I know so many people rave about how much they enjoyed this book, but for me, it was just okay. There was so much wrong in this family — and I’m not even talking about the schizophrenia — that it was a bit of a struggle to get through. Trigger warning for severe spousal abuse and child sexual abuse. Don and Mimi Galvin set out on their married adult lives with huge dreams. They end … Read More “Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker” »
Category: Biography
John Lennon was assassinated the year I was born and the year he turned 40. I turned 40 earlier this year, and while I’ve always been a big fan of the Beatles (my first CD ever was Abbey Road — although apparently Lennon wouldn’t have liked that!) I have never read much of their history. This book makes me want to change that now. This 40th anniversary re-release of the full Playboy transcript of the … Read More “All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono by David Sheff” »
This book was a delightful introduction to the life of Beatrix Potter, creator of beloved characters including Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddleduck, and Benjamin Button. It starts by discussing her lonely childhood and lack of formal education — her parents didn’t think it was worthwhile to educate a girl since her only job was to marry wealthy — and then explains how she started inventing her characters, including Peter Rabbit, which she initially self-published. It also … Read More “The Real Beatrix Potter by Nadia Cohen” »
As the parent of a young child with cystic fibrosis, this is the book I wish all my friends would read. This not only conveys my fears for my child, but also my hope for him to be a “normal” teenager, have his own dreams, fall in love, grow old, and everything else that a parent of a “healthy” child takes for granted. Salt in My Soul is made up of lightly journal edited entries … Read More “Salt in My Soul: An Unfinished Life by Mallory Smith” »