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A Better Me: The Official Autobiography
Book
'This is the book I wished I'd had to turn to.' Gary BarlowGary Barlow is one of the most successful...
OO
Out of the Ordinary: A Life of Gender and Spiritual Transitions
Michael Dillon, Cameron Partridge, Jacob Lau and Susan Stryker
Book
Now available for the first time-more than 50 years after it was written-is the memoir of Michael...
BookInspector (124 KP) rated All This Has Nothing to Do with Me in Books
Sep 24, 2020
Well this one was weird… This book has a stunning cover, it is a tiny book, and I knew that this is going to be a quick read, and I bought it for only 10p when a couple of my nearby Poundlands were closing down. I thought it has a fun chick lit story for me, but I was very wrong… I kept reading it because I don’t like to DNF books, but till the last page, I have no idea what was it about.
The main character in this book is MS, and sometimes referred to as Monica, so it gives me a very strong feeling that this is some sort of memoir maybe? The one thing I could grasp was that MS is kind of psychologically unstable, she writes letters to the dead author, her relationship with XX is an absolute mess, but she kind of tries to explain her behaviour, by going back to the past and talking about her mother and stepdad. Yes, she had a difficult childhood, and if the story and format (it is a mash of letters, SMS, pictures, normal text etc.) would’ve been differently presented, it could’ve been an awesome memoir.
The writing style of this book was very unique and original, and it should’ve been really hard to write this book because it is filled with a huge amount of pictures. No, not some nice pictures, but pictures of random things e.g. a lighter taken from XX; sweaters worn on dates; 4pages of scooter pictures which might belong to XX, and many more. I think it took years to collect this amount of pictures, so props to the author for the patience and detail.
So, let me just jump to the conclusions here. This book won France’s Prix de Flore 2013 award, so it has to have something that I am not seeing, right? One thing I know, it wasn’t for me, but if you like award-winning books, which are different and really original, give this book a go, and you might enjoy it.
The main character in this book is MS, and sometimes referred to as Monica, so it gives me a very strong feeling that this is some sort of memoir maybe? The one thing I could grasp was that MS is kind of psychologically unstable, she writes letters to the dead author, her relationship with XX is an absolute mess, but she kind of tries to explain her behaviour, by going back to the past and talking about her mother and stepdad. Yes, she had a difficult childhood, and if the story and format (it is a mash of letters, SMS, pictures, normal text etc.) would’ve been differently presented, it could’ve been an awesome memoir.
The writing style of this book was very unique and original, and it should’ve been really hard to write this book because it is filled with a huge amount of pictures. No, not some nice pictures, but pictures of random things e.g. a lighter taken from XX; sweaters worn on dates; 4pages of scooter pictures which might belong to XX, and many more. I think it took years to collect this amount of pictures, so props to the author for the patience and detail.
So, let me just jump to the conclusions here. This book won France’s Prix de Flore 2013 award, so it has to have something that I am not seeing, right? One thing I know, it wasn’t for me, but if you like award-winning books, which are different and really original, give this book a go, and you might enjoy it.
The Desert and the Sea: 977 Days Captive on the Somali Pirate Coast
Book
Michael Scott Moore, a journalist and the author of Sweetness and Blood, incorporates personal...
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated The Tattooist of Auschwitz in Books
Mar 2, 2018 (Updated Mar 2, 2018)
Wish it hadn't been written like a screenplay
The Tattooist of Auschwitz reads like a fictional story set during the Holocaust, but what makes it remarkable is the fact that it is anything but formulated.
Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew, was given the task of tattooing identification numbers on others at the notorious concentration camp. There he meets Gita, another Slovakian, and he sets himself on a mission to escape with her to freedom by trading food and jewels, revealing his incredible street smarts. If he had been caught, he would have been killed - many owed him their survival.
There are elements where you do think it has been written for the screen, as the scenes fail to connect to one another fluidly. As a result, I did believe it to be a fictional story because the writing failed to completely flourish and the author struggles with the prose. In this respect, it is rather disappointing, however, the memoir is wonderful and it leaves you with huge respect for the Sokolovs.
Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew, was given the task of tattooing identification numbers on others at the notorious concentration camp. There he meets Gita, another Slovakian, and he sets himself on a mission to escape with her to freedom by trading food and jewels, revealing his incredible street smarts. If he had been caught, he would have been killed - many owed him their survival.
There are elements where you do think it has been written for the screen, as the scenes fail to connect to one another fluidly. As a result, I did believe it to be a fictional story because the writing failed to completely flourish and the author struggles with the prose. In this respect, it is rather disappointing, however, the memoir is wonderful and it leaves you with huge respect for the Sokolovs.
Kristin (149 KP) rated Finding My Way Home: A Memoir about Life, Love, and Family in Books
Dec 7, 2018
Disclaimer: I received a copy from author in exchange for an honest review.
This is a very interesting memoir following the attacks of 9/11. However, it's NOT about a survivor of the attacks, or a family member who lost someone, which I think is refreshing. Rather, the protagonist is a woman who, like the rest of the country, was affected by the events of that day, and this spurs her to reflect on her life and do some deep thinking about where she stands in relation to everything around her. So she decides to go on an extended road trip around the country, and she learns quite a lot about herself along the way, while meeting some interesting people and catching up with old friends, which may or may not be such a good thing.
I would recommend this to anyone who's ever done some "soul searching" or who likes to live vicariously through others who have done so. It makes you contemplate your own life choices and relationships, and it's a very nice story, as well.
4 stars
This is a very interesting memoir following the attacks of 9/11. However, it's NOT about a survivor of the attacks, or a family member who lost someone, which I think is refreshing. Rather, the protagonist is a woman who, like the rest of the country, was affected by the events of that day, and this spurs her to reflect on her life and do some deep thinking about where she stands in relation to everything around her. So she decides to go on an extended road trip around the country, and she learns quite a lot about herself along the way, while meeting some interesting people and catching up with old friends, which may or may not be such a good thing.
I would recommend this to anyone who's ever done some "soul searching" or who likes to live vicariously through others who have done so. It makes you contemplate your own life choices and relationships, and it's a very nice story, as well.
4 stars
Eilidh G Clark (177 KP) rated Bitter Almonds in Books
Jul 2, 2019
Great wee book
I only wanted to read half of this book as the second half is recipes. After the first thirteen pages I put it down and sighed. I like to give a book at least a chapter so I persisted and I am glad I did. The book is written by Simeti about the life of Maria, a Sicilian woman who owns a bakery. The first chapter is all about the art of baking (old school) and I was worried that the whole novel would read along the same lines - after all it is memoir that I want to read. Things turn around after chapter one when Maria discusses her childhood in a nunnery, her feelings of neglect, her hunger but also of what she learned and how she was able to apply this to her later in life career. I found Maria's attitude to religion and family refreshing and enjoyed the conversational tone in which she delivers her own recollections.
This is a book worth persisting with.
This is a book worth persisting with.
The Military Orchid
Jocelyn Brooke, Gavin Bone, Stephen Bone and Horatio Clare
Book
Jocelyn Brooke's love affair with wild flowers and home-made fireworks began when he was growing up...
The Seed Beneath the Snow: Remembering George Mackay Brown
Book
This tender and personal memoir by the poet Joanna Ramsey of George Mackay Brown gives an account of...
The Senecans
Book
A year after the death of Margaret Thatcher, a young woman arrives to ask Peter Stothard, former...