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: Catch Me If You Can

Catch Me If You Can by Frank W. Abagnale

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This book was a lot like the movie, at least what I remember. It was a long time ago.

Con man stories are fun, and it is outrageous to me what he was able to get away with at such a young age. Airline pilot, doctor, lawyer. It's ridiculous. But a couple of things really struck me. First of all, there was an utter lack of remorse. He's smug and proud of what he accomplished. A complete sociopath. He said he felt bad in a few places, but I don't believe him. And the ending was abrupt. It just ended on one of his escapades. I would have rather heard about his punishment through his eyes. It was a strange choice to me.

Overall it was entertaining. Three stars.



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Review: Call the Nurse: True Stories of a Country Nurse on a Scottish Isle

Call the Nurse: True Stories of a Country Nurse on a Scottish Isle by Mary J. Macleod

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Quaint, interesting anecdotes about a family who moves to the remote Hebrides of Scotland. Mary J, the country nurse, sees the islanders through good times and bad. Some stories are funny, some are quite sad, and some will make you shake your head.

An interesting look into the culture of rural Scotland and the life of a woman devoted to helping others.



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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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Burial Rites

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This book took me by complete surprise. Walking into it, I didn't realize it was a based on a true story. It's well-written and an interesting piece of historical fiction.

We are told the story of Agnes, the last person to be executed in Iceland, through the eyes of others--the family she was housed with while awaiting execution and the priest she asked to atone her sins. Through the course of the book you get to see glimpses of Agnes, but do you ever truly know what happened, or why? Can you trust her version of events? Did she deserve to be executed for the crime? The book is will leave you guessing until the end and it will be up to you to decide.

The writing is bleak and cold, like the setting. it's a story culled together by the historical documents and it becomes a compelling tale of a women in her final days, of acceptance and the unfolding of the truth.



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Second Glance

Second Glance by Jodi Picoult

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Coincidence, or fate? That is the question. Picoult is a favorite author of mine and this one doesn't disappoint.

Part ghost story, part romance, part history lesson, we are dropped into two timelines which are intertwined over time. A 70-year-old murder mystery and a modern day story are woven together into a bundle that all makes sense by the end. You end up with a ghost story along with an interesting history of eugenics and Native American cultures that is little-known but worth the read.

Ask yourself a few questions to see if you should read this book?
1) Do you like ghost stories? Then yes, please read.
2) Do you like murder mysteries? This one will keep you guessing.
3) Do you like stories that tie in real-life history? Read this one--it's fascinating.
4) Do you like alternating timelines? This is the book for you.

This is a hard one to summarize because so much is happening, but there is a little something for everyone inside. The strong motherhood story you have come to expect from Picoult with some supernatural twists and turns.





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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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To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I thoroughly, completely love this book. Scout, Jem, Calpurnia, and especially Atticus. In many ways, it's a simple coming of age story. But it is more than that, too. It's about equality, and prejudices, and hatred. And I loved it. And I just might have a big huge crush on Atticus Finch.

I'm not sure what else to say. If you haven't read it, please do yourself a favor and read it now. It's a classic for a reason.



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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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I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban

I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


It is a miracle that Malala is alive to tell her tale. She shares her story, from growing up in Pakistan, living through the Taliban, and her life now in England.

Talk about a reality check. This book really helped me to realize how much I take for granted in America. I can't imagine living in a world where so many things are dictated to me: how I dress, who I leave the house with, even my education. I found myself shaking my head as I read, unwilling to believe the world I was having described.

Stay in school, kids. Appreciate your precious freedoms. Argue, explore, and live life!



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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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Missing: A Memoir

Missing: A Memoir by Lindsay Harrison

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Since this is a memoir, I will try to be honest in my judgments, yet spare the snark for the most part. After all, it's about a real-life family living through a real-life drama; one to which thankfully I can't relate.

Missing is one young woman's story about the 40 days her mom was missing, and the aftermath of finding her body. But it is more than that. It's the story of one dysfunctional family, a messed-up mother / daughter relationship, and of growing up and recovering from an unspeakable tragedy.

Lindsay Harrison is immature, but honest. She doesn't try to make herself out to be the hero, or the one holding the family together. She lays it out there, flaws and all, and it makes her unlikeable. There were times when her bad decisions, immaturity, and rudeness made me want to shake some sense into her. I can't imagine what the family went through during this time. Unfortunately we only get Lindsay's thoughts, and reading about the perspective of her brothers and her father would have made the story more complete. Instead we are stuck inside the head of a pot smoking 20-year-old who seems to need counseling from the years of living with her manipulative, selfish, potentially mentally ill mother. Her POV just didn't do it for me.

This book is just ok. Not great. Not particularly captivating. Something was missing from making it "un-put-downable" for me, but it was still finishing from my "to be read" shelf. Two 1/2 stars.



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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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