she makes, and how she becomes her own person.  It is also about the government and how it impacts their lives with rules and regulations.

Blackout Girl

Blackout Girl: Growing Up and Drying Out in America by Jennifer Storm
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Pull out your powdered wigs and gavels, everyone, because judgments are incoming!

Blackout Girl is a book about one woman's journey into addiction at age 12 to her recovery 10 years later. Along the way, terrible, terrible things happen because of her poor decisions, the company she keeps, and her family. Yes, her family. I place partial blame on her parents. Jennifer Storm has a lot of love for her father and disdain for her mother. It's clear she doesn't blame her father for his poor parenting skills or lack of involvement, but there is a lot of blame for her mother along the way. I blame all three equally for the route Jennifer's life took. This book hits all of the qualifications for addiction: traumatic emotional event? Parental divorce? Siblings involved with a "bad crowd"? No parental rules, supervision, or involvement? Between the cutting, the drugs, and the staying out all night, I wanted to stage an intervention with the entire family.

I believe some people do have a genetic disposition for addiction, and Jennifer Storm also lived in an environment that created the perfect storm for her life's journey. Kudos to her for finding her way out before she killed herself, and she seems to have come to terms with who she is and has a relatively normal adult life.

You will want to shake her and her parents along the way, but stick with the story until the end to hear what she had learned and how she made a commitment to change her life one day at a time. Then go hug your kids and tell them to never, ever touch drugs, and ground them for a week just to be safe. Just kidding! Mostly.

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