Here it is, the sixteen books I read in January! All of the 5 star books have their own individual reviews, so be sure and check those out. Secret of the Sassafras is a reread (still loved it!) But the other 5 star books are all very highly recommended! If I had to pick my 3 favorites that you NEED to add to your TBR I would say The Women, by Kristin Hannah; One Summer in Savannah, by Terah Shelton Harris; and The Frozen River (probably my top favorite of the month,) by Ariel Lawhon.
And what about February? I have several books at the top of my list of hopeful reads for next month. I may have to interrupt my mood reading in exchange for some beta reading, but until I know for certain, here’s a short video with some that I hope to read very soon:
The amount of challenges a body can endure is pretty remarkable. In Soundtrack of Silence, author Matt Hay takes us through his journey with NF2 (Neurofibromatosis, Type 2,) a rare disorder that has affected him throughout his life, robbing him of his hearing, causing facial paralysis, and tampering periodically with his mobility and balance.
Even more amazing is the human spirit, something that Matt has curated and strengthened while dealing with NF2, empowering him with a drive to move forward instead of wallow, and to share his story with a mixture of humor and wisdom.
This is an advanced copy that I’ve had for a while and, like so many other memorable books, appeared in my mood reading queue at just the right time. Here, at the beginning of a new year, where starting fresh and making resolutions is the norm, it was fascinating to read about someone whose medical challenges have necessitated that he make life resets in abundance. RE-solutions, or “solving again,” facing old challenges packaged in new ways with determination, is a pattern in which both Matt and his incredible wife, Nora, have become veterans.
Simply put, NF2 is a (usually) genetic condition in which benign tumors grow along nerves. For Matt, the tumors’ location affects sound to effectively reach the brain. Confronting the removal of these tumors, which keep returning, is one thing. Recovery is another. The possibility of new medical issues arising from each surgery is something else. Factor in the strain on mental health, finances, and family, and this man has not had it easy.
So where does the soundtrack fit in? Despite grappling with sub par hearing most of his life, Matt Hay adores music. Melodies, lyrics, and the marriage of these elements with the right voice and instruments have sustained him in a formidable way. It may seem unfair that someone who loves music so much has struggled to hear it, but that struggle has also created insight and opportunity at different times. One of those tender mercies whose purpose unfolds when you least expect it.
This is an important book which will yield different takeaways for different readers. Some will feel inspired by Matt Hay’s dogged determination, some might decide to finally have their hearing checked, and still others will use his story as a way to put their own difficulties into perspective. Whatever the reason, it’s a book worth reading with an author worth knowing.
9/10 Stars for the writing, but 10/10 for the inspiring story. You can visit Matt Hay’s website at: https://hearmatthay.com/
Like so many others, I am reeling over the sad, sudden passing of actor Matthew Perry on October 28th. As my husband said yesterday, watching Friends will never feel the same. I agree. When I read Matthew’s memoir a few months ago, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, I learned a lot about this funny, talented man. It may be too soon for some, but I do encourage anyone and everyone to read it. Beyond his legacy of laughter, Matthew Perry battled some huge mental and physical challenges.
You can read my review HERE. Matthew wanted to be remembered for so much more than Friends. Reading his book is a good place to start.
Once upon a time there was a little boy named Barry. He came from a musical family. His parents met while working with Nat King Cole. He had two older sisters. And when he born with a unique birthmark on his left wrist his mother announced that, one day, Barry would be doing something special with that hand.
Fast forward to the major leagues. After years of training, practice, and mental preparation, Barry Zito was pitching for the Oakland A’s, and he had developed one of the most devastating curveballs in baseball history. When he was traded to the San Francisco Giants, his new contract broke records. But with that came new expectations from his team, his fans, and himself. There was no place to go but down.
I won’t bore you with the weird way I discovered this book, but I will reiterate that the right books always find us at the right time. I’d never heard of Barry Zito, I don’t follow baseball, and he retired from the sport years ago. None of those things mattered when I read (and listened) to his memoir, because this is not a book about baseball. It is a book about one man’s personal and spiritual journey, and I found it fascinating.
Yes, it is easy to say that life for Barry Zito has been cushioned by that enormous contract, and it probably has. There’s a lot to be said for financial stability. But, like all of us, this is a man who sought fulfillment, and that is something that can only be found elsewhere.
I recommend Curveball most highly. It’s available on Libby. Read it, listen to it (narrated by Zito himself,) and ponder the messages of growth and humility by this man who had to do a lot of things wrong before figuring out what really matters.
Disabled? No. Diff-abled? Yes. This is how David Aguilar sees himself. But his positive outlook has only happened after years of bullying, determination, and persistence.
David, of Andorra, Spain, was born with Poland’s Syndrome, a rare condition that left him with an underdeveloped right arm. His “bracito”–as he and his family have named it–might be small, but it has presented its share of challenges and shaped their lives in ways they never expected.
But first, let’s take a look at the book’s cover. That’s not Tony Stark. It’s David, with the fifth prosthetic arm he designed. Does he need it? No. But society responds to symmetry, and it was that pressure–plus his innate talent–that led David to create the world’s first prosthetic arm built entirely of LEGOs. Yes, you read that correctly. LEGOs.
Piece by Piece is David’s story from birth to the present. We learn of the obstacles he faced, he incredibly supportive family, and where he is now. A charming, witty, sensitive young man, you will root for David all the way. This was a great read!
Available on Kindle Unlimited.
9/10 Stars
Learn more about David here: (Email subscribers, hop on over to the blog to see the videos!)
Yesterday I finished the touching memoir Without the Mask, by Charlie Bird. If you’re looking for a heartfelt book of a young person’s struggle with same-sex attraction, I highly recommend this one.
Charlie Bird was born in 1993, the year before I graduated Brigham Young University. Twenty five years later (yikes, my age is showing) he catapulted (literally) to the forefront as the beloved dancing, tumbling BYU mascot, Cosmo the Cougar. In 2017, Charlie’s Cosmo danced with the acclaimed Cougarettes for the first time and a video of their performance went viral. Instantly, Cosmo became the most famous university mascot in America.
But under the enthusiastic leaps and iconic costume, Charlie was grappling with the knowledge that he was gay in a very religious, conservative family and culture. His truth and his faith were at war. Encouraged by Sheri Dew, president of Deseret Book, Charlie decided to write an article, then this book, describing his journey.
His writing is beautiful as he describes his devotion to a faith that has shaped his life and feelings that contradict what he was taught in that faith. Never a victim and very clear that he doesn’t want to be a poster child for the “gay Mormon,” he writes of how he identifies himself, coming to the realization that his faith and his feelings can coexist.
Many will disagree with his approach and his decision to stay with a church that is working harder to show compassion to their LGBTQ+ members but does not condone gay marriage, but this is his story and no one else’s. I think there are many Christian families who will find Without the Mask to be a helpful stepping stone to discussion and understanding. I came away feeling great admiration for Charlie’s courage, testimony, and strength of character. It was a superb read.
9/10 Stars
Charlie talks about his book and coming out:
Watch Charlie as Cosmo the Cougar and the Cougarettes in their famous video:
It’s so satisfying when a popular book lives up to the hype because then it isn’t hype anymore, it’s a consensus. Such is the case with Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton, an absolute delight to read! You may know Tom better as the evil Draco Malfoy of the Harry Potter film franchise, representing bullies everywhere with that classic combination of arrogance and cowardice.
Happily, the man behind the bleached hair (yes, man, he’s 35 now,) is much more down-to-earth than his sinister alter ego. But it came at a price, as is the age-old story of many child stars. The youngest of four boys in a loving family, Tom started acting early in life. But it wasn’t until the Harry Potter films when he became recognizable, a fame that steadily increased with the popularity of the books and movies. A heady thing for a young man trying to figure out who he is off the movie set, and one he still has to navigate with caution.
There are some drastic ups and downs, but the majority of the book is ideally paced for the modern attention span. Many celebrity memoirs are filled with superfluous, uninteresting details. This one is not. Tom Felton gives the people what they want, which is a behind-the-scenes look at what it was like to grow up among a core cast of actors, many of whom are British screen royalty. The chapters are anecdotal, insightful, interesting, and fun. There are Potter plot spoilers, however, so you might want to be familiar with the series before reading.
My favorite parts are when he writes about antics on set and what it was like to work with so many heavyweights like Dame Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane, Jason Isaacs, Sir Richard Harris, and Sir Michael Gambon. His gratitude towards these respected actors is genuine and palpable, as is his love for his acting peers, the other young people who bore the enormous responsibility of breathing life into characters beloved throughout the world.
I cannot say enough good things about Beyond the Wand. If you love the Potter film series, this memoir is better than any special features you’ll see on a DVD. It’s a fast read that shows the growth of a young man striving for normality in a very abnormal world. I highly recommend it.
This is a book I’ve wanted to read for a long time, starting back in 2006 when I suffered the loss of someone very dear to me. I opted instead, that year, to read Year of Pleasures by Elizabeth Berg, about a widow recovering from the death of her husband. I’m so glad I made that decision, because The Year of Magical Thinking is not the handbook on grief that I hoped it would be. It is Joan Didion’s stream-of-consciousness outpouring, one that is disjointed, random, and very personal.
Personal is fine. There’s nothing wrong with personal, and I’m sure this book was extremely cathartic for her to write. However, the title doesn’t fit anywhere in the content and, while there are some profound thoughts about loss, they are sparse. Instead, there is also a lot of zigzagging and digging up old memories. So I have to wonder, if anyone but Joan Didion wrote this book, would it have even been published?
The reviews are very mixed. Some people applaud the disjointed writing style, saying that it is exactly how one feels after losing a spouse or partner. This is true. I wish she had explored that more, the way loss lives rent free in your mind while you’re trying to carry on with life. Other reviewers are annoyed at Didion constantly referring to her upper-class lifestyle, having been married to John Gregory Dunne, and the fabulous places she lived, visited, and dined. I agree. After being bombarded with off-the-mark anecdotes about Delmonico’s, the Beverly Hills Hotel, high-end private schools, and vacations that are beyond the reach of the common man, I found it refreshing when she talked about grabbing a burger at McDonald’s. But it wasn’t enough to buffer the very obvious showiness of privilege, which often eclipsed the tragedies she experienced in a very short amount of time. Was the end goal to appear relatable or to relate her loss? We will never know.
So, unfortunately, it didn’t have the sensitive, healing effect I expected. I didn’t find it magical, memorable, or thought-provoking. But her ardent fans will probably find it very interesting.
Back in the early 1980’s two things were happening simultaneously. 1. A Canadian writer named W.P. Kinsella was launching his new book called Shoeless Joe 2. A struggling actor from Ohio named Dwier Brown was trying his hand at acting. While Kinsella’s book gained traction, Brown’s career, aside from playing “Stuart Cleary” in The Thorn Birds and being cast in a few plays, did not.
Their stories merged in 1988 when Shoeless Joe was adapted to screen as the beloved film, Field of Dreams, with Kevin Costner, then at his career apex. Dwier Brown was cast as John Kinsella, Ray’s (Costner’s) father. It’s a small but pivotal role, set in the day’s “magic hour,” making the viewer realize that Field of Dreams is about so much more than baseball.
When it was complete, not much was expected of Field of Dreams. Yes, it had Burt Lancaster in his final role and the incomparable James Earl Jones as Ray’s unlikely road trip companion, but no one could’ve guessed that this quiet little film would become the juggernaut that it is today. The Lansing farm in Iowa, where Dreams was filmed, still draws thousands of fathers and sons every year hoping to recapture the magic as they “have a catch” on that famous baseball diamond in the middle of a cornfield. A diamond inspired by the mystical phrase “If you build it, he will come.”
While Dwier Brown’s role is small–he appears in some early photographs and in the last five minutes of the movie–its impact on his life has been enormous. It is this impact that his book, If You Build It, is based. Part autobiography, part behind-the-scenes of the film, Brown sensitively shows how his whole life led up to that role and the part it would play in years to come. He also adds anecdotes, snapshots of the many times that people would recognize him and share their own personal stories. Stories of men and their dads watching the movie together, feeling their bond strengthen, and stories of estranged fathers and sons feeling the need to reconnect and forgive, inspired by the movie’s message.
That is what makes this book so special. It does not focus heavily on ideal father/son relationships. It acknowledges the honest truth that all parent/child relationships are complicated, including Ray and John in the movie, Dwier Brown and his father, and his father before him. As a daughter who had a complicated relationship with my father, I found this extremely refreshing. The book is beautifully written, with a rhythmic fluidity and plenty of heart-tugging tidbits that keep your interest until the very end.
Being familiar with the film is very helpful, but not completely essential, to read If You Build It. I recommend watching the movie and reading the book, in that order. Both are very much worth your time and will restore some of your faith in family and its potential.
I read ten books in November. Not bad! I did reviews on the ones that had the most impact on me, but here’s a quick summary.
Best Memoir(which is also nominated for a Goodreads award):Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, by Matthew Perry. Both fascinating and heart-breaking. Just be prepared for a lot of F-bombs.
Best Romantic Comedy:Hello Stranger, by Katherine Center. This comes out in July 2023, but keep it on your TBR (to be read) list. It’s a winner! A journey of self-discovery and growth while facing challenges and falling in love.
Best Magical Realism:The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie, by Rachel Linden. Word is out on this wonderful story of second chances and glimpses into the future. Everyone I’ve recommended this book to who has read it, has loved it!
Best Book Duo:All That Really Matters and All That It Takes by Nicole Deese. Even though I rated them differently, they’re both excellent and worth your time. Clean, Christian fiction, full of flawed but decent people who learn the value of faith, embracing differences, and serving others.
In my opinion, these are the best of the bunch. Rachel Linden and Nicole Deese are new authors for me, but I definitely want to read more of their books. Hopefully something catches your eye!
It’s 1995, FRIENDS has been on the air for a year. (As soon as I saw a promo for it in 1994, I knew I wanted to watch this series. And I did–every episode of every season for ten seasons. I still kick myself that I never attended a taping.) Now I’m at Disneyland with my mom, aunt, and cousin, Laura. My aunt had recently been hired at Disney Imagineering and was able to get us into the park for free. It was a blast.
Halfway through the day we’re in New Orleans Square (my favorite section) and Laura says to me, “Hey, isn’t that Matthew Perry?” Yes, it was. Celebrity sightings–one of the perks of growing up in Southern California. There was Matthew Perry, aka Chandler Bing, wearing (I’ll never forget) a white leather letterman’s-style jacket, holding court in the middle of an entourage of 6-8 friends, with a glow and a swagger that showed he was on top of the world. The guy oozed charisma.
We headed over to the Haunted Mansion. Matthew and group probably entered through some VIP back door without waiting in line because suddenly, we were all in the “stretching room”–our group, his group, and a few other people who probably didn’t love the show FRIENDS as much as I did. I can only assume.
Yes, I stared. This was a big deal. I have a faint memory of catching his eye and a hopeful, selective memory that there was a small grin returned only for me, but it could just be my imagination. I don’t care. It was dang cool. After the ride we only saw the backs of him and his group. Moment over, but not forgotten.
Some shows are just a part of us. FRIENDS is one of those shows for me. It started right as I earned my college degree, saw me through getting my first apartment, my first “real job,” and all of those milestones that make you feel grown up (except getting married, that came later.)
Of course we knew that, of all the cast members, Matthew Perry was the one struggling the most. We just didn’t know how much. Fast forward 20+ years to last Monday, when my husband and I watched his interview with Diane Sawyer. He’s uber famous, uber wealthy, starred in one of the most beloved shows of all time, and my first thought was, “He seems like a really lonely guy.” The swagger and smirk I saw in 1995 was replaced with a man slightly older than me, but wearing decades of trauma on his face.
I had to read the book. What a life. What an exhausting, sad, tortured, lonely life. I’ve never really understood addiction, but this is probably the closest I’ll ever get. His memoir is that raw. And it is heartbreaking. As a highly sensitive empath, I absorb other people’s pain more than most, and I felt like I was right there with every relapse of drinking and pills and their accompanying horrific consequences. This book is both fascinating and painful. Never once does he play the victim.
If you’ve been on the FRIENDS journey at all since its inception, read about Matthew’s journey and see what he went through. It’s a miracle he’s even still alive. And it’s a lesson of where fulfillment can truly be found. Hint: it isn’t fame and fortune. 9/10 Stars
“As a Deaf person, I came from a beautiful and unique heritage that included a multilayered culture, a visual language, and a wealth of stories.”
I cannot remember the last time, if ever, that I learned so much from a memoir. Nyle DiMarco’s Deaf Utopia should be required reading for everyone.
Nyle DiMarco won hearts by winning both America’s Next Top Model and Dancing With the Stars, breaking barriers and bringing awareness to a beautiful silent world that many of us, myself included, don’t think about much. Part of a multi-generational Deaf family, this love letter to Deaf culture is sometimes joyful and, at other times, heart-breaking.
The writing is exquisite. I learned about the frustratingly slow evolution of allowing Deaf students to use American Sign Language, as opposed to forcing speech and oral education, in schools for the Deaf. I learned about the Milan Conference, a group of decision makers in the 1800s who made crucial choices about educating Deaf children when only one of the members was Deaf himself. I learned about Alexander Graham Bell, who has always been heralded as a pioneer, and his belief that if Deaf couples didn’t marry and procreate, the “deaf gene” would eventually be “bred out” of the human race.
As an elementary school teacher, I firmly agree with DiMarco’s statement “Kids need a language rich environment for their brains to acquire the rhythm and pattern of language.” It seems so basic, and this is why we sing a lot of songs in kindergarten about numbers, the days of the week, the months of the year, etc. It is why, even when I taught fifth grade, I still set aside at least half an hour a day for “story time,” where I read to my students and tried to exemplify a love of words and language.
In a school for the Deaf, this love is best conveyed through their native language, ASL, which DiMarco describes as “…something uniquely ours, a beautiful creation made with Deaf minds, hands, and bodies. When we use it, we feel truly content, truly ourselves.” Which makes the decades of systemic resistance to using it even more shocking. The more Deaf children have access to ASL-rich classrooms, the more they thrive and learn a variety of subjects. When the emphasis is all about speech and lip-reading, gaps can form in the child’s education. His family has members across the spectrum with all these experiences. The consequences, both good and bad, last a lifetime.
Discussing the book would not be complete without mentioning Nyle DiMarco’s amazing mother, Donna, who is also Deaf, and raised her three Deaf sons pretty much single-handedly. The way she fought for them, advocated for their education, nurtured them, and supported them is nothing short of heroic. If there was a school that was better, they moved there. If there was unfairness in the system, she challenged it. All of her sons are graduates of the prestigious Gallaudet University. Seriously, this lady deserves her own biography.
This book is revelatory. It is also fun and anecdotal. There’s mischief, love, setbacks, and creative solutions on nearly every page. I recommend it highly. Like with any culture, the only way to understand it better is to learn about it. I was honored to learn about Deaf culture, which is larger than we realize and has much to teach us.
10/10 Stars
May 8, 2022 video addition:There are lots of videos of Nyle DiMarco modeling, dancing, and being interviewed. But if you read this book you’ll learn that the foundation for all of his success was early language acquisition. (Not speech, but LANGUAGE. There’s a difference.) He’s very passionate about it. (I agree!) In that respect, I think these two videos are the best ones to post here.
Readwithkristie.com 