Review: Honey, Baby, Mine: A Mother and Daughter Talk Life, Death, Love by Laura Dern

Honey, Baby, Mine: A Mother and Daughter Talk Life, Death, Love by Laura Dern
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a fun read. Maybe a little too loud. Okay, they weren’t too loud. I giggled too loud on occasion. Laura Dern and her mother, Diane Ladd, share their relationship with us. That includes love and joy and a squabble once in a while. I think that made this memoir special. And to feel like Diane was trying to get healthy and Laura was trying to save her mother’s life. In the meanwhile, we, the listener/reader, get brought into this beautiful relationship. They share their struggles of the past while dealing with the health issues of the moment. I think mothers and daughters everywhere can relate and learn from these two and their walks.

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Review: In Pieces by Sally Field

In Pieces by Sally Field
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have always loved Sally Field. I was quite young when she did the Gidget and the Flying Nun. I always wished I could fly. I was much older when Sibil came out. I read the book and loved how Ms. Field acted the part. But aside from the roles she played, I felt her a person I would like to get to know. I know there was more to her than the girlie comic of Gidget and the Nun. Much later, Norma Rae and Steel Magnolias proved it.

But what of her person? How did she feel? Sally read her autobiography so you could feel her pain or joys.

I highly recommend this in audio form. I was lucky to find it on Libby. Oh, and have Kleenex for the ending. At three in the morning, as I finished, I was a sloppy mess!

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Review: Ali in Wonderland by Ali Wentworth

Ali in Wonderland by Ali Wentworth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Humor makes the reading difference. I had just read Mean Baby by Selma Blair when I picked this up from Libby. Both were read by the authors. Both covered many of the same types of life situations. But I have to admit I could handle this far easier. I think because Ali had found the humor in the situation, it made it easier not to get triggered by the author’s circumstances. That is not to say one is better than the other—just my ability to handle the essays.

The other reason I think this went down more effortless for me was that I felt more familiar with Ali Wentworth. I like watching her on the talk shows and even listening to her podcasts. So I encourage others to read both books. Just know as you enter that this is humorous, even some laugh-out-loud moments. That could be a bad thing if you aren’t in the mood to laugh. 🙂

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Review: Mean Baby: A Memoir of Growing Up by Selma Blair

Mean Baby: A Memoir of Growing Up by Selma Blair
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Many reviews about this book are high, some are low ratings. It’s her life. I don’t think it is up to me to judge it. Her life is far different than mine. Yet, I found a deep dive into another life, another memoir gave me insight into writing my own.

Until I saw Selma Blair on the View, I think it was, I had only heard the name and couldn’t put a face with the name. Not too uncommon for me with anyone. Her movies weren’t my type of movie. But I have known friends and loved ones that had MS. It is such a horrifying disease. I was curious to see how this person handled it.

If you like autobiographies, memoirs, this is for you. If you don’t, you might move forward to another read. Ms. Blair gets personal and honest about many aspects of her life. I found the writing well done. And her voice is actively involved; honest tears are felt when she reads the parts most vulnerable.

Since her life always included pain and depression, it is spelled out quite often. If that is triggering for you, this might not be the read for you. It does help to see how someone else worked through her own darkness. I think it was worth the read.

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Finishing Friday

Finished the right third and top of middle third.

I took this when closing down yesterday. This was before I started on the middle. It is soothing, and cooling to work on this one.

This pair of slipper socks will be finished this weekend.

Toes done on this pair. It’ll take some time before they are done. They are bigger and finer-gauged.

On the writing front, I’ve entered a few more of my books into yWriter. I even worked on the memoir a bit. Now that I’ve moved into the new laptop I’m having a bit more time to get creative again.

It may seem I’ve been reading a lot. The fact is, when the electronics were down, I got behind in reviews and writing. Now I’m finally catching up.

Been busy. How was your week?

Ali’s Well That Ends Well: Tales of Desperation and a Little Inspiration by Ali Wentworth

Ali’s Well That Ends Well: Tales of Desperation and a Little Inspiration by Ali Wentworth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Even COVID19 has nothing on the humor of this fine lady.

I have enjoyed Ali Wentworth on Kelly and Ryan’s show as she is on there as a co-host or guest often. She speaks her truth humorously and always makes me feel we could be friends. I like her take on everything. When she mentioned she’d written a book, I found and put it on hold on Libby.

Even though it was her experience with the virus and her family’s, as scary as that can be for some of us, Ms. Wentworth found the lighter side and shared it with us.

I enjoyed this so much that I have already picked up another of her books on Libby and have her podcast lined up on Audible.

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Review: Worn Stories by Emily Spivack

Worn Stories by Emily Spivack
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

After watching the Worn Stories on Netflix, I decided to look this up. I found it on Libby as a Kindle version.

I wish I had found it as an Audible version or paper copy. Text-to-Speech doesn’t stop for pictures. I didn’t feel like stopping the stories just to look at the pictures of old clothes that held no meaning for me. It works better as a show as you see the person talking and their story with their memory clothing. The Kindle version makes it a dry story with no personality.

AND I’m not too fond of short stories. Ever. I wanted a lot more depth. I could deal with each story being a book unto itself.

Don’t we all have those favorite bits of clothes that bring us memories and comfort? I sure do.

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Is It Really Thursday

This day has pretended to be anything but Thursday. Thank goodness my brother knew it was the trash is ready for tomorrow.

Meanwhile, I’ve been in password hell. My laptop went belly up. A new cell and Fire should help until we can get a new laptop. But every little thing needs a sign-in and new passwords. Maybe others do okay with all of that, but ADD/dyslexia of 2022 with all the two-step verification makes me wish for the simplicity of 1998.

I haven’t talked about the binges lately.

My friend and I between her two visits here and mine to her home, have enjoyed a couple shows. We really got sucked into The Umbrella Academy. I kind of hope there will be more, yet it doesn’t leave you on a cliff.

Stranger Things is on the edge of your seat exciting.

To calm down I’ve resorted to Bridgerton.

It’s kind of a nice change and you can’t take it seriously.

Ah, but as I’m busy with password hell or writing (I have gotten a little done but have no idea how much. I’m not working in yWriter so accurate word count, etc. can’t happen.) It’s back to old trusted noise of Outlander, Jurassic Park, The Walking Dead, etc. I figure I’ve shared them often enough. I can’t wait to get back to the history of  Doctor Who on Amazon. By the way, the others are on Netflix.

I think I’ll get back to my writing and TWD. I’m two weeks behind! Yikes! I’m filling in with trip memories. I’ll put them in the right journal later. I just need to write.

Review: Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner by Judy Melinek

Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner by Judy Melinek
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

First of all, don’t read this book before going to sleep. Or you won’t, especially from the part about 9/11 on. Still, it is such an engaging read. And the narrator, Tanya Eby, made the book lively, even though much of it is about death.

If Grey’s Anatomy has taught me anything about the life of a potential surgeon, it is the lack of sleep and how dangerous that lack can be for the doctor and the patient. It is that lack of sleep and trying to be a young mother that the author, Judy Melinek, realized she needed a different path, even though this path was nearly finished for the author. But all that training did lead her to be a Medical Examiner in New York.

We Americans hide from sex and death. We can talk of taxes until the cows come home. But of the two topics, death seems the least discussed. And that is too bad. We need to know about that part of life for ourselves and our loved ones.

If you are a writer, this book can be quite the reference. I can see many ways the book can be used to write a mystery or lend credence to a fatality in the novel.

I highly recommend this book, especially in audio form. I was lucky to pick it up from the library on Libby.

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Review: Midnight in Washington: How We Almost Lost Our Democracy and Still Could by Adam Schiff

Midnight in Washington: How We Almost Lost Our Democracy and Still Could by Adam Schiff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Midnight in Washington was not a good book to read before going to sleep. It was a Libby (library) audio in the author’s voice, so I wanted to neither keep myself awake on reliving the horror of January 6th or miss parts of the story by falling asleep as the recording continued. So I settled on listening while busy with my hobbies, keeping my hands busy but my mind engaged in the reading.

I saw the author, Adam Schiff, on several talk shows and knew I wanted to hear his account of what had happened. I was surprised and pleased to see he included an autobiography. Meaning you were seeing what happened from his point of view.

I felt the book was honest and fair to others as it occurred to the author.

It is interesting having read this before the hearings we are listening to today. I feel more engaged and understand more. I highly recommend this book, especially in Adam Schiff’s calming voice.

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