This might be the first memoir that I have read where the subject's parents were born after me… yikes, life stops for no one! Have you seen Girls (HBOThis might be the first memoir that I have read where the subject's parents were born after me… yikes, life stops for no one! Have you seen Girls (HBO), it's a great show, but has some pretty believable but out-there characters and incidences, and I did wonder where someone in their twenties got all that content from, and now it makes all sense, it's from her own privileged (with no condemnation or negative connotations) urban liberal arts social set life. Like her TV show the book is unflinchingly 'real', with lots of explicit sex, drugs and mental health references, and for the most part really funny, in the Dunham way. I do wonder when the likes of Dunham comes along, is it more a case of her being more honesty and the majority sanitising their stories? Comedians do generally seem more intelligent and more self-aware than your average memoir writer and that's what makes their work more compelling for me. I feel Dunham maybe the voice of her specific generation and (middle) class which is why she resonates so well with her peers and not so much with others, and indeed seems to scare/disgust some of the older generations. Overall think she's an exceptional talent that has managed to translate her personal journeys so that they resonate with wider audiences, but the self admitted self involvement is still a bit of a drag for a reader like me. A 7 out of 12, Three Star read. [image] 2024 read...more
Bella Mackie, journo and column writer, ended her twenties with life stopping mental health problems that made even leaving the sofa a monumental taskBella Mackie, journo and column writer, ended her twenties with life stopping mental health problems that made even leaving the sofa a monumental task, nothing really worked her rollercoaster life of high anxiety; until one day out of the blue, she pulled on a pair of trainers and started running! [image] This mash-up motivational, wellbeing, memoir book has really put Mackie on the map for me. Despite the subject matter, Mackie's great writing, writing voice, sense of humour and most of all understanding and empathy with other mental health sufferers, makes this a truly remarkable book, that will resonate with anyone who has ever ever had a mental health issue, which is most if us, right? On top of all he great personal experiences there plenty of sourced quotes, facts and other date that I feel will inspire others to find that 'thing' that they can do. A well deserve d8 out of 12, Four Stars. [image] 2024 read...more
Without a doubt a world-class read, and the Goodreads blurb is spot on: "This is a book about how being a woman gets in the way of people's expectatioWithout a doubt a world-class read, and the Goodreads blurb is spot on: "This is a book about how being a woman gets in the way of people's expectation of what autism should look like and, equally, how being autistic gets in the way of people's expectations of what a woman should look like." A very personal and seemingly extraordinarily honest memoir of Fern's childhood, youth and adulthood as an undiagnosed autistic woman and how it did (and didn't) impact on her life. The beauty and appeal of this book is its frankness and Fern's ability to be so self aware in hindsight that the book is very much more informative and mind expanding and very far from some emotive sob-story. [image] Podcaster, comedienne and TV personality Fern is a truly amazing woman who has achieved so much primarily through hard-work and commitment; she managed to live some sort of life in her undiagnosed condition, although I honestly cant say if she would have achieved as much if she had been diagnosed, but that's a question for another place. Easily the best UK memoir I have ever read and a huge must-read recommendation from me to you. All the stars, 10 out of 12, Five star read. [image] 2024 read...more
How did this UK crime lord end up being feted by the rich and famous and be awarded an honour from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II? As well as sharing How did this UK crime lord end up being feted by the rich and famous and be awarded an honour from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II? As well as sharing in detail his criminal hey days he also spends more than a third of the book on his incarceration and how reading and learning led him to campaign and eventually set up charities to look at ways for the Criminal Justice system to stop focusing on punishment and try to focus on giving the prisoners the ways and means to live more productive non-criminal lives on their release. The book comes across as a memoir interview, but it does seem to lack any sort of real passion, but that might just be reflective of times Bobby grew up in. A 5 out of 12, Two Star read. [image] 2023 read ...more
A book where the blurb says that Mitch Winehouse, father of Amy and writer of this book is "bringing together the personal, the private and the publicA book where the blurb says that Mitch Winehouse, father of Amy and writer of this book is "bringing together the personal, the private and the public" to tell his daughter's story. A moving book, a sad book and a book where the moment Amy succumbs to alcohol and drug abuse it just becomes one ongoing struggle. [image] The book definitely has the voice of Mitch, but is it a real voice or a bit of PR? Who knows? What I struggle with is how this book so much focuses on the negativity and yes it's terrible story of falling in with the wrong crowd and addiction, but Amy Winehouse is a pop music legend, and I would have expected far more about her talent and music. One things for sure yet another story where a Rupert Murdock owned publications are just a nasty pieces of work messing with peoples' lives for profit. 7 out of 12, Three Stars from me overall. My tears when reading this were for Amy, and not for this book or her father. [image] 2023 read...more
Bexy shares the compelling, disturbing and above all truly inspirational and honest stories, a story of being born and raised in the notorious ChildreBexy shares the compelling, disturbing and above all truly inspirational and honest stories, a story of being born and raised in the notorious Children of God ("sex cult"), her story of escape and her current story of 'Cult Following', looking to make a documentary on cults by visiting and filming them from within! [image] As revealing, shocking and mostly heart-breaking Bexy's life in the cult was, her perspective of telling her true and real story more nods to the idea that no matter where we are we tend to relish the highs as much as suffering the lows. This is why I am a fan and strong supporter of big government, because whenever people get together to mange their own lives outside the 'norm' child abuse, misogyny and psychological (and often physical) violence tends to follow. [image] The idea of telling this story through the lens of a 'cult following' look at a number of cults as a global filmmaker is genius, and takes Bexy (and I the reader) on a journey through reliving and assessing the trauma of her childhood. It goes without saying that this memoir is choc full of obvious triggers, but this is all real and truly happened. I would go on to say that this is one of the most important and essential memoirs ever written. 9 out of 12, Four Star read. [image] 2023 read...more
John Pearson former journalist and well known writer/biographer was invited to write the Krays' memoirs in 1969, and went on to collaborate with the tJohn Pearson former journalist and well known writer/biographer was invited to write the Krays' memoirs in 1969, and went on to collaborate with the twins over a number of years before getting this book finally published in 1972. This has got to be the definitive Krays' biography not only because of the sources but also the nature of Ronnie Kray who was never apologetic for his behaviour and crimes thus had nothing to hide and indeed provided information on the establishment that originally prevented the original script of this book being published. See The Peer and the Gangster: A Very British Cover-up. [image] I really enjoyed this because it didn't give any pretence that they were anything but self serving, cruel and unbalanced (especially Ronnie), that they only really cared about their own interests and status, and that their key drivers were notoriety, respect and fame. The reason that I more or less never read true-crime is because I feel it nods to a killer's guile, intelligence, charm etc. when in reality (I was a DJ and music promoter when younger and met a fair number of organised crimr members) they are mostly anything but. [image] What's really missing in anything I've ever read about the Krays, and is only briefly mentioned in this book, is the nature of their relationship as twins and how it could be argued (although Reggie would never have allowed it) that it was Ronnie's psychopathy that drove them to what they did, and their twin link that drove Reggie when failing to appease Ronnie, to get swept up in it all? This is such a hard and unforgiven book that gets to the heart-less-ness of the Krays. 8 out of 12, Four Star read. [image] 2023 read...more
American-Japanese cartoonist / comic book creator Adrian Tomine wanted to be a cartoonist from around the age of two, and spent significant amount of American-Japanese cartoonist / comic book creator Adrian Tomine wanted to be a cartoonist from around the age of two, and spent significant amount of his time pursuing and reaching that goal, leading to an outlier insular existence at a long-distance from the mainstream; in this, his memoir, we get insight into his life as seen through the lens of mostly the most awkward, insular self deprecating moments! [image] What surprised me about this work is just how funny I found it. I also feel it talks about the loneliness and introspection of creatives. There's only a single specific reference to his Japanese heritage, but it's very powerful. Memoirs continue to be one of the best genres for Graphic novels interpretation and this is another highlight in that space. [image] 2023 read...more
SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity whom I currently work for, were kind enough to give me a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review. This is the sSSAFA, the Armed Forces charity whom I currently work for, were kind enough to give me a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review. This is the story in his own words of Christian #ChrisWalks Lewis's epic journey walking(!) the entire coastline of the United Kingdom to raise money for SSAFA! Chris is a military veteran, a single parent that struggled transitioning into civilian life; he was supported by SSAFA on a number of occasions, so decided he would give something back. Oh a few other things, when Christ set off on his epic journey he was at a pretty low point in his life, was homeless, and had only £10 in his pocket! [image] I had no idea what I was getting into joining Chris on his journey, especially as working for SSAFA I thought I was fully aware of Chris's endeavours. Told in the words of 'everyman' Chris this is not just the story of one man finding Hildasay, where Hildasay is not just an uninhabited island in the Shetlands (a group of Islands in Scotland global reader :)); it is a story of finding hope and happiness; a story of a father finding himself and wanting his daughter to be proud of him; a story of the love of Jet the amazing dog and what bonding with Jet did for Chris; a story of a veteran returning to Northern Ireland and getting to see that beautiful country through a new lens; and for me most of all the story of our great country where you can get what you put in, how Chris's character, demeanour, personality, even smile got people all over Scotland and Northern Ireland helping and supporting him on his journey from freely giving resources to the loan of the sole dwelling on Hildasay! [image] I picked this book up one rainy morning this March and found that I couldn't put it down, zooming through it in a few days. One of those books that colleagues in my office will saw me reading whenever left my seat, even if just nipping over to the kitchen or another floor! Readers of my reviews, know that I am all about story , so believe you me, this is not just an awe inspiring endeavour, it is also a damn fine read. In the end, 'finding Hildasay', is something we all need to do, at least once in our lives. A Four Star, 8.5 out of 12 for me. Another great thing about this story, is knowing that there is so much more to come, check out #ChrisWalks on any social media platform. - I read the hardback version which is yet to be added to Goodreads, so I will add in a few days and update this review. [image] 2023 read...more
This is the first volume of Karl Ove Knausgaard's My Struggle, a magnus opus which as wonderfully put by the New York Times is essentially a "six voluThis is the first volume of Karl Ove Knausgaard's My Struggle, a magnus opus which as wonderfully put by the New York Times is essentially a "six volume, 3,600 page Norwegian novel about a man writing a six volume, 3,600 page Norwegian novel." There's been a death in Karl's family and semi-stream of conscious-like in episodic fashion he looks back in detail at the highs and lows of his childhood and teens as well as the present... oh yeah, and it is all real personal history, taking autobiographical writing to a new place. [image] This book is highly lauded around the world, but what did I think of it? In the first 50-odd pages I thought this was a dead-cert Five Star read, until the tedium set-in, this feels like one of those books that you have to immerse yourself in it 'to get it', so my reading this book whilst mostly using public transport has probably done it a disservice. But that asides, should I rate a biography highly just because of the brutally honest retelling of his life, especially about the slow disintegration of family by a thousand little almost painless cuts, painless to the parents to a degree; but painful for Karl and to a lesser extent his brother. If I could get the other five books free or from a library, I would certainly want to read them though. A Three Star, 6.5 out of 12 Karl Ove in the flesh :) [image] 2022 read...more
Lily Allen, pop star, mother, sister, daughter shares her life story and the title says it all, these are her words exactly. Although I hardly knew anLily Allen, pop star, mother, sister, daughter shares her life story and the title says it all, these are her words exactly. Although I hardly knew anything about Lily before reading this book I knew a certain type of Right wing, straight, white man really loathed her, as displayed by the Daily Mail demonisation of her and the relentless trolling of her on social media, which just made me like her, as she refused to go away, refused to let them dictate how she lives her life. This book pulls no punches on the mistreatment she has undergone, but is just as loud about her own failings and weaknesses. Half way through the book, I began thinking it all feels very champagne socialist, but by the end I got her message. She's Lily Allen and like us all she wants to live her life and hopefully learn from her mistakes and continue to grow. [image] I like her, I think she can be confusing, is privileged, has huge co-dependency issues, is self absorbed and more, but she's also just as importantly self-reflective, a seeker of truth, loyal to her own disservice, honest and more, including being a genuinely talented creator. When I read open and frank bios like this, I just wish the peron's detractors could read them, it's they that need to see just how unjust a target of their ire the woman (it's almost always a woman) is, she is just another human like you and I. 7 out of 12. [image] 2022 read...more
Barings, the UK's oldest merchant bank collapsed and went into bankruptcy in 1995, primarily because of the actions of one man, Nick Leeson, this is hBarings, the UK's oldest merchant bank collapsed and went into bankruptcy in 1995, primarily because of the actions of one man, Nick Leeson, this is his story. This was very much a book about merchant banking / derivatives trading as Nick shares his early career and then rise through the ranks of Barings Bank to become a key player in their Singapore branch, where the 'hiding' of trading errors using a set-aside account became a goto solution, so that over three years it had mutated into a catastrophic loss for the bank, with the account costing millions to service daily and overall amassing losses in the excess of £1.4bn dollars!!! [image] I found the book difficult to judge as it very much felt like a PR piece for Nick, with copious references to 'great' relationship; on how he claims to have started the rogue account to look after his team members; with no mention in relation to the much later finds that he had amassed some significant personal wealth at this time; and all that coupled with his huge finger pointing at the lack of effective controls and balances at Barings. There's also the unpleasant feeling that he has been rewarded with his press, book and film deals; I have to balance that with the idea that poorer people that commit financial crimes just get locked up and no one wants to hear or pay for their story, they don't benefit from their crime? This book doesn't really enlighten the average person about the financial market workings as well as the many other books out there do. I kind of like the irony of this being a PR piece whilst telling the story of a lot of toxic masculinity with no comment, real context or excuse. Might be worth a read for deeper knowledge of what happened to Barings. 5 out of 12. [image] 2022 read...more
One-time (WBC) World Heavyweight Boxing Champion and twice beaten by Mike Tyson, Frank Bruno in his own words (written by ghost writer Nick Owens) talOne-time (WBC) World Heavyweight Boxing Champion and twice beaten by Mike Tyson, Frank Bruno in his own words (written by ghost writer Nick Owens) talks about his at times very public battle with his mental health. Yet again, I found myself fascinated with an absorbing memoir by a boxer, so much for the stereotypes! Bruno manages to insert his rags to riches boxing career into this heartbreakingly honest, dare I say frank, sharing of his personal battle with his mental health. Such a fascinating read on so many levels from the insightful look at how medical professionals treat mental health patients on a 1-2-1 level through to the idea that medication is not something that will necessarily work with everyone. This book, and his work raising mental health awareness just makes Frank even more endearing than ever! 8 out of 12 Four Star read! [image] 2022 read...more
The biography/memoirs of liberal leaning American female comedy professionals although all pretty good, quite funny and enlightening are almost becomiThe biography/memoirs of liberal leaning American female comedy professionals although all pretty good, quite funny and enlightening are almost becoming inextinguishable in that they feel like that they ae all targeting the exact same 'woke', gay and 'cool women' audience, and as Tina Fey is one of the woman in this sphere that I find the least funniest (but still funnier than the vast majority of non-female comedy writers/performers) it was a pleasant surprise that this is one of the best of the bunch in the aforementioned sub-genre! [image] The usual birth from current high status story with lots of self deprecation and a look at her personal development in comedy is given a more interesting twist than most of her peers in that she came from a staunch Republican household, she is essentially a writer and not a performer (hence works better in this medium), and she isn't afraid to call herself out. On top of all that I got all the behind the scenes stories on SNL's move to a more diverse writers group, 30 Rock, the SNL Sarah Palin sketches and more interesting of all the balancing of being a boss 'Bossypants' whilst being a wife and mother in a world where everyone has an opinion. There are also great chapters on first periods and breast feeding, I kid you not! 8.5 out of 12. [image] 2022 read...more
Bill Hicks was a cult figure of comedy in the UK before he really hit the real big time in the USA. A man known more for being rabidly anti-ImperialisBill Hicks was a cult figure of comedy in the UK before he really hit the real big time in the USA. A man known more for being rabidly anti-Imperialism, anti-Reagan/Bush, anti-Christian radicals etc, but in reality was just against people that force their opinions on someone/everyone else and don't listen to other people's opinions. Dying before his time (is that an annoying saying) at 31, he never truly got to document his own story so we're left with this money grabbing(?) collection of his (repeated) stand-up routine, his interviews, his TV show scripts and more. For Hicks' ideology I would give this a 10 out of 12, but for this specific collection which repeats so much content, as it shares different performances, I have to give a mere 5 out of 12. [image] The terrible terrible truth about Hick's legacy is everything he thought of, and said about (Christian and Republican) America has been proven to be true and many of them are publicly and brazenly embracing there almost, dare I say for context, Satanic behaviour and world views. [image] 2022 read...more
Improv queen, comedy player, actress and all-round 'cool person' Amy Poehler's entry into the now to be expected, shared memoir whilst still at, or neImprov queen, comedy player, actress and all-round 'cool person' Amy Poehler's entry into the now to be expected, shared memoir whilst still at, or near the top of one's game. Does one have to like or know Amy to appreciate this seemingly at times extremely honest and personal, as well as darkly funny book? Well my answer is a big fat no, unlike, in my opinion many of the politically left preaching comics Amy is not only very funny, she is talented and a great storyteller. [image] On top of what I wrote above, this is a great book because Amy worked her way to the top, and is a proponent and advocate of working hard to achieve what you seek; she doesn't preach, she just questions the 21st century ideology that 'stars are found'; she feels that in (her) reality successful (and sometimes contented) people are those that have strived, sacrificed and worked really hard for a long time to reach their goals/get where they want to be. There's also a chapter on Parks and Recreation where I first found Amy, which wasn't even a highlight for me, because there just so many great and/or funny stories in this book, as well as real-talk deep moving ones. Thank you Amy! 8.5 out of 12. [image] 2021 read...more
2021 review: This is a difficult book to fairly judge, as on one hand it's a pretty exceptional piece of memoirish writing with lashings of great come2021 review: This is a difficult book to fairly judge, as on one hand it's a pretty exceptional piece of memoirish writing with lashings of great comedy from this American-Indian celebrity who manages to be 'honest', helpful, entertaining and poignant as well as funny; on the hand at 220+ pages it feels like a collection of blogs, great blogs, but not really a book that I'd have been happy to pay £7.99 for (which I didn't). Then again since so many 'memoirs' don't even come close to this on so many levels, is what I raised worth mentioning? I don't know, but I felt the need to share. [image] An absolute must-read for women of colour, all younger women, fans of The Office and The Mindy Project. Good enough for me to keep in my collection and desperately seek her other work, but then I am already a big fan. 8 out of 12, doesn't seen fair, but most of the chapters on dating and dating related issues did very little for me. Worth reading alone for the fictionalised dating chapter of an alternate Mindy Kaling, written solely in digital communications (email, Twitter, texts etc.), and it's extremely funny! [image]...more
This is the story of the woman that influenced and inspired the likes of Madonna, Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson(!), Nicky Minaj and countless many more, This is the story of the woman that influenced and inspired the likes of Madonna, Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson(!), Nicky Minaj and countless many more, told in her own words and not kowtowing to record labels, male singing icons, ex-boyfriends or anyone else. The first half of this book is mesmerising - telling the story of growing up in a lower class American-Italian family, poorly educated and forever on the look out for abusive males; Cyndi always maintained her creative streaks through art, dance, music, fashion and more with the very limited opportunities she had to hand. This is the real story of an American Dream. A super pro-woman, pro-LGBT and pro-equality woman way before before it became 'cool', Cyndi also never let the countless chauvinists in her life pull one over her. Through numerous ordeals, dead-end jobs, bad boyfriends, bad situations but also through the love for her lesbian sister, her mother, some of her peers and some of her friends towards her late 20s she finally made it big time. This is her story, the story of the girl who just wanted to have fun, but who also continuously campaigned for those whose voices were not being heard. This is what an icon should be like! [image] I really liked Cyndi as an artist when I was growing up, but now reading about her life story I wish I'd gotten into her music even more; saying that, the second half of this book feels like mostly a for music lovers only tale of her time as a 'pop star' which although focussing a lot on her creative music, art and fashion, for me was more entertaining when focusing on her charitable causes and the troubles with the record companies trying to control her. Still an absolutely fascinating read on so any levels, especially on the effing nightmare that America is for how it has treated LGBT people and women that used their voices to stand and speak up for themselves and for those that can't. [image] 8.5 out of 12. A book despite its warts and all, that is uplifting, telling the story of one of the 'good people' becoming famous, and not loosing herself and continually trying to do her best to make the world a better place for other people. It's also the story of a creator, who just wanted to create what she envisaged despite all the obstacles in her path. 8.5 out of 12. American. Icon. [image]...more
I never really liked Paul Merton much, considering him a bit of a smart-arse and kind of condescending to people of opposing political (Right Wing) beI never really liked Paul Merton much, considering him a bit of a smart-arse and kind of condescending to people of opposing political (Right Wing) beliefs, so when I saw this book I took the opportunity to find out more about him. Like so many comedy greats it turns out comedy has always been a part of his life, and he was just as much a comedy historian as many of his peers. The book overall is like a good old fashioned biography running from his childhood to his eventual success, but with such a jam-packed full career it feels like it should have been much longer and gone in to a lot more detail than the (big) collection of anecdotes that this is. Asides from that there are quite a lot of great one-liners and comedic situations that made me laugh out loud. Overall though it does feel quite sanitised and PR proofed, either that or Paul Merton is just a very nice man :). 7 out of 12 [image]...more
It's India in the 1980s and Saroo, his siblings and his mum live in extreme poverty sharing a single room with only a single shelf as furniture; mum aIt's India in the 1980s and Saroo, his siblings and his mum live in extreme poverty sharing a single room with only a single shelf as furniture; mum and older brother get work that pays very little, and the rest of the time the mother and kids have to beg, borrow or steal to survive. One night, on an adventure with his older brother, Saroo finds himself stuck on a train and travelling hundreds and hundreds of miles away from his home. With no resources, completely lost and alone, Saroo has to eke out some kind of living on the streets of Calcutta (now know as Kolkata)... oh... as I have yet to mention his age... he was five years old! [image] The memoir follows Saroo's life of poverty at home, to living on the streets of Kolkata, through to his getting adopted, and then on to his search for his family as an adult. Overall it is an uplifting story that pays tribute to Saroo's luck as much as his competency; it also give a huge nod to the power of acts of kindness. The book was co-written by Larry Buttrose, which may explain that even though the narration is very personalised, it feels distant. 8 out of 12, for the story itself, maybe a lot less for the writing. [image]...more
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