Books – Page 83

Categories: Books

Book Review: I Don’t Have a Happy Place by Kim Korson

I Don’t Have a Happy Place by Kim Korson is a memoir, a collection of personal essays on Korson’s life, starting with childhood and continuing through adulthood. The essays are eclectic and you get a glimpse into Korson’s mind – the way she thinks, the way she reacts, the way she imagines. It’s funny, but there’s this underlying sadness and melancholy that envelopes each essay. (Not surprisingly, as the tagline for the book is “Cheerful Stories of Despondency and Gloom.”)

I really enjoyed reading about Korson’s childhood. She had an interesting one, and I especially loved reading about her time in summer camp. I have this insatiable curiosity about summer camp and reading stories about that time in a person’s life – mainly because I never had the chance to go to summer camp and wish I could have gone! (Though I’m 99% sure I would have been insanely homesick, haha.) I found my attention waning a bit while reading about her foray into the entertainment world (I just don’t respond to stories about people being outrageously awful at their jobs… it’s not humorous to me) and her marriage.

For me, this book was just okay. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. It reminded me a lot of Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson (aka, The Bloggess), especially towards the latter half of the book where she wrote about marriage and family. So, if you loved that book, then you would definitely enjoy this one!

This is Korson’s first book, and while I thought it was very well-written, I didn’t find it to be super engaging. I never fully embraced the book, and at a certain point, it all started to feel a little contrived and a bit forced. Still, it was an interesting read and I think if you love reading humorous memoirs, you would definitely enjoy this one.

Goodreads summary: When a trip to the therapist ends with the question “Can’t Kim be happy?” Kim Korson responds the way any normal person would—she makes fun of it. Because really, does everyone have to be happy?

Aside from her father wearing makeup and her mother not feeling well (a lot), Kim Korson’s 1970s suburban upbringing was typical. Sometimes she wished her brother were an arsonist just so she’d have a valid excuse to be unhappy. And when life moves along pretty decently–she breaks into show business, gets engaged in the secluded jungles of Mexico, and moves her family from Brooklyn to dreamy rural Vermont—the real despondency sets in. It’s a skill to find something wrong in just about every situation, but Kim has an exquisite talent for negativity. It is only after half a lifetime of finding kernels of unhappiness where others find joy that she begins to wonder if she is even capable of experiencing happiness.

In I Don’t Have a Happy Place, Kim Korson untangles what it means to be a true malcontent. Rife with evocative and nostalgic observations, unapologetic realism, and razor-sharp wit, I Don’t Have a Happy Place is told in humorous, autobiographical stories. This fresh-yet-dark voice is sure to make you laugh, nod your head in recognition, and ultimately understand what it truly means to be unhappy. Always.

I received a copy of this book for free from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. All words and opinions, unless otherwise stated, are my own.

Do you enjoy humorous books/novels?

Categories: Books

What I Read // March

And we are in April! I had a fabulous month of reading in March – 10 books read. Though 3 of those books were listened to on audio, which helped bump up my reading count. So far in 2015, I have read 23 books, and am 10 books ahead of the goal I set to read 52 books (which was a lowball number anyway). I’m hoping to reach 75 books read, but we’ll see! I’m also trying to take my time with the books I’m reading, not trying to rush through to finish as fast as I can to get to the next book on my list. This month, my favorite book was In the Blood and my least favorite book was The Elite.

Book club selection: In the Blood by Lisa Unger (5 stars)
This book was goooood. It was so, so, so good. It’s a psychological thriller that has a crazy twist about 3/4 of the way in that threw me for a complete loop. It was unlike any kind of twist I could have ever imagined. I finished the novel and wanted to tell everyone in the world how much I loved it. Just… go read this book. Now. It’s fantastic.

Book Riot Read Harder Challenge (audiobook): The Selection by Kiera Cass (3 stars)
This ended up being the first of three audiobooks I would read in March! Readers of audiobooks can make or break the experience, and this one took a little getting used to, but once I did, I found myself easily following the story. The story is impossibly silly and ridiculous… like The Bachelor meets The Hunger Games, maybe? The main character, America, is sassy and easy to like, as is Prince Maxon. I loved the interactions between the two of them. Since this is YA dystopian, obviously there’s some terrible overarching plot to bring a hint of danger into the novel, but I don’t think that was very well-thought-out or well-written. It just seemed… silly? Immediately after finishing this book, though, I requested the second book. This series is complete brain candy, but I can’t quit it!

Book Riot Read Harder Challenge (a book by someone whose gender is different from your own): The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion (4.5 stars)
I had read a lot of mixed reviews about this book, so I went into it with low expectations, which was maybe helpful because I ended up really enjoying it! I just love the character Simsion has created in Don Tillman – he’s so quirky and so unique and I can’t help but love him to pieces. This novel moved at a slow pace, but I found that I didn’t mind it. I just settled in and read slowly. The only thing I didn’t enjoy was Rosie’s character. One of the reviews I read of the novel was that she lost all of her charm from the first book, and I think that is 100% accurate. I just didn’t enjoy her character at all.

TLC Book Tours read: An Uncomplicated Life by Paul Daugherty (4 stars)
You can read my review of this book here.

Others (read for fun!)

Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight (4 stars)
This novel got 4 stars from me because it was fairly impossible to put down. I had to keep reading it until I finished! It’s a mystery, where a mother tries to figure out what happened to lead her teenage daughter to commit suicide by jumping off the roof of her school. (She’s especially concerned because she gets an anonymous text that informs her that her daughter didn’t jump.) I found the mother to be incredibly unlikeable and a bit unrealistic. And some of the revelations were a bit cliche and one was especially… weird. And made me feel squirmy. But still… if you’re looking for a fast-paced read, this is your book.

The Guy Not Taken by Jennifer Weiner (3 stars)
This was a book of short stories, and it was an okay read. Nothing earth-shattering, no stories that made me especially enthralled. I did like how Weiner brought back some characters from her past books, especially Ruth from The Next Best Thing (my favorite Weiner novel).

The Elite by Kiera Cass (3 stars)
I listened to this novel on audiobook, as I did the first one in the series. This one wasn’t as good as the first one, and I felt like the author was really trying too hard to find conflict and make the novel move forward. Honestly, I think this series would work fine as a stand-alone book. I think there’s way too much unnecessary plot that could have been cut out to make the book more concise. America was a bit more bratty in this novel, which annoyed me, and Prince Maxon did a few things that seemed inauthentic to his character from the first novel.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver (4 stars)
I liked this book all the way up until the end. The ending left me with mixed feelings, and it makes me a bit hesitant to pick up the next novel in the series. This novel, which is YA dystopian, has an interesting premise: the idea that love is a disease that needs to be cured. At the age of 18, everyone is administered the “cure,” in which they do not have the capability for love any longer. It made me think of everything we do/say/think/feel based on love. I found Lena, the protagonist, to be a bit one-dimensional and a little underwhelming (especially with how she wanted Alex to keep saving her), but I’m hoping she develops more with the second and third books.

Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg (4 stars)
I listened to this on audiobook, and this was the first time I “read” nonfiction this way. While I don’t mind fiction audiobooks, I don’t think nonfiction audiobooks work for me. I think it’s because I’m a visual learner and with nonfiction, I want to take my time to digest the information and highlight and mark passages that resonate with me. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel – much more than I thought I would. I’m not a high-powered career woman (and don’t aspire to be), but I appreciated hearing Sandberg’s thoughts on feminism, the work/life balance, family, and career. I also like how she doesn’t think women just need to lean into their careers more, but men need to lean into their families more. (I am just as icked out when a father talks about “babysitting” his children as she was!) Anyway, a good read and very thought-provoking!

The Next Best Thing by Kristan Higgins (4 stars)
And then a sweet romance novel to round out my month of reading! I love Kristan Higgins and her novels. They are just feel-good romances that are a bit cheesy, but also a lot of fun. While I didn’t love the main character in this one (she was a little over-the-top at times), I couldn’t put this book down until I got to the end.

book stats // march

# of books read: 10
# of pages read: 3,444
quickest read: The Guy Not Taken (5 days)
longest read: The Elite (9 days)
multicultural: zero
formats: ebooks (2), physical books (5), audiobooks (3)

What was the best book you read in March?

Categories: Books

Book Review: An Uncomplicated Life by Paul Daugherty

It’s something no parent ever wants to hear: your child has Down syndrome. But that’s exactly what happened just a day after Paul Daugherty’s daughter, Jillian, was born. It was something he and his wife worried about. After all, Paul’s wife had gotten pregnant with her when she was in her mid-30s, so the statistics were there – by age 35, women have a 1 in 350 chance of having a baby with Down syndrome (source). Then Jillian was born, and they found out that their fears had come true: Jillian had Down syndrome. And, as Paul put it in his book, this day was “the last bad day.”

Jillian is an incredible woman. She’s an incredible woman because she has incredible parents who fought for their daughter to have the same access to opportunities as anyone else. Her Down syndrome didn’t define her, it didn’t hold her back. Instead, she blossomed. She became a light to others, an inspiration to many. She graduated high school, though the process of getting there was not fraught without trouble. I really appreciated the raw and real look Daugherty showed us about the public school system and how hard it is for parents to have their voices heard. The Daugherty’s didn’t just want Jillian to graduate from high school; they wanted her to thrive in high school. This means not being placed in special education classes, but keeping her with her mainstream peers to learn and grow and develop right alongside them. It means meeting after meeting after meeting of going over her Individualized Education Plan, trying to get a school system that isn’t necessarily concerned with finding solutions to listen to what they want and need for their daughter.

An Uncomplicated Life is a memoir of Paul’s daughter, taking us from her birth to moving her into her own apartment, where she lives with her boyfriend, Ryan. Paul is raw, vulnerable, and completely honest with his emotions throughout the years: the highs, the lows, the happiness, the sadness, the frustration, the joys. It’s all there, written in a completely real way that anyone can relate to.

Some poignant quotes:

[Jillian] has affected everyone who has taken the time to see her. Seeing isn’t easy. It requires participation. It implies understanding. Seeing is a mandatory swatch of the human fabric. It invokes a civil right. Do not judge me on what I look like. See me for who I am.

Kindess is at the center of all we hope to be. If you are kind, you are trusting and trustful. You don’t judge. Judging implies superiority. It makes people uncomfortable.

Jillian has never seen herself as disabled. She knows she has Down syndrome, but she doesn’t believe she is different, if that makes sense. Her disability is more of a concept to her. She lacks the capability to take an intellectual accounting of who she is, and how she’s different from her peers. It just doesn’t occur to her. Or if it has, we’ve never heard her talk about it. We’ve never heard her say, “I wish I didn’t have Down syndrome.”

Book synopsis

A father’s exhilarating and funny love letter to his daughter with Down syndrome whose vibrant and infectious approach to life has something to teach all of us about how we can better live our own. Jillian Daugherty was born with Down syndrome. The day they brought her home from the hospital, her parents, Paul and Kerry, were flooded with worry and uncertainty, but also overwhelming love, which they channeled to “the job of building the better Jillian.” While their daughter had special needs, they refused to allow her to grow up needy—“Expect, Don’t Accept” became their mantra. Little did they know how ready Jillian was to meet their challenge.

Paul tells stories from Jillian’s mischievous childhood and moves to her early adulthood, tracing her journey to find happiness and purpose in her adult life, sharing endearing anecdotes as well as stories about her inspiring triumphs. Having graduated from high school and college, Jillian now works to support herself, and has met the love of her life and her husband-to-be, Ryan.

In An Uncomplicated Life, the parent learns as much about life from the child as the child does from the parent. Through her unmitigated love for others, her sparkling charisma, and her boundless capacity for joy, Jillian has inspired those around her to live better and more fully. The day Jillian was born, Paul says, was the last bad day. As he lovingly writes, “Jillian is a soul map of our best intentions”—a model of grace, boundless joy, and love for all of us.

You can connect with Paul Daugherty on Facebook and Twitter. You can buy his book on Amazon, IndieBound, and Barnes & Noble.

I received this book for free from TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. All words and opinions, unless otherwise stated, are my own.

No affiliate links were used in this post.

Categories: Books

What I Read // February

Book club selection: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin (5 stars)
This book was so, so lovely. I went into it with high expectations, knowing that most everyone who had read the book had loved it. And all my expectations were met! I loved A.J., even at his grumpiest. He was ornery yet adorable. I loved the natural twisting and turning of the book; nothing felt too dramatic or too crazy. The story flowed so well, and when I finished the book, I felt content and satisfied. It’s such a good novel, and I highly recommend it.

Book Riot Read Harder Challenge (a book of short stories): Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout (2.5 stars)
This was another book I dove into with high expectations because I had seen a lot of really, really good reviews. It’s a book of short stories, centered around the small town of Crosby, Maine, and the retired schoolteacher, Olive Kitteridge, who lives there. It takes you on a journey of the people in this town and their stories. And… I just didn’t like the novel. I found the stories overwhelmingly depressing and sad and a bit hopeless. I felt a little depressed and sad and hopeless when I finished it. It just didn’t give me that good feeling you want from reading. I just felt… yucky… when I finished it.

Book Riot Read Harder Challenge (a book written by someone who identifies as LGBT): Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris (3 stars)
This was my first David Sedaris book and I liked it well enough. Sedaris’ writing style is very easy to read and humorous. I don’t think I’m one for short stories, though, so the book dragged a bit for me because I wasn’t really following a specific plot… just reading essays that had little to do with one another. A good novel, but I’m not sure I’m jumping out of my chair to read another one of his books.

TLC Book Tours read: The Swimmer by Joakim Zander (3 stars)
I reviewed this book earlier in the month. An intriguing thriller about politics and corruption. I wish the book had been a little more fast-paced and I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending… but still a good read!

Others (read for fun!)

The Things We Do for Love by Kristin Hannah (4 stars)
I enjoyed this novel. It was a pretty long book, but I read through it in a matter of days because I was so intrigued by the plot and wanted to know what was going to happen next. The story follows a woman named Angie who, in the space of a year, has a miscarriage, loses her father, and goes through a divorce. The beginning is incredibly sad and heartbreaking, as Angie moves back to her old hometown to deal with her heartbreak, and it is there she is wrapped up in the love of her family. I love, love, love the way Hannah wrote this family. They were so enveloped in warmth and love, but also felt very real with their own insecurities and vulnerabilities and sadness. Kristin Hannah is one of my favorite writers because I just adore the way she writes her characters. You really pull for them, whether or not you find them completely loveable.

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn (4 stars)
Oh, my god. This book was so creepy. I don’t remember Gone Girl being creepy. Gone Girl was disturbing and twisted… but this book was just downright creepy. I love Gillian Flynn, though, because she creates SUCH unlikeable characters. There’s something… interesting… about that. They are so real and raw and vulnerable and horrible and creepy… and she just really gets into these characters’ psyches. Dives right into the twistedness of human behavior. This book was a wild ride and I honestly did not guess the ending (but I’m not very good at guessing endings unless they are super predictable). It was dark and twisty and creepy and a little too graphic at certain times… and I am really interested to see how this book will be made into a movie.

book stats // february

# of books read: 6
# of pages read: 2,002
quickest read: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry (4 days)
longest read: The Swimmer (13 days)
multicultural: 1 out of 6
formats: ebooks (3), physical books (3)

What was the best book you read in February? Mine was The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry!

Categories: Books

Book Review: The Swimmer by Joakim Zander

I love suspenseful novels that keep you on the edge of your seat. Novels that take you to a world you have no idea about, that make you root for characters you just were introduced to. And I especially love suspenseful novels that have a strong female lead. Call it being a feminist, call it whatever you want, but I truly appreciate a novel that doesn’t stoop to “men save women” levels, but showcases women stepping up, taking action, and finding the solutions to the problems themselves.

The Swimmer by Joakim Zander had all of the above qualities – and more. It was suspenseful, thrilling, edge-of-my-seat-need-to-keep-turning-pages. It had a great cast of characters – including a host of strong females who wasn’t cowering in the face of terror. It was about what you’ll do to protect the ones you love. It was about doing the right thing, even when it comes at a price. It was about friendship, it was about family. It was about corruption and lies and fear.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. If you love suspenseful novels, then I would highly recommend this book. It was a fantastic read for me!

The book synopsis, as taken from Goodreads:

Klara Walldeen, orphaned as a child and brought up by her grandparents on a remote Swedish archipelago, is now a political aide in Brussels. And she has just seen something she shouldn’t: something people will kill to keep hidden.

On the other side of the world, an old spy hides from his past. Once, he was a man of action: so dedicated to the cause that he abandoned his baby daughter to keep his cover. Now the only thing he lives for is swimming in the local pool.

Then, on Christmas Eve, Klara is thrown into a terrifying chase through Europe. Only the Swimmer can save her. But time is running out…

Do you like suspenseful novels? What was the last book you read that you couldn’t put down?

I received this book for free from TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. All words and opinions, unless otherwise stated, are my own.