Review: Heads in Beds by Jacob Tomsky

Heads in Beds
Author: Jacob Tomsky
Published: November 20, 2012
Genre: memoir
eBook: approx. 256 pages
Source: borrowed from the library

My Rating: 3 stars

Synopsis (from GoodReads): Jacob Tomsky never intended to go into the hotel business. As a new college graduate, armed only with a philosophy degree and a singular lack of career direction, he became a valet parker for a large luxury hotel in New Orleans. Yet, rising fast through the ranks, he ended up working in “hospitality” for more than a decade, doing everything from supervising the housekeeping department to manning the front desk at an upscale Manhattan hotel. He’s checked you in, checked you out, separated your white panties from the white bed sheets, parked your car, tasted your room-service meals, cleaned your toilet, denied you a late checkout, given you a wake-up call, eaten M&M's out of your minibar, laughed at your jokes, and taken your money. In Heads in Beds he pulls back the curtain to expose the crazy and compelling reality of a multi-billion-dollar industry we think we know. 

Heads in Beds is a funny, authentic, and irreverent chronicle of the highs and lows of hotel life, told by a keenly observant insider who’s seen it all. Prepare to be amused, shocked, and amazed as he spills the unwritten code of the bellhops, the antics that go on in the valet parking garage, the housekeeping department’s dirty little secrets—not to mention the shameless activities of the guests, who are rarely on their best behavior. Prepare to be moved, too, by his candor about what it’s like to toil in a highly demanding service industry at the luxury level, where people expect to get what they pay for (and often a whole lot more). Employees are poorly paid and frequently abused by coworkers and guests alike, and maintaining a semblance of sanity is a daily challenge.

Along his journey Tomsky also reveals the secrets of the industry, offering easy ways to get what you need from your hotel without any hassle. This book (and a timely proffered twenty-dollar bill) will help you score late checkouts and upgrades, get free stuff galore, and make that pay-per-view charge magically disappear. Thanks to him you’ll know how to get the very best service from any business that makes its money from putting heads in beds. Or, at the very least, you will keep the bellmen from taking your luggage into the camera-free back office and bashing it against the wall repeatedly.

My Thoughts: As someone who works in the hospitality industry (I'm a restaurant manager), I'm always looking for a good memoir detailing someone's life in the hospitality industry. Since I deal with crazy guests all day, I like to read someone else's funny guest stories. It helps me to know that I'm not alone in the service industry. So, when Jacob Tomsky's book came out, I knew that I would have to read it. Chronicling his time in a hotel in New Orleans and then New York City, Tomsky tells you all about working front desk in a hotel. He began his journey in the hospitality industry after graduating from college with no job prospects and looking for some easy money while he looked for work elsewhere. Little did he know that he would become hooked in the service industry for much longer than he would like.

My only problem with this book was that Tomsky made it sound like he has worked in a variety of cities and positions, spanning decades (well, at least one decade). Instead, this book focuses on the two properties that he worked at and how you can get free stuff out of these hotels or get free upgrades. It was basically a book with his stories interspersed with how to take advantage of hotels. As someone who works in the service industry, I hate people who walk into a place trying to get as many freebies as possible. Afterall, these places are businesses, places that have the goal of making money. When you come in and nickel and dime everything out of the place, it's not only annoying to the staff, but you can guarantee that you will get the worst service possible. To Mr. Tomsky, I would like to say this: just tell people to not be mean, to be kind to the people working in these places of hospitality. They are human beings, they are not slaves, and they are not meant to be screamed at. I feel like he should have preached that more than how to get free movies and stuff from the mini-bar (also, the nicer you are to the people working in these establishments, the better service you will receive, and the more likely they are to pass along freebies to you.) 

I enjoyed this book because it did make me laugh at several points and brought a smile to my face. If you are looking for a memoir that will make you laugh and give you a peek inside the hospitality industry, then you should check this book out. While I hope that you don't go out and seek the freebies that Tomsky loves to talk about, it does give you some ideas to what you should look out for in hotel properties.

Review: The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe

The End of Your Life Book Club
Author: Will Schwalbe
Published: October 2, 2012
Genre: memoir
eBook: approx. 336 pages
Source: borrowed from the library

My Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis (from GoodReads): “What are you reading?”

That’s the question Will Schwalbe asks his mother, Mary Anne, as they sit in the waiting room of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. In 2007, Mary Anne returned from a humanitarian trip to Pakistan and Afghanistan suffering from what her doctors believed was a rare type of hepatitis. Months later she was diagnosed with a form of advanced pancreatic cancer, which is almost always fatal, often in six months or less.

This is the inspiring true story of a son and his mother, who start a “book club” that brings them together as her life comes to a close. Over the next two years, Will and Mary Anne carry on conversations that are both wide-ranging and deeply personal, prompted by an eclectic array of books and a shared passion for reading. Their list jumps from classic to popular, from poetry to mysteries, from fantastic to spiritual. The issues they discuss include questions of faith and courage as well as everyday topics such as expressing gratitude and learning to listen. Throughout, they are constantly reminded of the power of books to comfort us, astonish us, teach us, and tell us what we need to do with our lives and in the world. Reading isn’t the opposite of doing; it’s the opposite of dying. 

Will and Mary Anne share their hopes and concerns with each other—and rediscover their lives—through their favorite books. When they read, they aren’t a sick person and a well person, but a mother and a son taking a journey together. The result is a profoundly moving tale of loss that is also a joyful, and often humorous, celebration of life: Will’s love letter to his mother, and theirs to the printed page.

My Thoughts: I love a good memoir, one that makes you look at your own life in a different way because of someone else, who you probably have never met. This is the case with this book by Will Schwalbe. Following the nearly two years of his mother's battle with pancreatic cancer, Schwalbe details how they came to form a special bond over that time, learning more about one another and the world than they could have without the aid of some great books.

I find if hard to review memoir's because it's hard to tear apart someone else's life and comment on it. So, I won't. Instead, let me tell you that this is a wonderful book about a mother and son bonding with one another over literature. Now, they do read a few classics, but most of what they read is newer or focused in the Middle East (Will's mother does a lot of volunteer work with organizations focused in that area). While it didn't take away from my understading of the book, it sometimes did make it hard for me to relate. But the way that Schwalbe tells you about the books that they are reading is great. If you are nervous that he is going to blow any books ending, then don't worry about it. While he is able to give you enough background on the book so you understand the topics that he is discussing, he never gives anything away (which was one of my concerns with the book.)

If you know someone who is battling cancer or whose battle with the disease has ended, then this would be a great book to read. While the word "book club" is in the title, this memoir has little to do with books, but more with the way we handle the battle of this awful disease, not only as the afflicted, but also as the family members. Definitely something that should be read!

Audiobook Review: Pretty in Plaid by Jen Lancaster

Pretty In Plaid
Author: Jen Lancaster
Narrator: Jamie Heinlein
Published: April 4, 2009
Genre: memoir
Audiobook: 7 discs (approx. 8 hours)
Source: borrowed from the library

My Rating: 3.5 stars

Synopsis (from GoodReads): In Pretty in Plaid, Jen Lancaster reveals how she developed the hubris that perpetually gets her into trouble. Using fashion icons of her youth to tell her hilarious and insightful stories, readers will meet the girl she used to be.

Think Jen Lancaster was always "like David Sedaris with pearls and a super-cute handbag?" (Jennifer Coburn) Think again. She was a badge-hungry Junior Girl Scout with a knack for extortion, an aspiring sorority girl who didn't know her Coach from her Louis Vuitton, and a budding executive who found herself bewildered by her first encounter with a fax machine. In this humorous and touching memoir, Jen Lancaster looks back on her life-and wardrobe-before bitter was the new black and shows us a young woman not so very different than the rest of us.

The author who showed us what it was like to wait in line at the unemployment office with a Prada bag, how living in the city can actually suck, and that losing weight can be fun with a trainer named Barbie and enough Ambien is ready to take you on a hilarious and heartwarming trip down memory lane in her shoes (and very pretty ones at that).

My Thoughts: I really love Jen Lancaster's books and thought, "Why don't I try her in audiobook form?" I mean, I listened to Mindy Kaling's book and was busting out laughing, so I thought I would try another funny lady in audiobook form. And while I was busting out laughing, it wasn't what I expected from it. This book is all about Jen's struggle with clothing throughout her life and the pieces that have defined her life. And while the writing was great, it was the narration that was a bit off for me. I have never heard Jen Lancaster speak before, but I have a clear image in my mind of what she would sound like. And unfortunately, this narrator just didn't sound how I imagine she should. It was just a bit too snotty and not enough sarcasm, which brought down the reading for me. 

I did identify with Jen at various points in her life. While I did not grow up in the 80s, I do remember some of the fads from when I was in middle school and high school, so I can understand where she's coming from. And hearing her talking about walking across the Purdue campus in the middle of wind storm is something I can definitely relate to (I also went there ... Boiler Up!) And when she goes suit shopping for a job interview, I was busting up. I mean, I have been there (what woman hasn't?), and pretty much every suit is designed for and old woman. So it takes forever to try and find something, normally with some annoying sales lady telling you how nice you look. I mean, it's something that all women go through, and Jen just nails the whole shopping experience perfectly. While I look forward to reading more of her books in the future, I will no longer be listening to them.

Review: Jeneration X by Jen Lancaster

Jeneration X
Author: Jen Lancaster
Published: May 1, 2012
Genre: humorous memoir
Hardcover: 352 pages
Source: borrowed from the library

My Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis (from GoodReads): In Such a Pretty Fat, Jen Lancaster learned how to come to terms with her body. In My Fair Lazy, she expanded her mind. Now the New York Times bestselling author gives herself—and her generation—a kick in the X, by facing her greatest challenge to date: acting her age.

Jen is finally ready to put away childish things (except her Barbie Styling Head, of course) and embrace the investment-making, mortgage-carrying, life-insurance-having adult she’s become. From getting a mammogram to volunteering at a halfway house, she tackles the grown-up activities she’s resisted for years, and with each rite of passage she completes, she’ll uncover a valuable—and probably humiliating—life lesson that will ease her path to full-fledged, if reluctant, adulthood.

My Thoughts: This may come as a surprise to some people, but I've never read a Jen Lancaster memoir before. Sure, I read her one work of fiction (and loved it) but I never grabbed one of her many memoirs. So, when I heard that this one was coming out, I was super excited, and when I found it at the library one day, I just had to get it. While her novel was funny, this book had me laughing out loud at so many points that it's hard to list my favorite ones. While we did attend the same alma mater (Go Purdue!), there is something about her that is so relatable, even though we are from different generations and have never met (but if we did, we would totally be BFFs). Lancaster's writing seems like you are talking to one of your best friends, who happens to be slightly crazy and neurotic about most everything in her life. She's that friend that you love to hang out with because she's so honset and doesn't hold back.

While I will continue to say that it's hard for me to review a memoir because it's hard to rate someone else's life experiences, this is probably one of my favorites in the genre. She's so witty and sarcastic that you are laughing out loud (seriously, don't read this book in public place because people will stare at you while you laugh). Her experiences are things that we can relate to, from pet training to having unruly hair. She doesn't sugarcoat her life or make it seem like it's hard. She tends to mock herself and the life that she leads, which I think is one of the reasons that she's so relatable. Her essay on shopping at Whole Foods is hilarious because not only have we all been in a simiar situation, but also because she realizes how lucky she is to lead the life that she does.

While this is not groundbreaking or awe-inspiring, it is a memoir that will have you busting outloud and wishing that you and Jen could get together for some drinks and laugh about your lives. If you haven't read Jen Lancaster, don't wait another minute! Go out, right now, and read any of her books! And you can thank me later, haha!

Review: That Book About Harvard by Eric Kester

That Book About Harvard
Author: Eric Kester
Published: July 1, 2012
Genre: memoir
Paperback: 334 pages
Source: borrowed from the library

My Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis (from GoodReads): One of the most thrilling and terrifying days of your life is the first day of college, when you step onto campus filled with the excitement of all the possibilities ahead--and panic about if you'll make it and how you'll fit in.

Now imagine that same feeling, but you're in the middle of the lawn at the world's most prestigious university.

In your underwear.

Thus begins one of the craziest years ever at Harvard, in which Eric Kester finds himself in a cheating scheme, trying to join a prestigious Finals Club, and falling for a stunning type-A brunette...who happened to be standing there in shock that first day when he made his red-faced stroll across the Harvard Yard.

That Book about Harvard is the hilarious and heartwarming story of trying to find your place in a new world, the unending quest to fit in, and how the moments that change your life often happen in the most unexpected ways.

My Thoughts: I found this book while wandering around the library one day and after reading the description, thought it sounded pretty funny. So I decided, "What the heck? I'll give it a try." And thank goodness I did; this was one of the funniest books I've ever read. Eric Kester takes you on trip through his freshman year at the most famous university in the world, Harvard. He plays football and has decent SAT scores, so he is accepted into the university to play on their football team. Kester takes you on a journey from receiving his acceptance letter in the mail to the spring Primal Scream (when students streak through Harvard Yard during finals.) It's a hilarious tale and one that makes you realize that not everyone who attends this university is an egghead. They are normal people who are trying to make it through the world's toughest school and (hopefully) receive a degree.

I find it hard to review memoir's because it's hard to judge someone's life experiences. Kester's freshman year wasn't like mine, but I could identify with his struggles. Trying to fit in a new place, feeling like you don't belong, struggling with the workload. It's difficult for any college student and the pressure that Kester feels he is under being at such a prestigious school is understandable. He is able to find the humor in his stuggles and realize that he doesn't need to take everything so seriously. The only fault I can find in this memoir is the ending. I felt like the ending was a bit abrupt without any closure. I wish that Kester had put an epilogue in, explaining how his Harvard experience wound up. It just kind of ended, unsure if he was coming back for a second semester or if he ended up with a certain girl. Maybe he will make this a four part series and devote each book to one year of college (I can hope!) If you are looking for a hilarious memoir, then make sure to check this one out. Kester will have you laughing out loud!

Review: Paris In Love by Eloisa James

Paris In Love
Author: Eloisa James
Published: April 3, 2012
Genre: memoir, travelogue
Hardcover: 272 pages
Source: borrowed from the library

My Rating: 2.5 stars

Synopsis (from GoodReads): In 2009, New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James took a leap that many people dream about: she sold her house, took a sabbatical from her job as a Shakespeare professor, and moved her family to Paris. Paris in Love: A Memoir chronicles her joyful year in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
 
With no classes to teach, no committee meetings to attend, no lawn to mow or cars to park, Eloisa revels in the ordinary pleasures of life—discovering corner museums that tourists overlook, chronicling Frenchwomen’s sartorial triumphs, walking from one end of Paris to another. She copes with her Italian husband’s notions of quality time; her two hilarious children, ages eleven and fifteen, as they navigate schools—not to mention puberty—in a foreign language; and her mother-in-law Marina’s raised eyebrow in the kitchen (even as Marina overfeeds Milo, the family dog). 
 
Paris in Love invites the reader into the life of a most enchanting family, framed by la ville de l’amour.

My Thoughts: I enjoy a good travelogue and when I heard that this one was set in Paris, the one place on earth that I am dying to go, I just had to read this book. Eloisa James tells about her year in Paris, about how she made the decision to move her family across the ocean and start over. The book is broken up into chapters, with most chapters starting with a short essay followed by little blurbs (things that she had posted on Facebook). She uses this format throughout the entire book, which I thought was odd. There were the amusing little thoughts that she would write down, but I felt like huge chunks of the story were missing.

I always say that I cannot judge the basis of a memoir because it's not my life, and it's hard to judge. In this book, my one gripe was what James chose to put in her book. In blurb form, it's hard to build a cohesive story about what was happening to them. When she would talk about her children and their difficulties in school, I felt like she didn't tell us enough about how difficult it was for them to transition to a new school and city. I felt like there was so much that was missing from the book, which is what made me give it a lower rating.

I did enjoy her shopping adventures and those alone make the book worth reading. If you enjoy Paris and memoirs, then it might be worth it to check it out. It just wasn't everything that I hoped for.

Audiobook Review: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)
Author and Narrator: Mindy Kaling
Published: November 1, 2011
Genres: memoir, humor
Audiobook: 4 CDs (4.5 hours)
Source: borrowed from the library


My Rating: 4 stars


Synopsis (from GoodReads): Mindy Kaling has lived many lives: the obedient child of immigrant professionals, a timid chubster afraid of her own bike, a Ben Affleck–impersonating Off-Broadway performer and playwright, and, finally, a comedy writer and actress prone to starting fights with her friends and coworkers with the sentence “Can I just say one last thing about this, and then I swear I’ll shut up about it?” 
 
Perhaps you want to know what Mindy thinks makes a great best friend (someone who will fill your prescription in the middle of the night), or what makes a great guy (one who is aware of all elderly people in any room at any time and acts accordingly), or what is the perfect amount of fame (so famous you can never get convicted of murder in a court of law), or how to maintain a trim figure (you will not find that information in these pages). If so, you’ve come to the right book, mostly!
 
In Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, Mindy invites readers on a tour of her life and her unscientific observations on romance, friendship, and Hollywood, with several conveniently placed stopping points for you to run errands and make phone calls. Mindy Kaling really is just a Girl Next Door—not so much literally anywhere in the continental United States, but definitely if you live in India or Sri Lanka.

My Thoughts: There is something that I have probably neglected to mentioning here on my blog, which I will go ahead and tell you now: I am a HUGE fan of The Office. I have loved it since the first day that it came on the air and will continue to watch it until they can it (which is hopefully never). Mindy Kaling in one of the writers for the show and she protrays a character called Kelly Kapoor, a ditz in every sense of the word. I think that Mindy is a great actress and she has written some of my favorite episodes from this series, so it was only a matter of time until I got around to reading her book. I stumbled upon the audiobook and figured, "Everyone loved Tina Fey's book in audio form, so the same must be true for Mindy's Book." (This is how I think about things in my head sometimes) And, let me just say, it was hilarious. Like, I spit pop out of my nose at one point as I was driving because it's so funny.

Mindy takes you through her life, from growing up with successful parents and how they raised her all the way to her present success. I felt like I could be best friends with Mindy after listening to this book because she is pretty unaffected by her fame (except for her chapter on giftbags at awards shows, but it's still funny). She is down to earth and tells her story with humor. She doesn't bash anyone, but just looks at the world as a great place to have a laugh. This was a great audiobook to listen to and definitely kept me entertained on my 6 hour drive. I hope that Mindy will continue to write in the future because these books are relateable for every woman, regardless of age.

Review: The Good Girl's Guide to Getting Lost by Rachel Friedman

The Good Girl's Guide to Getting Lost
Author: Rachel Friedman
Published: March 29, 2011
Genre: travel, memoir
Paperback: 320 pages
Source: personal copy


My Rating: 4 stars


Synopsis (from GoodReads): Rachel Friedman has always been the consummate good girl who does well in school and plays it safe, so the college grad surprises no one more than herself when, on a whim (and in an effort to escape impending life decisions), she buys a ticket to Ireland, a place she has never visited. There she forms an unlikely bond with a free-spirited Australian girl, a born adventurer who spurs Rachel on to a yearlong odyssey that takes her to three continents, fills her life with newfound friends, and gives birth to a previously unrealized passion for adventure. As her journey takes her to Australia and South America, Rachel discovers and embraces her love of travel and unlocks more truths about herself than she ever realized she was seeking. Along the way, the erstwhile good girl finally learns to do something she’s never done before: simply live for the moment.


My Thoughts: While reading Rachel Friedman's travelogue about her adventures in Ireland, Australia, and South America, there were several times where I found myself packing my bags, about to jet off on my own adventure. Friedman writes very casually, describing her experiences in each place. While she does talk about the places that she's in, this book isn't focusing on the locations as much as it is Friedman discovering who she is and what she wants in life. It's her personal journey that makes this book so good and how she tells it that makes me wish that the book were longer (or that she will publish another book in the future!) 


It is difficult to write reviews for memoirs because I find it impossible to judge someone's experiences with something. For me, this was a great book that had me captivated and longing to plan a trip abroad, to go and see more of this world. If you enjoy travel memoirs, are a fan of Bill Bryson, or just looking for something to pull you out of a reading rut, then I would definitely recommend this book. It will make you feel as if you are going to all of these places without having to leave your hometown.

Review: An Invisible Thread by Laura Schroff

An Invisible Thread
Authors: Laura Schroff and Alex Tresniowski
Published: November 1, 2011
Genre: memoir
Hardcover: 288 pages
Source: personal copy


My Rating: 3.5 stars


Synopsis (from GoodReads): 

When Laura Schroff first met Maurice on a New York City street corner, she had no idea that she was standing on the brink of an incredible and unlikely friendship that would inevitably change both their lives. As one lunch at McDonald's with Maurice turns into two, then into a weekly occurrence that is fast growing into an inexplicable connection, Laura learns heart-wrenching details about Maurice’s horrific childhood. 

The boy is stuck in something like hell. He is six years old and covered in small red bites from chinches—bed bugs—and he is woefully skinny due to an unchecked case of ringworm. He is so hungry his stomach hurts, but then he is used to being hungry: when he was two years old the pangs got so bad he rooted through the trash and ate rat droppings. He had to have his stomach pumped. He is staying in his father’s cramped, filthy apartment, sleeping with stepbrothers who wet the bed, surviving in a place that smells like something died. He has not seen his mother in three months, and he doesn’t know why. His world is a world of drugs and violence and unrelenting chaos, and he has the wisdom to know, even at six, that if something does not change for him soon, he might not make it. 

Sprinkled throughout the book is also Laura’s own story of her turbulent childhood. Every now and then, something about Maurice's struggles reminds her of her past, how her father’s alcohol-induced rages shaped the person she became and, in a way, led her to Maurice.

My Thoughts: I was lucky to find this book waiting for me under the tree this past Christmas. Now, I hadn't heard of the book before but after reading the synopsis on the book cover, I couldn't wait to dive in. I sometimes find it difficult to write reviews for memoirs, because it's hard to judge a story or person when that is their life story. I had that same issue while reading this book. Laura starts the book by telling the reader about her life and how she met Maurice. A few chapters later, she switches from talking about the present day to her childhood and growing up with an abusive father. The next chapter, she is back to talking about Maurice. I felt like this could have been handled differently, whether she told you about her background at the beginning of the book or just took the middle of the book to tell the reader all about her personal life, I just think that it could be handled a little more smoothly. 

I enjoyed the book and finished it in about 2 days. It was easy to read and Schroff has a conversational style of writing. It felt like she was just sitting across from me, telling me about this 11 year old boy that she met years ago. I enjoyed reading about Schroff's experience with Maurice and would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an inspirational book or a memoir (but be forewarned: you may cry while reading!)

Review: The Foremost Good Fortune by Susan Conley

The Foremost Good Fortune
Author: Susan Conley
Published: February 8, 2011
Genre: memoir
Hardcover: 304 pages
Source: provided by Knopf


My Rating: 4 stars


Synopsis (from goodreads.com): In 2007, American writer Susan Conley moves to Beijing with her husband and two young sons. Six months later, she is diagnosed with breast cancer. Set against the fascinating backdrop of modern China and full of insight into the trickiest questions of motherhood, this wry and poignant memoir is a celebration of family and a candid exploration of mortality and belonging.


My Thoughts: Susan Conley's memoir chroncling her family's time in China creates a beautiful travelogue, but it's her battle with breast cancer in a foreign land that make this book a great one. Mother to two young boys, Susan follows her husband all the way to China for a two year stint. Leaving behind their family and friends in Maine, they pack up their belongings and board their flight, unsure of what they are going to encounter. While her husband, Tony, has been to China before and is fluent in the language, but Susan is not. It creates for an amusing and sometimes heartbreaking story. Less than one year into their stay, Susan discovers lumps right by her collarbone. A Chinese doctor tells her to wait three months, but after talking to her doctor back in the US, she goes back. Turns out, she has breast cancer. She then spends sometime in Boston, goes back to Beijing, back to Boston with the whole faimly, then back.


I loved the timespan of this book. You truly see Susan grow throughout their stay in China. At the beginning of the trip, she is shy, timid, unsure of what to do or say. By the end of their time in China, she still maybe unsure of what to do, but she is confident in her actions and behaves as if she has lived in Beijing her whole life. The other thing that I really loved about this book was the writing. I felt as if I was with the Conley family, playing badmition in their apartment, driving to the Great Wall, trying new Chinese cuisine. Susan writes with great clarity, which is especially evident when talking about her need for friendships in this foreign country. There is a large expat community, but it consists of people from all over the world, who may not speak English. I felt for Susan, her need to find friends, people that she could talk with. She writes so clearly, it hurt sometimes hearing her speak about how alone she felt.


This is one of the best memoirs I have read. It's insightful, funny (at times), heartbreaking, and uplifting. It's a great read and I will definitely be on the lookout for more of Conley's work in the future.

Review: The Man Who Couldn't Eat by Jon Reiner

The Man Who Couldn't Eat: A Memoir
Author: Jon Reiner
Publisher: Gallery
Published: September 6, 2011
Hardcover: 320 pages
Source: won from GoodReads


My Rating: 3 stars


Synopsis (from goodreads.com): Jon Reiner was middle-aged, happily married with two children, living on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, and acclimating to his role as primary parent-caregiver when he suffered a near-fatal collapse due to complications from his chronic battle with Crohn’s disease. From that point, he was forbidden from eating food, fed intravenously, and denied the pleasures of taste, which, as an award-winning food writer, had been a central part of his life. In The Man Who Couldn't Eat, Reiner reinvents the foodoir, recounting what happens when a man obsessed with food cannot eat, and what happened to his family as a result. Coping with illness, unemployment, and financial ruin spun him into a deep depression, straining his relationship with his wife and children. It was this deprivation, ironically, that forced Jon to recognize what he’d been taking for granted. Eloquent and powerful, this is one man’s journey from deprivation and despair to ultimately acceptance and appreciation of what is truly important.


My Thoughts: Being completely honest here, I know very little about Crohn's disease. It's not an illness that gets a lot of publicity (like breast cancer), and while I knew it had something to do with digesting food, I didn't really know anything else. So, when I heard about this book, I was interested to learn a little more about the disease and Jon Reiner's experience of dealing with this disease. Reiner chronicles one year of living with this illness, following an awful episode where his insides burst (literally). He writes with clarity and ease, where his words are organic and not some romantic version of his illness. He is honest in saying how horrible it is, how difficult it is to maintain stability in his sons' lives but still wanting to be a part of the family, how it's not the food, but the act of eating, that he misses the most. His book is insightful and interesting.


The first chapter started a little slowly for me, but it picked up after that. Reiner's story is chronological, starting with the event that led to his year of no food. There are times where he flashes back to his childhood, describing the food of his youth. The family trips to New York City, Thanksgiving with his large Jewish family, exploring the restaurants of the city with his wife. I never realized how much food plays a role in our lives until reading about Reiner's year of doing without. The only thing that I didn't like about this book were that there were a few times where he went on these politcal tirades for a page or so. It really turned me off to his story. For me, if I want to read about politics, I will get a book about it. Just a pet peeve of mine. Other than that, it was an eye-opening book into a disease that many people suffer from but I knew so little about.

Review: Moonlight on Linoleum

Moonlight on Linoleum
Author: Terry Helwig
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Expected Publication Date: October 4, 2011
ARC: 220 pages
Source: won on GoodReads.com


My Rating: 4 stars


Synopsis (from goodreads.com): Terry Helwig and her five sisters were raised by their charismatic, troubled, and very young mother, Carola, who struggled with loneliness and infidelity. Because of their stepfather’s roving job in the oil fields, the family moved frequently from town to town in the American West. The girls were often separated and left behind with relatives, never knowing what their unstable mother would do next. Yet, even in the face of adversity, Terry found beauty in the small moments: resting in the boughs of her favorite oak tree, savoring the freedom she found on her grandparents’ farm, and gleefully discovering the joys of dating and dancing.

Despite the hardships and the limitations of age, Terry rose above her circumstances to become an excellent and faithful caregiver to her five siblings. She finds power in bonding with her sisters, and they manage to thrive in the face of constant upheaval and uncertainty. A moving and motivating portrait of love and perseverance, Moonlight on Linoleum is a poignant tribute to the bonds of family and the tenacity of love.

My Thoughts: Reading the synopsis of this book, I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know if it would be a memoir with Terry complaining about her childhood or one that was constantly putting a positive spin on things. Fortunately, Terry Helwig does neither. She presents her story: a daughter who is the caregiver with a troubled mother as the matriarch of the family. Hearing Terry tell her story is incredible, not only because of what happened, but how she writes about it. She does it with feeling, but it's neither whining or uplifting. She presents the events as they happened, as she remembers it. She does so with such fluidity that it almost seems as if this is a police report. There is little feeling there, but there is a complete picture of what happened. I loved that Terry didn't turn it into a pity party. I did feel bad, but Terry did not make me feel that way. She leaves it up to the reader to decide whether the situations were sad or not. 

Terry Helwig's writing is superb and she tells her story with such clarity. Reading about her experience left me so grateful for my family and the way that I was raised. It would have been so easy for Terry to abandon her sisters to start her own life, but she made sure that they always kept in touch and were a part of each other's lives. If you enjoy memoirs such as The Glass Castle, then you will love this book. It's a moving story about a young girl's life and the bond between sisters, even when seperated by thousands of miles.

A Stolen Life: A Memoir by Jaycee Dugard

A Stolen Life: A Memoir
Author: Jaycee Dugard
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: July 12, 2011
Hardcover: 268 pages
Source: borrowed from library


My Rating: 3 stars


Synopsis (from goodreads.com): In the summer of 1991 I was a normal kid. I did normal things. I had friends and a mother who loved me. I was just like you. Until the day my life was stolen. 
For eighteen years I was a prisoner. I was an object for someone to use and abuse. 

For eighteen years I was not allowed to speak my own name. I became a mother and was forced to be a sister. For eighteen years I survived an impossible situation. 

On August 26, 2009, I took my name back. My name is Jaycee Lee Dugard. I don’t think of myself as a victim. I survived. 

A Stolen Life is my story—in my own words, in my own way, exactly as I remember it.

My Thoughts: This was such a haunting book and one that I know will be difficult to right a review for. I want to preface my thoughts with this: I do not think that I can truly rate this book. For me to rate this book is to rate Jaycee Dugard's experience and it is something that I cannot even begin to fathom. What happened to her is horrible and it is amazing that she was finally found after 18 years. Her story is one that no one can judge because being in her shoes would be difficult for anybody to try and remember and put down on paper.

Jaycee does a great job of going back to when she is a child. The book is chronological, beginning with Jaycee getting ready for school on that day she was kidnapped and up to the present day. Her writing is so clear at the beginning and it's horrifying to read about her abduction and when you remember that this isn't a work of fiction but a true story, it will break your heart. She tells about her first few days in Phillip and Nancy Garrido's home. She does so with amazing objectivity considering what they did to her. She constantly states that she is not filled with hate toward her captors. It's this objectivity that keeps the story moving and prevents it from dragging. It would be easy for her to dwell on how awful this was and how unfair it was that this happen to her and her daughters, but she doesn't.

Jaycee wrote this book reflecting back on specific moments during her capture and at the end of the chapters, has her reflections. She looks back on what these experiences mean to her now. These reflections really allow you to enter her thoughts and understand a bit of what she experienced. She goes all the way up to the present day, talking about her therapy sessions and how she is acclimating back into society. There are so many things that we do that Jaycee was afraid to do after she was found: pumping gas was terrifying because she was nervous that she was doing it wrong and someone would come up and yell at her. It's startling reading these parts and realizing what a grip the Garrido's had on her.

The one thing that I didn't like about this book was that as time progressed, Jaycee's writing seemed to become more jumpy. It jumped between what was happening in the backyard to the parole office to her current day therapy. As I stated at the beginning of my review, it's hard for me to review this book because this isn't a work of fiction, this was something that someone actually had to live through. I would imagine that towards the end of her captivity, it would seem that everything was jumping around because the routine that she had was disturbed.

This book is haunting and uplifting. To read about what she experienced is unreal and it's difficult to read at times because you cannot fathom an adult doing this to a little girl. I finished this book feeling happy for Jaycee and her girls, knowing that they are doing well and that she survived such an ordeal when it would have been so easy to give up.

The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz

The Sweet Life in Paris
Author: David Lebovitz
Publisher: Broadway
Published: April 25, 2009
Hardcover: 304 pages
Source: purchased at library sale


My Rating: 3.5 stars


Synopsis (from goodreads.com): Like so many others, David Lebovitz dreamed about living in Paris ever since he first visited the city in the 1980s. Finally, after a nearly two-decade career as a pastry chef and cookbook author, he moved to Paris to start a new life. Having crammed all his worldly belongings into three suitcases, he arrived, hopes high, at his new apartment in the lively Bastille neighborhood. 

But he soon discovered it's a different world en France.

From learning the ironclad rules of social conduct to the mysteries of men's footwear, from shopkeepers who work so hard not to sell you anything to the etiquette of working the right way around the cheese plate, here is David's story of how he came to fall in love with—and even understand—this glorious, yet sometimes maddening, city.

When did he realize he had morphed into un vrai parisien? It might have been when he found himself considering a purchase of men's dress socks with cartoon characters on them. Or perhaps the time he went to a bank with 135 euros in hand to make a 134-euro payment, was told the bank had no change that day, and thought it was completely normal. Or when he found himself dressing up to take out the garbage because he had come to accept that in Paris appearances and image mean everything. 

The more than fifty original recipes, for dishes both savory and sweet, such as Pork Loin with Brown Sugar–Bourbon Glaze, Braised Turkey in Beaujolais Nouveau with Prunes, Bacon and Bleu Cheese Cake, Chocolate-Coconut Marshmallows, Chocolate Spice Bread, Lemon-Glazed Madeleines, and Mocha–Crème Fraîche Cake, will have readers running to the kitchen once they stop laughing. 

My Thoughts: I have always wanted to go to Paris (hopefully, I will have had my first visit within the next year). I have always felt a connection to Paris, that it was calling to me. I don't know why, but I have always known that I just have to go there. David Lebovitz's book allowed me to journey to Paris without spending a dime on airfare, hotel, chocolate, or the incredible pastries that the French are known for. Lebovitz moved to France to pursue his culinary interests. After working in posh restaurants in San Francisco for 20 years and 2 cookbooks, Lebovitz was ready for a change. And for a chef, what better place to lose yourself than Paris? Unfortunately, he knew no French, had no family or friends there, and was trying to battle with the difficulties of moving to a foreign country and dealing with all the government paperwork. Lebovitz highlights his move to Paris and the difficulties that ensued. And, to make the book even better, at the end of each chapter, he includes a few recipes that will leave your mouth watering.

Lebovitz humorously tells you about his life in Paris, from battling his way down a sidewalk to facing his childhood fear of squid to dealing with employees in French stores. He tells each story in a chapter, focusing on a particular item or issue that he faces in Paris. He tells each chapter with humor and balancing the viewpoints of Americans and Parisians. I felt like I was walking the streets with Lebovitz, experiencing his life in Paris, from his favorite chocolate shops to cafes to small stores that he likes to shop in. After finishing his book, I cannot wait to travel to Paris and experience all that this wonderful city has to offer ... including all those delicious pastries!

I read this book as part of Paris in July, a month-long feature being hosted by Karen at BookBath.