Tag Archives: Memoirs

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

October 10, 2018Book ReviewBiographies, Elizabeth Gilbert, Inspiration, Memoirsskyebjenner

Title: Eat Pray Love
Author: Elizabeth Gilbert
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Biographies, Inspiration, Memoirs
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Year: 2006
5th sentence, 74th page: But Luca and his friends didn’t go out to a bar to cheer themselves up.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Elizabeth is in her thirties, settled in a large house with a husband who wants to start a family. But she doesn’t want any of it. A bitter divorce and a rebound fling later, Elizabeth emerges battered yet determined to find what she’s been missing.

So begins her quest. In Rome, she indulges herself and gains nearly two stone. In India, she finds enlightenment through scrubbing temple floors. Finally, in Bali, a toothless medicine man reveals a new path to peace, leaving her ready to love again.

I’ve seen the movie. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. I thought that maybe the book would be mildly interesting since the movie was something I very much enjoyed. Especially since it’s supposed to be a great book about discovering yourself and finding your path in life. And, honestly, it was. The part that really shocked me though was the fact that it was so amazingly well and engagingly written.

Gilbert’s voice is one of those that you can see lingering throughout the next few generations. She discusses issues and realities that face every woman at some point in their lives. And she does so in a starkly honest manner. I love that in a world where we are constantly bombarded with the idea of women wanting to have children, and be the perfect housewives, this is a woman who wants to travel and has no interest in having children. And it’s a great reminder that it is COMPLETELY okay to feel this way. And it’s okay to go on a massive adventure to find yourself.

I loved how this novel was broken up – 109 small stories that all worked together but could also be read as somewhat separate tales. It made it very difficult to put down, but also gave great pausing moments when I actually had to be a responsible adult. It was so incredibly nice to have a small moment in which to disappear to Italy, India or Indonesia. A great moment in which to forget all about lives problems and travel on the wings of a woman who has truly experienced life at its fullest. And now I have to wait for the next few books I’ve order to arrive on my shelf…

<- Committed Review

Eat Pray Love Made Me Do It Review ->

Image source: Book Cover Archive

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

June 16, 2018Book ReviewBiographies, Cheryl Strayed, Easy Reading, Memoirs, Strong Womenskyebjenner

Title: Wild: A Journey from Lost to Found
Author: Cheryl Strayed
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Biographies, Easy reading, Memoirs, Strong women
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Atlantic Books London
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: He unscrewed the cap and handed it to me.

At twenty-six, Cheryl Strayed thorught she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother’s rapid death from cancer, her family grew apart and her marriage soon crumbled. With seemingly nothing to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life: to walk eleven hundred miles of the west coast of America and to do it alone. She had no experience of long-distance hiking and the journey was nothing more than a line on a map. But it held a promise, a promise of piecing together a life that lay shattered at her feet…

This book was a really good journey. I had no idea what to expect from it, since I haven’t seen the movie. But it was a great tale, and I can see why it was made into a movie in the first place. It kind of had everything. Including a happy, hope for the future ending.

Cheryl’s journey to the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) was just as much of the tale as her actual journey along it. Instead of breaking the two important aspects of her life apart, Strayed’s tale is filled with flashbacks along the way. Each chapter almost tells two stories – what is happening to her along the trail, and the journey that made her start such an epic (and admittedly insane) journey in the first place. Although there are many moments when I cringe at the choices that made her feel so lost, it’s such a great look into someone who really hit rock bottom. And the ways in which the self-reflection and independence provided by the trail helped her to “find” herself again.

I found Wild a little slow to start with. And as aforementioned, a little bit cringe worthy. But about halfway through, I fell deeply into the tale. There was something about Cheryl’s gumption and strength that made me unable to put her words down. And the epilogue at the end highlighted how far she had come and that even when we hit rock bottom, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Something to look forward to and hope for, even when we feel like we can’t fall down any further.

<- Hidden Figures

The Southern Education of a Jersey Girl ->

Image source: College Fashion

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterley

February 14, 2018Book ReviewBiographies, Feminism, History, Margot Lee Shetterley, Memoirs, scienceskyebjenner

Title: Hidden Figures: The Untold Story of the African Women Who Helped Win the Space Race
Author: Margot Lee Shetterley
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Biographies, Feminism, History, Memoirs, Science
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: William Collins
Year: 2016
5th sentence, 74th page: If Dorothy Vaughn had been able to accept Howard University’s offer of graduate admission, she likely would have been Claytor’s only female classmate, with virtually no postgraduate career options outside of teaching, even with a master’s degree in hand.

GENIUS HAS NO RACE. STRENGTH HAS NO GENDER. COURAGE HAS NO LIMIT.

The phenomenal true story of the black female mathematicians at NASA whose calculations helped fuel some of America’s greatest achievements in space.

Before John Glenn orbited the earth or Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, some of the brightest minds of their generation, known as ‘human computers’, used pencils and adding machines to calculate the numbers that would launch rockets, and astronauts, into space.

Starting in World War II and moving through to the Cold War and the Space Race, Hidden Figures is a powerful, revelatory tale of race, discrimination and achievement in the modern world. Now a major motion picture starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae, Kirsten Dunst and Kevin Costner.

I bought this book because I’ve seen the ads for the movie. I, as always, wanted to read the book before I watched the movie – there’s just something far more satisfying about reading the words before watching the adaptation. And I was not disappointed in the slightest. Although this is a pretty heavy going book. At least for someone like me, who has almost no knowledge of American history and, more specifically, the challenges faced by African-Americans throughout the past.

I love the world of science and maths, you don’t agree to do an undergrad and postgrad degree in the area if you don’t! NASA, however, has always been a bit of an abstract interest – I’m more into the environmental aspects of science than the physics. But, after reading this, I want to find out more about the contributions that NASA has provided the rest of the world. The fact that it was a great way to break down social and racial stigmas kind of made it all the more appealing. And this is including the role of Langley and its conception in WWII.

One of the things that I loved about this book was that it didn’t just focus on one or two women. Rather, there was a whole slew of women who contributed to the space race, and this is reflected by the telling of their stories. Although three main women continued to appear again and again, there were a number of other individuals who were mentioned and illuminated throughout this story.

For anyone with an interest in politics, equality, science, maths, or just really likes a good story, I would definitely recommend this novel! It certainly opened my eyes (and my mind).

<- The Upside Review

Wild Review ->

Image source: Amazon UK

Cork Dork by Bianca Bosker

January 10, 2018Book ReviewBianca Bosker, Easy Reading, Memoirs, science, Wineskyebjenner

Title: Cork Dork
Author: Bianca Bosker
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Memoirs, Science, Wine
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: Or Napa Valley in California.

Professional journliast and amateur drinker Bianca Bosker didn’t know much about wine, until she discovered the world of elite sommeliers who dedicate their lives to the pursuit if flavour. Fascinated by their fervour and seemingly superhuman sensory powers, she set out to uncover what drove their obsession, and whether she, too, could become a ‘cork dork’.

With boundless curiosity, humour and a healthy dose of scepticism, Bosker takes the reader inside underground tasting groups, exclusive New York City restaurants, mass-market wine factories and even a neuroscientist’s fMRI machine as she attempts to answer the most nagging question of all: what’s the big deal about wine? Funny, counterintuitive and compulsively readable, Cork Dork does for drinking what Kitchen Confidential did for dining out, ensuring you’ll never reach blindly for the second cheapest bottle on the menu again.

I got this book because someone who came into my work place suggested it. I work in a cellar door, and I’m constantly trying to find out more about wine. It sounded interesting, it sounded like something that could expand my knowledge, and I figured, ‘why the hell not?’ And honestly, it was so much more than I expected! This book was fascinating, engaging and enthralling – something that I couldn’t put down and taught me so much more about the world of wine.

Although the premise for this journey is a journalist attempting to become a master sommelier, there is so much more about the world of wine than I expected. I was expecting someone who entered the world of the hoighty toighty wine tasters and sellers, those who work in first class restaurants, and just saw wine as a way in which to show their class. Instead, this was an honest look into the industry of wine, how we experience it and the emotional connection that such a weirdly complex beverage can incite. Bosker doesn’t just talk about the social and economic aspects of fine wine and fine dining, but the science, the beliefs and the very act of creating this beverage.

Cork Dork is brilliantly written and a great insight into the industry. The fact that there is a whole chapter that discusses the company I work for (Treasury Wine Estates), and it helped me to conceptualise where the work I do fits into the wine industry as well. But, even if you are not a lover of wine, this is a great way to find out more about what makes people so obsessed with this drink. After all, it’s just alcoholic grape juice…

<- Six Legs Walking

The Beginning of Everything ->

Image source: Bianca Bosker

Talking As Fast As I Can by Lauren Graham

May 6, 2017Book ReviewBiographies, Easy Reading, Lauren Graham, Memoirs, Non-fiction, True Storiesskyebjenner

Title: Talking As Fast As I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (and Everything in Between)
Author: Lauren Graham
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Biographies, Easy reading, Memoirs, Non-fiction, True stories
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Virago
Year: 2016
5th sentence, 74th page: ‘When I co-wrote a pilot about an aspiring late night talk show host, played by me, I had my character (me) speak to a photo of Joan she keeps on her dressing room mirror.

This book contains some stories from my life: the awkward growing-up years, the confusing dating years, the fulfilling working years and what it was like to be asked to play one of my favourite characters again. Also included: tales of living on a houseboat, meeting guys at awards shows and that time I was asked to be a butt model. A hint: all three made me seasick.

I really wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up this book. Mostly, I just bought it because I am a huge fan of Gilmore Girls, and every interview or article I have read on Lauren Graham is favourable. Beyond that, I really didn’t know what to expect from this novel, and even if it was going to something that I enjoyed reading. But let me tell you – it was one of the best non-fiction reflective pieces that I have ever read!

Combining Lauren Graham’s quirky sense of humour and unique (at least to me) perspective on Hollywood and acting, with her beautifully written prose created an unexpected, beautiful retelling that I look forward to reading again and again and again. Every moment of Graham’s incredible journey is filled with crazy tangents and humorous anecdotes that had me giggling throughout. I loved that she writes the same way as she speaks on screen – both in Gilmore Girls and Parenthood. It is quick, witty and impossible to put away.

Talking as Fast as I Can touches upon so many different aspects of Lauren’s journey and makes her question whether she really ‘made it’. From her first days of acting, to the first days on the set of Gilmore Girls, the story follows a kind of symmetry, with the final words returning to the Gilmore Girls reboot. Providing fantastic insight into Lauren’s life and career is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience, one that I plan to repeat again.

<- The Gap

The Longest Trip ->

Image source: Gamers Sphere

Gogo Mama by Sally Sara

February 21, 2017Book ReviewAustralian Authors, Biographies, Feminism, Memoirs, Non-fiction, Sally Sara, Strong Women, True Storiesskyebjenner

Title: Gogo Mama
Author: Sally Sara
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Biographies, Feminism, Memoirs, Non-fiction, Strong women, True stories
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Year: 2006
5th sentence, 74th page: If you go to fetch for water or firewood and people start running, you have left your children and run alone.

I’M SITTING IN A $30 HOTEL ROOM IN UGANDA WONDERING WHAT THE HELL I’VE GOT MYSELF INTO. THIS IS DAY ONE OF GOGO MAMA. I DON’T EVEN KNOW ALL THE NAMES OF THE TWELVE WOMEN WHO WILL FILL THIS BOOK; ONLY THE JOURNEY WILL REVEAL THEM.

Gogo Mama is a journey of discovery into the lives of a dozen very different African women. They include the survivor of a brutal attack by Ugandan rebels; an Egyptian belly dancer turned movie star; an escapee from slavery in Ghana; Zanzibar’s most famous living diva; a former child soldier from Liberia; a grandmother fighting AIDS in South Africa; and a pioneering midwife from Timbuktu. They speak with complete candour both about their astonishing experiences and about the way they live now, in some of the most hostile and exotic parts of the continent.

While introducing these inspiring women, award-winning journalist Sally Sara takes us on a trip across Africa, in all its complexity – from the frenetic townships of Johannesburg, to a clifftop village in Mali; from the horror of the frontline of war in Sudan, to the glamour of Cairo nightclubs.

Gogo Mama is a vivid, illuminating and haunting composite picture of an extraordinary land, in the words of the people who know it best.

This story left me feeling… humbled. Just humbled. These twelve women will touch you in a way that you can’t imagine, and their lives set amidst the beauty of Africa are guaranteed to linger in your mind’s eye for years after you close the cover. It is just an incredibly powerful, moving and honest set of stories. The truth is met unflinchingly and without hesitation. Yet, in all of Sara’s interviews, there is no anger and bitterness, rather, a simple acceptance for what has been suffered and an optimism for what they may face in the future.

From a survivor of the Rwandan genocide to a world-famous belly dancer, each of these twelve stories is different and unique. They are insights into another country, another world. One which I can’t even fathom. The range of stories, from the downright depressing, to the uplifting are a fantastic window through which to view such a varied continent. There is no feeling of repetition or even judgement throughout the stories. Sara manages to shine the light on every single experience, use the nuances and feelings from every single interview to weave a textured tale that you will never forget.

Yet, it isn’t just the tales of Sara’s journey and the women whom she had the pleasure of encountering that makes Gogo Mama such an enthralling novel. It is the vivid descriptions of the African countryside, the daily activities that are undertaken in some of the most picturesque landscapes in the world. Picturesque, yet war-torn. The vividness and beauty of the countries plays a haunting note to the tales which are spun by women who, against all odds, have triumphed in their own lives and found a way to carve out their own reality.

<- My Fight / Your Fight

The Upside ->

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Earth and Skye

The ramblings of a bibliophile.