1.) Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry
I was looking forward to this one! I got it immediately. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of reading this memoir right after reading the book by Kelly Ripa. That one was funny and enjoyable. This one was sad and depressing.
From Goodreads:
In an extraordinary story that only he could tell, Matthew Perry takes readers onto the soundstage of the most successful sitcom of all time while opening up about his private struggles with addiction. Candid, self-aware, and told with his trademark humor, Perry vividly details his lifelong battle with the disease and what fueled it despite seemingly having it all. Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing is an unforgettable memoir that shares the most intimate details of the love Perry lost, his darkest days, and his greatest friends.
The focus of this book is addiction and addiction is horrifying. Reading about Matthew Perry's decades of drug and alcohol use was awful. I give him credit for his vulnerability. It is graphic and extremely candid. Addiction, rehabs, and relapses...over and over again. This is a look at the dark side of celebrity. It's incredibly sad that you can be at the top of your game, have fame and fortune, all of the accolades, and be miserable and lonely. It was hard to read. Sometimes I felt sorry for him and sometimes I found him privileged, entitled, arrogant, and selfish.
Perry's writing is nonlinear as he tells his story. He jumps back and forth in time. Reading about his childhood and rise to stardom was interesting. I had no idea that he was a nationally ranked tennis player in Canada or that his mother was a famous Canadian journalist and press secretary to former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.... or that his step-father is Keith Morrison of Dateline NBC fame...and his father a recognizable actor and talk show host. His is not a rags to riches story. It is one of privilege.
Perry's tone is serious with some dark humor. It didn't work for me. The humor didn't land in such a disheartening memoir. I wish it did. It was interesting reading about Friends and some of the back story surrounding his time on the show. I appreciated reading about his relationships with the Friends cast. There is a lot of love there and it seems as though the relationships they profess to have are real. That made me happy. I love Friends. Unfortunately now I feel like I can never watch it in the same way again. Chandler Bing is tarnished. It's hard to separate Chandler from Matty (as he calls himself.)
He shares a lot about his time in Hollywood. The people he met, tv shows and movies he did, and the women he dated. Perhaps too much. While interesting to read, it also made me cringe and annoyed me with how full of himself he can be. I felt that he revealed more about other people than he should have and in ways that weren't necessary.
I flipflopped between liking Perry and feeling sorry for him, wanting him to overcome his addictions and his struggle with loneliness, and finding him incredibly arrogant and entitled. His treatment of women was uncomfortable to read and I found myself really NOT liking him and angered by his comments.
I hope that Matthew Perry can stay sober, healthy, and find in his life. I want things to work out for him. Nonetheless... I didn't like this book.
My Rating: Disheartening.
2.) 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
I've wanted to read this book for years. It's a literary classic but sadly my library didn't have it and I, unfortunately, never got around to looking for it elsewhere. Then suddenly one day it appeared at my library! Happiness! I had the pleasure of reading this delightful little volume over Thanksgiving.
From Goodreads:
This charming classic, first published in 1970, brings together twenty years of correspondence between Helene Hanff, a freelance writer living in New York City, and a used-book dealer in London. Through the years, though never meeting and separated both geographically and culturally, they share a winsome, sentimental friendship based on their common love for books. Their relationship, captured so acutely in these letters, is one that will grab your heart and not let go.
I thoroughly enjoyed this epistolary nonfiction novel. What a charming and very quick read. It is the perfect cozy book to curl up with on a snowy day. This book will appeal to anglophiles, bibliophiles, and pen pals. Check, check, check! This is also a sweet tribute to second hand book stores and those who work at them. Always good people to know!
This book is a compilation of letters sent between two people spanning 20 years. My nosey inquisitive side truly enjoyed reading their personal letters to one another and the various *others* in their literary circle.
To be clear, this is not a romance. It is a story of strangers who become friends. I loved the contrast between the personalities of the stiff, proper, reserved British bookseller, Frank, and the sharp wit of struggling New York freelance writer, Helene. Especially as the gregarious Helene begins to break down the professional reserve of Frank. So fun! What starts as purely book business and a mutual love of old and rare books develops into a true friendship and a sharing of their personal lives and families.
This slim volume was published in 1970 but the letters span the years 1949 to 1969. It evokes such a sense of nostalgia for time and place. Both London and New York. I had no idea how long the postwar rationing and shortages went on in England... long after WWII had ended. Fascinating. I enjoyed the *others* whose letters slip in now and then in the correspondence...book shop employees, Frank's wife and daughters, and friends of Helene. Delightful.
Helene's wry sense of humor had me laughing out loud and I loved Frank's earnestness. The ending had me choking back tears. This is a beautiful tale of friendship, kindness, and generosity. It makes me want to bring back the lost art of letter writing and pen pals. I will now deep dive into Helene Hanff's backlist. I want to read other books by her and find out what happened before and after 84, Charing Cross Road. When does she finally get to England??
"I do love secondhand books that open to the page some previous owner read oftenest."
"I love inscriptions on flyleaves and notes in margins, I like the comradely sense of turning pages someone else turned, and reading passages someone long gone has called my attention to."
(Me too Helene. Me too.)
My Rating: Endearing.
3.) You're Already Awesome by Alison Faulkner
Alison Faulkner is a social media influencer from Utah. She is also an entrepreneur, speaker, brand specialist, and podcaster. I've followed her for years. All the way back to her crafting days. She has a larger than life personality. She is vivacious and enthusiastic. She is also an enjoyable person to follow online and I enjoy her podcast. In this self-improvement book she shares 12 shifts/tools that bring us back to our awareness of our own inherent power. Our own inner awesomeness. She also shares tips to silence our inner critics.
From Goodreads:
Everywhere we look, we're bombarded with millions of ways we can transform ourselves. But while often a worthwhile goal, this drive to be our best selves can also be overwhelming and stressful. Alison Faulkner has been there, and is here to remind us that nothing external can give us worth or value-- we're already awesome, what we need to do is learn how to recognize our inherent awesomeness and then step into our true power.
Alison has been through a lot in the last few years. In this book she is extremely open, honest, and vulnerable as she shares her own mental health struggles. Alison's message is uplifting and encouraging. She wants everyone to see their inherent worth and value. Alison is positive and sincere as she discusses her struggles and how she navigates them. She also wants everyone to know that they are awesome just the way they are.
My Rating: An uplifting read.
4.) Twelve Slays of Christmas by Jacqueline Frost
From Goodreads:
When Holly White’s fiancé cancels their Christmas Eve wedding with less than two weeks to go, Holly heads home with a broken heart. Lucky for her, home in historic Mistletoe, Maine is magical during Christmastime—exactly what the doctor prescribed. Except her plan to drown her troubles in peppermints and snickerdoodles is upended when local grouch and president of the Mistletoe Historical Society Margaret Fenwick is bludgeoned and left in the sleigh display at Reindeer Games, Holly’s family tree farm.
This was my book club's pick for December 2022. This was a quick and light read. A cozy Christmas murder mystery. It had all of the elements of a Hallmark Christmas movie but with a murder to solve. It was the perfect book to get you in the Christmasy mood. Mistletoe, Maine is Christmas town USA with everyone wearing festive sweaters and holiday jewelry. They are wandering around town drinking hot cocoa and eating Christmas cookies. Mistletoe is full of holiday cheer and festive celebrations. There is just one problem...there is a murderer among them.
Holly is your basic down on her luck heroine who returns to her hometown at Christmastime after being dumped by her fiancé. Is Holly annoying at times? Yes. Does she go around snooping where she shouldn't? Yes. Does she say the word "tummy" eleven times? Unfortunately yes. I didn't love her as a main character but it's fine. Now Sheriff Evan Gray on the other hand? He was great.
This was a cozy holiday read even if the main character got on my nerves. I loved the Christmas theme and the town. Will I read further in the series? Maybe.
My Rating: Okay. A Christmas cozy.
5.) A Christmas Story by Jean Shepherd
These are the essays of humorist Jean Shepherd that inspired the movie A Christmas Story which is my all-time favorite Christmas movie. This was a perfect December read... quick and funny...and it will get you in the Christmas-y mood.
From Goodreads:
This edition of A Christmas Story gathers together in one hilarious volume the gems of autobiographical humor that Jean Shepherd drew upon to create the enduring film...A Christmas Story. The pieces that comprise A Christmas Story, previously published in the larger collections In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash and Wanda Hickey’s Night of Golden Memories, coalesce in a magical fashion to become an irresistible piece of Americana.
This slim volume is a collection of essays that come from Jean Shepherd's larger collection of essays entitled In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash.
I loved the old-fashioned and nostalgic Americana feel that both this book of short stories and the movie evoke. Feelings of a simpler but not necessarily easier time. This takes place during the Depression in a small industrial town in Indiana. It was interesting to read about what life was like then as these essays are semi-autobiographical.
I was happy to revisit Ralphie and his friends and family. I enjoyed the differences between the book and the movie. It made the story fresh. I absolutely loved the author's storytelling. This book is full of heart and humor. A wonderful Christmas tale.
My Rating: Excellent!
6.) One Minute Scripture Study in The Old Testament by Kristen Smith and Cali Black
I loved this daily devotional book. It was a great supplement to the Come Follow Me curriculum. It was full of daily inspiration and personal application. It was a great resource to simplify the Old Testament into bite-sized daily take aways.
My Rating: Good.
7.) Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh
I enjoy reading Christmas rom-coms while prepping for Christmas. I am a total seasonal reader. This was super fun and Christmas-y. Plus it's mostly set in Ireland. Perfection.
From Goodreads:
Molly and Andrew are just trying to get home to Ireland for the holidays, when a freak snowstorm grounds their flight. Nothing romantic has ever happened between them: they’re friends and that’s all. But once a year, for the last ten years, Molly has spent seven hours and fifteen minutes sitting next to Andrew on the last flight before Christmas from Chicago to Dublin, drinking terrible airplane wine and catching up on each other’s lives. In spite of all the ways the two friends are different, it’s the holiday tradition neither of them has ever wanted to give up. Molly isn’t that bothered by Christmas, but—in yet another way they’re total opposites—Andrew is a full-on fanatic for the festive season and she knows how much getting back to Ireland means to him. So, instead of doing the sane thing and just celebrating the holidays together in America, she does the stupid thing. The irrational thing. She vows to get him home. And in time for his mam’s famous Christmas dinner.
Good holiday romances are surprisingly hard to find. This one was smart and had some depth unlike most in the genre. I loved the main characters and I loved their friendship. Molly and Andrew are the perfect...believable...friends to lovers. They are intelligent and likeable. Their story was cute and seemed realistic. They had great chemistry and good banter without trying too hard. I even liked the large cast of side characters...their extended family members. This book was cheery and not cheesy. It had charm and was full of heart. I look forward to reading more by this author.
My Rating: A great holiday adventure.
8.) The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
I loved Jenny Han's book series To All the Boys I've Loved Before. I thought it was super cute and fun. I read them with two of my daughters. My middle school daughter was reading this book so I decided to read it too. Netflix currently has a show based on this book.
From Goodreads:
Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer—they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one terrible and wonderful summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.
Oh boy. I wished I loved this book. I didn't hate it but there were so many things that I found problematic. First, the main character's name. I could never rally around it or even come to terms with the fact that her name is Belly. That annoyed me from start to finish. It's terrible. Her character wasn't the best either. After you have had a main character like Lara Jean...Belly is a two-dimensional bore. The pacing was slow as was the plot. It got a little boring. I don't know if I will continue reading the series. I might just watch the Netflix adaptation. The time switches were clunky. I didn't always know where we were in time. I also thought that the love interest was an arrogant jerk with zero personality. Having Belly hang on his every word and accept the crumbs of attention that he sent her way was also problematic. It's not the message that I want my 13 year old taking to heart. I thought both of the other boys in Belly's life were far more interesting and had more to offer.
Here's what I did like. The setting and the plot line of two best friends who spend every summer together along with their children in a beautiful beach house. It had a great premise that then fell flat.
I am so glad that Jenny Han kept writing and honing her craft because we got To All the Boys I've Loved Before and Lara Jean and her sisters! I love that series!
My Rating: A bland YA contemporary romance.
9.) Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
I absolutely couldn't wait to get my hands on this book! People LOVE it! People rave about it! It was compared to Ready Player One! It sounded amazing.
From Goodreads:
On a bitter-cold day, in the December of his junior year at Harvard, Sam Masur exits a subway car and sees, amid the hordes of people waiting on the platform, Sadie Green. He calls her name. For a moment, she pretends she hasn't heard him, but then, she turns, and a game begins: a legendary collaboration that will launch them to stardom. These friends, intimates since childhood, borrow money, beg favors, and, before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo. Overnight, the world is theirs. Not even twenty-five years old, Sam and Sadie are brilliant, successful, and rich, but these qualities won't protect them from their own creative ambitions or the betrayals of their hearts. Spanning thirty years, from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Venice Beach, California, and lands in between and far beyond, Gabrielle Zevin's Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a dazzling and intricately imagined novel that examines the multifarious nature of identity, disability, failure, the redemptive possibilities in play, and above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love. Yes, it is a love story, but it is not one you have read before.
I highly anticipated this "must read" book. But despite the comparisons to Ready Player One...they are unfortunately nothing alike...except for the fact that the novel is centered around video games. It was so disappointing. I wanted to love this book or even like it and I didn't. I thought it was so depressing and kind of boring. I know that I'm in the minority of readers. So many people love this book but I just don't know why.
The novel follows two friends, Sadie and Sam, who meet as children and bond over video games. It follows their friendship for the next 30 years. The story starts with Sadie and Sam as 12 year olds, then as college students, then young adults, and finally adults in their 30s. The book is an exploration of friendship. This isn't a romance which I thought was kind of refreshing. Sadie and Sam are fleshed out and complex characters and so are the side characters. The author does a great job of writing believable if somewhat unlikeable characters; with the exception of Marx who was amazing. The lack of communication between Sadie and Sam was so frustrating. They were friends who never really talked to each other. It drove me crazy.
I thought it was interesting how the author wrote about video games and video game design. This is a story that is also about the power of art and how it impacts us. I had never really thought about video game design as an art form before but it definitely is... I won't look at video games in the same way again.
I really wish that I liked this book. I found it to be long, boring at times, and overwrought. I felt like the author tried to do too much. So many social issues were tackled and they felt crammed in. I would have preferred the author to pick one or two and focus on them in more depth. It felt contrived. That said, I know many people love this book. It just wasn't for me.
My Rating: Disappointing.
10.) The Anatomy of Peace by The Arbinger Institute
This was my book club's pick for January 2023. It had some good information but I didn't love it.
From Goodreads:
The Anatomy of Peace asks, What if conflicts at home, conflicts at work, and conflicts in the world stem from the same root cause? What if we systematically misunderstand that cause? And what if, as a result, we unwittingly perpetuate the very problems we think we are trying to solve? Through an intriguing story we learn how and why we contribute to the divisions and problems we blame on others and the surprising way that these problems can be solved. Yusuf al-Falah, an Arab, and Avi Rozen, a Jew, each lost his father at the hands of the other's ethnic cousins. The Anatomy of Peace is the story of how they came together, how they help warring parents and children come together, and how we too can find our way out of the struggles that weigh us down.
The book teaches concepts about conflict resolution through a story and dialogue with the various characters. It felt contrived and I hated the cheesy narrative style. I would rather have just read straight forward non-fiction. The message of the book is how to have a heart at peace rather than a heart at war. The authors want to help the reader to understand others and treat them like humans. This helps us to find inner peace and resolve conflict in all aspects of our lives.
According to the Arbinger Institute there are basically two ways of being in the world: we can be in the world seeing others as people OR we can be in the world seeing others as objects. When I see others as objects (obstacles, problems) I dwell on the injustices that I have suffered in order to justify myself which keeps my mistreatment and suffering alive with me. This style of justification does not allow us to see others as people because we must see them prejudicially as less than we are.
The book discusses four theoretical boxes that we can find ourselves in: 1.) The Better Than Box, 2.) The I Deserve Box, 3.) The Must Be Seen As Box, and 4.) The Worse Than Box. The authors also discuss various levels of a pyramid to help end conflict with others.
The Four Boxes:
1.) The Better Than Box
You feel superior.
World view: competitive, troubled...needs me
2.) I Deserve Box
You view yourself as an unappreciated and mistreated victim.
World view: unfair and unjust...owes me
3.) Must Be Seen As Box
You need to be well thought of.
World View: Dangerous, watching and...judging me.
4.) The Worse Than Box
You view yourself as not good enough, broken, helpless, jealous, bitter.
World View: Hard and difficult...against me.
Recognizing when we are in these boxes is the first step to reclaiming a heart of peace.
Pyramid:
1.) Get out of your box and obtain a heart of peace.
2.) Build relationships with those who have influence on the group or individual you have an issue with.
3.) Build a relationship with the person you are in conflict with.
4.) Listen and learn from them.
5.) Teach and communicate with them.
6.) Work on correcting the issue in a co-creative way.
People jump from level one to level six and then are surprised when nothing is improved and corrections don't work. Most of our time and efforts should be spent at the lower three levels. The solution to a problem at one level of the pyramid is always below that level of the pyramid. My effectiveness at each level depends on my way of being.
There is some good information here but the book was long and boring. I hated the way the material was presented.
My Rating: Not great.
11.) Mrs. England by Stacey Hall
This kind of book is my reading sweet spot. It is exactly what I love to read. This one didn't disappoint. It was a pure pleasure read.
From Goodreads:
West Yorkshire, 1904. When newly graduated nurse Ruby May takes a position looking after the children of Charles and Lilian England, a wealthy couple from a powerful dynasty of mill owners, she hopes it will be the fresh start she needs. But as she adapts to life at the isolated Hardcastle House, it becomes clear there's something not quite right about the beautiful, mysterious Mrs. England. Ostracized by the servants and feeling increasingly uneasy, Ruby is forced to confront her own demons in order to prevent history from repeating itself. After all, there's no such thing as the perfect family - and she should know.
I loved this book! It was perfect for a dreary January when all I wanted was to be transported to Yorkshire, England. I loved this gothic historical mystery from start to finish. It was atmospheric and eerie. I loved the setting of the Yorkshire countryside and Hardcastle House. A wealthy family, an imposing manor house, a dark forest, and secrets. The storytelling was beautiful with fantastic flow. I was swept along as the story progressed and I kept turning the pages.
The characters were well-written and intriguing. I loved Nurse May. She was wonderful! Competent and caring but with secrets of her own. Mr. and Mrs. England who kept me guessing to the end which one to trust. The England children were endearing and delightful. I wanted the best for all of them. This was a fast and entertaining read. I was absorbed in the story. I look forward to reading more by this author.
My only complaint is that I wish it was longer. I didn't want the story to end. I wanted more. More of Ruby and her family. More of the creepy Greatrex family. More of the side characters. There is still so much that the author could delve into and explore.
My Rating: Fantastic! I loved it!
12.) Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon
From Goodreads:
Ari Abrams has always been fascinated by the weather, and she loves almost everything about her job as a TV meteorologist. Her boss, legendary Seattle weatherwoman Torrance Hale, is too distracted by her tempestuous relationship with her ex-husband, the station’s news director, to give Ari the mentorship she wants. Ari, who runs on sunshine and optimism, is at her wits’ end. The only person who seems to understand how she feels is sweet but reserved sports reporter Russell Barringer. In the aftermath of a disastrous holiday party, Ari and Russell decide to team up to solve their bosses’ relationship issues. Between secret gifts and double dates, they start nudging their bosses back together. But their well-meaning meddling backfires when the real chemistry builds between Ari and Russell. Working closely with Russell means allowing him to get to know parts of herself that Ari keeps hidden from everyone. Will he be able to embrace her dark clouds as well as her clear skies?
This was a quick fun read! I loved the setting of a local TV station in Seattle. It was an enjoyable work place contemporary romance with believable characters with some depth and real problems and struggles. I appreciated how the author tackled depression and mental health in the book. I thought it was well done and realistic.
I thought this book had a good amount of character development for a romance novel. Both of the main characters, Ari and Russ, seemed like real likeable people. I was rooting for them. I particularly loved Russell. He's the best.
My Rating: An enjoyable office romance.
13.) The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
This was my book club's pick for February 2023. I loved it! Sometimes I am leery about yet another WWII historical fiction novel. I've read so many of them. But this one was well worth it. I wish I would've read it sooner!!
From Goodreads:
1940. As England prepares to fight the Nazis, three very different women answer the call to mysterious country estate Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes. Vivacious debutante Osla is the girl who has everything—beauty, wealth, and the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses—but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, and puts her fluent German to use as a translator of decoded enemy secrets. Imperious self-made Mab, product of East-End London poverty, works the legendary code-breaking machines as she conceals old wounds and looks for a socially advantageous husband. Both Osla and Mab are quick to see the potential in local village spinster Beth, whose shyness conceals a brilliant facility with puzzles, and soon Beth spreads her wings as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts. But war, loss, and the impossible pressure of secrecy will tear the three apart.
I can't say enough about The Rose Code. It was so good and well worth reading. I really loved the characters in this novel and I especially loved that it is loosely based on real people and real events. I loved the mix of fiction and history. I thought Quinn did an excellent job! I also loved the code breaking and ended up reading even more about all of that. Incredible.
The plot was fascinating. It was immersive and propulsive. I had to keep reading! The characters were beautifully written. I loved Osla and Mab so much and France Gray too! Osla's effervescent vocabulary was a delight!! I loved her 1940s posh slang! I thoroughly enjoyed all of the side characters and kept hoping that the traitorous one wasn't this person or that person. It was just so good! This book gave me all the feels...I laughed, cried, and was fairly panicked at the end.
Give me a good book about strong women doing amazing things any day! I was so enthralled by this story of female code breakers. I loved the intrigue. I knew that it would be emotional and it definitely was...tears were shed...but Quinn did a good job of lightening the hard parts with Osla and her witty banter. The (real-life) romance between Osla and Prince Philip was so fun to read about and that is from a true Royals fan. I absolutely loved the inclusion of Bletchley Park's literary book club The Mad Hatters! I didn't know that I needed another WWII novel but I sure did! I loved this rich historical fiction! The author's note at the end was also incredibly interesting!! The Kate Middleton/Duchess of Cambridge connection. So cool.
My Rating: Fantastic!
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