This book came highly recommended by a psychologist friend of mine. While it is fiction, it gives a very realistic look into the lives of a family affected by autism. Told in the first person, you get an intimate view of how autism feels. Livvie Owen is 14, and she has two sisters, one older, one younger, and a mom & dad. They’ve moved multiple times, a result of both life circumstances–they live in a dying small town–and Livvie’s disruptive behavior, which landlords find hard […]
The good old days: Quite overrated, actually
I began this book in October, and it seemed a bit of a slog, and I’m not sure why. I love Bryson’s signature style of history enlivened with juicy tidbits of whimsy. The people involved are interesting. The stories are compelling. The year, 1927, was the year my mother was born, adding an extra element of interest for me. Maybe it was just that there were too many stories, too much to keep track of, for someone reading it piece-meal. 1927 was a busy, busy […]
Up in the Air
A Cannonball reviewer recently commended an author for keeping himself (herself?) out of their nonfiction story, and letting the work speak for itself. I believe Mark Schreiber could take a note. Dreams of the Solo Trapeze purports to be a backstage tour of Cirque de Soleil.
That’s More Like It, Mary!
I have no idea why the author & book information was left out; it is there in the draft. Anyway, the book is Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal by Mary Roach. This is the purchase link: http://www.amazon.com/Gulp-Adventures-Alimentary-Mary-Roach/dp/0393081575. Ah, this is what a Mary Roach book should be.
Anotterchaos #2: Dollars to Duchesses
Supposedly the book that inspired Julian Fellowes to create the character of Cora, Countess of Grantham, this book explores the late 19th/early 20th century phenomenon of American women taking their fortunes to England to husband-hunt. An interesting, if not riveting, read.
Anotterchaos #1: My Planet
Oh, Mary. I love Mary Roach’s books. She is smart, funny, and asks the questions we all want to know (sex in space: possible?). So when I saw a compilation of her essays, it seemed like the perfect thing to get my squirrel brain refocused for reading in the new year. I shoulda read the fine print. Compilation of essays for Readers’ Digest. And clearly tailored for them. The essays are generic and amusing. A combination of Erma Bombeck, Seinfeld, and Andy Rooney. (Almost wrote […]