But seriously though. This thing was making its rounds on The ‘Gram so of course I got big FOMO and requested it immediately from the library. At some point I have to learn there are lots of people who (a) are much kinder than I am, (b) obtain advanced copies and feel obligated to push them to the front and center on/near pub date, and/or (c) are not addicted to all things trash T.V. like myself. This is the story of three ladies who all get taken by “Ethan” – their online boyfriend – back in 2011. While I understand the intertubes and at-home sleuthing weren’t quite what they are today, that actually worked against me feeling for these women. Call me a victim blamer, but JFC at some point even if Ethan weren’t a total fabrication, it was REAL apparent . . . .
Releasing this book THIRTEEN YEARS after the fact certainly did it no favors either. Ethan was a little minnow in comparison to some of the Catfish stories that have been on my boob tube for almost the same amount of time....more
I’m always looking for something to listen to on my walks and while I’m attempting to dabble into books with more “plot” (term used as loosely as possI’m always looking for something to listen to on my walks and while I’m attempting to dabble into books with more “plot” (term used as loosely as possible), my go-to of choice remains the humorous essay. This popped up on the library’s recommendation feature and the title was truly a “you had me at hello” moment. But while I thought said title was going to be a little funny ha-ha regarding the awkwardness of coming into one’s own, unfortunately it was a pretty good descriptor for how I felt while listening.
I knew nothing about this author before checking this out (see above regarding what an easy mark I am when it comes to titles/covers). Had I known she was “Twitter famous” I may have steered clear. And while I did get a few chuckles here and there – I mean I truly thought this was going to be a gem when it opened with . . .
And then telling people that they better have Google handy if they don’t understand pop culture references – sadly those moments were few and far between.
Mainly because I am a Boomer who doesn’t feel someone’s personal reflections on growing up need to be over explained as to not offend. (And sometimes, there is no differential to begin with. Dear 18 year olds, you are bad at sex things. Universally. Zero gender, race, sexuality qualifiers are necessary.) The fact that this book had ALLLLLLLLL the monikers used in every sentence – while being presented by a cis, white, straight, privileged upbringing woman came off very much like the well-intentioned social justice warriors who really end up hurting rather than helping any particular cause. And the ending saying this isn’t an advice book, accompanied with some self-deprecation “oh could you imagine? #cringecringe” – while also pretty much advertising she writes an advice column left me shaking my head.
This one is for the people who think Hannah from Summer House is a real knee slapper instead of insufferable. ...more
I was searching for a new, funny memoir to listen to and when this popped up as a recommendation on the Reddit I snagged it from the library real quick. I assumed the title was just a little funny ha-ha and that it wouldn’t really be her philosophizing, but it wasn’t so I’m a wrongreader (or wronglistener, as the case may be here). I’m just not a religious (or even spiritual) person so this wasn’t for me. Also, it appears it was intended to be some sort of almost devotional sort of workbook with various prompts, so other than the bonus of listening to her delightful delivery, it was really intended to be on paper rather than audio. ...more
Of course I never read it because why would I ever read things I own???? However, I am a big fan of humorous essays and my ride-or-die here is a true Southern belle so when I was perusing the Hoopla looking for an audiobook to check out I snatched it right up.
I had no idea of the original publication date having only purchased this a couple of years ago, but unfortunately it has aged like milk in the 20 years since it originally came out. Rivenbark was apparently one of a handful of original “mommy bloggers” who contributed to the local newspaper (insert youngsters asking what are those?!?!?!) back in the day. Had I known this collection would feature not only outdated material, but a heaping helping of “aint’ she sweet” tales of child-rearing I would have steered clear. I am more than happy to admit I only enjoy my own children . . . . and I made sure to NOT be one of those people who overshared every unremarkable thing both little Billy and Bobby did whilst marking their milestones.
Also, Neil Diamond is a natural treasure so anyone who dares besmirch his name can kindly kiss my grits. And also 2.0, every woman I know who is roughly my age wants to bang the bearded middle-aged Marshall Mathers (and some of us even named one of our cats after him) so take that, Boomer . . . .
(Oh and since this was on audio: I don’t know if it was because I am old and need to crank things up to eleventy to hear or the recording or the reader, but OH MY GOD THE MOUTH NOISES! Y’all know what I’m talking about, right? Like a smacky sort of noise while she opened her mouth before speaking? Barf!)...more
I have no intention of bashing this book, but it 100% did not meet my expectations. I don’t really care for the most part if a celebrity chooses to glI have no intention of bashing this book, but it 100% did not meet my expectations. I don’t really care for the most part if a celebrity chooses to gloss over some of the more personal aspects of parts of their life or any traumatic experiences of their upbringing and instead focus on their journey to fame and fortune, but they have to give me something.
RuPaul was coming into his own in New York Freaking City during the time of Club Kids, the AIDS crisis, closeted lifestyles, you name it. I didn’t just want to hear how/why he decided to become the “prettiest girl in the room” – I wanted to get to know him. Although well-written, this felt more like an extended fluff piece for a publication like Vanity Fair.
The one good thing? The audio was great and it certainly helped me get more than 5 miles in while listening and attempting to . . . .
In homage to “Darkly Dreaming Dexter” I have lovingly been referring to Augusten Burroughs as “Darkly Delightful David” for years since I have enjoyedIn homage to “Darkly Dreaming Dexter” I have lovingly been referring to Augusten Burroughs as “Darkly Delightful David” for years since I have enjoyed his memoirs nearly as much as my one true love, David Sedaris. While Burroughs has always leaned waaaaaay more into the macabre memories of his coming of age and adulthood than Sedaris, he has done so often in a laugh out loud way that makes you feel like (even more of) a terrible person.
This time around he tackles his childhood – back when his parents were still together, in a VERY dysfunctional marriage, and before he went to live with his mother’s shrink. Much like Sedaris’ Happy Go Lucky this one delves into true darkness – including alcoholism, untreated mental illness(es), and domestic violence to name a few. And then there’s this hinting around nearly at the end that maybe his father was, if not a serial killer, potentially at least a murderer of one person that has become a reoccurring dream for Augusten.
I was really ready to pan this one . . . but then at the end Burroughs explained it was sort of a “modern art project” for him so take my rating with a grain of salt. I’m giving this 2.5 Stars and rounding down for the audio version because I absolutely HATED all of the interludes of sound and music that, unfortunately, were 100% Burroughs’ own idea. He also includes four songs at the end and I really didn’t like the Patty Smith one . . .
(But how absolutely kick-ass is it that he could just call PATTY SMITH up and say, “hey, wanna write me a song for this audiobook thing I’m doing?”)...more
If you were here a couple of weeks ago for the Great Author Tantrum of ’24 when apparently I should have been drawn and quartered for faili
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If you were here a couple of weeks ago for the Great Author Tantrum of ’24 when apparently I should have been drawn and quartered for failing to read/review an advanced copy within a week of receiving it, then maybe I should be burned at the stake for this one since it was released in 2021, I received it as an ARC and three years later I just now finally got around to it. And to be 100% honest, I probably wouldn’t have even then if I had not been looking for a murder show to binge on the television and saw this title pop up which led to “hmmmmm, don’t I have a book by that name????” Also? I didn’t even read it. This was my latest “walk ‘n talk” that I finished during my lunch hour just now that I checked out via audio from the library.
But I digress . . . .
I REALLY appreciated the way this was delivered. I’m not a big true crime reader, but this approach to tell the VICTIM’S story with the perpetrator only coming in at the end to wrap up how he was caught and for him to get his comeuppance was such a change of pace.
This story of a serial killer literally didn’t even have a Wikipedia page before the book was written was one that had already been mishandled for eternity, so I appreciated the sensitivity with which it was told. I also “enjoyed” (wrong term, but I’m no tortured poet so you get what you get) the history of the hole-in-the-wall sort of gay bar scene in NYC during the late ‘80s and early ‘90s instead of only ever hearing about the Stonewall Riots, the terror of the AIDS epidemic, and how newfound technology so often cracks the cold case (like the new way of lifting fingerprints here or “23andMe” with the Golden State Killer).
If you are looking for a gory detailed sort of bloodbath serial killer book, this won’t be for you, but I thought it was so well done and the narration was great. Orrrrrrrrr, if you have Max you can simply watch the docuseries.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review....more
This morning while perusing Reddit like I do I came across a post talking about how Rebel Wilson basically lost money doing Bridesmaids because she onThis morning while perusing Reddit like I do I came across a post talking about how Rebel Wilson basically lost money doing Bridesmaids because she only made $3,500, plus she had to pay agent/manager/taxes, plus more to be in the union/SAG (are those the same thing?), AND bought her own dress for the premier. And being that Reddit is the dumpster fire that it is the whole thing was steeped in a “poooooooor Rebel” tone that took others who had actually listened to the interview rather than simply reposting a click-bait article to explain that REBEL wasn’t bitching and whining – she was simply pointing out that the return on that investment ended up being what got her discovered, turned into a $10M per movie going rate, jumpstarted her ability to provide for herself, her family, develop her own television series, become a producer, etc., etc., etc. NEVER CHANGE YOU REDDIT DE LU LUS!
So anyway, what better time to puke up a review than now. This was my latest “walk ‘n talk” and while I’m nowhere near what you would call a Rebel Wilson superfan (I did not even know she had a child or anything about her sexuality), I absolutely was one of the billions of people who fell in love with . . . .
But even more than that? Isn’t It Romantic (which probably got panned by every reviewer in the universe) is a movie I have watched eleventy trillion times over. First, I love Rebel’s “work husband” Adam Devine and their obvious chemistry on set together, but more importantly I loooooooove the theme that everyone is worthy of love, but most importantly you have to be able to love yourself. And also?????
This maybe wasn’t the most fascinating memoir I’ve listened to – I mean the big “shocker” that was the headlines pre-release date was that Sascha Baron Cohen – a man who has made an entire career out of being shockingly offensive – was, in fact, shockingly offensive in real life . . .
But the parts about being okay with your body up to a point where you reach a certain age and start thinking about potential health concerns that come with aging or the inability to get pregnant or carry a baby were so relatable. Also, that women in general (and famous women even more so) are in a damned if they do damned if they don’t situation no matter WHAT they look like, getting scrutinized both for being fat or for trying to lose weight. And the absolute best was explaining the basics of long-term sustainability when it comes to losing weight. Explaining that diets and fads may work for the short-term, but until you come to terms with changing your lifestyle, calories in/calories out and deficits the weight probably won’t stay off forever. For a person listening to this while going on my 7 mile hike up hills and more hills to become a more physically fit version of myself this was music to my ears.
I picked this up because it was recommended to me after finishing Under the Banner of Heaven I was alllllllll about finding out more when it comes to I picked this up because it was recommended to me after finishing Under the Banner of Heaven I was alllllllll about finding out more when it comes to “Secret Ceremonies” of the Mormon church. But then I listened to it and . . . .
While it does share some behind the scenes moments from a marriage in the temple, for the most part it reads like something from the 1950s by an author who would have been classified as “prone to hysteria” as she frequents the local psych ward for being an oversexed, “boy crazy,” chronic masturbator. Bizarre....more
(And yes I already know I’m going straight to H-E-Double-Hockey Sticks for continually thinking of the old Chris Rock special every time getting “high” on Robitussin was mentioned in this book.)
I am an O.G. James Renner fan. Despite my hatred for most covers not house related, I snatched up a copy of The Man from Primrose Lane (which, ironically features a main character who wrote a true crime novel) after some Goodreads friends dug it and then was lucky enough to get a reader copy of The Great Forgetting which earned all the Stars from my stingy butt too.
Imagine my dismay when Renner started writing true crime novels rather than fiction. You see, I’m a girl who loves to take a deep dive into all things murdery and culty on the boob tube, but aside from the occasional Ann Rule, only dabble in the written version. I made an exception with True Crime Addict because, once again, I was offered an early copy and also at that point I might have been somewhat addicted to Websleuths and the crazed keyboard commandos that could be found there. And it was good, but still the fact remains that I read garbage so this latest release has been sitting gathering dust for an age.
Buuuuuuuut, then I was looking for something to listen to on my “walk ‘n talks” and this was available in audio format from the library so I figured, why not? For audiobook listeners, the author has a great reading voice that should generate zero complaints. And as far as the subject matter? I had zero problems walking five miles while listening and was completely invested in this story of “crazy little children” who spent their free time having “Robitussin parties,” sex and sleepovers all in the suburb of Shaker Heights with apparently none of their parents all the wiser.
Renner’s version of true crime is different than a lot of authors. His stories are not well known and he sticks close to home with those that took place in Ohio. But he’s two-for-two when it comes to me getting totally caught up in the telling.
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. ...more
Okay, not really since I listen while walking, but boy oh boy did I really not have the same experience as nearly everyone else did.
In my defense, I didn’t know much about this before diving in aside from (a) I have had it on my TBR for eons thinking I would read it every time “Nonfiction November” rolled around (b) I thought it was a true crime book about a murder committed by fundamentalists and (c) I’m sort of obsessed with all things polygamy (excluding Sister Wives because Kody and Robin *barf* . . . but Escaping Polygamy???? Um I’ll take that with cheese thankyouverymuch).
While the (double) murder was the jumping off point of the book, when it comes to true crime stories and how desensitized I probably am with my obsession to all things cult and murdery, it wasn’t a real shock and awe sort of grabber. Buuuuuuuuut, as I said above, I’m always down for a trip to Colorado City so at first I was hooked. However, then came the entire history of the Mormon faith from Joseph Smith to Brigham Young to very little on Warren Jeffs and the downfall of his FLDS sect since this was released 20 years ago.
Nearly everyone else found this fascinating, though, so take my “meh” with several grains of salt. Or read Into the Wild or Into Thin Air by this author because I found both of those fascinating. ...more
If you follow me you have already heard that I started dabbling in audiobooks to accompany me while I go on my daily walks. Memoirs have always been mIf you follow me you have already heard that I started dabbling in audiobooks to accompany me while I go on my daily walks. Memoirs have always been my go-to when it comes to nonfiction reading, so those are what I have tended to pick up in audio as well. This one came to be when I found myself on eternal wait lists for sure to be Pulitzer winners like Paris Hilton and RuPaul's autobiographies and I Googled "funny memoirs." It's probably pretty safe to say I would have not picked this up had it not been for my fellow Redditors, but I'm really glad they steered me in its direction.
Simultaneously hilarious (I mean, just how many things can one guy find shoved up orifices???) to heartbreaking (note this was an OBGYN so there's a solid chance of tears when discussing still births - even for a robot like me). But right when he breaks your heart the next entry is a dry-heave inducing gross out that will have you gag laughing. These journal entries from Dr. Adam as he attempted to make his way up the food chain of the NHO deserve all the Stars....more
I mean, I am literally shoving a Panera Sierra sandwich and heaping serving of salad into my maw simultaneously while typing this. But as I
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I mean, I am literally shoving a Panera Sierra sandwich and heaping serving of salad into my maw simultaneously while typing this. But as I have mentioned before, much like Jim Gaffigan I am an eatie, not a foodie. I’m also trying to avoid being on My 600 Pound Life by doing these lunch hour/weekend walks (with some guilty pleasure viewing of various Househoes and all other things Bravo has to offer while either on the rower or elliptical as “two a days” as penance for killing all of my brain cells on trash T.V.).
You would think a book all about food might be counterproductive. You’d be wrong, though, . . . well at least as far as the audiobook is concerned. As I’ve already said I’m an eatie, so tons of the dishes referenced were things I would need to Google which leads to another plus of audio which is the inability to Google while hauling my dumper around the park and trying to avoid the very goosey geese who oftentimes are blocking the trail . . . .
Since I’ve started these “walk ‘n talks” I’ve leaned toward memoirs since they don’t have a plot to follow or typically more than a mention of additional “characters.” My preference is for them to come off as conversational rather than simply reading off a script, delivery is important and the more intelligent (be it I.Q. in the writing or emotional as far as the reflection on their life) the better. But most importantly is that it gets my ass moving. Bourdain’s frenetic pace of narration and almost free association style of rambling off menu items, kitchen banter, whathaveyou most certainly did the trick. Such a shame he’s no longer with us, his passion for food and life just oozed out of every page (minute) of this book.
When I put my hold at the library for this audiobook, I had no clue I would be investing 16.5 hours of my life listening to Les Dogggg get me through When I put my hold at the library for this audiobook, I had no clue I would be investing 16.5 hours of my life listening to Les Dogggg get me through my walk ‘n talks for the week. And when I saw the Kindle version came in at less than 300 pages, the math simply was not mathing. That didn’t stop me from immediately dumping my planned listen in order to get right to this one – and it didn’t take long to figure out why there was such a discrepancy in the length. The Kindle version is going to be a condensed version of the audio, polished up by a ghostwriter. The audio is pure Leslie. She spits truth and offers sage advice with her infamous “trumpet voice.” If you are allergic to fucks or motherfuckers, keep your distance. But if you are like me (who, unfortunately, was pretty late for the party since I’m an old die-hard SNL fan but not much of a comedy special sort of fan) and fell in love with Leslie’s love for Colin Jost . . . .
I have probably put this on hold at the library only to remove my name when my turn came around over a dozen times. I tend to be a wrongreader when itI have probably put this on hold at the library only to remove my name when my turn came around over a dozen times. I tend to be a wrongreader when it comes to releases that become part of a massive hype train and since I’m an old lady I have to confess that I, Carly was one of my least favorite things to endure when my kids were little. And Sam Puckett????
Seriously? Butter sock? That ish was annoying as hell.
The great news is Jeanette McCurdy thought the show/her character were annoying as all get out as well!
So while I didn’t have the same reaction as someone who grew up as a superfan of McCurdy’s child stardom, I thought this book was very well put together and really provided a lot of insight with regards to coming to terms with an abusive childhood as well as disordered eating and removing toxic people from your life (hopefully on your own and not because they finally kicked the bucket).
I listened to this on audio and it most definitely held my attention so 4 Stars. The hype was pretty real here....more
It makes me terribly sad to only give 3 Stars on this edition of my “Walk ‘n Talk.” Watching reruns of The Carol Burnett show at my Grandma and GrandpIt makes me terribly sad to only give 3 Stars on this edition of my “Walk ‘n Talk.” Watching reruns of The Carol Burnett show at my Grandma and Grandpa’s house are some of my favorite childhood memories and I couldn’t wait to hear all about the behind the scenes and unknown (to me, at least) stories of the “company” she kept with Vicki Lawrence, Lionel Wagoner, Harvey Korman and the absolutely hilarious Tim Conway.
While the trip down memory lane did reminisce on some unforgettable moments in comedic history . . .
Hours were spent giving detailed play-by-play of various skits that really should simply be watched rather than listened to in order to get the belly laughs. This was a book for already existent fans – we KNOW these skits as they have been on repeat for 50 years! Also unfortunate was that Carol’s favorite bits were often not my favorite bits and at times I considered maybe fast-forwarding.
Burnett is still a national treasure, much like our dearly departed Betty White. This just missed the mark a bit for me. ...more
When I went to add this latest “Walk ‘n Talk” (that’s what I’m calling these from now on) to my Currently Reading, Goodreads gave me a surprise by infWhen I went to add this latest “Walk ‘n Talk” (that’s what I’m calling these from now on) to my Currently Reading, Goodreads gave me a surprise by informing me not only had I marked I had read this 11 years ago, but that I had given it 2 Stars. I have ZERO recollection of ever picking this up, absolutely nothing was familiar about any of the essays, I barely read memoirs to begin with, and really the only thing I found terribly funny that Silverman ever did was . . . .
Was this the Mandela Effect in action? Did future me time travel back and try to prevent present me from listening to a meh selection while torturing myself on my daily lunch hour trek? The world may never know. Anywho, whether it’s present me or the me who apparently read this eleventy twelve years ago, we both stand by the 2 Star rating. I’m all for low brow humor and fart jokes sometimes, but Silverman’s brand of “funny” is truly bottom of the barrel. Be vulgar, be offensive, but be unquestionably brilliant. You know, like Dave Chappelle.
P.S. Please don’t troll me if she’s still “canceled.” I didn’t even like this one....more
Like bajillions of other true crime addicts around the world, the story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard is one that is like a trainwreck I couldn’t simply looLike bajillions of other true crime addicts around the world, the story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard is one that is like a trainwreck I couldn’t simply look away from. From Mommy Dead and Dearest to binging The Act to reading fictitious takes on Gypsy’s story in novels such as Darling Rose Gold, I have been hooked on this wilder than fiction tale of murder and Munchausen By Proxy for years now. When I saw a book was being released you bet your butt I was the first on the library waiting list. What I didn’t realize this was simply a sampler of around 100 pages – otherwise known as . . . . .
These transcriptions of phone calls from the prison leave nearly all of the story left untold (and would have worked so much better as an audiobook than in hard copy). I 100% anxiously await Gypsy’s full memoir and want to hear her side straight from the horse’s mouth. I will say, the general reaction of “YAAAAAAS QUEEN” by the public upon her release has been more than a little disconcerting to me. Yes, Gypsy-Rose was a victim, but are the same folks who seem to be offended by nearly everything really celebrating murder now? Odd. Also, her Peter Griffin looking husband skeeves me out to the max so it will be interesting to see if he is an opportunist. Let’s face it, Gypsy is an easy mark. She clearly suffers from a severe case of arrested development and dives right into relationships head first looking for her fairy tale. Or is it all an act? She certainly drops her bubbly persona and lets it be known she has some serious sour grapes off of others making money from her tale without her getting a cut (as explained in this book – the public record is free for the taking). The one thing that is certain is she has fully embraced being front and center in the public eye and her millions of new followers on social media. Time will tell if there is to be more than 15 minutes of fame. ...more
In case you don’t know me and this is popping up randomly on your feed because you are a Seth Rogen superfan, please accept my apology for not LOOOOOVIn case you don’t know me and this is popping up randomly on your feed because you are a Seth Rogen superfan, please accept my apology for not LOOOOOVVVVVVING this one and realize that 3 Stars is a perfectly acceptable rating and one which means I wouldn’t ever attempt to steer people away from reading this book.
(Apologies to those who ARE familiar with me for this next bit.) Late this summer after my time of putzing around in the yard had come to an end I noticed my body was hurting pretty much all the time because all I did was sit around on my fat a$$ and watch trash television once I didn’t have plants to plant and weeds to pull. I decided to blow the decade’s worth of dust off the treadmill and only allow myself to imbibe in my Housewives/1000 pounder/90 Day addiction if I was moving. And oh my god I fucking DESPISE the treadmill so when the temperatures dropped out of the 100s I gave walking outside a whirl - and guess what? Watching the leaves change and the squirrels out squirreling while listening to an audiobook is an easy way to get a shitton more steps in. Buuuuuuut since I live in flyover country I only got about 12 seconds of decent weather before it started raining every day and the wind was blowing 40 mph on the regular – soooooooooooooooooo . . . .
Why not? I could get away from my desk for an hour and be more physically fit? Killing two birds with one stone sounded pretty good to me so I’ve been doing 3 to 3.5 miles every time I'm in the office during my lunch hour. I still don’t have the ability to follow a plot via audiobook, however, and I only go in the office three days a week so memoirs have been a great option. This one took even longer than usual since I’ve had plenty of vacation days, but the comedic essay style meant there wasn’t ever a chance to get lost in what was going on.
Like I said above, I’m not a huge Seth Rogen fan, but turns out he directed a movie I really loved . . .
This is all about Dolly’s signature style (which she happily admits was inspired by the “Town Tramp” when she was a little girl).
If you follow me you know I’ve started listening to audiobook memoirs while walking. My turn at the library came up for this one when it was still pleasant outside and I was making my way to and from the park with a walking trail a couple miles away from my house. I could listen to Dolly forever and easily get a minimum of five miles in anytime she’s in my ear.
Kelly (and the Book Boar)
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