Book Review - Easy Beauty by Chloé Cooper Jones

 

 

 

 

Easy Beauty by Chloé Cooper Jones is a memoir about a woman’s journey through life in a body that looks different than what society considers normal. Chloe was born with a rare congenital condition called sacral agenesis. It affects her gait and stature which causes her to be in pain frequently. She learned a technique called “pain calculations”, that she takes into consideration for every plan and situations she is in to handle and deal with the pain.

Physical pain isn’t the only type of pain that Chloe has to deal with on a daily basis. She has to deal with the pain of being judged, pitied, or considered less than because of her medical condition. The way society has judged her by just her appearance, without getting to know her, has impacted her view  of reality. She tried to excel in her academic career and retreated to a “neutral room in her mind”, where she can ignore an uncomfortable situation until it has passed.

When she was first diagnosed with her condition, she was told that she wouldn’t be able to become pregnant.  Chloe unexpectedly becomes a mother even though she was told that it wasn’t possible. When she became a mother, her perception of life shifted. She felt that she should no longer be limited or denied things because of how she looks. Chloe decided to travel the globe in hopes of reclaiming her space.

I normally don’t read a lot of memoirs but I have been trying to expand my normal reading preferences. The memoir started off interesting but I started losing interest towards the halfway mark and then stopped reading when I was ten pages away from finishing the book. The author kept jumping back and forth between the present and past that I was having trouble keeping the plot points straight. She would then weave a story while talking about the present but then jump to another subject that I failed to see how the two things were connected. It felt like a random and jumble stream of consciousness.

The author wove a lot of academic references and stories when talking about her experiences. The first few times, I thought it was interesting but then it started feeling like I was reading a term paper. Chloe seems upset and angry when describing her interactions with people and the world. I really do feel for her and got upset on her behalf at how she was treated, like a small child or as someone who didn’t know any better.  However, it got tiring to read that after a while. It was too depressing and I wanted some happy moments where she felt happy and enjoyed life. I wish she went into a bit more detail about her medical diagnosis. Instead, I felt like she mentioned her condition and expected readers to know what it was and how it affects people.

 

Book Review - How to American: An Immigrant's Guide to Disappointing Your Parents by Jimmy O. Yang

 

How to American: An Immigrant's Guide to Disappointing Your Parents by Jimmy O. Yang is a memoir from a stand up comic and actor about his journey into show business. Jimmy and his family emigrated from Hong Kong to Los Angeles when he was 13. He didn’t know nor understand American culture. He learned English by watching BET and trying to emulate others around him.

His parents wanted him to pursue a prestigious career such as a doctor, lawyer, or working in finance.  Instead, Jimmy went against his parents’ wishes and decided to pursue a career in stand up comedy. He realized that it was better to disappoint his family than spend his entire life in regret for not choosing a career that he loved.

Jimmy narrates his journey from leaving a career path that his parents wanted to his dream job. The path wasn’t as straightforward and prosperous as he hoped. Even though he had a few standup gigs, he still wasn’t able to afford rent. Jimmy even took a job as a strip club DJ in hopes of making rent.

I am familiar with Jimmy O. Yang and saw a few episodes of the HBO series “Silicon Valley” in which he appeared. He was funny in the show and his humor shines through in his memoir, including the photos with funny captions. It was interesting to learn about his journey and family but there were a few things that I was surprised to learn, like him working as a strip club DJ.

While the book was a funny read, it was light on some details. He mentions that he had a brother and his mother went back to Hong Kong to pursue her own dreams but they rarely made an appearance meanwhile he did get repetitive with a few of stories. I was surprised that when he goes into detail about some of his life, he didn’t provide any insights or introspect.  It was surprising that Jimmy expected to hit it big without having prior acting experience or training. I don’t have any experience in the field but it seems like a cutthroat business and not surprising when he wasn’t booking anything if he didn’t have the experience/training.

I felt that the ending was disappointing, it was basically how he started the book. I wish there was something more to explain about his future plans or goals. I am a little confused by the title, was this supposed to be a self-help book or a guide for immigrant kids or immigrant parents? Or perhaps, was it a tale to prove that sometimes going against your parents’ wishes, one can still end up successful? If you are a fan of Jimmy, then you might enjoy the book as it’s filled with his adventures and it’s a quick read.

Book Review - Tough Titties: On Living Your Best Life When You're the F-ing Worst by Laura Belgray

 

 

Tough Titties: On Living Your Best Life When You're the F-ing Worst by Laura Belgray is part memoir and part self help book written by an award winning TV writer. Laura relates engaging laugh out loud stories about her childhood and adult years as she tries to navigate her life and find a career she enjoys.

Laura talks about being bullied in 6th grade and then “hate-following” her bully years later on social media. She mentions being self conscious of her body and then questioning her self worth when no boys wanted to kiss her during parties. She struggled with finding friends and fitting in with the popular kids. She didn’t have much of a social life or went out as much as her classmates when she was growing up.

Things didn’t really change for Laura after she graduated from college. She still had no idea what she wanted to do and she seemed to be moving through life listlessly. She moved back home to stay with her parents and she spends her days sleeping in while her nights are reserved for spending time at bars. She hoped to become a bartender but was having a hard time finding a bar that would give her a chance to try out her bartending skills.

 

She dabbled in unhealthy relationships including a relationship with a married man who bought her no joy but she still found herself obsessed with him. Laura measured her self worth by how many hookups she had with bartenders and other people. She figured if people are willing to sleep with her that she must have been worthy of something. While it wasn’t the best way to spend her time, she admits that she was able to make connections and gain opportunities that she wouldn’t have otherwise.

 

After a failed stint as a bartender, Laura decided to become an intern at a magazine. She was one of the worst interns there but she succeeded in building industry connections. She did discover that she did like certain parts of her job and that helped serve as a guide for her career path. Laura mentions that when she was let go from the job, she was late to the discovery of the Internet but ended up finding a profitable niche that she was able to build a successful business out of.

 

The book was a very relatable and laugh out loud read. The book did offer some advice but it wasn’t on the nose or trying to change a habit. Instead, Laura talked about her life and choices and then explained how things worked out for the better (sometimes). I feel like the book shows readers that it’s okay to make mistakes and learn as you go because sometimes that can lead to connections that would help you later in life.

 

I like that the book encourages readers to be weird and take their time in learning and finding themselves. Sometimes, we are made to feel insufficient or we could be doing more with our lives. And that if we are not on some Forbes list, that we are failures or not good enough. I feel that when Laura was describing her experiences it was encouraging to see that success is not always a straight path. I enjoyed reading about the author’s struggles and her triumphs as it was written in an engaging way.

 

Book Review - Woman No. 17 by Edan Lepucki

Photo Credit - Amazon

When Lady Daniels' marriage is on the rocks, she decided to take a break from her husband. However, she needs someone to watch over her youngest son, Devin while she is working on her memoir about her relationship with her older son, Seth. Lady decides to take an ad out for assistance, when S arrives to help out. S is works like Mary Poppins for the Devin and becoming a confidante and trusted friend for Lady. However, everything is not what it looks like and the friendship becomes sour when secrets unfold. What secrets is "S" keeping? What is S's relationship with Seth? Will Lady be able to figure out her life?

An interesting read that kept me in suspense the entire time even though the secrets ended up being very predictable. The story is more of a cozy read as nothing exciting or titillating every happens.  I would be open to read other works by the author.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion** 

Book Review - Street God by Dimas Salaberrios

Photo Source - Amazon

In the streets of New York, Dimas "Daylight" Salaberrios was trying to make his mark in drug world. He wanted to be a street god and run his own crew while having power and money. When he was the tender age of 11, he started taking pills then started selling drugs to fellow classmates. By 15,  he was facing time at Rikers Island for his involvement in the drug business. During one faithful moment, Dimas starts to question his life's path. Did he really want to continue on his current life path or was he needed for bigger things in life?

To be completely honest, I have gotten to page 252 before I couldn't continue reading this book anymore. This is probably the first book I ever stopped reading because I realized it wasn't worth my time anymore. It took me almost 6 months of painfully trying to finish reading the book. The first half of the book was enticing, especially the parts where he spoke about my old neighborhood and the struggles we faced. I was glad he was able to get out from the drug business and make a better life for him and his family as everyone needs a bit of guidance when they are in a tough spot. However, I felt like he was bragging that God was always looking out for him  ---  it seems every single tough situation he had faith and things worked out "perfectly" for him.  It seems like he was bragging and saying "God loves me, I am his favorite, everything works out, just pray and it will all be well". I have faith and so do many other people in the world, yet bad things happen (even after praying and begging to God) -- we might temporarily lose our faith but we get stronger and then realize with time our wounds heal and we made stronger (and we regain our faith).  I am sure other people can relate and enjoy this book but unfortunately, I didn't find this book appealing.

**Disclosure - I received a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion**

Book Review - "Anne of Green Gables," My Daughter, and Me: What My Favorite Book Taught Me about Grace, Belonging, and the Orphan in Us All by Lorilee Craker

The memoir spins the author's favorite and her life and her adopted daughter's life in a way where they are all interconnected with the common thread all of them being orphans and wanting a place to belong. I should mention I have not read "Anne of Green Gables" and should have because the book didn't make much sense to me or was very entertaining to read at certain points. At times, the book seemed a bit of  a rant other times it seems like a bit of response and feelings towards the book. It does have a heartwarming tale of how being an orphan one deals with abandonment, not having a place to "belong",  and looking for your "real" parents. A good read for any "Anne of Green Gables" fan everyone else, just skip it.

**I was provided a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion**

Book Review - Choose Your Own Autobiography by Neil Patrick Harris

Photo Credit - Random House

A fresh breath of air from the typical type of memoirs that usually on bookshelves. The highly entertaining book reads more like a witty  choose your own adventure than a memoir. It is creatively written so you get to live his life while learning things about him. The memoir is packed with funny and provocative bits of NPH's life, along with celebrity notes to him, recipes, magic tricks, cute illustrations, and even personal photos.  

In the beginning, NPH note you can either find fame, fortune and love if you choose correctly or end up miserable. So far, I have ended up with three endings (be sure to keep track of the pages you came from so it easier to backtrack from the ending). Each more depressing and funnier than the last. A delightful read and made me actually look forward to my morning commute.  A must read for any NPH fan.

Disclosure - I received a copy of this book for my honest opinion.

Book Review - 'Til We Meet Again A Memoir of Love and War by Ray and Betty Whipps

Photo Credit - Amazon

Not to be confused for the 1940 melodramatic black and white film, the book is a memoir of two Christian soldiers falling in love during a time of war (Reminds me a bit of Love in a Time of Cholera). Ray and Betty serve as an infantryman and a field nurse (respectively) during WWII.  The duo meet when Ray is injured in a mortar blast and bond over their shared faith and views towards the war. After being healed in Betty's hospital, Ray is sent back into the field and is immediately captured by German troops. The thought of God and Betty is only thing that kept him alive during his brutal time in the POW camp.

The story is told  by Ray's perspective and Betty's letters to Ray and family. It was an interesting way to tell the story but I would have prefer to have read a bit more from Betty. Roughly two-thirds of the book, Ray talks and describes what happens to him during the war before he meets Betty. While the book is billed as a love story during the war, I wish their romance had a more central part in the book.  It was an interesting read to read about what motivated Ray and Betty during the war, having faith and reading a first hand description of war. Although, I found some parts of the boring and lackluster but the ending was great.

Disclaimer -  I received a free copy of the book for my honest opinion.