While Munchausen's-by-proxy seems to come up in fiction and the news from time to time, Munchausen's itself seems rarer. This memoir focuses on the reWhile Munchausen's-by-proxy seems to come up in fiction and the news from time to time, Munchausen's itself seems rarer. This memoir focuses on the relationship between the author and her mother. Who,e never formally diagnosed with Munchausen's, Elinor certainly sounds like a rather textbook case here. Growing up with a chronically ill mother - first with ME and then later with Parkinson's - left quite a mark on the author's life. More damaging, though, is the realization that the illnesses were nothing more than fabrications. Elinor may not be considered classically abusive, but this heartbreaking story reveals the scars and trauma left behind in a different sort of abuse.
This memoir makes for a compelling read - it has the pacing of a fictional novel and it is easy to keep turning the pages. While there are some moments that I think were undoubtedly more traumatic in person than they sounded on paper, this account still shows the isolation and manipulation the author faced her entire life. I think it also displays some big downsides of the NHS. It would certainly make for a lively discussion starter for book clubs or discussion groups - particularly for those who enjoyed the memoir, THE LESS PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT US. I feel like those two authors would have a lot to talk about between them, too! ...more
This is the sort of book that I just love to take a chance on, ever since first stumbling across David Sedaris' writing. While not familiar with KleinThis is the sort of book that I just love to take a chance on, ever since first stumbling across David Sedaris' writing. While not familiar with Klein's career, this book is still a lot of fun to read! I definitely laughed out loud on multiple occasions and found myself both identifying and sympathizing with Klein in many of the scenes described. It's really funny and I genuinely enjoyed reading it - and sharing parts aloud with my sister-in-law as we both sat out in the summer sun, reading. I certainly hope that Klein compiles another collection of moments/essays like this soon! It was just such a fun and fast read! She feels very real, and yet puts together her words and scenes in fresh and amusing ways! I can't wait to read more!...more
Unfortunately, as this month’s selection for our book club, it disappointed me. Its premise - two East Coast society women travelled to Colorado to teUnfortunately, as this month’s selection for our book club, it disappointed me. Its premise - two East Coast society women travelled to Colorado to teach there for one year - seemed intriguing - especially since Colorado was more of the “Wild West” then (just before WWI). In addition, the author’s familial connection (she is the granddaughter of one of the two women) added to its appeal. Wickenden went into great detail with her research, giving a very detailed picture of not only their lives in Colorado, but a lot of historical context as well as personal events leading up to their year in the West. To completely separate the book from a memoir-feel, Wickenden focused more on Rosamund, rather than her own grandmother. This truly felt a bit like a missed opportunity and Dorothy herself remained disappointingly in the background to her taller, and apparently prettier friend.
Most frustratingly, the book skipped around quite a bit in its chronology. This disjointed feel made for a lot of skipping back and forth to brush up on just who a person was, or just when an event took place. The detailed research was mediated with snippets of the personal letters of not only the women, but their friends and family. If only there were more of these letters included! More than the research, these words really brought their story to life. They generated a lot more interest to me than the foliage, weather and railroad history sections. Surprisingly, Wickenden did not include much about the educational aspect of just what the women were teaching - or much about the history of education.
The big “mystery” presented here wrapped around Rosamund’s lovelife. It felt a bit forced, as a way to offer an easy connection between book and reader. Despite the plethora of detail, I never really connected with the book - from its disjointed chronology to the distance that Wickenden purposefully created in describing the life of her grandmother, it just left me wanting something more personable with a straightforward presentation. I did, however, love the way the citations were handled on the Kindle Fire. The text appeared in blue, and when pressed, it skipped to the endnote that it related to. With the back key, it was easy to return to the section. Definitely a formatting improvement over past non-fiction books that I have read on the Kindle! ...more
I loved this! I had pre-ordered it a while ago, and was so excited when it arrived just a few days before my birthday (and a day early!). The laughs sI loved this! I had pre-ordered it a while ago, and was so excited when it arrived just a few days before my birthday (and a day early!). The laughs start with the cover and the description and the hilarious Advanced Praise. I heard that it got some mixed reviews, but I genuinely enjoyed it. I had a great time reading it! I laughed really hard several times and when I shared passages with my husband and his cousin who was visiting, they both enjoyed it, too! I was greatly entertained!
I was a little disappointed in the book's brevity, but I suppose that makes sense considering the writing format Fey is most familiar with! It's closer to a collection of comedic essays than a true biography... I guess it reminds me a bit of David Sedaris' style of memoir. I like Fey's writing style and would love to see even more from her in this format! ...more
This was a book club pick that I have to admit, I had some initial reservations about. The description sounded pretty interesting, but I was completelThis was a book club pick that I have to admit, I had some initial reservations about. The description sounded pretty interesting, but I was completely unprepared to have enjoyed it as much as I did! I am really happy that I read it - not only was it a fast non-fiction read, but I felt that I learned a lot from it. Many of the facts presented were ones that I had never encountered before and they were presented clearly, and without being dry or in any way dull. From tidbits about cell culture itself to unethical studies, this was a fascinating (but be prepared to be horrified and sad along the way) read. So, please, don't be deterred by the book's description - it truly is worth the many rave reviews that it has received and is not at all what I feared it to be. ...more
I really enjoyed this memoir of an English countryside vet. The book, though it did follow a chronology, felt more like a series of articles or anecdoI really enjoyed this memoir of an English countryside vet. The book, though it did follow a chronology, felt more like a series of articles or anecdotes than a truly cohesive work. Some chapters flowed together better than others, but the vast majority did not, making it a book fairly easy to put down and continue on with after a period of time. I don’t want that to sound like a criticism, because I did love the book - in fact there were several parts that were laugh-out-loud hilarious. I found Tristan, in particular, to be a rather comical character. This memoir was also surprisingly educational - not just about the setting, or animals, but it also offered simple explanations to veterinary practices. In fact, it actually had less to do with animals and their behavior than I expected. People remained at the forefront, and there was even a bit of romance included!...more
I really enjoyed this sort of biography/true crime story of this Hungarian thief, Attila Ambrus. It was a really fun book with some very funny anecdotI really enjoyed this sort of biography/true crime story of this Hungarian thief, Attila Ambrus. It was a really fun book with some very funny anecdotes. And it certainly was not a dull biography at all! Rubinstein captured a remarkable life and did a wonderful job of spreading Ambrus’ story in a fascinating fashion. All in all, I really liked it. I especially liked all of the facts about Hungary, too. In summary, this was an educational AND highly entertaining read - and one that I definitely recommend reading. I can’t wait to see what topic Rubinstein tackles next!...more
Sometimes, you read a book at the exact right time. This book (really more of a long eulogy to Marley) certainly tugged on all of my emotions. I gigglSometimes, you read a book at the exact right time. This book (really more of a long eulogy to Marley) certainly tugged on all of my emotions. I giggled through tears at times, and even now just looking at the cover makes me a little weepy - not so much for Marley, but for my own dogs - having gone through the pain of losing one dog, this copy of the book really got me through that awful time and aided my own grieving process. I thought more than the happy, cutesy puppy times, where Grogan’s writing really excelled was in the way he truly captured the soul-deep ache when a beloved dog passes away. He really articulated in a surprisingly lovely way what was one of the worst times of my life. This really was a biography of a dog, at its heart, but with a lot more of the two-legged Grogan family members than I expected. I liked the book quite a bit, but I don’t know if I could handle seeing the movie....more
This was an entertaining (and star-studded!) collection of essays. I enjoyed reading them and while they were not always laugh-out-loud funny, they weThis was an entertaining (and star-studded!) collection of essays. I enjoyed reading them and while they were not always laugh-out-loud funny, they were deeply amusing. It was a lot of fun to read, and while David Sedaris remains the king of this memoir/essay genre, I found Hillary Carlip to be much more entertaining than author:Augusten Burroughs|3058]. I didn't love it the book, but I really did like it
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