Tag Archives: Memoirs

The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop

Book Review, , ,
Overview
The Third Gilmore Girl

Title: The Third Gilmore Girl
Author: Kelly Bishop
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Biographies, Celebrity, Memoirs
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2024

Thoughts

As someone who watched The Gilmore Girls in her late teens, early twenties, I was absolutely intrigued and fascinated to read Kelly Bishop’s memoir. Plus, she was also in Dirty Dancing, another one of my favourite movies from that portion of my life. This didn’t disappoint. It was a great insight into a phenomenal actress, one whose work has formed a really important part of my TV watching in my formative years.

The Third Gilmore Girl is well worth the read, and I’m really glad that I had the pleasure of diving into Bishop’s journey from show girl to Gilmore Girl. This was well written, engaging and impossible to put down. Such an amazing journey with so much joy in each and every moment. I adored learning more about the actress and travelling through time and theatres with her.

One of the things about this memoir that I really love is how open and honest Bishop is about her different challenges and circumstances. She unflinchingly shares the more hidden parts of her life with humour and humility. Her ability to acknowledge her mistakes, her challenges and all of the emotional turmoil of a life well lived made this story so difficult to put down. And completely unforgettable.

The Third Gilmore Girl is honestly one of the best memoirs I’ve read in a while. It had a little less drama and angst than some of the other more heartbreaking ones on my shelves. But, still plenty of drama and action to keep you intrigued. I truly enjoyed how open and honest Bishop is, without creating a heart racing intensity that I sometimes find in the books that I read.

<- AbleMao’s Last Dancer ->

Image source: Penguin Books Australia

Sure, I’ll Join Your Cult by Maria Bamford

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Sure, I'll Join Your Cult | Book by Maria Bamford | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster AU

Title: Sure, I’ll Join Your Cult
Author: Maria Bamford
Rating Out of 5: 2.5 (Readable, but not worth reading again)
My Bookshelves: Comedy, Memoirs, Mental health
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2023

Thoughts

To start with, I really enjoyed this memoir. It was clever and witty. Had me smiling and laughing as I read it. But then, it started to get a little bit repetitive. And a little more repetitive. Until, finally, it may have been different anecdotes, but mostly the same punchlines.

Although I started to get bogged down in this, I did still finish it. And mostly enjoy it. Bamford was open and honest, which i always love. And didn’t hesitate to laugh at herself and the predicaments she would find herself in.

As much as I didn’t mind this, between the repetitive punchlines and the tone of the memoir, its not one I’d read again. Overall, not a bad read. But probably a little too needy for my personal tastes and engagement.

Image source: Simon & Schuster Australia

Naturally Tan by Tan France

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Naturally Tan : France, Tan: Amazon.com.au: Books

Title: Naturally Tan
Author: Tan France
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Celebrity, LGBTQI, Memoirs
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2019

Thoughts

Tan is most definitely really cute and sweet in Queer Eye. And I love how understated and just so damn British he is at times. Which of course, made me intrigued by what his book would be like. What’s on screen doesn’t always translate to the written word, and I wanted to see how it would work. It turns out, that I still thought he was kind of sweet in written form too.

Not only did I want to read Naturally Tan because I liked the way Tan shows himself on stage, I was also intrigued by his journey from fashion designer / owner to TV personality. It was most definitely an enjoyable one that I absolutely adored. And, was surprised by at multiple moments throughout.

One of the aspects of this memoir that I enjoyed the most was how Tan is able to unflinchingly talks about racism. And the many challenges that he faced growing up as a South East Asian gay man. Not only within his own culture, but also in his home country, he faced a multitude of assumptions, stereotypes and challenges. All of which he speaks about with honesty and a sense of self that is incredibly powerful.

A few of the reviews I’ve read about Naturally Tan mentioned how opinionated and judgemental some of the words are. I kind of liked that fact. I mean, Tan’s entire job is to judge people’s fashion and help them make more complementary choices. So of course his memoir is going to be the same. I really loved how cute and adorable this opinionated side of the writing was. It wasn’t shaming anyone, just stating strong opinions about something he is so clearly passionate about. And what’s wrong with that?

<- Wishful DrinkingThe Freedom Writers Diary ->

Image source: Amazon

My Next Breath by Jeremy Renner

Book Review, ,
Overview
My Next Breath | Book by Jeremy Renner | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster AU

Title: My Next Breath
Author: Jeremy Renner
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Celebrity, Memoirs
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2025

Thoughts

I picked this memoir up because I really like Hawke Eye (because archers need to stick together), and I was absolutely expecting a novel about Renner’s life. This is not the case. It was impossible to put down and fascinating, but it wasn’t about Renner’s life at all. It was all about his accident (which, because I live under a rock, I knew nothing about). In moments it’s a little (okay, a lot) graphic, and it is really, really intense. But, honestly, I’m glad that this all focuses on just those moments in Renner’s life. It was intense, intriguing and a little bit difficult to put aside. Luckily, this is also one of the shorter memoirs on my shelves, so it didn’t matter that I got ridiculously hooked.

There was something a little bit inspiring about this story. I mean, the story and survival in and of itself was going to be inspiring. But, the way that Renner is able to unflinchingly talk about his lack of odds and ability to survive was somewhat awe inspiring. I love how he talks about just focusing on the next breath, and nothing else. I hope that I never have to use this to survive such a horrific accident, but it’s not a bad reminder for when you’re having a bad or stressful day.

My Next Breath might get quite graphic in some areas, but I also love how it is so completely honest and genuine. Renner is not only facing up to and acknowledging his mortality within this, but he’s also being open about the process of recovery after a chaotic accident. After all, we talk about people surviving such things, but people don’t always talk about the mental health battles and rehab following something like this. And, not just for Renner, but also his friends and family in having to deal with this.

Renner faced a one in a million chance of survival and survived, this in and of itself is impressive. But, what I like the most about My Next Breath is how humble and kind he is about his experience. He acknowledges how lucky he is to survive. He acknowledges how challenging witnessing this was on his family. And, more than anything, he shows a constant appreciation for the life he has lived and continues to live. Not something that everyone is likely to do.

<- Anna: A Teenager on the RunA Woman in the Polar Night ->

Image source: Simon & Schuster

So Gay For You by Leisha Hailey & Kate Moennig

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Overview
So Gay for You: Friendship, Found Family, and the Show That Started It All

Title: So Gay For You: Friendship, Found Family & The Show That Started It All
Author: Leisha Hailey & Kate Moennig
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Celebrity, LGBTQI, Memoirs
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2025

Thoughts

I’ve watched all of The L Word, except for the final season (and the reboot), so, when I saw that two of the actresses had written a memoir together, I was intrigued. And, I was definitely not disappointed. I mean, everything about this was interesting and intriguing. I enjoyed the insight into what it was like to be a part of The L Word team and how groundbreaking it was at the time. But, I also enjoyed how honestly and openly Hailey and Moennig wrote about their lives, before, after and during their hit show. I always love how insightful memoirs that are built around a TV Show (or movie) can be, and how it can provide an insight into the lives of others and different experiences.

Although I loved the insight into The L Word, mostly I just really loved the voices of Hailey and Moennig. They were smart and sassy, with a whole lot of honesty that I seriously appreciated. One woman was out before the show even came to form, the other slowly had her sexual recognition throughout her filming of The L Word. I loved how different their tales and journeys were, but how they built together. Particularly to the moments when they first met, how they felt about it, and then how they built a friendship that is the envy of all friendships. Their love for one another and honesty was enviable and I really enjoyed learning more about how other women have grown and found each other.

I read a lot of stories which feature Found Family and Soul Mates (not romantic Soul Mates, those friends who are forever). But I haven’t read many memoirs that actually feature the reality of this kind of relationship. I love how they were able to find each other in this insane world that we live in, and figure out a way to have each other’s backs. But, they aren’t romantically entangled – I love that Hailey and Moennig found each other and created their own Found Family – one in which they are accepted and beloved. That support and love is something that I think everyone deserves, and I absolutely loved reading about it.

Although I picked up So Gay For You because of my knowledge of The L Word, I love that this novel wasn’t actually all that much about it. Yes, it featured in it for a fair chunk of the book, but even then, it was just a part of a greater story. One which I really enjoyed, and would definitely enjoy reading further. Mostly though, the focus was on the beautiful friendship between these two women, and the ways in which they were able to find each other. The community that they built together and the way that their love for one another was supportive and helped them both to grow into better versions of themselves.

<- The Last Black UnicornThe Hospital by the River ->

Image source: Amazon

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone

Title: Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
Author: Lori Gottlieb
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Memoirs, Mental health, Psychology
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2019

Thoughts

I’m writing this review a fair while after actually finishing the final page of this book (because adulting). But, honestly, even though it’s been a couple of weeks, I seriously can’t stop thinking about Maybe You Should Talk to Someone. I don’t know if it is how well written this book is, the relevance of the topic to my life at this point, or the unflinching honesty. But, regardless of the reason, I absolutely adored this memoir and will gladly read this again and again in the future.

Not only is Maybe You Should Talk to Someone a humorous memoir, it is also a great insight into one woman’s journey to becoming a therapist. As someone who is studying to become a counsellor, I can tell you that the majority of therapists and therapists-to-be that I spend my time with have entered the field in a somewhat convoluted manner. Gottlieb is no different, and I love how she is able to share those integral parts of her journey to working in mental health throughout the memoir. Then, she’s brutally honest about how she acted within her own therapy – and the pitfalls of ego that we all fall into. Sometimes to protect ourselves, but sometimes just because that’s what our brains do.

I really enjoyed how Gottlieb was able to intersperse the anecdotal tales she was sharing with actual therapeutic / psychological theory. It was great to read for anyone who is interested in mental health. But, as someone who wants to work more deeply in this field, it made me really question how I’m not only engaging with future clients, but how I’m engaging with my own therapist. I particularly loved how she talked about Unconditional Positive Regard and how challenging that could be in moments. Something that I will have to make sure I work towards myself in future endeavours.

My all time favourite aspect of this novel is how open and honest Gottlieb is about therapy and the therapeutic process. She doesn’t pretend that it is easy (on anyone), or that there are magical fixes. But she emphasises the growth and the change that people may experience, and shines a light on the fact that therapists of all calibres have their own challenges and sometimes are simply just humans who need a little bit of help too.

<- Bits and PiecesFrog ->

Image source: Booktopia

I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokpokki by Baek Se-hee

Book Review, ,
Overview
I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki: The International bestseller: I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki Baek Sehee Bloomsbury Publishing - Bloomsbury

Title: I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki
Author: Baek Se-hee
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Memoirs, Mental health
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2018

Thoughts

Reading this off of the back of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone made this a mental health memoir that had a lot to live up to. And, quite frankly, this did not live up to it. Honestly, this whole book for me was just a huge transcript of someone’s therapy. But, with all of the important parts pulled out. There was none of the honesty that a good mental health memoir should have. Rather, it felt kind of self-indulgent and as though the author still wasn’t actually ready to face up to her own shit. 

Image source: Bloomsbury

Frog: The Secret Diary of a Paramedic by Sally Gould

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Frog | Book by Sally Gould | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster AU

Title: Frog: The Secret Diary of a Paramedic
Author: Sally Gould
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Medical, Memoirs, Mental health
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2025

Thoughts

I absolutely adored this memoir, and it’s one that I actually can’t stop thinking about it. Even though it’s been a while since I turned that final page. It was intense, it was well written, and like all of the best memoirs, it was brutally honest. Honestly, I just couldn’t put this down and I love how honest Gould is not just about her journey into becoming a paramedic, but also her own mental health challenges and difficulties. One of the best medical memoirs I’ve read in a long while, and a reminder of why I like this subgenre.

In Frog, Gould talks about her first three years as a paramedic in Australia. She doesn’t give any specifics of where, but it felt like a lot of the suburban hubs that make up our wonderful country (I am intrigued as to where though, because I’m nosy). She’s honest about her drives and why she wanted to pursue this career path, but, most importantly, she’s honest about the challenges that she faced. Some of the anecdotes are kind of funny and a little bit quirky. Others, not so much. They run the gambit of difficult training officers, to somewhat insane patients and the tragic endings. If it was a pivotal moment for Gould, she has included it.

Being someone who works in the “helping professions”, I understand that the risk to mental health is higher than in other areas. I really loved how honest Gould was in her memoir about the impact that her career has had on her mental health. And also the consequences of this. I absolutely adored this, although, I read Frog at a bit of a triggering time, so some of the passages were ones that I had to put down and aside. It was incredibly intense and potent, but, again, the ability of Gould to be open and honest about difficult to talk about topics made it so much more powerful.

Everything about Frog was fantastically written. It was a wonderfully insightful memoir, and was a reminder of why I really enjoy diving into this style of book every now and then. Plus, for me, it was all that much more potent because it was an Australian woman working in a “helping profession”. I really hope that Gould writes more books in the future, because I will definitely be keen to dive into them!

<- Maybe You Should Talk to SomeoneWe Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families ->

Image source: Simon & Schuster

My Fight / Your Fight by Ronda Rousey

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: My Fight Your Fight
Author: Ronda Rousey
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Biographies, Memoirs, Sport
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2015

Thoughts

As a Martial Arts practitioner, I already knew who Ronda Rousey was – I mean, you can’t really follow Women’s UFC without knowing who the woman is. But, I didn’t really know much beyond she was awesome. Actually, reading this kind of put me to shame in my knowledge for the birth of Women’s UFC (of which I really enjoy following). For starters, although I knew Rousey was a pioneer in the sport, but I didn’t realise that she was literally the first woman to fight on UFC Card. It was really fun reading about this while I actually watched those first fights that Rousey talks about. And then constantly sharing the extra bits of information with my poor partner who is not interested.

I always love reading a good memoir, partly because it’s just interesting how other people live and function. But, it also helps to solidify some of my understanding of myself. In the case of Rousey’s story, it really just solidified for me that I’m not a competitor. The dedication and commitment alone is pretty intense, but also that unwillingness to lose. I just… don’t care if I win or lose a match, as long as my opponent finds me interesting. But Rousey’s dedication and literal inability to lose is just astounding. It speaks so highly of her commitment, but also shows just how driven you really have to be to rise to the top like this.

Before each chapter of My Fight / Your Fight started, there is a bit of a quote from Rousey that kind of highlights the theme and the topic that is about to be uncovered. I really liked this. It was a way to give context, but also provide an extra snippet from her life that otherwise wouldn’t have fit into the overall chapter arc. It was a great way to set the tone and start you off in the right head space for each snippet of her life that she was about to impart. Some of these small chunks were actually my favourite parts of the whole memoir. They gave a great insight into some of the daily life and struggles of a Pro MMA fighter. And just into Rousey’s life and thought process as a general.

I absolutely devoured My Fight / Your Fight, not only was it subject matter that I am intensely passionate about (and live daily to a degree), but it was also just a really interesting and well written memoir. There is a cost to being at the pinnacle of your sport, and Rousey does not shy away from this. Rather, she fully embraces that there are many sacrifices you have to make. And she’s willingly made them. But, even more powerfully, she’s shared those sacrifices and challenges in her writing, showing us the dedication and commitment it takes to be a trail blazer in Women’s Sports and MMA.

<- A Woman in the Polar NightGogo Mama ->

Image source: Penguin Books

A Cup of Water Under My Bed by Daisy Hernandez

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: A Cup of Water Under My Bed: A Memoir
Author: Daisy Hernandez
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Immigrant, LGBTQI, Memoirs
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2014

Thoughts

This was such an amazing biography and memoir – there was something about the lyricality and non-linear story that I just absolutely devoured. Not only was Hernandez able to share her story and experiences, but she managed to do so in a way that was entirely unforgettable. I mean, there was just… something about her writing style that hit my deep in the soul, worming it’s way into my daily thoughts and dreams.

A Cup of Water Under My Bed was one of those memoirs that really made me stop and think. It just wormed my way into my mind and wouldn’t let go. I can’t say that many author’s actually have the talent to do this so thoroughly. And the part that stuck with me the most was how Hernandez talked about language and how she felt, as a child, that she had to hate Spanish to be able to move along to English. It’s a stark reminder of the intensity and confusion that comes along with a total upheaval of your life and culture. One that I still can’t understand, but definitely have Big Feelings around.

Not only does Hernandez unapologetically talk about her experiences as the child of immigrants, but she also talks about her bisexuality as a Latino women, and the unique challenges that this comes with. Rather than being a big deal, this part of her story is seamlessly woven in amongst the rest of her tale. She discusses how differently her aunts dealt with her sexuality and, that, ultimately, it was something that was kind of just… ignored. Hernandez is honest about how her sexuality sits in amongst her daily life, then and now.

The first read through of this was wonderful, and this felt like one of those layered tales that I would love to read again. Gaining something new in the lyrical prose that I wasn’t expecting, learning something and seeing the moments that I’ve missed. It might be a little while, but I can almost guarantee that this will be one that I will actually read again in the future (not something I frequently do with memoirs).

<- BlackoutThe Not So Subtle Art of Being a Fat Girl ->

Image source: Gulf Stream Lit Mag