Biography/Memoir

Book Review: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Author
Angelou, Maya
Rating
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review

I find that sometimes I give 5 stars to what are clearly very good books, but then something like 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings' comes along and I realize that there are very few books I've read that are as important and wonderful as this one. I wish I could give it more than 5 stars. Maya's voice is beautiful, honest, and so very observant and wise. I recommend this book to everyone in the world, period.

Reviewer's Name
vfranklyn

Book Review: This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection

Author
Burnett, Carol
Rating
4 stars = Really Good
Review

I listened to Carol Burnett read this on audio and it was very good. I didn't watch her show as it was before my time, but I liked hearing stories about her life in show business. Thumbs up, especially on audio.

Reviewer's Name
vfranklyn

Book Review: Hungry

Author
Renn, Crystal
Rating
4 stars = Really Good
Review

Crystal Renn's memoir is very powerful. Her description of her battle with anorexia is riveting and her realization that she was killing herself and her decision to become a plus size model was awesome. I love her positive body image. She encouraged me to find my 'set point' and love my body for what it is. Thanks Crystal!

Reviewer's Name
vfranklyn

Book Review: Rock the Kasbah

Author
Loerzel, Marie
Rating
4 stars = Really Good
Review

Rock the Kasbah is an entertaining book written by a Colorado Springs local author. Marie and her family lived in Morocco. This book had me laughing out loud more than once. It is personal and touching and brutally honest. I highly recommend it. (p.s. It may not be for the faint of heart)

Local Author?
Yes
Reviewer's Name
Jan

Book Review: I Am Malala

Author
Yousafzai, Malala
Rating
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review

A powerful look at a young girl's fight for education in Pakistan. Malala starts by filling us in on her country's history, from before colonization by the British through the Taliban takeover. All the while she and her father fight for girls' education. It's hard not to despair for her as she is fighting against such great odds, but her positive attitude reminds us that good can overcome evil. She wants every person in the world to be educated. Amen to that!

Reviewer's Name
vfranklyn

Book Review: Hyperbole and a Half

Author
Brosh, Allie
Rating
3 stars = Pretty Good
Review

This book is a funny look at a woman's neuroses, with great drawings. I could relate to her constantly feeling like she wanted to trip strangers, throw sand at beachgoers, and otherwise behave inappropriately. It got three stars because while it was funny, it was a bit disjointed as well. Still, worth the quick read.

Reviewer's Name
vfranklyn

Book Review: Detroit: An American Autopsy

Author
LeDuff, Charlie
Rating
4 stars = Really Good
Review

I've never enjoyed an obituary so much. Charlie LeDuff sure knows how to cozy up to his readers, even if the tales he's telling are less than happy, quaint musings set in Paradise. An easygoing, narrative style meant I had serious trouble putting this book down. Partially, I'm fascinated by the empty shell that is now the city of Detroit- and I'd much rather hear about it from the bottom, up than vice versa. Real stories from real people put things into a much clearer perspective, while also lending a definite desperation to the tone. Detroit has died, and after ignoring its death throes, we didn't even have the decency to give it a proper funeral.

Charlie is ready to breathe one last breath of life into a city that has been burned down by its own residents no less than three times in history. It's a city that in fact gave birth to the American worker, the American sound, and American progress. It's hard to escape the irony that it's also where all of those things have gone to die.

Reviewer's Name
Evan

Book Review: The Man in the Rockefeller Suit

Author
Seal, Mark
Rating
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review

Could. not. put. this. down! I literally read it in about 27 hours. I was amazed by the story itself and also by the fact that I don't remember anything about it when it happened (2008). You, too, will be transfixed by the web of lies and false persona this man has been able to weave. It's truly fascinating that he was able to get away with it for so long. If you get as interested as me, there are Youtube videos that show some of the interviews with him after all was said and done.

Reviewer's Name
Evan

Book Review: The Ledge: An Adventure Story of Friendship and Survival on Mount Rainier

Author
Davidson, Jim
Rating
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review

Absolutely amazing! This is not at all the type of book I usually read, but the author is going to be coming to speak at our library so I wanted to learn more about him. I could NOT put it down (even thought it was about 12:30 a.m.)! Will be highly recommending this book.

Local Author?
Yes
Reviewer's Name
Krista

Book Review: Mud Season

Author
Stimson, Ellen
Rating
1 star = Yuck!
Review

I was really looking forward to this book, and it started off very well - there were quite a few laugh-out-loud moments. But toward the middle, the author seemed to start rambling. The stories jumped around and it was more of the author flitting around her memory for cute stories rather than one cohesive tale. It got to the point that I had to put the book down. Her habit of ending a paragraph with a telling "clue" of the next story became annoying as well.

Reviewer's Name
Krista