Olga: A Daughter's Tale

Olga: A Daughter's Tale

by Marie-Therese Brown

266 pages

About the Book

All her life Marie's mother, Olga, has been secretive about her past. Marie doesn't even know the name of her father. So when Olga ends up in the hospital, Marie realizes that if she ever wants to know about her family history she will have to find out for herself. She begins researching, using what little facts she has, and ends up discovering her mother's family in Jamaica. Through fictionalized journal entries, letters, and actual news clippings, Marie tells the story of Olga's childhood (happy yet with little to live on), her family, and the trip to England to visit her (horrible and vindictive) aunt - a trip that was supposed to last just a few months (but turned into the rest of her life).

Why I Read It

I love researching my own family history and I'm intrigued with family history stories of all kinds. I received an email from the author describing her book and I knew I wanted to learn more about Olga's story.

My Thoughts 

First off, I like the cover, though that was not my first though upon seeing it.  After finishing the book however, I feel like it fits very well.

As for the story itself - Olga's life - well, that was fascinating.  I loved learning about how her (white) mother, Becky, came to Jamaica from England, and how she bucked society when she chose to marry a black Jamaican. Becky was an amazing woman and I enjoyed reading about her.  It was clear that she loved her children and wanted the best for them even though she couldn't always provide it.

Race and color issues loomed large in Olga's childhood. In Jamaica at that time, lighter skin meant better status in society. Olga's siblings varied in skin tone and this led to a variety of conflicts in the family and community. And of course there was also Becky's white family to contend with. Some of them accepted her marriage but most did not. I learned a lot about Jamaican society and class issues while reading this section.

Olga's story took a turn for the worse when her journey to England coincided with the start of World War II and she was unable to return home as planned. Olga was a resourceful young woman and I enjoyed reading how she made the best of the situation. Things might have turned out alright had it not been for the intervention of her vindictive aunt - and boy, what a creep this aunt was!

The format of the book really worked for me. By using fictionalized journal entries and letters Marie-Therese allowed the reader to get to know a variety of Olga's family members early on. And by following Olga through her life in England I came to understand why she wanted to keep her life hidden away from her daughter.

All that being said, I think this book could have done with some grammatical editing. It wasn't written in dialect, rather it was written the way some people speak - including misused words and phrases.   I don't know if it was the author trying to make certain letters and journal entries sound "authentic" but it was very distracting to me. If it was intentional, I think the book would have been better without it. If it was unintentional, then a good editor would fix it all up.

I'm so glad that Marie-Therese was able to put together her mother's life story and reunite with the family she never knew. I love reading family history tales, and I hope that I'm able to find more like this one!

My (Quick) Thoughts on Self-Publishing

I do accept self-published novels for review but only if I can read an excerpt of the book ahead of time. This helps me eliminate any books that haven't been edited or that are simply not well written.  I am not comfortable rejecting all self-published books because I think there are lot of amazing stories out there that are worth reading, even if they aren't perfect. That was certainly the case with this book, and I'm very glad I read it!

BEA Book Review: Waltzing With The Enemy

Waltzing With The Enemy

by Rasia Kliot and Helen Mitsios

287 pages

During the panel I moderated at BEA I mentioned that I enjoy non-fiction. Immediately after the panel author Helen Mitsios introduced herself, thrilled to finally find a non-fiction fan (she hadn't had much success connecting with the right bloggers at that point). When she told me about the book she'd written with her mother, I knew I wanted to read it.

In the first part of the book Helen's mom, Rasia, explains how she used her wits and some luck to survive the Holocaust.  In the second part of the book Helen describes her own life and how her Rasia's experiences affected her daughter. Helen didn't find out she was Jewish until she was almost a teenager. Combined with other issues in her family, this fact had a huge impact on how Helen viewed herself, which she shares in her portion of the book.

Other than one minor thing which I'll discuss next, I really enjoyed this book. Rasia's experiences and the way she survived are simply amazing and would make for fascinating reading on their own. The fact that her experience affected her daughter's life should be obvious, but I have never read anything about the children of survivors and how they deal with their own (and their parents') issues. Helen's part of the book was well-written and (for the most part) interesting.

And here we come to the one thing I didn't like about the book. A huge part of Helen's story is how she came to grips with her own issues. That's great, because I was very interested in it. However I felt that she spent too much time focusing on which psychologist said what in his latest book and which researcher has a new theory.  This section dragged for me and I feel it could have been cut down considerably.

Other than that one issue though, I really enjoyed this book. I'm so glad Helen came up and introduced herself!

BEA (mini) Book Review: Something Inside of Me

Something Inside of Me

by Chitoka Webb

200 pages

I met Chitoka while I was at BEA in New York back in May and I really enjoyed the time I spent chatting with her. She is a lovely conversationalist and it was for that reason that I decided to read her book, even though it isn't something I'd normally pick up.

This book is a short memoir that seeks to inspire readers to fight through hard times.  Chitoka overcame a variety of obstacles to become a successful business woman and she relied on "something inside of her" to get her there.

Although I enjoyed learning more about Chitoka's life I can't say that I loved the book. It wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. I think perhaps I'd have enjoyed it more if it had been shortened and included in a collection with other inspiring true stories.

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress

by Rhoda Janzen

272 pages

After reading that Mormon Singles book and loving it so much I was on the lookout for a similar read.  Mennonite was on my shelf and it seemed like just the thing.

In this memoir the author shares how her life changed when her husband left her for "Bob the guy from Gay.com."  She was about to go on a sabbatical from teaching when this happened.  To make it worse, she was then in a car accident and needed a great deal of medical care.  Since she could no longer pay for her house or care for herself full time, she returned to her Mennonite parents home for the duration of her sabbatical.  The rest of the book details her experiences living again in a Mennonite community and the ways in which that community is different from the rest of modern America.

The blurb on the back of the book led me to believe that this would be a humorous yet thought-provoking read. I wasn't bad, but I really didn't fall in love with it either.  Rhoda is a bit more sarcastic and less introspective than Elna Baker (author of the Mormon Singles book I mentioned above) and I found that I wasn't as invested in her life as I was in Elna's.  Not to say that there weren't some fun and funny parts to this book, but I didn't feel like Rhoda was really learning anything (about herself or others) or changing her life.  And perhaps that wasn't the point of the book, but it IS what I was looking for.

The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance

The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance

by Elna Baker

276 pages

I first heard of this book a few months ago when I saw the hilarious video below - after watching it I knew I just HAD to read it!

The book is a memoir of a formerly overweight Mormon girl living in New York City and trying to reconcile her beliefs with her life experiences.

Fair warning: this video doesn't include any bad language but the audio isn't exactly save for work or for the kiddos.  Don't miss out though - pop in your earphones and check it out!



Ok, so ... at my last book club meeting one of the ladies said she'd just read it and enjoyed it. I immediately asked to borrow it and started reading that very night.

I cannot tell you how much I truly loved this book - it was wonderful. 

It started off being laugh-out-loud funny - just what I needed at the time.  Then it got to be a bit more introspective but without loosing that sense of humor and fun. I started getting to know Elna and began wanting the best for her.

If you have ever struggled with weight loss and reconciling the old you and the new you, you'll love that portion of Elna's story.  If you have had difficultly living your religious beliefs because the world around you is so different than you, you'll love that part of Elna's story.  If you simply enjoy getting into an author's head and seeing how the world looks through their eyes, definitely pick up this book.

I cannot recommend it enough. I loved it and it will stay with me for a very long time.

Bluff Island Rescue Service

Bluff Island Rescue Service

by Stephanie Hubbard

346 pages

*** About the Book ***

In this memoir Stephanie Hubbard shares her experiences growing up in a volatile household and spending summers on an isolated island.  Stephanie's father, whom she loved dearly, was an alcoholic who physically and verbally abused her mother.  Her mother was completely devoted to him despite this, and fought tooth and nail (literally) to keep his attention.  Bluff Island was the family's summer refuge, the only place her father felt at home in the world.  Stephanie treasured her time there, especially the days spent with her father, even though she wasn't allowed to associate with anyone else on the tiny island.

This strange and troubled childhood followed Stephanie as she grew up.  She spent a large portion of her young adult life traveling in her father's footsteps, competing with his new wife for his attention, and trying desperately to make him proud of her.  A serious car accident finally pushes her to change her lifestyle, but it isn't easy to let go of her past and start anew.



*** Why I Read It ***

I received an email pitch for this book from a publicist.  It's rare that I agree to review a book based on an email but something about this one caught my attention.  I think it was the fact that the book was compared to The Glass Castle (my review here), and also the idea of living on an isolated island and having that influence your life. 


*** My Thoughts ***

Generally when I agree to review a book I give myself several months to pick it up, since I always have a list of books just waiting to be read.  When this one arrived in the mail and I opened the package I couldn't bear to set it on the shelf.  I left it sitting on the coffee table, my eyes continually going back to the cover.  I don't know what it was about the cover but I really wanted to pick this book up and start reading.  So, after just a few days of waiting, I did.

And I blew right through it, finishing in less than three days.

This book is very readable and moves quickly.  I don't want to say that I "enjoyed" reading about Stephanie's life, because much of it was heartbreaking and traumatic.  But it was a fascinating story all the same, and I did enjoy reading the book.  Stephanie writes in a straightforward, unapologetic manner that let me feel a lot of the emotions she was feeling at a particular time. 

I have to mention one scene because it has stuck with me in the weeks since I finished the book.  There is a time, early in the book, when Stephanie's father is yelling at her mother for something and Stephanie has to decide who to side with in the argument.  She chooses her father even though she detests his behavior.  Looking back on it as an adult, she realizes that this was the moment when she chose to live her father's life rather than her mother's.  This part broke my heart, but it also set the tone for the rest of Stephanie's story.

As I said above, the pitch I received for this book compared it to The Glass Castle.  I can't say that it was quite as good of a book as that one, but I do think that if you like The Glass Castle then you will like Bluff Island Rescue Service as well - I certainly did.



*** Your Thoughts ***

Has anyone else heard of this book?  I haven't seen reviews of it on any of the blogs yet - did I miss yours?  Is this the kind of book you like to read? Also, what do you think of the cover?  There's something about it (combined with the book's summary) that really pulled me in ...

We Are Soldiers Still

We Are Soldiers Still:
A Journey Back to the Battlefields of Vietnam

by Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore (Ret.) and Joseph L. Galloway

audiobook: 6.75 hours

narrated by Joseph L. Galloway

*** About the Book ***

Following the publication of their first book, We Were Soldiers Once ... And Young, Moore and Galloway finally achieve their dream of returning to the Ia Drang Valley in Vietnam, the site of a major turning-point battle in 1965. In this book the two men chronicles that journey and recall memories of the battle, and Moore shares his thoughts on leadership.


*** Why I Listened To It ***

After finishing We Were Soldiers Once ... And Young (my review is here) I knew I wanted to find out more about Moore and Galloway.  I'd heard of this book before so I reserved a copy from the library and started listening as soon as I could.


*** My Thoughts ***

As I listened to the first several CDs of this book all I could think about is that THIS is the book people need to read in order to get some sort of closure on the Vietnam War.

The first part of the book details the journeys Moore and Galloway took to Vietnam over the course of several years.  Most of the focus is on one particular trip though, the one that finally took them back to the Ia Drang battlefield in the company of the Vietnamese officers they fought against so many years ago.  Hearing how these men - enemies for so many years - came together to mourn the loss of life on both sides was truly amazing.

As did their first book, this one also contains the stories of many other men who fought in the Ia Drang.  In fact, you could easily read this book without having read the first book and still understand the battle and it's impact. 

The final portion of the book contains Moore's advice on and stories about good leadership.  This section was fascinating and inspiring.  I learned a lot about leadership and it gave me much to think about.

However.

The two portions of the book are so radically different that it felt to me like two completely separate books had been bound together to make a new book.  On their own each section is excellent but they really don't belong together. It just didn't work for me.

There's a lot of humor in this book (especially relating to the oddities of travel in Vietnam) and a lot of heart. In spite of my feeling that the two parts of the book don't mesh, I'm really, really glad that I listened to it.


*** About the Narrator ***

It took me a little while to get used to Galloway's narration but in the end it worked for me.  He has a slow way of speaking, almost-but-not-quite too slow for my taste.  His intimate knowledge of the story and the men, however, gave him an authority that I appreciate when listening to non-fiction audio.  I knew that when his voice was serious, the story was serious, and that when he spoke with a laugh in his voice, what might have "read" as horrible actually did have some humor to it.


*** Your Thoughts ****

Thanks to the War Through the Generations Challenge: Vietnam I'm finally overcoming my reluctance to read books set in this era.  I'm also finding that I really enjoy "themed" reading; the various books all seem to complement each other in a variety of ways.

Are you participating in this challenge?  Do you have a hard time reading books about the Vietnam War?  Why or why not?

Smile

Smile

by Raina Telgemeier

graphic novel/memoir

224 pages

I think I just found my favorite graphic memoir.

*** About the Book ***

When Raina was in the 6th grade she tripped and fell and knocked out her 2 front teeth.  Over the next 4 years she went though a whole slew of dental procedures to get her smile back.  After telling people her crazy story for years she decided to make it into a weekly web comic, which was later compiled into this book.  The story includes not only her dental issues but the typical issues of a tween/teen - boys, friends, acne, siblings, etc.


*** Why I Read It ***

This month my book club chose "graphic memoirs" as our theme.  Everyone chose a different book to read and at the meeting we shared our thoughts on the book and the genre.  One of the other gals read this book and said that it reminded her of growing up in the 1980s.  Since she and I are the same age I thought I'd give this one a try, so I took it home with me that night.


*** My Thoughts ***

Did you catch the first line of this review above?  I LOVED THIS BOOK! I started reading it when I got home from book club and devoured the entire thing before I fell asleep that night.

Let me remind you, dear readers, that until now I have not been all that impressed with the graphic book format. I've said before that although I did enjoy some of the ones I read, I wasn't really a convert to the genre.  After reading Smile, I just might have to revise that ...

My reasons for loving this are very personal.  Not in the "personal-meaning-private" way but in the "personal-meaning-individual-to-me" way.  I don't know if other readers would have the same experience I did so I'll share with you why I loved this book so much.

First, it's set in the late 1980s and/or early 1990s.  Raina reads The Baby Sitter Club books, plays Mario Brothers on the original Nintendo (and subscribes to Nintendo Power!), shops for lightning bolt earrings at Contempo, talks to her friends about New Kids on the Block, and so on.  These are all the things I did at her age! It was like revisiting my tween and teen years.

Second, when I was in the 3rd grade I was tripped in gym class and knocked out one of my brand new front teeth.  The part in the book where Raina is lying on the ground making sure she hasn't broken any bones? Been there, done that.  The part where she sits up and realizes there is blood dripping down her chin?  Been there, done that too.  And the part where she has her friends scavenging around in search of her tooth?  Oh yeah, I've done THAT too.  Thankfully the root of my tooth was intact and a sliver of it still protruded from the gum.  I had to have it bonded (another experience I share with Raina - she describes it very well) and for the most part it looked pretty normal.  It felt a bit thicker than my other front tooth but I got used to it.  It does have a tendency to yellow more than a real tooth though, so before I got married I had it rebonded.  It's been 12 years since then and it's definitely starting to show ... eventually I'll need a porcelain cap if I want it to match the rest of my teeth. ANYWAY, my point is that I really identified with Raina's experiences.

Third, Raina does a great job capturing the feeling of being a tween/teen.  She talks about her first crush, the way her "friends" tease her (they even pantsed her - another experience we share, except that when it happened to me it was done by a boy I had a crush on, and when my pants came down my underwear went with them - oh the horror!), the drama of acne, and so on.  It was so real for me.  I mean, of course it was REAL - this is Raina's real story after all - but it felt real as well.

And finally, I love the illustrations (which she did herself).  They have the feel of the Sunday comic section of the newspaper, if that makes sense.  The images move in standard comic strip logic, across the page from left to right and top to bottom.  That format works much better for me than the more creative layouts I've seen in other graphic novels/memoirs.

Oh, I just had to add that Kiddo started reading this one as well.  He saw it on the couch and read up to page 20 before he had to go to bed.  I think he wants to continue with it - what fun!


*** Your Thoughts ***

Ok, now that I've told you why I love this book so much (picture me actually hugging the book and you'll get the idea) it's your turn to chime in.  Have you read this one?  What did you think of it?  If you haven't read it, have you heard of it?  Are you interested in reading it?  Please share your thoughts.

Naked In Eden

Naked In Eden:

My Adventure and Awakening
in the Australian Rainforest

by Robin Easton

264 pages

*** About the Book ***

Robin has always felt disconnected from the world around her. Mildly autistic but not knowing it, she wanders through her life not able to settle down, not able to “take root” anywhere. When she meets Ian, an Australian man visiting the United States, the two have an immediate connection. They eventually get married and Robin moves with Ian back to Australia. On a whim they decide to camp out in the rainforest for an undetermined amount of time, completely on their own.

Once in the rainforest Robin comes face-to-face with her fears of the unknown (and of all the deadly critters!). As she learns to conquer her fears she comes face-to-face with nature and she begins to see the beauty in the life and death around her. Eventually she begins to strip away the trappings of society and truly know her own self.


*** Why I Read It ***

I read the description of this book at TLC Book Tour’s blog and immediately signed up for it. I love books about people connecting with nature, plus Robin’s story reminded me of The Horse Boy (a book I truly loved).


*** My Thoughts ***

Oh, do I have mixed feelings about this book!

I truly loved the very first page and I was excited to get into the story. When I was a child my family went camping at least once every summer, always alongside the same river, miles from the nearest town. There were usually 10 or more of us, including my cousins’ families, so we had quite a little encampment. We’d dig our own “bathroom”, bathe and wash dishes in the river, and enjoy the peace and quiet of nature. All those memories were revived when I read the first page of this book.

The early part of the book deals with Robin’s life before her rainforest experience. Although I didn’t identify with Robin’s disconnectedness from her own life I certainly understood what she was saying. I could see how she was in desperate need of a big change. When Ian comes along he provides not only the push to make the change she needs but also something to connect with.

Robin’s early experiences in the rainforest were where I identified with her the most. I too am afraid of just about every creeping, crawling critter out there. Seeing how she conquered her fears was inspiring. I kept thinking, “I could do that!” Then, of course, she’d do something else and I’d think, “No WAY could I ever do that!” *smile*

As the book progressed Robin began to communicate more and more with the living rainforest around her. I understand that feeling of connectedness (though it’s not something I experience often), of feeling like you are only a very small part of a very large and living world. I too have experienced aliveness, freedom, openness while alone in the forest.  Robin's desire to be naked and free in the rainforest was completely familiar to me.

It was when the trees began to talk back to her – in actual sentences – that she started to lose me.
Not only did the trees talk in sentences but the content and structure of those sentences was rather odd in my opinion. The sentence structure I could partially forgive; it seems to be a common issue throughout the book, as Robin tries to convey the meaning or intent of a situation by forcing it into conversational phrases. But the content … that was a bit beyond me. The trees told her she was autistic, and used that word? Again, a bit beyond the realm of my belief.

And although I understand that crying can be a very cleansing and refreshing activity, it did get a bit tedious to read that Robin was crying yet again - it seemed to happen every few pages.

I was disappointed that the book ended where it did. The note about the author on the TLC page discussed Robin’s musical abilities after she came out of the rainforest but this isn’t mentioned in the book at all. Also, in the acknowledgments at the start of the book Robin mentions her husband Stephan. Stephan? What the heck happened to Ian? I’d really have liked to know more about those two things.

I wanted to love this book and I did truly love many parts of it. If Robin had merely shared about her connection with the rainforest without directly quoting her conversations with the trees I’d have enjoyed it much, much more.


*** Your Thoughts ***

Is this the kind of book that appeals to you? Would you have picked it up, like I did, based on the description? If you’ve read it, what did you think of it?

Kon-Tiki

Kon-Tiki: 

Across the Pacific by Raft

by Thor Heyerdahl

304 pages
first published in 1950

*** About the Book ***

While living in Polynesia during the 1930s to do zoological research, Thor Heyerdahl came up with a theory.  He suggested that the reason art and architecture is so similar in Polynesia and Peru is that Polynesian legends are actually based in fact, and that the original inhabitants of the island arrived there via boat from Peru.  This theory was laughed at by scientists around the world.  The outbreak of World War II put a break on his plans but just two years after the war ended Thor went into action.  To prove that his theory was plausible he planned to build a raft according to ancient Peruvian specifications and sail it 4,000 miles from South America to the Polynesian island.  And he did it.  This book is the story of that adventure.



*** Why I Read It ***

Way back in June 2008 I read a review of this book on Guys Lit Wire that began with this quote from the book: "Once in a while you find yourself in an odd situation. You get into it by degrees and in the most natural way but, when you are right in the midst of it, you are suddenly astonished and ask yourself how in the world it all came about. If, for example, you put to sea on a wooden raft with a parrot and five companions, it is inevitable that sooner or later you will wake up one morning out at sea, perhaps a little better rested than ordinary, and begin to think about it." That definitely got my attention!  The review goes on to describe the author and his companions as "the heroic nerd[s], men so driven by the urge to know, to see and understand, they make bold, mad leaps into uncharted territory. The creed of the heroic nerd is, No experiment is so insanely dangerous that it can’t be made slightly more insanely dangerous with a side experiment."  If that doesn't intrigue you, there is something seriously wrong.  


I could go on and on but I'd rather you just go over to Guys Lit Wire and read the review - it's a good one!


*** My Thoughts ***

Have you ever read something that so intrigued your imagination that you couldn't get it out of your head?  Something that you just HAD to talk to other people about, HAD to find out more about?  That is what this book was for me.

Thor's writing is simple, to-the-point, and still beautiful when he wants it to be.  I was right there with him when his theories were rejected by the scientific community.  I traveled alongside him as he gathered the materials and began building the raft.  Then his time on the ocean ... oh his time on the ocean! I loved reading about the months he and his companions spent on board the raft simply enjoying life. (Not that I'd EVER want to do it myself - his writing isn't THAT seductive!)

While part of me went along for the adventure another part of me simply couldn't get past the (unintentional?) cruelty to some of the ocean's creatures.  For the most part the men on the raft had the greatest respect for nature but they were victims of their own lack of knowledge and their ingrained fears.  One example of this that really broke my heart was their encounter with a whale shark.  This animal was completley unknown to them and they assumed it was a deadly predator.  After it bumped the raft several times in what they took to be an aggressive manner, they stabbed it with a harpoon.  If they only knew what we know today, that this is possibly the most gentle large fish in the world!

Yet even with all that I still loved reading this book.  It is a true adventure story, and practically a modern-day one at that. It shows what people can do when they really want to - as both Thor and the ancient people he emulated proved..  I'm still a bit in shock that this story was unknown to me before now.

One thing really bothered me about this book though - my copy was too small! The photo to the left shows my hand holding my copy of the book.  The book is approximately the length of my hand and about as wide as the length of my thumb.  This made it very hard to hold the book open wide enough to read it. 





*** More Info (stuff you'll find fascinating!)***

When I finished reading the book I knew I wanted to see the documentary that the men made while on board the raft. While searching my library's catalog for a copy of it I came across a copy of Kon-Tiki Man: An Illustrated Biography of Thor Heyerdahl and immediately checked it out.  I spent the next few days browsing through the pages and found out that crossing the Pacific was only the first of Thor's adventures.  His next quest was to prove that the ancient Egyptians could have sailed their papyrus boats to the east coast of South America, thereby explaining the cultural and archeological links between Egypt, Peru, and Polynesia.  And guess what? He build a papyrus boat and sailed it across the Atlantic - successfully.  AND THEN he built a reed boat and sailed it from the Middle East and over to Africa to prove that the cultures of the Fertile Crescent could have spread that way.  This guy is freakin' amazing! Seriously, how did I not know about him before now?!

I also watched the documentary, also called Kon Tiki, made from the film footage taken during the original raft journey across the Pacific. There wasn't really anything new in there but it was still fascinating to see the guys I'd been reading about.




*** Your Thoughts ***

First off, are you familiar with Thor's adventures?  (If so, have I been living under a rock?!) Second, have you ever been so captivated by a book that you had go find out more, like I did with this book? I want to hear all about it!

American Widow

American Widow

by Alissa Torres

illustrated by Sungyoon Choi

224 pages

*** About the Book ***

On Sept. 10, 2001 Eddie Torres went to work for the first time at the World Trade Center in New York City.  That evening he and his wife, Alissa, who was 7 months pregnant, had a fight, and they went to bed angry with each other.  The next morning he headed off to his second day of work.  Just a few hours after leaving the house he was killed when terrorist attacks caused the the Twin Towers to collapse.  Alissa's life was changed forever.  The next few months were a blur, filled with condolences, offers of help, deep depression, the birth of her son, and days upon days spent in bed.  Then came the mass of paperwork and unfulfilled promises of aid from the government, and feelings of anger and jealousy from friends, neighbors, and strangers.

This is the story of Alissa's life in the months after Eddie's death. It's the story of how one woman dealt with her very personal loss under the close scrutiny of the public eye.


*** Why I Read It ***

I don't know where I first heard about this but I've had the title written on a post-it note on my desk at work for over a year.  When my book club voted to do a graphic memoir month (graphic memoir rather than graphic novel) in September I knew this was the book I wanted to read.


*** My Thoughts ***

Talk about perfect timing ... I picked up this book on Sept. 9 and started reading it the next day.  I read most of it on Sept. 11 - exactly nine years after the tragedy that was 9/11/01 and the death of Alissa's husband, Eddie.

This is a very moving and personal book.  As I read it and looked at the illustrations I kept visualizing myself in Alissa's situation, or in that of her friends.  I imagined me being the one not knowing what to say, or saying the wrong thing.  It was also a very informative book. I know I heard about many of the financial and political issues surrounding the families of the 9/11 victims but reading Alissa's story made it all very personal and very clear. In addition, it is a quick read despite the large number of pages.  I was able to easily read it over three days without devoting that much time to it. (I lent it to a friend and she read it in two days.)

That said, I'm still not a huge fan of graphic novels or graphic memoirs.  Although I like the illustrations and feel that they certainly add to the story, I'm much more text-focused and I know I don't appreciate symbiosis of the text and the visuals the way I should.

For those of you who ARE graphic novel/memoir fans, I highly recommend this book. It is well worth tracking down a copy; Alissa's story is heartbreaking yet uplifting.  For those who aren't fans of graphic novels/memoirs, I'd still say the book is worth reading - just don't expect it to change your opinions about the genre.


*** Your Thoughts ***

What do you think of the recent trend toward memoirs in graphic format?  Which ones have you read?  Are you familiar with this book?

Steve & Me

Steve & Me

by Terri Irwin

288 pages

*** About the Book ***

Steve Irwin, better know as The Crocodile Hunter from the Animal Planet show by the same name, was a larger-than-life wildlife warrior.  His tragic death from a stingray barb to the chest in 2006 shocked the world.  In this book Steve's wife and partner-in-conservation, Terri, shares the story of their life together and their dreams for the future.

I've added a video from an episode of The Crocodile Hunter at the bottom of this post in case you want to check it out. 


*** Why I Read It ***

Hubby and I always enjoyed watching The Crocodile Hunter together.  Kiddo was a bit young to understand everything but he'd usually watch with us as well.  We continually joked about how over-the-top Steve Irwin, was but underneath the humor we both admired him very much.  When Hubby called me to say that Steve had died, I felt physically sick.  I'd never been impacted by a celebrity death in that way; I was devastated that the world had lost such an amazing spokesperson for wildlife and heartbroken for his family who I'd come to know and love through his show.  When I heard about this book I immediately ordered a copy from PaperbackSwap. It arrived over a year ago and I haven't picked it up until now.  Hubby started reading it the day it arrived and he loved it, but I worried it would be too sad so I kept avoiding it.  Then I saw Alyce's review and I knew I couldn't wait any longer.


*** My Thoughts ***

I have no idea why I put off reading this book. I should have picked it up the day it came through my door. It was such a pleasure to revisit the crazy passion of Steve's world, and it was an unexpected treat to see the incredible relationship he and Terri had. 

Many of the events and stories in the book were familiar to me because my family watched The Crocodile Hunter regularly.  Throughout the book Terri quotes Steve, and I could actually "hear" his distinctive voice sharing about a particular animal, often from an episode of the show I clearly remembered. 

Despite my familiarity with the show there was still a great deal of new-to-me info in the book.  I was amazed by Steve's connection to the wild places of the world.  Of course I knew about this already but the details were fascinating to read.  The book also touches on the plans Steve had to save whales in the Antarctic with the Sea Sheppard crew.  That was interesting as I'm a huge fan of the show Whale Wars.

I didn't realize what a powerful yet unexplained connection Steve and Terri had from the very beginning of their relationship.  It seems that they were truly meant to be together.  The humor and playfulness between them (especially regarding their plan to conceive a boy) was a joy to read. 

I picked this book up on Sunday night intending to read only the introduction.  It was around 1am when I finally put it down, and that was only because the next day was Kiddo's first day of school and I didn't want to risk oversleeping due to a book hangover.  The next day I read during my lunch break and again as soon as I got home, while Kiddo was at hockey practice.  I finished the book Monday evening around 1am.  I'm exhausted now but thrilled to have spent the past few days in Steve's world.  This is a book that will stay on my shelf to be read again, both by Hubby and by me.


*** Your Thoughts ***

Were you a fan of The Crocodile Hunter show?  What are your thoughts on Steve and his mission to protect wildlife?  Is this a book you'd like to read?

Crazy for the Storm

Crazy for the Storm

by Norman Ollestad

304 pages

*** About the Book ***

You can read my summary or you can check out this excellent video from Nightline that includes photos and video of Norm as a child before and after the crash.

By age 11 Norm was an accomplished skier, surfer, ice hockey and football player. Most of his activities were directed by his father who drove him mercilessly to experience everything and push himself beyond what he thought he could bear. Most of the time Norm just wanted to be a kid and he resented his father for all the pressure he put on him.

Just after Norm won his first skiing trophy in 1979, disaster struck. The small plane carrying Norm, his father, his father's girlfriend, and the pilot crashed into the side of an mountain. Norm woke up on a steep, icy slope thousands of feet above the nearest sign of civilization. Drawing on all the skills and strength his father instilled in him, he spend the next nine hours scrambling down the treacherous slopes ... all alone.

This is a true story.


*** Why I Read It ***

I first heard about this book in the Reading Group Guides newsletter last summer. Then I won a copy from At Home With Books. I've had it on my shelf for quite a while and decided that I had to read it this year for the 2010 TBR Challenge and the Non-Fiction Five Challenge.


*** My Thoughts ***

In alternating chapters Norm tells the story of the crash and his survival as well as the story of his unorthodox childhood.  Each part of the story was fascinating but the alternating chapters got bothersome after a while; it seemed that just when I was getting into a particular story, all of a sudden I was thrust back into the other story.

As for Norm's childhood and survival experiences themselves, they are utterly fascinating.  It is clear that his father loved him very much but his parenting style was rather "unique" to say the least.  It doesn't seem that he was pushing his son so hard in order to get something out of it for himself as a father, but rather that he wanted to give Norm the chance to experience life to the fullest whether Norm wanted to or not. Still, reading about it was painful at times.  Then to see how Norm survived the crash ... well, let's just say that I doubt I could have done it!

I love survival stories like this, especially those about people surviving the cold, so I expected to love this book.  I can't say that it lived up to my expectations but I did enjoy it.


*** Your Thoughts ***

The only review I know of it from At Home With Books - did I miss yours?