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Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood in Books
Jan 3, 2018
An insider's view of Apartheid
It seems unlikely that comedian Trevor Noah would have ever made it out of the prison of colonialism, apartheid, poverty and violence, yet now he's regarded as one of South Africa's biggest export. His memoir is brutal and harrowing, describing how because of the illegal interracial relationship between his Xhosa mother and his Swiss-German, his birth was actually a crime.
It's hard to imagine that this legal segregation only ended 26 years ago, yet Noah then faced the turbulent legacy of post-apartheid. Being mixed race posed its own problems, as Noah describes never fitting in anywhere, but being accepted to a certain degree because of his 'whiteness' and his chameleon-like ability to adapt to his surroundings.
There are moments which are truly disturbing, as Noah speaks about his violent stepfather and going hungry. In this way, his life can be seen as a story of personal survival, through intelligence and humour, which millions have come to love.
It's hard to imagine that this legal segregation only ended 26 years ago, yet Noah then faced the turbulent legacy of post-apartheid. Being mixed race posed its own problems, as Noah describes never fitting in anywhere, but being accepted to a certain degree because of his 'whiteness' and his chameleon-like ability to adapt to his surroundings.
There are moments which are truly disturbing, as Noah speaks about his violent stepfather and going hungry. In this way, his life can be seen as a story of personal survival, through intelligence and humour, which millions have come to love.
Alison Pink (7 KP) rated The Grace of Silence: A Family Memoir in Books
Jan 15, 2018
I won this book on Goodreads First Reads.
This book caught my eye because I'd taken a Civil Rights course one summer while in college at CMU. The class facinated me. I learned what I thought was a great deal about the civil rights movement...from freedom marches, to sit ins we talked about it all. Or so I thought!
Michelle Norris's book told me otherwise. The day to day struggles of real families from this era of American history goes largly unnoticed. This book looked at one family & how things that were considered taboo, & therefore never talked about, effected generations of her family. It took an in-depth look at how "normal" people were the cornerstone of the movement & to this day go largly unhearlded for their efforts.
The memoir was well written & read more like a novel than a true account of someone's family. This was an unexpectedly great book!
This book caught my eye because I'd taken a Civil Rights course one summer while in college at CMU. The class facinated me. I learned what I thought was a great deal about the civil rights movement...from freedom marches, to sit ins we talked about it all. Or so I thought!
Michelle Norris's book told me otherwise. The day to day struggles of real families from this era of American history goes largly unnoticed. This book looked at one family & how things that were considered taboo, & therefore never talked about, effected generations of her family. It took an in-depth look at how "normal" people were the cornerstone of the movement & to this day go largly unhearlded for their efforts.
The memoir was well written & read more like a novel than a true account of someone's family. This was an unexpectedly great book!
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Priestdaddy in Books
Sep 4, 2017
The eccentric and quirky life of a Catholic family
This is an intriguing memoir about the author's experiences of living in an unconventional, but highly religious family, with a Catholic gun-toting priest for a father. It is highly sarcastic, and hilarious at times, reading about Patricia Lockwood's family antics. When I first began this autobiography, I honestly believed it was set in the 1960s as her father disallows the sisters to go to college, instead spending money on guitars, and describing the effects of living next to a radioactive plant. But lo and behold, Lockwood is writing about only a decade ago.
She leads an eccentric lifestyle, following in her family's footsteps, writing poetry and travelling across the US after a marrying a man off the internet. But it also reveals her doubts about their customs and practices, and how she questions the function of the church - especially with claims of molestation. An interesting and enjoyable read.
She leads an eccentric lifestyle, following in her family's footsteps, writing poetry and travelling across the US after a marrying a man off the internet. But it also reveals her doubts about their customs and practices, and how she questions the function of the church - especially with claims of molestation. An interesting and enjoyable read.
Heathski (173 KP) rated The Closer We Are To Dying in Books
Feb 15, 2019
Well written and easy to read (2 more)
Full of wonderful stories
Family
Poignant beautiful memoir that I will always remember.
I read this a long time ago. I'm not that into reading biographies but I will always remember this book. It's about the memoirs of the father of the author and their family. His father is dying and Joe recounts the story of their reconciliation while he stays by his beside. Stories are told about the past, both happy and sad, humorous and at times violent. I grew up listening to stories from my older generation, which might be why I enjoyed this so much. It also reminded me a little bit of my uncle's, they always looked Italian and were mischievous. The way it is written is beautiful and engaging, and the stories are emotional, captivating and sometimes shocking. If its still available, it is a book I highly recommend you pick up and read.
Emily Slomski (3 KP) rated Fortunate Son in Books
Jun 18, 2018
Narrative (2 more)
Voice!
History of CCR
Personal and Revealing Memoir of CCR's Front Man
John Fogerty welcomes us into his world and talks to us like a close friend. He doesn't shy away from the difficult topics. For those who had only a positive connotation for Creedence Clearwater Revival, this book will smash that perspective. Fogerty spends the majority of the book discussing the difficult relationships between the band members and the many ways that the recording company screwed the band, and particularly John Fogerty, over. There is much to get out of this book. While he spends a lot of time talking about the difficulties, he also talks about his childhood, his personal relationship with music, his wife, his friendships with people like Bruce Springsteen, and the fulfilling life he has built for himself today. I totally recommend this book for anyone interested in Fogerty, CCR, and/or classic rock and roll!
Eilidh G Clark (177 KP) rated The Diving-bell and the Butterfly in Books
Jul 2, 2019
Emotional
Contains spoilers, click to show
This is a short memoir with snip-bits of chapters. The late Bauby had locked in syndrome, this is one of the reasons that makes this book remarkable. Being unable to speak or move, his story is captured by a friend through the authors blinking with his left eye. He finds a way to rearrange the alphabet in order of letter usage in French. This is not a heart rendering account of a man trapped in (as he calls it) a cocoon, but rather a snap shot of the way he copes, the way his memory allows him to heighten his imagination, the way he separates his existence from the outside world and the way his mind saves him from boredom.
Beautifully written with a conversational tone, this is a wonderful glimpse into the mind of a person whose body no longer works.
Beautifully written with a conversational tone, this is a wonderful glimpse into the mind of a person whose body no longer works.
The Locust and the Bird: My Mother's Story
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Kamila is nine years old when she is taken from the poverty of her childhood village in southern...
The Second I Saw You: The True Love Story of Rupert Brooke
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In 2000 the British Library uncovered a cache of letters and a memoir documenting the previously...
The Unexpected Professor: An Oxford Life in Books
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Best known for his provocative take on cultural issues in The Intellectuals and the Masses and What...
This is Gonna Hurt: Music, Photography and Life Through the Distorted Lens of Nikki Sixx
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"This Is Gonna Hurt: Music, Photography And Life Through The Distorted Lens Of Nikki Sixx", is part...