#memoir – Page 22 – Cannonball Read 17

“The tastes she wanted me to remember. The feelings she never wanted me to forget.”

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

January 29, 2022 by GentleRain 2 Comments

I read this in an emotionally complicated state, which probably fits with the emotional complexity of the book itself. My mom got me this for Christmas, and then I finished it today after she let me know she’d fainted and was in the emergency room. So reading a book about a mother dying when I wasn’t sure what was going on with my own mom was a recipe for some stressful reading. (My mom is probably fine, by the way, I don’t think she’s in […]

“This dreadful silence we called peace.”

A Father's Story by Lionel Dahmer

January 25, 2022 by GentleRain Leave a Comment

I continued my reading on the Jeffrey Dahmer serial murders with this personal memoir of the case by his father Lionel. The issue lying before me is writing a review where I feel awful for everyone involved and also relate a lot without sounding either hard-hearted, overly forgiving, or like I myself am headed down some dark road. And also to avoid making it sound like I think that my own theories about the case psychology are necessarily correct vs what experts think. True crime […]

‘Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?’

Violeta by Isabel Allende

January 25, 2022 by Pooja Leave a Comment

Violeta, who was born during the Spanish influenza pandemic and turns one hundred years old during the coronavirus pandemic, writes a memoir to hand down to her grandson Camilo. I’ve heard a lot of good things about Isabel Allende, and in fact have several others of her books on hand, piled in the tottering tower that is my TBR list. However, this is the first book by her that I’ve read, and it did not reach the heights I was expecting. Not that this is […]

An Unfunny Memoir Full of Sexism and Racism

Memoirs of a Professional Cad by George Sanders

January 22, 2022 by GentleRain Leave a Comment

I understand from the back of the book that people appear to find George Sanders “personable” and the alleged humor in the book is described as “wit.” I personally found neither of this to be true and was reminded of Errol Flynn’s memoir (My Wicked, Wicked Ways). However, while Flynn is an evil person and a child rapist, Sanders is more of a 1950s garden variety irritating racist and sexist. This book, purporting to be his memoirs, very loosely follows his life and is more […]

Claustrophobia

Choosing Light: When an Earthquake Buried Me and My Family for 5 Days, I Learned to Fully Live by Viral Dalal

January 22, 2022 by Pooja Leave a Comment

On vacation with his family in the coastal town of Bhuj, Viral Dalal is buried under the rubble of an eight-storey building as an earthquake hits the town. And there he must wait, for five long days, never knowing if his family is safe or he himself will survive. An important thing to know going into this review is that I am severely claustrophobic. I cannot imagine staying calm in the space that Dalal was trapped in for more than five minutes, let alone five […]

This metaphor is a metaphor for my metaphor.

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

January 20, 2022 by narfna 5 Comments

This is a really tough one for me to review, and not because of the subject matter. I wasn’t drawn to this one on my own, but picked it up because one of my real life book clubs chose it for January. I did the audio because it was available on SCRIBD, a service I already pay for, and I didn’t have time to do the hard copy with my already packed January TBR. This turned out to be a mistake, I think, though not […]

Zirza on A Gothic Classic for a ReasonIt's one of those wish-you-could-read-it-again-for-the-first-time books. I loved it.
Emmalita on “It came to something when you found yourself hoping that the footsteps you heard were ghosts.”I loved the ending! I don’t think it’s been out long enough to talk about why though.
Dixie on Track Her Down by Melinda LeighI am just starting Track Her Down and I have read them all in order till now and thought I...
Roland of Gilead on How can you give us the gift of a crazy character named Rando Thoughtful and then just as suddenly take that gift away? We need to talk, Uncle Stevie.I came across this randomly years after it was written because I was searching "Random Thoughtful. But I have the...
Emmalita on “Only you, Em, would refer to heartbreak as a distraction. I think I would have a more sympathetic response if I asked to marry a bookcase.”Oh my goodness, Gallifrey was beautiful. I’m sure her mittens were gloriously murdery.

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