Review: Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson

Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir
Publication: 09/22/2015 by Flatiron Books
Pages: 329 Pages
Format: Overdrive Audiobook
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Goodreads Summary
According to Jenny: "Some people might think that being 'furiously happy' is just an excuse to be stupid and irresponsible and invite a herd of kangaroos over to your house without telling your husband first because you suspect he would say no since he's never particularly liked kangaroos. And that would be ridiculous because no one would invite a herd of kangaroos into their house. Two is the limit. I speak from personal experience. My husband says that none is the new limit. I say he should have been clearer about that before I rented all those kangaroos."

"Most of my favorite people are dangerously fucked-up but you'd never guess because we've learned to bare it so honestly that it becomes the new normal. Like John Hughes wrote in The Breakfast Club, 'We're all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it.' Except go back and cross out the word 'hiding.'"

My Thoughts
This book is absolutely hilarious and for me it was incredibly relatable. I have anxiety and I couldn't help but laugh at Jenny's insights. I feel like I fit into her family of weridos who live on the internet. This book is written in essay format, which is common in memoirs. I do really like this format, it gives you really interesting insights into people without necessarily knowing their whole life story. 

I also highly recommend the audiobook. Jenny Lawson tells her stories with such humour. I always try to listen to memoirs on audiobook, I love to hear the actual writer tell their own story. I know a lot of people are thinking "How can a book about mental illness be funny?", but it is. I am someone who looks for the humour in life, so I appreciate someone who can as well. 

This book isn't just funny, it has a lot of heart too. I touches on some of the hardest and darkest parts of mental illness. It's nice to be reminded you are not alone in this. I highly recommend this book! It's everything I needed in a book. All the thumbs up. 

Review: Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling

Genre: Memoir
Publication: 09/15/2015 by Crown Archetype
Pages: 228 Pages
Source: Overdrive Audiobook
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Goodreads Summary:
n Why Not Me?, Kaling shares her ongoing journey to find contentment and excitement in her adult life, whether it’s falling in love at work, seeking new friendships in lonely places, attempting to be the first person in history to lose weight without any behavior modification whatsoever, or most important, believing that you have a place in Hollywood when you’re constantly reminded that no one looks like you.

In “How to Look Spectacular: A Starlet’s Confessions,” Kaling gives her tongue-in-cheek secrets for surefire on-camera beauty, (“Your natural hair color may be appropriate for your skin tone, but this isn’t the land of appropriate–this is Hollywood, baby. Out here, a dark-skinned woman’s traditional hair color is honey blonde.”) “Player” tells the story of Kaling being seduced and dumped by a female friend in L.A. (“I had been replaced by a younger model. And now they had matching bangs.”) In “Unlikely Leading Lady,” she muses on America’s fixation with the weight of actresses, (“Most women we see onscreen are either so thin that they’re walking clavicles or so huge that their only scenes involve them breaking furniture.”) And in “Soup Snakes,” Kaling spills some secrets on her relationship with her ex-boyfriend and close friend, B.J. Novak (“I will freely admit: my relationship with B.J. Novak is weird as hell.”)

Mindy turns the anxieties, the glamour, and the celebrations of her second coming-of-age into a laugh-out-loud funny collection of essays that anyone who’s ever been at a turning point in their life or career can relate to. And those who’ve never been at a turning point can skip to the parts where she talks about meeting Bradley Cooper.

My Thoughts: 
I love Mindy Kaling and her books are always really fun to listen to. I always listen to her books on audiobook because hearing her stories in her voice makes the reading experience 100 times better. I really connect with Mindy and I love her outlook on the world. She freely admits she isn't perfect which is something that's awesome for other girls to see. Just because you are on TV doesn't make you perfect by any means and Mindy definitely tells it like it is. 

One thing about this book is that it is very similar to her first book "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?". They could easily have been the same book and I wouldn't have known the difference. However, I don't mind listening to more Mindy. The stories in this book are very typical of a comedy writers book. It's similar to Amy Poehler's and Tina Fey's, which is probably because they are all female comedy writers/actors. 

Why Not Me? is certainly a funny book and if your a Mindy Kaling fan, I suggest you check this one out. I really enjoyed listening to it and found myself giggling in public again. 2 thumbs up. 

Review: Brian on Fire - My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan

Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir
Publication: 11/13/2012 by Free Press
Pages: 261 Pages
Source: Library Audiobook
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon

Goodreads Summary: 
A gripping memoir and medical suspense story about a young New York Post reporter’s struggle with a rare and terrifying disease, opening a new window into the fascinating world of brain science.

One day, Susannah Cahalan woke up in a strange hospital room, strapped to her bed, under guard, and unable to move or speak. Her medical records—from a month-long hospital stay of which she had no memory—showed psychosis, violence, and dangerous instability. Yet, only weeks earlier she had been a healthy, ambitious twenty-four year old, six months into her first serious relationship and a sparkling career as a cub reporter. 

Susannah’s astonishing memoir chronicles the swift path of her illness and the lucky, last-minute intervention led by one of the few doctors capable of saving her life. As weeks ticked by and Susannah moved inexplicably from violence to catatonia, $1 million worth of blood tests and brain scans revealed nothing. The exhausted doctors were ready to commit her to the psychiatric ward, in effect condemning her to a lifetime of institutions, or death, until Dr. Souhel Najjar—nicknamed Dr. House—joined her team. He asked Susannah to draw one simple sketch, which became key to diagnosing her with a newly discovered autoimmune disease in which her body was attacking her brain, an illness now thought to be the cause of “demonic possessions” throughout history. 

With sharp reporting drawn from hospital records, scientific research, and interviews with doctors and family, Brain on Fire is a crackling mystery and an unflinching, gripping personal story that marks the debut of an extraordinary writer.

My Thoughts:
I have had this book on my Goodreads TBR list for years. I am a Biology and Psychology student so this book was right up my alley. It's a story that really makes you think about your health and how to approach it. Not every medical case is cut and dry so it's interesting to see the approach they took with Susannah. It really makes you want to take your health into your own hands and not take the first possible diagnosis as truth. Sometimes you need a second opinion and sometimes you need to explore other options. 

Susannah's story is scary. It's so easy to put yourself in her shoes and think "what if this happened to me?". Luckily for her, she had a good support and eventually a doctor who would give her personalized care to determine her diagnosis. I found this story to be very well written and it felt like you were reading a fictional novel instead of a memoir. If you are into medical mysteries or mental illness, I suggest you check this one out. It's a very accessible nonfiction and I think everyone could take something away from it.

Review: Paddle Your Own Canoe - Nick Offerman

Genre: Memoire, Humour, Nonfiction
Publication: 10/01/2013 by Dutton
Pages: 340 Pages
Source: Overdrive Audiobook
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Goodreads Summary:
Growing a perfect moustache, grilling red meat, wooing a woman—who better to deliver this tutelage than the always charming, always manly Nick Offerman, best known as Parks and Recreation’s Ron Swanson?  Combining his trademark comic voice and very real expertise in woodworking—he runs his own woodshop—Paddle Your Own Canoe features tales from Offerman’s childhood in small-town Minooka, Illinois—“I grew up literally in the middle of a cornfield”—to his theater days in Chicago, beginnings as a carpenter/actor and the hilarious and magnificent seduction of his now-wife Megan Mullally.   It also offers hard-bitten battle strategies in the arenas of manliness, love, style, religion, woodworking, and outdoor recreation, among many other savory entrees.

A mix of amusing anecdotes, opinionated lessons and rants, sprinkled with offbeat gaiety, Paddle Your Own Canoe will not only tickle readers pink but may also rouse them to put down their smart phones, study a few sycamore leaves, and maybe even hand craft (and paddle) their own canoes.

My Thoughts:
Why haven't I read this book sooner! Nick Offerman is such an amazing human, because he is a real ass human. He doesn't pretend to be anybody but himself and isn't scared to tell you his opinions or life events. I found a lot of what he talked about in the book to be super relatable. 

I honestly have a weird crush on Nick now. He's such a romantic human it's kind of hard not too. He talks about love a lot on this book and I really love, love. I love when people are in love, when they are falling in love and when they do adorable things together. Nick and Megan are too cute together. The part where they travel to Paris made me giggle like a crazy person. Me and My Boyfriend went on a similar trip to Paris & London which made it even better. 

The main reason I listened to this book on audiobook is because I love Parks and Rec. Nick Offerman plays Ron Swanson. There are a lot of parallels to Nick and Ron but Nick isn't Ron. I love hearing about the behind the scenes at Parks and Rec and I openly laughed in public while listening. If you are planning to read this book I highly recommend the audiobook. Nick reads it himself which is the best way to hear anyones memoirs. You also get to hear his hilariously amazing giggle which is awesome.

Conclusion: I am a Nick Offerman fan, so clearly this was always going to be well rated. I recommend to anyone who enjoyed Parks and Rec or just some hilarious mussing about the world.

Review: Still Foolin' Em by Billy Crystal

Genre: Memoir, Humour
Publication: 10/09/10 by Henry Holt and Co.
Pages: 288 pages
Source: Library Audiobook
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Goodreads | Amazon | Indigo

Goodreads Summary:
Billy Crystal is turning 65, and he's not happy about it. With his trademark wit and heart, he outlines the absurdities and challenges that come with growing old, from insomnia to memory loss to leaving dinners with half your meal on your shirt. In humorous chapters like "Buying the Plot" and "Nodding Off," Crystal not only catalogues his physical gripes, but offers a road map to his 77 million fellow baby boomers who are arriving at this milestone age with him. He also looks back at the most powerful and memorable moments of his long and storied life, from entertaining his relatives as a kid in Long Beach, Long Island, his years doing stand-up in the Village, up through his legendary stint at "Saturday Night Live," "When Harry Met Sally," and his long run as host of the Academy Awards. Readers get a front-row seat to his one-day career with the New York Yankees (he was the first player to ever "test positive for Maalox"), his love affair with Sophia Loren, and his enduring friendships with several of his idols, including Mickey Mantle and Muhammad Ali. He lends a light touch to more serious topics like religion ("the aging friends I know have turned to the Holy Trinity: Advil, bourbon, and Prozac"), grandparenting, and, of course, dentistry. As wise and poignant as they are funny, Crystal's reflections are an unforgettable look at an extraordinary life well lived.

My Thoughts: 
I love Billy Crystal. When Harry Met Sally is my all time favourite movie ever so I had to pick up him memoir. I listened to this one on audiobook, which is awesome because Billy Crystal narrates the story which is my absolute favourite way to listen to memoirs. I love hearing the author actually read their story, I feel like you get a fuller picture. 

This book is set up in essay format like a lot of memoirs. Billy talks about different life experiences and gives you some of his life insights. This books was hilarious when it wanted to be and it was endearing when it wanted to be as well. I even teared up a little during certain spots. The only thing about this book that didn't entertain me as much was the parts about Billy being old. Don't get me wrong, they were still funny parts but I'm 22 and at this point in my life I can't really relate. 

My favourite parts of this memoir was the behind the scene stories about The Princess Bride and When Harry Met Sally. The book pretty much started off with a Princess Bride quote so I was so excited. I love hearing about how these got made and how things came together behind the scenes which is awesome for any serious movie fan.

 Conclusions: If you love Billy Crystal, check this out. Billy is funny and this is an interesting memoir. If you have the opportunity, pick up the audiobook. Have fun storming the castle!