I find it so hard to review memoirs sometimes, because it feels too much like passing judgment on a person’s life. I don’t intend to do that, so I focus more on the writing and how said person told the story of their life. Gabrielle Union’s We’re Going to Need More Wine: Stories tells the story of a strong, focused woman who went through a lot of really terrible shit in her life — and turned that pain into a drive for victims’ advocacy. All of that […]
When Roxane Gay tells you to read a memoir, do you really have a choice?
“People assume that I have a degree in poli-sci and that I decided to become a comedian just because that was the best way to spread my message. It’s the same way for my dad too. He seems like he has a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Wharton School, but he really only graduated from Spring Hill College in Mobile. For all three of us, people assume that because we have the information, we must have pieces of paper that certify us as smart. […]
A portrait of a mother
This was a sad, beautiful book. If you can listen to the audio version, do so. Alexie mixes poetry in with his narrative, and listening to him sing/recite it in his accent brought a whole new depth to the writing. You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me is a story of Alexie’s mother — 78 essays and 78 poems written after she died at the age of 78. He paints a full, raw portrait of a frankly terrifying woman who loved her family so […]
I love when Goodreads tells me there’s a sequel!
This is the fourth Fredrik Backman novel I’ve read, and probably my second favorite (A Man Called Ove places 1st). It’s about a small town that lives and breathes hockey (think Friday Night Lights, but it’s really cold). We have two main hockey players: the rich kid who was born into it, and the son of an immigrant with massive natural talent. Then something terrible goes down at a party, and we see how a town like Beartown can cope with that. This book has a lot […]