Review: The Sound of Gravel

The Sound of Gravel by Ruth Wariner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Well, this book was upsetting.

I have a sickness for reading sad books, heart-wrenching sagas that make you appreciate your normal, mostly boring life. Most of the polygamist stories I have read have made me want to hug my kids, jump in the car, and start capturing the kids living in Colorado City. This book triggered that for me. Ruth's family was not the worst, by far, but that isn't saying much. Her step dad was awful, her mother was awful, and I wanted to cry, but I didn't, because I was in public.

This is a time for half stars, and I give this one 3.5. Ruth, glad to see you made it out the other side. You deserve happiness.

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Review: History of a Suicide: My Sister's Unfinished Life

History of a Suicide: My Sister's Unfinished Life by Jill Bialosky
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I saw this book at Barnes & Noble on a feature table years ago and added it to my TBR shelf. I finally picked up a copy and got into the sad headspace of grief, loss, and the unthinkable end of suicide.

I am a generally content person. I have a good life. I am good at looking at the glass and finding it half full, and not worrying how it will be refilled (it will, I just take it on faith). So suicide confuses me. I want to better understand how someone can see that not only as an option, but THE option. The way out. I really want to understand the darkness so I can possibly help others. Books like this one give me a partial glimpse into a different perspective. Plus, and if you know me at all you know how true this is, I love a good cry.

I wish I could help everyone who has ever contemplated suicide see how life is precious and precarious enough without ending it early. And that you are all loved. But I can't, so instead I seek to better understand. Much like the survivors left behind, some questions can never be answered. 3 stars.

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Review: The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie

The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie by Wendy McClure
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Well, that was interesting. Not overly fun, but a decent read. Someone who loves Laura? Check. Someone who has read the books a hundred times? Check. Someone who wants to uncover the history behind the books? Check. Sounds like me. She even churns butter.

I would be interested in taking the same trip, but now I don't necessarily feel I need to. Thanks, Wendy! If you love the Little House books, you will probably find this a decent read. 3 stars.



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Review: Mortality

Mortality by Christopher Hitchens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Life is short. Cancer sucks. Please remember that, my friends, and make the most of every moment.

Regardless of whether you agreed with Christopher Hitchens or not, this is a powerful read. Disease can strike anyone, anywhere, anytime. We can do all of the right things--exercise, eat healthy foods, get enough rest--and still get sick. We can do the wrong things--smoke, drink, overeat, eat unhealthy foods--and stay healthy. The body is a mystery at times. And you aren't guaranteed tomorrow.

Diagnosed with esophageal cancer that had spread to his lungs and lymph nodes, Hitchens chronicles his mortality in this short read. If cancer has touched your life in some way, I think this book will speak to you. It's worth the hour of your life. 4 stars.


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Review: Two Winters in a Tipi: My Search for the Soul of the Forest

Two Winters in a Tipi: My Search for the Soul of the Forest by Mark Warren
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I love soul-searching, back to nature stories. While this didn't necessarily scratch that itch for me, it was a decent read.

Imagine losing everything, and I mean nearly everything, in a house fire. That novel you were working on? Gone. Your clothes? Gone. Your beloved books, trinkets, and keepsakes? Gone. Mark Warren lost everything, and rather than go into debt trying to replicate his old life, he rebuilt it from the ground up. An outdoorsman and educator by trade, he built a tipi and lived in it while he connected with the land and reconnected with himself and what was most important.

A bit preachy and new-agey in places, it was still a satisfying read. 3 stars.

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Review: Henry VIII’s Wives: History in an Hour

Henry VIII’s Wives: History in an Hour by Julie Wheeler
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

History in an Hour series: short reads to enhance your knowledge about a subject in under an hour. More like 20 minutes for this one.

Tough gig, being the wife of Henry VIII. As the rhyme goes: Divorced, Beheaded, Died. Divorced, Beheaded, Survived. No thanks, Henry. I've seen the Holbein paintings. You were not much of a catch. Too much pressure to produce a male heir. Too much infidelity and Royal Court nonsense. I wouldn't have done well in that time. Too much sass in me.

Straightforward information about each of the six wives. A good primer to get you started.

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Review: The Big Tiny: A Built-It-Myself Memoir

The Big Tiny: A Built-It-Myself Memoir by Dee Williams
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I love tiny houses. I want to build one and live in it. My husband, who is a giant, does not share my love of small spaces. You see, he's over a foot taller than me, and would not like to live in the small box Dee Williams designed for herself and her dog.

A house on wheels? Yes, please. Then you can hit the road and go where the four winds take you. (Not literally, because I don't think this house would stand up to a tornado, but you take my point.) Sometimes life makes you stop and listen. The author had some health issues that made her take a different path. For some people it's tragedy. For some it's grief. For some it's a close call or a glimpse of someone else's horror. Whatever causes the wake-up call, more people need to hear it. Life is too short. Are you living the life you want?

She is a free-spirit, a vagabond, and thinks differently than most of the world. I like that. Dee, if you are reading this, I want to hang out on your front stoop and chat. I'll bring the coffee.

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Review: Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir

Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir by Jenny Lawson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

You know how you listen to someone and you think, "This is my life she is describing?" Now you have me listening to this audiobook.

Jenny Lawson is insane. And funny. And her husband is a saint. She's a great storyteller. I want to drive to Jen's house and hang out and swap stories. Her stories made me think about similar times in my marriage, and I loved it.

I laughed out loud several times and had to rewind the story to catch it all. 4 stars.

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Review: A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America Along the Appalachian Trail

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America Along the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Follow Bryson and his friend down the A.T. Watch them hike, out of shape and unprepared. Listen to them bicker and moan about hunger. And learn a little bit about the history of the trail and environmental issues as you traverse the US.

Mostly interesting, I found some parts to be boring, a few exceedingly so, but still a good read. If Bryson's goal was to get my old butt to want to get back on the trail and connect with nature, then mission accomplished. Three stars.

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Leadership Transformed: How Ordinary Managers Become Extraordinary Leaders

Leadership Transformed: How Ordinary Managers Become Extraordinary Leaders by Peter Fuda

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Hmmm. I listened to this one on audio. It covers a lot of basic ideas and might be useful for new managers.

Not a lot of groundbreaking new information here, but his seven steps can be applied if you have a leader who is struggling in a certain area. He has a companion website that goes along with the steps, and it felt like a big advertisement for it. Lots of anecdotal evidence of how his seven analogies can be applied in various situations.

They say the true test of another man's intelligence is how much he agrees with you. I don't disagree with anything in this book, so there you have it.



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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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Eat Move Sleep

Eat Move Sleep: How Small Choices Lead to Big Changes by Tom Rath

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I read this book because now that I'm in my 40's I want to take better care of myself. I have been remarkably healthy throughout my life, and I don't want that to change as I enter middle age. I have never been a healthy eater (no orange or green foods for me, thanks!) so I am making baby steps into adulthood. Enter "Eat, Move, Sleep". Tom Rath has suffered from rare health problems his whole life so he has gone to extremes in being healthy to prolong his life. There are great suggestions for anyone in this book to make small changes to be healthier, especially in the lists at the end of the book. However, the book is preachy and extremist. No one who is on a quest to be healthier and take better care of themselves is going to read this book and implement all of the extreme changes he recommends, often without citing a source. How much of this is based on real science, vs. articles he has read in Men's Health? It's unrealistic and discouraging for me, someone who has never touched peas or carrots since being forced in her youth, to make the extreme changes he says you need to make for a long, healthy life.

What would have worked much better is for him to be more encouraging in the small changes people can make to lead a healthier life. Step off the soap box, Tom, remove your white wig, and start cheering people on! You just come across as a huge jerk right now, and I don't want to hang out with you. Buzzkill.

For those of you who want to be healthier but don't want to read this book, here is your TL:DR:
EAT - be mindful of what you eat, and how much. Try to eat real foods in moderation, not chemically processed, artificial crap.
MOVE - get exercise every day. This helps your body last longer. Don't be lazy. Take the stairs, park at the back of the lot, and get those lungs filled with good, clean air.
SLEEP - rest and let your body regenerate. Sleep enough and get your circadian rhythms in line with nature.

There you go. You're welcome.



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How Dogs Love Us: A Neuroscientist and His Adopted Dog Decode the Canine Brain

How Dogs Love Us: A Neuroscientist and His Adopted Dog Decode the Canine Brain by Gregory Berns

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Like most of you, I often wonder what my dogs are thinking. They are mysteries to me. I talk to them like people because I like to pretend they understand what I'm saying. Sometimes I think they might.

Gregory Berns and his team did some interesting research into the inner workings of a dog's brain. Largely anecdotal, those looking for hard science, data, and graphs should look up the papers he's published. For me, the layman's terms and personal stories of his family and dogs made the book a win. I find it amazing that they could train dogs to lie still in an MRI when I can't even get my dogs to stop bickering over the food dishes. Dogs, seriously, they are exactly the same. Knock it off.

I found the various experiments interesting and love how they are dedicated to better understanding dogs, the brain, and how emotions may or may not be universal. I know my dogs love me--I certainly didn't need a brain scan to see it--but I still think it would be cool to watch.

Dog lovers will enjoy it. If you aren't a dog person, you probably wouldn't pick it up to begin with.



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Shakespeare Saved My Life

Shakespeare Saved My Life: Ten Years in Solitary with the Bard by Laura Bates

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


"People just put themselves into so many prisons."

I found this book through Overdrive's Big Library Read, a global eBook club through your local library. If you haven't participated, you should. It will introduce you to some books you might not have found on your own.

Laura Bates must be crazy, or a saint. She dedicated a large chunk of her time to teaching Shakespeare to convicts in solitary. Along the way she meets an interesting enigma of a man In Larry Newton.

As a memoir, it's a bit dry. I never really felt her passion for teaching Shakespeare in prison. I still don't feel like I know Laura Bates at all--it was very surface. However, I found Larry Newton to be a fascinating mixture of bad decisions and interesting self development. It makes me wonder how many others could find something to help them grow with the right topics and teachers.

Overall a three-star read. Not life-changing but still interesting.



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Tolstoy and the Purple Chair

Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading by Nina Sankovitch

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I love books about books, and I love books about grief. This book covers both.

Nina Sankovitch's sister was diagnosed with cancer and died four months later. In an attempt to work through her grief and terrible loss, she sets a goal to read and review a book a day for an entire year. She and her sister shared a love of books right up until the end, and she felt it would be a fitting tribute to their relationship while helping her heal.

First of all, I'm jealous. I know I shouldn't be since it took the death of her sister to help her reach this goal, but I am. I would love to have the ability to read a book a day. Fortunately the author was a stay-at-home mom during this time and had 6-8 hours of time per day to knock out her books. She has a remarkably patient husband. He sounds great and she is lucky to have him. Secondly, I found so many books to add to my TBR shelf that I may never work through them all. Conveniently the author lists all 365 books at the end so you too can load up your TBR shelf with hidden gems. But mostly I enjoyed reading how she tied the books she read into working through her grief while still being a mother of 4 and a wife of 1. Definitely a book for book lovers!



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As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride

As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Great book about the making of one of my favorite movies. I loved reading the anecdotes and the perspectives added by the other actors along the way.

A must read for fans of The Princess Bride. Now go read the book and watch the movie!



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Walden

Walden by Henry David Thoreau

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Dear Henry,
I'm so sorry, but your book was not what I was hoping for. I thought it would be a story of survival, of reflection, of getting back to nature. There was a little of the reflection and nature, to be sure. But seriously, Thoreau, you were right outside of town. You were near the railroad tracks. You were BORROWING someone's land. Not exactly roughing it, were you? You entertained friends and really didn't get away from it all like you seemed to think.

I don't think it was you, friend. I think it was me. I went in with high expectations, and came away underwhelmed. No hard feelings?



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Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death & Hope in a Mumbai Undercity

Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I'm still thinking about this book.

So much poverty. So much corruption. So much sadness. I am so glad I read this book. I am glad I live in America, and I feel a little guilty for the easy life I lead. I hadn't stopped to consider that so much of your start in life depends on your birthplace. The people chronicled in this book started out on the wrong side of luck and never found their way out. It's hard to believe that so many people live like this in Mumbai. A powerful story.



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Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time

Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time by Dava Sobel

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I have a unique talent for getting lost. I would not have been a good explorer. This book just drives that point home for me. I frequently get lost (or, as I like to describe it, take the long way home) and it is a source of humor for my husband when he gets the phone call telling him I have no idea where I am. And Las Vegas really isn't big enough to get lost in.

Anyway, "Longitude" examines the problem of how it could accurately be charted and how many worked tirelessly to find a way. Part history, part science, I found it interesting to see how early minds tackled this problem that we take for granted with all of our technology. It's something I hadn't considered before.

Harrison had an fascinating mind to imagine and invent the marine chronometer necessary to solve the puzzle. And for that, dear sir, we thank you for the innovations that keep us from being lost on this big planet.



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Yes Please

Yes Please by Amy Poehler

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Amy Poehler, I want to be your best friend. Is that weird?

Seriously, I think she and I would be the best of friends. She's funny, and smart, and seems like a genuinely good person and a good mom. She has stayed humble despite her fame, and is still a little self-conscious and brave enough to share it in her book. I loved the stories about her time on SNL. I laughed out loud several times throughout and fell even further in love with Parks & Rec, my favorite show. She's a funny, funny woman. I want to hang out with her and listen to more stories. Love you, Amy!

P.S. I recommend this on audiobook format. She reads it herself and has celebrity guests as well. Not sure how it is in book format.

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