LITTLE HOUSE IN THE OZARKS: THE REDISCOVERED WRITINGS by LAURA INGALLS WILDER, STEPHEN W. HINES (Editor)

 LITTLE HOUSE IN THE OZARKS: THE REDISCOVERED WRITINGS by LAURA INGALLS WILDER, STEPHEN W. HINES (Editor)  PGS 220

Goodreads Review: In more than 140 articles and essays collected here for all to enjoy, this beloved author's writings on American life during a simpler time abound with humor and spunk that transcend the years. Laura Ingalls Wilder -- beloved author of one of the world's most treasured children's series, the Little House books -- wrote articles on a dizzying array of topics; articles that sparkle with her timeless wit and wisdom. Her interesting and insightful views on the changes motor cars and highways brought to her small town; the need to conserve natural resources; the role of women in the work force and in politics -- nothing seemed to escape her keen observation.

With a foresight that is astounding, Wilder's many articles examine in depth the ways of life in this country during the late 1800s and early 1900s with a wisdom that holds relevance for our lives even today.

Yes Please by Amy Poehler

 Yes Please by Amy Poehler - 329 pages

In Amy Poehler’s highly anticipated first book, Yes Please, she offers up a big juicy stew of personal stories, funny bits on sex and love and friendship and parenthood and real life advice (some useful, some not so much), like when to be funny and when to be serious. Powered by Amy’s charming and hilarious, biting yet wise voice, Yes Please is a book full of words to live by.

Opinion: I like reading memoirs and thought this one was decent. Amy Poehler is funny and had good bits of wisdom scattered throughout, too. I listened to the audiobook of this, instead of reading it, and I'm glad I did. I'm not big into audiobooks but I think I'd rather have listened to this than read it, because she invited other people to read portions that were relevant to them, like her parents or Seth Meyers, which was cool. Obviously with her being a comedian, it added to the humor when she did voices or changed her tone and stuff.

Bossypants by Tina Fey

Bossypants by Tina Fey - 283 pages

Before Liz Lemon, before "Weekend Update," before "Sarah Palin," Tina Fey was just a young girl with a dream: a recurring stress dream that she was being chased through a local airport by her middle-school gym teacher. She also had a dream that one day she would be a comedian on TV.

She has seen both these dreams come true.

At last, Tina Fey's story can be told. From her youthful days as a vicious nerd to her tour of duty on Saturday Night Live; from her passionately halfhearted pursuit of physical beauty to her life as a mother eating things off the floor; from her one-sided college romance to her nearly fatal honeymoon—from the beginning of this paragraph to this final sentence.

Tina Fey reveals all, and proves what we've all suspected: you're no one until someone calls you bossy.

Opinion: I'm familiar with Tina Fey from Saturday Night Live and maybe one or two movies. It was interesting reading her biography and I enjoyed the book. It had me laughing out loud throughout.

Madly, Deeply: The Diaries of Alan Rickman

 Madly, Deeply: The diaries of Alan Rickman Forward by Emma Thompson 480 Pages

Summary: From his breakout role in Die Hard to his outstanding, multifaceted performances in the Harry Potter films, Galaxy Quest, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and more, Alan Rickman cemented his legacy as a world-class actor. His air of dignity, his sonorous voice, and the knowing wit he brought to each role continue to captivate audiences today.

But Rickman’s ability to breathe life into projects wasn't confined to just his performances. As you'll find, Rickman's diaries detail the extraordinary and the ordinary, flitting between worldly and witty and gossipy, while remaining utterly candid throughout. He takes us inside his home, on trips with friends across the globe, and on the sets of films and plays ranging from Sense and Sensibility, to Noël Coward's Private Lives, to the final film he directed, A Little Chaos.

Running from 1993 to his death in 2016, the diaries provide singular insight into Rickman's public and private life. Reading them is like listening to Rickman chatting to a close companion. Meet Rickman the consummate professional actor, but also the friend, the traveler, the fan, the director, the enthusiast; in short, the man beyond the icon.
Madly, Deeply features a photo insert, a foreword by Emma Thompson, and an afterword by Rima Horton.

My Thoughts: Not going to lie, this was a struggle to get through. I enjoyed learning more about his life from the view of his diaries, but I wish he had actually written a memoir before he died, or had a biography written about him with information from his diaries, but not just his diary entries.  I had to look at the footnotes constantly and the diaries, while in order, it was all over the place with different information and things each day, like a diary should be. It was hard for me to follow though at times. 

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry 250 Pages

Summary: “Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead.”

So begins the riveting story of acclaimed actor Matthew Perry, taking us along on his journey from childhood ambition to fame to addiction and recovery in the aftermath of a life-threatening health scare. Before the frequent hospital visits and stints in rehab, there was five-year-old Matthew, who traveled from Montreal to Los Angeles, shuffling between his separated parents; fourteen-year-old Matthew, who was a nationally ranked tennis star in Canada; twenty-four-year-old Matthew, who nabbed a coveted role as a lead cast member on the talked-about pilot then called Friends Like Us. . . and so much more.

In an extraordinary story that only he could tell—and in the heartfelt, hilarious, and warmly familiar way only he could tell it—Matthew Perry lays bare the fractured family that raised him (and also left him to his own devices), the desire for recognition that drove him to fame, and the void inside him that could not be filled even by his greatest dreams coming true. But he also details the peace he’s found in sobriety and how he feels about the ubiquity of Friends, sharing stories about his castmates and other stars he met along the way. Frank, self-aware, and with his trademark humor, Perry vividly depicts his lifelong battle with addiction and what fueled it despite seemingly having it all.

My Thoughts: Oh my goodness you guys... I was not ready for the first 3 sentences. I cried right at the beginning with those three sentences. This was the hardest book EVER for me to get through. I have been a Friends fan all my life and I adored the character Chandler Bing. The amount of times Matthew Perry struggled with his sobriety and the amount of times he consistently failed. The other thing that made it so difficult was I also listened to the audiobook version and he narrates the entire memoir. 

My Time to Stand: A Memior

My Time to Stand: A Memoir by Gypsy Rose Blanchard and etal. 264 Pages 

Summary: A victim of her mother’s Munchausen by proxy and child abuse survivor, Gypsy-Rose Blanchard’s unique and controversial case made headlines across the world.

Now, she’s finally free to start living her life on her terms—and to tell her own story as only she can.

Forced to use a wheelchair in public and endure a lifetime of faux illness, fraud, and exploitation, Gypsy was subjected not only to her mother’s medical, physical, and emotional abuse, but deprived of childhood milestones. Prevented from attending school or socializing, Gypsy’s formative years were defined by pain and isolation.

After serving 8 years in prison for the role she played in her mother Dee Dee’s murder, Gypsy is embracing her fresh start—and reminding all of us that it’s never too late.

In this revelatory, harrowing, and ultimately hopeful memoir, Gypsy shares the painful realities she grew up with and the details of her life that only she knows, including:
The abusive cycle that began with Dee Dee’s abuse by her father
Gypsy’s fear that continued unnecessary surgery would leave her truly disabled
How she coped with guilt and accepted responsibility for her mother’s death
Memories of her final days in prison
What she learned upon reviewing her own medical records for the first time
How it felt to finally see her family again as her authentic self

Featuring Blanchard family photos and new facts about Gypsy’s life that she previously kept private, My Time to Stand offers an unprecedented look at the real Gypsy-Rose Blanchard, proudly embarking on her ongoing journey to recovery and self-discovery.

My Thoughts: I actually really enjoy reading about Gypsy Rose. I hate that this all happened to her and don't necessarily agree with how she handled it, but also I get why she did what she did. I truly am enjoying learning about her more now that she's out of jail and is actually taking the steps to become a better human and embracing finding out who she wants to be. It was a good book to read if you've ever had any curiosity about her life as we get a glimpse of her now in her 30's and reflecting back on her past. 

GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER: IN HIS OWN WORDS edited by GARY R. KREMER

 GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER: IN HIS OWN WORDS  edited by GARY R. KREMER (pg.224)

A black man praised by white America-George Washington Carver (1864-1943) was an anomaly in his own time.  Now available in paperback, this choice selection of Carver's writings reveals the human side of the famous black scientist, as well as the forces that shaped his creative genius.

A collection of personal writings and letters from George Washington Carver, printed by University of Missouri Press in 1991. I much preferred reading junior fiction books about him!

BEATRIX POTTER'S GARDENING LIFE: THE PLANTS AND PLACES THAT INSPIRED THE CLASSIC CHILDREN'S TALES by MARTA MCDOWELL

 BEATRIX POTTER'S GARDENING LIFE: THE PLANTS AND PLACES THAT INSPIRED THE CLASSIC CHILDREN'S TALES by MARTA MCDOWELL  (340 PAGES)

There aren’t many books more beloved than The Tale of Peter Rabbit and even fewer authors as iconic as Beatrix Potter. Her characters—Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle Duck, and all the rest—exist in a charmed world filled with flowers and gardens. In Beatrix Potter’s Gardening Life , bestselling author Marta McDowell explores the origins of Beatrix Potter’s love of gardening and plants and shows how this passion came to be reflected in her work.

The book begins with a gardener’s biography, highlighting the key moments and places throughout her life that helped define her. Next, follow Beatrix Potter through a year in her garden, with a season-by-season overview of what is blooming that truly brings her gardens alive. The book culminates in a traveler’s guide, with information on how and where to visit Potter’s gardens today.

Beautifully Illustrated! I enjoyed reading about the countryside where Beatrix Potter grew up, and all the struggles she encountered and overcame in her life. 

The Man in the Willows, Dennison | 352 pages

I recently re-read The Wind in the Willows with my kids - a fabulous adventure with anthropomorphized animals living by The River. It parallels The Odyssey in a British pastoral, nostalgic setting. When I saw this biography of the author Kenneth Grahame at the library, I grabbed it to get more background on this beloved story.

And oh, how unexpected this was. Grahame's life is nothing short of a tragedy from childhood on. His mother died, his father was absent, the various guardians overseeing his upbringing were in turns demanding and indifferent. He basically had Peter Pan syndrome, trapped in childhood and not progressing into adult ways of thinking. He was a bachelor afraid of women until he was pressured into an unhappy marriage in his 40s. They only had one child; the stories that became Willows were bedtime stories to their son he called Mouse. They were his escape from reality... his Neverland where he never had to grow up.

It was slow read and a sad one. Life is hard. All I'm left with is feeling sorry for Grahame and it puts a damper on my love for Willows, knowing the sorrow that lays behind Dennison did a good job incorporating quotes from books and letters; it's a well written biography all around. I just can't like it enough to give it more stars.

CLASS: A Memoir of Motherhood, Hunger, and Higher Education by STEPHANIE LAND

 CLASS: A Memoir of Motherhood, Hunger, and Higher Education by STEPHANIE LAND (Pgs 285)

When Stephanie Land set out to write her memoir Maid, she never could have imagined what was to come. Handpicked by President Barack Obama as one of the best books of 2019, it was called “an eye-opening journey into the lives of the working poor” (People). Later it was adapted into the hit Netflix series Maid, which was viewed by 67 million households and was Netflix’s fourth most-watched show in 2021, garnering three Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Stephanie’s escape out of poverty and abuse in search of a better life inspired millions.

Maid was a story about a housecleaner, but it was also a story about a woman with a dream. In Class, Land takes us with her as she finishes college and pursues her writing career. Facing barriers at every turn including a byzantine loan system, not having enough money for food, navigating the judgments of professors and fellow students who didn’t understand the demands of attending college while under the poverty line—Land finds a way to survive once again, finally graduating in her mid-thirties.

Class paints an intimate and heartbreaking portrait of motherhood as it converges and often conflicts with personal desire and professional ambition. Who has the right to create art? Who has the right to go to college? And what kind of work is valued in our culture? In clear, candid, and moving prose, Class grapples with these questions, offering a searing indictment of America’s educational system and an inspiring testimony of a mother’s triumph against all odds.

DK Biography: Abraham Lincoln: A Photographic Story of a Life by Tanya Lee Stone

 DK Biography: Abraham Lincoln: A Photographic Story of a Life by Tanya Lee Stone-128 pages

This is a short, but informative biography of the 16th President of the United States. I already knew some about his life, especially his time as President. However, I did learn a few new things, especially about his childhood and life before his Presidency. For example, Lincoln worked many different odd jobs including working at general stores and co-owning a general store. He did a lot of things before becoming a lawyer and then politician. His positions on issues evolved over time. For most of his life up until the time he issued the Emancipation Proclamation he simply didn't want to allow slavery to extend. It could continue to exist where it was already legal. Lincoln was against slavery but was not a staunch abolitionist. Some may not realize that he used a lot of executive powers during the Civil War, including suspending the writ of Habeas Corpus to have southern sympathizers (especially in Maryland, so that they wouldn't secede and Washington wouldn't be surrounded) arrested. Also, income tax was instituted during the Civil War as a way to pay for the growing costs of the war. Lincoln is considered by many to be one of the greatest presidents (and I agree). He didn't have much formal schooling. He mostly taught himself to read and write and law, among other subjects. This was a pretty light, easy read and I would recommend it to anyone wanting a basic knowledge of Lincoln. I would give it 4 out of 5 stars. 

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

 Hidden Figures by Margo Lee Shetterly - 349 pages, 10 hour 47 minute Audiobook

⭐⭐⭐✰✰

Set amid the civil rights movement, the never-before-told true story of NASA’s African-American female mathematicians who played a crucial role in America’s space program. Before Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of professionals worked as ‘Human Computers’ calculating the flight paths that would enable space travel. A group of talented ‘colored computers’ who were segregated from their white counterparts, used pencil and paper to write the equations that would launch rockets and astronauts into space. This true story moves from World War II, when an executive order signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt made it possible for women and African-Americans to work in professional positions in government workplaces, through NASA’s golden age, touching on the civil rights era, the Space Race, the Cold War and the women’s rights movement. This book tells the story of courageous women whose work forever changed the world.

At times, it was difficult to keep track of all the names, events and dates in this book as she tended to throw out one fact after another. I feel like I learned facts about some people's lives, but I didn't get to know Dorothy Vaughan or Katherine Johnson on a personal level. I did find all the information about the discrimination and segregation African-Americans, especially those in Viriginia during the 1940's through 1960's, faced on a daily basis. I enjoyed the movie "Hidden Figures" much more than the book even though the screen adaptation portrayed NASA as a segregated workplace in 1961 even though they ended the practice when NACA became NASA in 1958. The movie told the story of the three main characters, instead of mostly stating facts about them, and helped you get to know them on a much more personal level.

The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers by Maxwell King

The Good Neighbor:  The Life and Work of Fred Rogers by Maxwell King, 416 pages 

This was the first full-length biography of Fred Rogers ever published.  It covers everything from his upbringing as the lonely, often-bullied son of rich parents to his rise to fame as the host of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood on PBS and his continuing legacy as the nicest person in the entire world.  The book also compares Sesame Street's louder, faster-paced world to the Neighborhood's slower, quieter, almost zen approach to educational programming.  Considering that both are well-known, long-running kids' shows on PBS, the comparison does make sense.  Although I watched both shows as a kid, I never thought to compare them until reading King's book.  

There are a lot of anecdotes from Rogers' family members, as well as people he worked with on the Neighborhood and on other shows, including Old Friends...New Friends, which was his brief attempt at producing a talk show for adults.  My favorite of these anecdotes involves a family who visited the set of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.  The family's 12-year-old son was autistic and nonverbal.  When Mr. Rogers came out to greet the family, he brought the King Friday XIII and Queen Sara Saturday puppets with him, and spoke to the boy in-character as the puppets.  The boy carried on an entire conversation with the King and Queen of Make-Believe.  His father was crying so hard that a crew member had to hold the camcorder for him, and that same crew member gave the family their own puppets so they could communicate with their son at home. 

The author, Maxwell King, was a longtime acquaintance of Fred Rogers, and his admiration for him shows through in his writing.  Unfortunately, King is not the best writer.  I occasionally had to reread a sentence multiple times before I could figure out what he meant to say.  Several times, I was left puzzled by his odd choice of words.  The book is also rather repetitive; information that was in previous chapters often shows up again in later chapters.  As a result, each chapter feels more like a self-contained essay than part of a cohesive whole.  Despite these flaws, however, I would still recommend The Good Neighbor to any friend or neighbor who is interested in learning about Fred Rogers himself or Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ ☆

NOWHERE FOR VERY LONG by BRIANNA MADIA

 NOWHERE FOR VERY LONG by BRIANNA MADIA  PGS 257

A woman defined by motion, Brianna Madia bought a beat-up bright orange van, filled it with her two dogs Bucket and Dagwood, and headed into the canyons of Utah with her husband on a journey of discovery. Nowhere for Very Long is her story of exploration--of the world outside and the spirit within. From the backroads to the breakdowns, married to solo, lost to found, it is the chronicle of a woman in the wild, learning and unlearning.

Brianna knew her road would be the one less traveled from an early age. Rejecting the competitive and capitalistic path set out before her, she chose to seek a truer version of happiness, a road scary, uncertain, and entirely her own. But pursing a life of intention isn't always what it seems. In fact, at times it was downright boring, exhausting, lonely, and even desperate----when the van overheated and she was forced to pull over on a lonely stretch of Wyoming highway; when the weather was bitterly cold and the water jugs froze beneath her we she slept in the parking lot of her office; when she faced tough choices, hard truths, and inevitable regrets; when she worried about money, her marriage, and the looming question mark of her future. But this life was a life of her choosing and that made all the difference.

Nowhere for Very Long isn't about extreme minimalism or tiny house living or #VanLife. It's about cherishing the moment and being a woman living a life true to herself, come what may. 

STILLMEADOW ROAD by GLADYS TABER

  STILLMEADOW ROAD by GLADYS TABER 456 Pgs

Observations and descriptions of the beauties and pleasures of a leisurely life at the author's old 17th century Connecticut farm house. Written in a month-by-month format.

KILLER TRIGGERS by JOE KENDA

 KILLER TRIGGERS by JOE KENDA  (p 211)

"The most common triggers for homicide are fear, rage, revenge, money, lust, and, more rarely, sheer madness. This isn't an exact science, of course. Any given murder can have multiple triggers. Sex and revenge seem to be common partners in crime. Rage, money, and revenge make for a dangerous trifecta of triggers, as well.

This book offers my memories of homicide cases that I investigated or oversaw. In each case, I examine the trigger that led to death. I chose this theme for the book because even though the why of a murder case may not be critical in an investigation, it can sometimes lead us to the killer.

And even if we solve a case without knowing the trigger, the why still intrigues us, disrupting our dreams and lingering in our minds, perhaps because each of us fears the demons that lie within our own psyche -- the triggers waiting to be pulled."

BIRDER ON BERRY LANE: three acres, twelve months, thousands of birds

Birder on Berry Lane : three acres, twelve months, thousands of birds by Robert Tougias  216 pages

Captivating book by nature writer Robert Tougias, which covers a year in the life of birds in his own backyard. Birding isn't just about checking the different avian species off a list, but "a great feeling of peace" that the author gets from observing these creatures on a daily basis.

I greatly enjoyed this book and it brought about a greater interest on my own part to be more observant of the birds in my environment.

LIFE FROM SCRATCH: A MEMOIR OF FOOD, FAMILY, AND FORGIVENESS

LIFE FROM SCRATCH: A MEMOIR OF FOOD, FAMILY AND FORGIVENESS BY SASHA MARTIN  PGS 346


Over the course of 195 weeks, food writer and blogger Sasha Martin set out to cook—and eat—a meal from every country in the world. As cooking unlocked the memories of her rough-and-tumble childhood and the loss and heartbreak that came with it, Martin became more determined than ever to find peace and elevate her life through the prism of food and world cultures. From the tiny, makeshift kitchen of her eccentric, creative mother, to a string of foster homes, to the house from which she launched her own cooking adventure, Martin's heartfelt, brutally honest memoir reveals the power of cooking to bond, to empower, and to heal—and celebrates the simple truth that happiness is created from within.