Broken by Jenny Lawson

5 stars Nonfiction

Jenny is real. Jenny’s books remind me that I need to enjoy life, no matter what comes my way. Everyone faces issues in their life and I like Jenny’s approach to the obstacles that she faces in her own life. When I read Broken, there were many times that Jenny had me laughing out-loud or snickering, as I couldn’t believe how candid she was. Yet, there were times where she got serious in her conversations and she got me thinking, seriously thinking. Yes, life should be like this…… I follow Jenny on social media and I’ve read one of her previous books and her use of humor in dealing with her illness is shown again in this book. As I read Broken, I felt empowered. We all can and should apply Jenny’s approach to our own lives.

Jenny talks openly about her mental health issues and I appreciated her upfront approach and her honest opinions and emotions. Discussing depression and anxiety, she lets her readers know that we all have our own issues and that we all take our own unique path in life. I liked how Jenny described this in her book. For it’s all in how you look at it. You’re here at this specific spot, this right spot at the right second, for a purpose. It’s all about your perspective: literally and figuratively.

“It’s not the same path that everyone else takes, and that can be hard and lonely, but I was reminded that there are amazing things that I would never see with normal eyes and other paths.”

I liked that Jenny was not afraid to be open. Jenny was sincere and truthful with her readers. She’ll say what many individuals are thinking but they’re too afraid to say it out loud. She’s real and she’ll definitely make you feel accepted and normal. I really enjoyed this book.

I had the pleasure of meeting Jenny at a book reading a few years back and I was thrilled. I can tell you; she was as personable and friendly, as she is in her books. A calming atmosphere filled the room as she spoke, it was as if, a good friend had stopped by to chat. I read Broken poolside at a resort, this year on vacation. I had many people look at me as I laughed away the morning, so I’d just hold up the book and smile at them. Sitting next to my husband, I’d have to stop reading many times so I could read him parts of the book. Her stories were things I could relate it and some were so funny, I just had to share. I know I will be revisiting this book in the future. I want to thank Goodreads, Jenny Lawson, and Henry Holt for my copy of this book as I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. This review is my own personal opinion of the book

I’d Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogel

4 stars Nonfiction

This was a quick read and I found that I could relate to many of the topics that the author covered. I’m an individual who loves to read and I can get wrapped up inside a good novel, like I can a good blanket so when Anne discussed how getting hooked inside a good book and how a book seems to just fall into your lap when you need it, I knew exactly what she was talking about. Anne doesn’t try to navigate her way into your bookshelf nor into your reading world, Anne explains her own world and if you look closely enough, you just find might find some similarities with her world.

Anne has her own pile of TBR books but somehow that “perfect” book lands in her lap just when she needs it. When I read this part of the book, I took a few minutes to think how many times that has happened in my own life. How many times I needed an escape and the perfect book was there? How many times I needed a good laugh and the book I was reading provided that? This past month, I read We Spread by Iain Reid. I won this book on Goodreads but I can’t tell you what made me immediately pick it up and start reading it. I have so many other books that I needed my attention first but let me tell you, I needed that book! In We Spread, the main character started to have some issues which were also starting to occur with someone in my own family. I couldn’t believe how similar this felt. To have won this book, received it, and immediately feel the need to read it – this book fell right into my lap.

This was a comfortable book, one that reminds me why I like reading so much. 4 stars.

Dancing at the Pity Party by Tyler Feder

I didn’t know what to expect going into this graphic novel but the cover and the title grabbed me at the library. This was one of those fantastic finds, that touched my soul and left a deep impression within. Being both a sad and humorous memoir, the story is one that I feel most individuals will be able to relate to, in some respect, as Tyler is as real as it gets.

At the age of 19, Tyler’s mom dies from cancer. When her mother discovers that she’d been misdiagnosed, there were signs of hope but then…. It was now, less than a year since Tyler heard the dreadful news and now……. Tyler’s dad and her two younger siblings had each other but Tyler ………… Tyler had just started college; she was feeling isolated and ……. Tyler needed a shoulder, someone to listen to her, a ……… This book is about loss, it’s about the struggle an individual faces when dealing with the loss of a loved one. Tyler voice is honest as she combines humor and affection in this story of survival after the death of her mother.

Tyler’s spoke from the heart and her honesty was appreciated and respected as she says what so many individuals feel but are hesitate to speak out about. As Tyler shares some Jewish traditions, I enjoyed reading about them and her perspective on them. I honestly liked the idea of the Shiva. What a wonderful, 7-day tradition that brings the whole family together celebrating the life of the individual who has passed away. I really enjoyed this book and it does a fantastic job talking about grieving process yet I thought the book wasn’t heavy or depressing. 5 stars

Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation by Ari Folman

I remember reading the original version of this story many years ago in school so I’m somewhat familiar with the storyline. It’s a daunting, sad story but one that I feel is important for its historical value and the impression that it leaves behind. When I saw this graphic novel adaptation, I was excited to see exactly what they had done with it.

Graphic novels…….graphic novel adaptations…… this world is just exploding! As a former substitute teacher, I’m all for graphic novels. Whatever you can do to get someone reading, I’m all for it! In one of my classes for my education degree, we had to read a variety of children’s books and discuss them. I remember one hot discussion was about graphic novels and whether they were actually “reading.” I definitely think they are “reading” now but at the time, the selection in graphic novels was fairly limited, so some individuals thought “reading” comic books wasn’t reading. So, I wonder what they’d think now, with all the different titles available. Perhaps they’d see that graphic novels are reading; they have a lot of different subject matter now. I think of the example: Margie wants to read the graphic novel of a book that was assigned. She reads the graphic novel, understands it and whether or not, she likes the book, she read it and was able to follow it. Had you only offered Margie the fiction or nonfiction version of that book, Margie would’ve struggled to read it or she wouldn’t have read it at all, she would have failed. She wouldn’t have gained anything. Actually, she would’ve lost a bit of herself for she now knows that she doesn’t like that book and she can’t read it. It’s funny actually but this argument is still an issue today.

There are some good points and some difficult issues with this adaptation. Again, this is a sad, depressing story but I liked the flow of this story. The author did a great job showing the conflicts the characters face and how Anne’s emotions come into play. As an author, you can’t have too much doom and gloom yet most individuals know that this is part of this important story. This story also covers a lot of time and there was quite a bit of narrative in the picture boxes but I figured there would be to keep the timeline moving. There were times in which the author devoted a whole page to narrative language but it was creative and wasn’t overwhelming. I thought the illustrations were wonderfully done, with precise details and colors and they complimented the text wonderfully.

The story begins with a page devoted to a Cast of Characters, which is helpful. The characters are grouped and I liked that under their illustration, they had their name and who they were in the story. The story begins on June 12, 1942 when Anne is celebrating her 13^th birthday and she receives the important diary, Dear Kitty. In Dear Kitty, Anne writes down everything important to her: her thoughts and feelings and the events that occurring in her life. When Anne and her family are forced into hiding, they never imagined they would be hidden for years.

I think after reading this, I need to read the original story again as I feel that I don’t remember everything about this book. I remember the ending being abrupt in the original and again, the ending left me hanging. I do remember Anne growing as a character but I was surprised how forthright Anne becomes in this book. She’s almost too blunt and too brass for me. As Anne becomes a woman, her sexuality becomes important and she’s definitely frank and direct in this area also. I think the wake-up call for me was when Anne sat Peter down at a desk and she got out her pointer stick. Using her stick, Anne begins to explain to Peter the illustration on the wall. I don’t remember that from the original story and I even asked a few friends if they did. You’d think that as a teen, I’d remember something graphic like that. So, now I think I need to reread the original to see if my memory is correct or if I actually forgot part of this classic.

With other incidents pertaining to sexual content, I don’t feel this graphic novel is appropriate for younger readers. Overall, I thought the author did a great job and the illustrations were fantastic. This is one that you’ll definitely need to check into, if you get the chance. 4 stars

Cooking for Jeffrey by Ina Garten

I’ve always liked Barefoot Contessa recipes and this cookbook was one that missed my radar. After looking through the recipes, reading some of the articles and recipes, I’m glad that I picked it up from the library. It was interesting to read how Ina got into cooking and to know that this is her 10^th cookbook. I don’t think I have read all of them yet so I’ll need to check into that next. I liked her comment, “It doesn’t really matter what the occasion is – big or small – but it’s the connections that we have with people we love that nourish our souls. Entertaining isn’t just about making dinner parties. It’s about celebrating those connections and I think that’s what makes life worth living.”

In essence, I feel this cookbook is not for me. It recipes felt too fancy and/or the ingredients just didn’t hit my tastes. I found only a few recipes that I would actually make. The rest seemed to elaborate or had ingredients that I don’t care for. Dishes like Vanilla Rum Panna Cotta, Vanilla Cream Cheese Pound Cake, Lamb Stew with Spring Vegetables, Perfect Poached Lobster & Corn or Kasha Varnishkes with Wild Mushrooms are just a few of the recipes that were included in this book, that I realize I would never make. I will say though, that the pictures in the book look very appetizing. If I didn’t see and read the recipes, that are located on the opposite page of these pictures, I might be tempted just to try a sample of that dish.

This cookbook consists of 6 different categories: cocktails, soups, salads & lunch, dinner, vegetables & sides, bread & cheese, and finally dessert. The book begins with a thank you and an intro and wraps up with two different indexes, a list of Jeffrey’s all time favorite dinners (which could come from outside sources) and a resource page. All of her recipes have a picture attached to them and how many the recipe will serve. There is a short paragraph about the recipe before the ingredient list and the instructions are listed out in paragraph form. Ida does include some little suggestions and ideas on the margins of the recipes. There is no nutritional information provided.

I liked the layout of this book and the text fonts that were used. The book image inside and out is crisp and sharp and it doesn’t look cluttered. I wished there would have been more recipes that I liked though. 4 stars

The American Dream?: A Journey on Route 66 Discovering Dinosaur Statues, Muffler Men, and the Perfect Breakfast Burrito by Shing Yin Khor

I’m sure glad that I found this book as I enjoyed traveling with Shing and her dog as she made her journey traveling through parts of the United States and her road trip provided for me, some interesting history. Shing Yin Khor has lived in Los Angeles for ten years after having grown up in Malaysia. Although Shing is now an American citizen, Shing feels that she needs to see more of her new country to actually feel like an American and I thought this was an excellent idea. With some preformed images in her head of America, she now wants to experience America personally, she’s ready to step out of her “Los Angeles bubble” and experience a more historical look at America.

Beginning in California, Shing and her dog Bug, start traveling Route 66 to Illinois. What a fun and brave adventure! She gets lost, she talks about sleeping in her car, she meets up with a biker, she explores a variety of attractions and she meets such a wide variety of individuals. I liked how she provides the brief, interesting facts and commentaries about each of her stops, in the different states that she visits. Her remarks make me want to visit them. She does have her moments where she misses parts of being home but she knows that, she needs this journey. The water-colored illustrations provided just enough color to add to her journey, making this graphic novel an interesting and entertaining read. I read this book as part of the Read for a Better Tomorrow Winter Reading Program Jan 2022. 4 stars

Dr. Fauci: How a Boy from Brooklyn Became America’s Doctor by Kate Messner

The illustrations inside this book are what makes this book for me. I like everything about them from the color selection, to the details included in them, to how simple the designs really are. I also liked how the book addressed Covid-19. When I think of Anthony Fauci, I think of Covid-19, for he was the one who talked to me on the news about this pandemic and he seemed to know what was really happening. Many pages of this book addressed Anthony’s part in the Covid-19 crisis.

I thought this book was okay. I was hoping it would have a lot more personal or entertaining information about Anthony than it did. I thought the book contained a majority of general information about him. Information that seemed boring or trivial. I did find a few pieces of information that I thought, gave me an inside look at who Anthony really was.

The book mentions some of Anthony’s attributes that began when he was child which have helped him as an adult. Anthony loved playing basketball but he was short individual. Determined to play, Anthony found that his speed and his ability to communicate would be his way to contribute to this game. Anthony’s determination was also a huge asset. Having these qualities also helped Anthony survive in the tough neighborhood that he lived in.

The book in general, gives general information and walks the reader through how Anthony found his way working on some of the toughest diseases in our nation. It’s a book that shows children where it all began for Anthony and that anyone, can reach for the stars, if you keep reaching.

There is a lot of other pages full of added material, in the back of the book. There are some pages dedicated to “How Do Vaccines Work?” Are Vaccines Safe?’ “Dr. Faucis’ Five Tips for Future Scientists.” There’s also a timeline of some of Fauci’s milestones, a page of recommended reading, and a sources page. A few pages of black-n-white photos of Anthony with a short author’s notes and acknowledgements, rounds out this book. 3.5 stars

Every Minute is a Day: A Doctor, An Emergency Room and a City Under Seige by Robert Meyer MD

I know, I know, I know. People are tired of hearing about Covid but I really wanted to hear from someone different. Someone who actually worked on the front lines, in an area different than my own and I wanted to hear his own words about what he experienced and witnessed with his own eyes. I really enjoyed this book, in fact, the book exceeded my expectations. At first, I hesitated on reading it, afraid it might contain difficult medical jargon but the book was very down-to-earth.

This book centers on Montefiore Health System in Harlem which serves about 1.5 million people annually. With their staff including their medical students, their facilities including their modern equipment, they feel that there’s no better equipped hospital to serve Covid patients than their building. Within one month of receiving their first Covid patient, the hospital gets control of the situation but there’s no end in sight. They were able to manage the shortages that came with the demand of this illness while still providing what they could to their patients and staff. The hospital experienced highs along with the lows while they provided care for their patients, those highs amongst all the chaos and despair provided hope and strength for another day.

There were many references that I enjoyed in this book, remarks that stood out as I read them. The first one referred to how the hospital dealt with the crisis. This state of mind continues today as officials examine the booster vaccine. The doctors learned as they go. They learned about the illness from others, they learned from doing something different, and they learned from going outside-the-box. This illness is new, it’s something our society has not dealt with before. This is a new crisis- there are no set rules, there is no handout to follow, no set procedures in place. We are creating the handout and the rules as the days on the calendar move forward and unfortunately, as people get sick, die, and refused to believe that this illness really exists. The second comment that stuck with me was how the medical staff put everything on hold while they dealt with Covid. How will that effect our future? What will happen if we encounter another untreatable illness? I stop and think about the implications of this time? What has this done to us as a nation and to us around the world? Has this united us or tore us apart? According to a few surveys, our children’s education has suffered. That’s our future. How long will we continue to argue and battle what is “right?”

There was a wake-up moment in Harlem when other colleagues in other areas of the hospital started to offer their help. Months earlier they’ve been too scared to help but now, they see how things are not letting up and they feel the need to pitch in but how? They don’t have the training to work in the ER. The emergency doctors took them, they trained them on something/anything that they thought they could do, they needed another pair of hands, someone to provide some relief. These newly trained ER staff members thought they were scared before, well working on the front lines now, they’re realizing just how bad Covid really is.

I didn’t expect a happy story and I found myself crying a few times while I read this book, the emotional toil and the personal stories hit me. You never knew how things would turn out. An image that stayed with me as I read this book was the person lying in the hospital, just waiting, all alone. Imagine yourself lying there, alone, isolated, no TV or entertainment, all you hear is the constant beeping of the monitors all around you and the noises of the staff as they scramble to assist the others that are lying nearby. How do you feel? Sick, helpless, defeated, worried, deflated…..

It’s a crisis that’s hitting every continent and not everyone is able or willing to stop/control it. You need to be able to live your life, not just survive but live. We need to remember all of those who have died, what we have learned through these individuals, and we need to honor those who have helped us along the way.

It’s a great read and one that I highly recommend. I appreciate the two cousins getting together and sharing this story with us and although, I haven’t witnessed it firsthand, I have heard enough stories from friends and loved ones that I don’t want to nor do I need to, to understand how serious this crisis is. Emergency medicine is constantly changing and you have to remember that no one has all the answers yet. Stay well everyone. 5 stars

They Call Us Enemy by George Takei

This book is a true account of George Takei’s experience in internment camps during WWII. I read a lot of WWII books and it was shocking to read about these camps here in the U.S.

When Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese in 1941, the President signed a proclamation stating that every adult Japanese citizen in the United States was now an Alien Enemy. This meant that George’s father, after living 23 years in the U.S., was now an Alien Enemy and under strict rules. Speaking to Congress, the President declares War not long after that. California’s Attorney General decides that he’s going to start excluding Japanese individuals around certain areas. He begins to round them up and house them together. This made me angry as I read about his agenda, as there was no reason behind his actions, besides his own agenda. Many individuals were stripped of their own possessions and they were left with nothing. How was he able to do this? The restrictions became tighter and tighter as he pulled on their reigns.

As George’s family was moved around, the illustrations in this graphic novel did an excellent job portraying the author’s attitude at what was happening in his life. Just looking at the illustrations, you can sense how things are with the family as they try to adjust. Mother carried with her hope, as she made her way to the camps. Her forbidden item had to be heavy as she lugged it around but she was determined to bring it. She did, “not want to leave it behind” and she was also looking out for her children. I liked how his father stepped up and made the best of his situation at the camps also. His family was definitely a bright spot in the camp. I found this graphic novel very interesting and educational. It one that you should look into if you like this type of book. I appreciate George sharing his story with others.

How Sweet the Sound: The Story of Amazing Grace by Carole Boston Weatherford

This wasn’t what I thought this book would be like, but it’s a start. This song was a favorite of my grandmothers and it’s also one of my mother’s favorite songs, when I saw the cover, I knew I had to read it. I wondered what the song’s words came from and what they meant as it’s sang a lot at funerals and religious services.

The song began with John Newton aboard a slave ship. He’s a passenger as the ships being tossed about, during a stormy night. John hears the crew complaining as he worries about the ship going down with the storm. As the storm whips around him, John reflects back on his life.

John’s father was a sea captain and his mother stayed home and took care of him. She took him to church and John was a good Christian boy. When she died, John put on his sea legs and went with his father to the sea, where he got into trouble and he became a wild fellow. This was the time that he also met his wife, Mary.

The storm grabs John’s attention as the boat is being torn apart. Everyone fears the worse and hopes the best. The illustrations capture the fear that these individuals felt. Fortunately, they do eventually find land and John later retires. Once an individual who transported slaves, John now preaches to end slavery. I had a few questions about things that were happening here as it seemed rather choppy. John now writes the first lines to this famous song. Those lines travel across sea and land where other individuals sing them and add their own words to them until ……..we have a song. What? Yep! There are Author Notes at the back (which I highly recommend you read), Additional Reading and Info, and Amazing Grace (the song).

I feel that the illustrations captured the energy of this book. They were bold, colorful, and the individuals presented were nicely done. I was surprised at how much of the book was devoted to the life of John and how much of the book was devoted to the song, itself. Then, to find out that he only wrote the first lines to the song. That was a huge surprise to me! The Author’s Notes at the back of the book need to be read as I found them very informative. They helped answer some of my questions and put the book together for me. I also liked having all the verses of the song together in the back, with the nice illustration in the background, that was a nice touch. I was disappointed that not more was written about the rest of the song though.