Cellar Rat by Hannah Selinger

May 16, 2025

Cellar Rat by Hannah Selinger

I've always had a secret desire to open a restaurant or a bar, probably because I enjoy cooking and feeding people, but the author here makes it sound a lot less appealing. She worked in fine and ultra fine dining establishments, first as a server and then as a cellar rat while she learned about wines and later as a sommelier or wine steward (a cellar rat is one of the people who unpacks cases of wine and stocks the wine cellar). It is not at all a healthy environment, as it turns out: the hours are long, the work is hard and thankless, and chefs and restaurant managers prey on vulnerable staff members. Sensitive subjects include child abuse, sexual abuse, workplace abuse, body image, and misogyny. The whole memoir comes off as repetitious and a little whiny. The author read the audio version - it might have been better if she'd hired a professional reader. A much better memoir of the restaurant industry is Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential

I'll Look So Hot in a Coffin by Carla Sosenko

May 11, 2025

I'll Look So Hot in a Coffin by Carla Sosenko

This is the best book title I've seen in a while. Born with a rare health condition, Sosenko was a pretty face attached to what she considered to be a grotesque body. I was horrified at the insensitive things people did (like reaching out to touch the hump on her back) and the ugly things they said, particularly men. I am glad the author realized that she is just fine exactly how she is and absolutely entitled to live her life how she wants. Sensitive readers should be aware of subjects that may be triggers, including mental illness, wanting to die, physical disability, abusive relationships, and stupid insensitive people (who are unfortunately ubiquitous). Will appeal to readers who enjoyed Jennette McCurdy's memoir I'm Glad My Mom is Dead.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Dirtbag Queen by Andy Corren

February 17, 2025

Dirtbag Queen by Andy Corren

Corren's irreverant memoir of Renay, his outrageous Jewish redneck mother who raised six kids (sort of) by herself after she split from her husband, isn't like any other memoir you've read. Everyone in their town near Fort Bragg knew Renay, manager of the local bowling alley, gambler and party girl, collector of strippers, card players, bowlers, and other strays who needed a place to sleep for the night. While Renay may not have excelled at cooking, keeping house, or hanging onto money, she lived life to the fullest.

Outofshapeworthlessloser by Gracie Gold

February 12, 2025

Outofshapeworthlessloser by Gracie Gold

Ice skater and Olympic bronze medalist Gracie Gold details her triumphs and losses on the ice, her struggles with mental health and addiction, and her road to a healthy, fulfilling life. Many of the problems with being an elite athlete and the toxic culture surrounding the Olympics and national competitions have been detailed by others (e.g., struggles with weight and body image, the physical toil that long hours of daily hard training takes on the body, an unnatural childhood and adolescence that focuses only on training and competition, thoughtless coaches unconcerned by the overall health of the young people they coach, sexual predators who prey on young athletes, a governing and judging body that chooses to ignore or hide anything unpleasant). She details the way that being an elite athlete skews one's judgment: after winning a bronze medal in the team Olympic event, she threatens to throw it in the trash because she didn't get a gold medal. Honey, you may not have won a gold medal but there are THOUSANDS of athletes who didn't even get the chance.

Gracie had some terrible experiences but she also portrays herself as a victim betrayed by those around her, including her sister, who had the nerve to quit skating and make a life for herself, rather than remain available at all times to manage things during Gracie's next crisis.

Gracie Gold

From Here to the Great Unknown by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough

January 24, 2025

From Here to the Great Unknown by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keogh

A memoir of growing up Presley by the daughter and granddaughter of Elvis Presley. Like the children of many celebrities, Lisa Marie led a troubled life, expected to follow in her famous father's footsteps. The story shifts back and forth from Lisa Marie to her daughter Riley. At times, it was hard to remember who was talking, because both Lisa Marie and Riley refer to their mothers as "my mom" - it would have been clearer if Lisa Marie would have referred to her mother as Priscilla and Riley would have referred to her mother as Lisa Marie. 

Even though she was four when her parents divorced, and then nine when Elvis died, for all of her life, Lisa Marie worshipped the memory of Elvis. The media was frequently cruel to her, criticizing her singing career and also her problems with her weight. There are some really weird things too, like after her son committed suicide, Lisa Marie kept his body in a room at her home on ice for months. She died way too young, from a variety of causes including drug abuse and an unstable life. A look at a sad life that should have been so much more. If you are looking for a biography of Elvis, this isn't it.

Lisa Marie near the end of her life

Me by Elton John

January 15, 2025

Me by Elton John

From his boyhood in a London suburb to being knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, Elton John (nee Reginald Dwight) has led a drama-filled life. His recent memoir talks about his meteoric rise to fame, his addiction problems, and his celebrity friends (and losing many of those friends to addiction, suicide and AIDS). 

He also talks about his personal life, finding lasting love, becoming a father, his philanthropic work, and the trauma of losing his hair. Recommended for music fans, especially 1970s/1980s rock.

Elton John in his 1970s glory

The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians by James Patterson

December 15, 2024

The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians by James Patterson

A collection of stories from librarians and booksellers about the magic of reading and making books available. One of the best stories is from a Charlotte, NC, bookstore owner who brings her rescue Corgi to the bookstore with her every day and the dog is so well-known at the city newspaper does a story about her (several stories feature dogs or cats). Another is the bookseller who tells people it's okay to not finish a book that they are struggling with. There are stories about librarians surviving hurricanes, the 2008 recession, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Recommended for anyone who loves books, libraries, bookstores, and reading.

Diamond Dust by Russ Swain

September 17, 2024

Diamond Dust by Russ Swain

After borrowing $10,000 from a loan shark and realizing he had no way to repay the loan, Russ Swain decided to put his artistic skills to good use and forged a pile of $20 bills that were so good even the Secret Service had a hard time detecting them. After his life crashed down around him, Swain used his talent to rebuild his life.

Who doesn't love a good Mormon book? A lot of information about what makes U.S. currency unique (who knew there was silk in the paper or that the surface has a slight grit to it), as well as how to counterfeit a $20 bill. Will appeal to readers of true crime, general nonfiction, and do-it-yourself.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Example of a counterfeit $20 bill

My Love Story by Tina Turner

June 12, 2024

My Love Story by Tina Turner

The late Tina Turner's second memoir, which focuses on Tina's life and career after Ike. She notes early on that she lived without Ike twice as long as she was with him. In her second husband, Erwin Bach, Tina met the love of her life and became an international superstar.

A sweet heartfelt memoir about the second half of Tina's life. She is candid about her joys and tragedies, including her oldest son's suicide and her increasingly serious health issues in later life. Recommended for anyone who enjoys memoirs or the lives of musicians.

Tina Turner still shaking it in her 60s

The House of Hidden Meanings by RuPaul

April 28, 2024

The House of Hidden Meanings by RuPaul

Long before he became the fabulous RuPaul, international drag superstar, he was a gay Black child with a mother who suffered from depression her entire life and a father who was largely AWOL. This is a memoir of growing up poor, Black and queer in San Diego and Atlanta, always feeling different and trying to find a place where he belonged. RuPaul discusses candidly his dysfunctional family, his struggles with drugs and alcohol, and his journey to find and accept his identity. If you're expecting a book with celebrity anecdotes, life as a drag queen, and behind-the-scenes dish, this is not that book.

RuPaul in character - I should have legs like that

I Promise It Won't Always Hurt Like This by Clare Mackintosh

February 13, 2024

I Promise It Won't Always Hurt Like This by Clare Mackintosh

Clare Mackintosh's moving meditation on grief following the death of her son Alex at five weeks old (Alex would be 18 today). Her writing is so wrenching and intimate at times that I had to put the book down and come back to it later. One such moment: when she talks about her son's funeral and how his coffin was so tiny that her husband carried it in his arms. While this is a book for those dealing with grief (and who isn't), it is also for anyone wanting help/be there for those who are suffering through loss.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Being Henry: The Fonz...and Beyond by Henry Winkler

December 15, 2023

Being Henry: the Fonz...and Beyond by Henry Winkler

Memoir by Henry Winkler, best known for his role as the Fonz on the 1970s sitcom Happy Days. He talks honestly about his dyslexia (unheard of when he was a child), his unhappy childhood with his demanding, social climbing parents, and the consequences that made connecting with his wife and children a constant effort, as well as the difficulty of moving past an iconic role and finding other acting work.

Henry Winkler is reputed to be the nicest man in Hollywood, and this memoir bears that out. Sweet and easy to read. (Note: Henry at 70+ bears a striking resemblance to my best friend from a high school, who is now a retired judge and frequently gets mistaken for the Fonz.)

Henry Winkler in his iconic role as the Fonz

Making It So by Patrick Stewart

December 8, 2023

Making It So by Patrick Stewart

Legendary actor Sir Patrick Stewart writes about his long acting career as well as his personal life. This is a wonderful memoir, one of the best that I read in 2023. While he takes his craft seriously, he doesn't take himself too seriously and tells wonderful anecdotes about his life and career. Patrick Stewart has been one of my secret crushes since I saw him as Sejanus in the BBC production of I, Claudius in the 1970s (my other secret crush for the last 40 years is Joe Montana, the star quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers). I was never that much of a Star Trek fan (I know - gasp!) but I saw enough of ST: TNG to be familiar with the characters and the storyline.

Lots of great pictures. He is very honest about losing his hair by the time he was 20, his love affairs and marriages, and his relationships with other actors and directors. Highly recommended to fans of Star Trek or Sir Patrick's other work.

Patrick Stewart as Sejanus in I, Claudius

What the Dead Know by Barbara Butcher

May 25, 2023

What the Dead Know by Barbara Butcher

Barbara Butcher was an medicolegal death investigator for the New York Office of the City Medical Examiner for 22 years. Her job was to go out to death scenes to collect information, examine the remains and the surroundings, and determine the manner of death (accident, suicide, homicide, natural causes, misadventure). 

Riveting account of a job that most of us know very little about. The author treated both the victims and their families with dignity and respect. The chapters about working at the World Trade Center after the 9/11 attacks are particularly intense. Not something to read while eating dinner. Highly recommended to readers of narrative nonfiction and true crime.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

The Pile (aka Ground Zero) at the World Trade Center

Fatty Fatty Boom Boom by Rabia Chaudry

February 6, 2023

Fatty Fatty Boom Boom by Rabia Chaudry

Born into a Pakistani family that emigrated to the U.S., Rabia Chaudry has had a lifelong battle with her weight. Raised on the carb-heavy American diet and with family genetics that tend toward being overweight, Rabia struggled with her weight all her life, viewing her body with self-loathing. Because of her weight, her Pakistani family obsessed that she would never marry, but she married before she finished college. Three pregnancies over the next 20 years didn't help her weight issues. She tried many diets and extreme exercise programs, and even had weight loss surgery. Everything she did was moderately successful, but the weight always came back. This is her account of her journey and eventual acceptance that she is never going to look like Beyonce (just like I'm never going to look like Heidi Klum). There are traditional Pakistani recipes at the end of the book that sound wonderful.

I first learned about Rabia while listening to the podcast Serial, about the Adnan Syed case. Syed was the best friend of Rabia's brother, and she has known him since he was a child. Although her parents wanted her to become a doctor, Rabia went to law school instead and ended up working on immigration issues and cases of wrongful conviction.

Rabia Chaudry

#veryfat #verybrave by Nicole Byer

November 28, 2022

#veryfat #verybrave by Nicole Byer

Comedian Nicole Byer celebrates her plus-size body in this collection of photos showing off her collection of bikinis. She also talks about growing up as a large child and living as a plus-size adult in a society that scorns fat people. She discusses her acting career and how she gained the confidence to be #brave enough to appear in her bikinis in public. 

Nicole is a funny lady and I enjoy watching her on the Netflix baking disaster series Nailed It! The cover photo is a take-off on a photo of the singer Lil Kim.

Nicole on Nailed It!

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

October 28, 2022

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

As a child actress, Jennette McCurdy appeared in iCarly on Nickelodeon as well as guest appearances on dozens of network TV shows. Her mother had always wanted to be an actress but was unable to fulfill her dream, so she pushed Jennette into acting. Jennette hated acting but kept at it to please her mother, who suffered from recurring bouts of cancer. After her mother's death, McCurdy found herself floundering, abusing alcohol and descending deeper into bulimia. Giving up acting and with the help of therapy, she slowly began to return to the surface.

In this memoir, McCurdy talks frankly about how her mother abused her sexually, verbally and physically, urging her to starve herself, ignoring Jennette's eating disorders, and insisting on washing her daughter in the shower until she was 17, as well as examining her breasts and vagina daily. McCurdy also reveals the abuse that young actors in particular are subjected to in order to satisfy the studios. I'm not that familiar with McCurdy's work but this memoir is both riveting and horrifying.

Jennette McCurdy as Sam Puckett in iCarly

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

May 21, 2022

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

Following the death of her mother from cancer, Michelle Zauner found herself crying in the most unexpected places, like H Mart, the Asian mega-supermarket. Despite resenting her mother's expectations, Zauner writes about growing up Korean-American in Eugene, Oregon, where she was one of the few Asian Americans in the community. Her family bonded through food, and some of the best parts are where she talks about visiting her grandmother in Seoul and cooking and eating wonderful meals with her mother.

Maybe because I like the previous memoir that I read so much (Olive, Mabel and Me by Andrew Cotter), I was disappointed in this one. I picked it up because of all the positive reviews, and I know a lot of people loved it but I didn't care for the writing or how the story was told. I also don't really know who Michelle Zauner is - I know, that makes me some kind of dinosaur, but I don't follow influencers or indie pop types on line. Actually, I don't follow anyone and have very little social media presence.

We have H Mart here in the Chicago area, and it's actually a pretty cool store. Lots of fresh fish, beautiful vegetables, and for some reason, a French pastry shop inside the store. The only problem I have is that it sometimes smells very strongly of fish, at least the one in Niles does, near where I live.

In case they don't have H Mart where you live

Me, when it comes to social media

Olive, Mabel and Me: Life and Adventures with Two Very Good Dogs by Andrew Cotter

May 18, 2022

Olive, Mabel and Me: Life and Adventures with Two Very Good Dogs by Andrew Cotter

During the COVID-19 pandemic, BBC sportscaster Andrew Cotter learned that all of the events that he was supposed to cover for the BBC (including the 2020 Summer Olympics) were cancelled. On lockdown with his two Labrador retrievers, Olive and Mabel, he began videotaping their activities and adding a running sports-style commentary. He described in exciting detail their morning contest at their breakfast bowls, walking in the woods near their home and splashing in the pond, and even held a Zoom meeting with the two dogs to discuss their performances. The videos became an Internet sensation and can be viewed on YouTube. In this memoir, Andrew talks about making the videos as well as his outdoor adventures hiking with his two best girls.

Loved this memoir! Happy, funny and touching. Any dog or animal lover (or any living person) will enjoy reading about their exploits.

Andrew with Mabel (the blonde) and Olive (the brunette)

Three Girls from Bronzeville: a Uniquely American Memoir of Race, Fate, and Sisterhood by Dawn Turner

March 11, 2022

Three Girls from Bronzeville: a Uniquely American Memoir of Race, Fate, and Sisterhood by Dawn Turner

Three African American girls grew up on Chicago's South Side in the historic Bronzeville neighborhood in the 1970's. They attend a good school and spend their childhood with the promise of greater opportunities, rights and freedoms than their parents and grandparents had. But as they begin high school, they go off in wildly different directions that include loss, displacement, drugs, alcholism, teen pregnancy, and murder.

The author is a journalist and novelist and the book is well-written. She published her novels under the name Dawn Turner-Trice, but when her marriage broke up, she began using her family name for her nonfiction writing. Turner went on to graduate from the University of Illinois, marry, and have a child, while her sister died young of alcoholism and her best friend went to prison for murder. It may have been a very different story if one of the other girls two had written it. 

Historic homes in Bronzeville