It’s a Funny Story

Thanks to NetGalley and Annick Press for this audiobook.

I love it when comedians read their own audiobooks. They’re performers for a living so it’s always fun to hear them tell their story. Despite being only 23 at the time of writing, McCreary has a story to tell.

Being autistic and a comedian makes him a great person to talk about his personal experiences and the realities faced by everyone in the ASD community. I imagine some realities (bullying) are fairly common across the spectrum. I appreciated the short and casual education McCreary provided about the disorder along with personal stories.

McCreary and his younger brother are excellent examples about how 2 people can have the same disorder manifest in wildly different ways. I know a little and I still learned things.

I’ve only got one complaint. This is the first audiobook with visual elements that insists I visit a website. The others came with downloadable PDF attachments. That is a much better idea.

The biggest reason why a short memoir by a young guy is worth reading? “To my autistic readers, you are not alone.” I look forward to more from Colin in the future. 4/5

In Vino Casus

I spent most of Monday nap trapped under a baby so that gave me the perfect opportunity to devour this in a day. I can see why this delightful romp was scooped up by traditional publishers.

Cinnamon drunkenly saves a demon, sort of. This demon reveals that her goddess is not what she seems. This reluctant adventurer sets out to right some wrongs. Fun, funny, fast paced, and steamy, I look forward to reading the rest of the series. 4/5

That Summer at the Lake

This was my book club’s pick for May. I can see why Ann Patchett is popular.

This was beautifully written, character driven fiction. It’s a pandemic novel that barely touches the pandemic. Patchett doesn’t explicitly say it’s 2020 but the fear and social distancing weren’t this strong by 2021. Anyone who lived through 2020 will understand what I mean.

The novel alternates between Lara’s past and the present as she tells the tale to her adult daughters. They’re all home on the family’s cherry farm, which is quietly a character as well.

“The farm is either the very paradise of Eden or a crushing burden of disappointment and despair manifested in fruit, depending on the day.”

Patchett tells the story of Lara coming of age and some of the strange, difficult, and beautiful realities of being a mother. My kids are very small but at least once a week, I look at my life and want to say “I use to be interesting!” My (very little) kids will be shocked when they find out I had a life before them.

“Disappointment, the children learn early on, is embodied by the mother.”

“I want to tell her she will never be hurt, that everything will be fair, and that I will always, always be there to protect her.”

“…who had an entire life about which we had no curiosity.”

Slower, more literary fiction isn’t usually my first pick but this one resonated with me as it went on. It’s especially well timed with Mother’s Day. Very enjoyable. 4/5

Life in Plastic

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this audiobook of Forever Barbie: The Unauthorized Biography of a Real Doll by M. G. Lord

Love her or hate her, we all know Barbie. With the movie catapulting her to the top of the zeitgeist last year, this nonfiction released a 30th anniversary edition with additional content.

Lord’s writing is a mix of intellectual and snark. The narrator, Robin Weigart, strikes the perfect balance, adding just enough personality to incorporate Lord’s dry wit but maintaining an even delivery that works for the more academic information. It occasionally gave me flashbacks to my sociology classes in undergrad.

The depth and breadth of it all was staggering. Lord dug deep to find both the history and cultural impact of Barbie and her friends. Being the unauthorized biography let Lord cover it all. Handler’s second career in mastectomy prosthetics? What got Handler in trouble with the law? Sex, art, body modification, race, politics? She covers it all.

Because the history hasn’t changed, it’s all relevant and interesting. I wish Lord had the time to give the last 30 years the same deep dive as the original text. It was fun, fascinating, and a little weird (Looking at you chapter 10). 5/5

May TBR

Another month where I try to catch up on my ARCs.

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

My book club’s pick for May.

Dog Smart: Life-Changing Lessons in Canine Intelligence by Jennifer S. Holland

A nonfiction I scored on NetGalley about one of my favorite things in the world: dogs.

Forever Barbie by M. G. Lord

I was approved for an ARC of the updated eaudiobook.

Funny, You Don’t Look Autistic by Michael McCreary

Another audio gift from NetGalley.

April Wrap-Up

A diverse mix of genres this month and multiple ARCs.

If You Can’t Take the Heat: Tales of Food, Feminism, and Fury by Geraldine DeRuiter

An excellent memoir in essays. I say more here 5/5

Extinction by Douglas Preston

A fun, if ridiculous, thriller. I say more here. 3.5/5

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

I really enjoyed this. I say more here. 4/5

Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out by Shannon Reed

A memoir that will be appreciated by readers everywhere. Just skip the audiobook. I say more here. 5/5

The Book of Mothers: How Literature Can Help Us Reinvent Modern Motherhood by Carrie Mullins

Enjoyable and insightful literary criticism. I say more here. 4/5

The Nightmare Box and Other Stories by Cynthia Gómez

A fantastic collection of short horror with themes of social and racial justice. I say more here. 5/5

DNF

Walk of Ages: A Generational Journey from Mt. Whitney to Death Valley by Jim Andersen and Withanee Andersen

I love an adventure in nature. What I didn’t love was wondering where the authors were January 6, 2021. I say more here.

What’s in the Box?

Thank you to BookSirens and Cursed Morsels for this eARC.

Gómez centers the Latin identity of her characters and each story is better for it. When people talk about representation mattering and the power of own voices, this is what they mean. 

Reminiscent of The Twilight Zone, each story has an undercurrent of social and racial justice. Many were inspired by actual events which only adds to the horror of each tale. This is the kind of horror that unsettles you and makes you sit with parts of yourself you don’t often meet. 

Highly recommend. Fantastic storytelling. If you liked Out There Screaming edited by Jordan Peele, you’ll like this. 5/5

Like It’s Hard

I forget where I saw the clip of a regressive talking head befuddled about what’s so hard about pregnancy.

Symptoms can include but are not limited to:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Indigestion
• Heartburn (yes, all of those are different)
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Urinary incontinence
• Bowel incontinence
• Food allergies
• Food intolerances
• Absence of prior food allergies or intolerances
• Headaches
• Migraines
• Congestion
• Muscle cramps
• Insomnia
• Sprains
• Swelling
• Hernia
• Joint dysfunction
• Sciatica
• Broken tailbone
• Anemia
• Larger ring size
• Larger shoe size
• Gestational diabetes
• Permanent diabetes
• Sleep disorders
• Fatigue
• Trouble breathing
• Irritability
• Broken ribs
• Nutrient deficiencies
• Heightened sense of smell
• Heightened hearing
• Sensitive skin
• Back pain (mild, moderate, or severe)
• Pelvic pain (mild, moderate, or severe)
• Lightning crotch
• Increased libido
• Decreased libido
• Acne
• Bleeding gums
• Nosebleeds
• Blurred vision
• Hypertension
• Nerve damage
• Carpal tunnel

All of these symptoms can stick around for 2 years or more after giving birth. Some can stick around forever. This list is in no way comprehensive but just what I remember from my pregnancy and what I’ve heard from others.

I’m still dealing with chronic pain and resulting sleep problems. I gave birth in December and she’s sleeping better than I am. Let’s make draconian anti-choice laws the subject of dystopian fiction again.

Why We Read

Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out by Shannon Reed had me at hello. It’s got some of my favorite colors on the cover and it’s a book about being a reader.

It was a fun mix of essays about her personal relationship with books and reading, experiences teaching literature, and essays poking fun at certain genres (signs you’re a parent in a YA novel).

The title was a bit of a misnomer. It’s essentially a memoir in essays from a bookish life. I expected it to be more scholarly and informative based on the title. This may be partly due to listening to the audiobook. The connection between the book title and the chapter titles (to make us cry) didn’t click until I saw them all listed.

I enjoyed Reed’s more casual and personal approach in her writing. Another failure of the audiobook (for me) was that the narrator was drier and more formal in her delivery than Reed was anywhere in her writing.

Once again, I’m finished with a book I really enjoyed and don’t have a ton to say about it. Partly motivated by sleep deprivation, partly because Reed’s memoir will just speak to most readers on a very personal level.

Mooooom!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my eARC of The Book of Mothers: How Literature Can Help Us Reinvent Modern Motherhood by Carrie Mullins.

Mullins definitely went some places I wasn’t expecting. I found her comparing Mrs. Bennett to a Real Housewife very apt. Using Mrs. Weasley as an ode to harried moms was an excellent choice.

Mullins does a good job representing intersectional stories about motherhood and how it differs from our stories about white mothers. A couple of essays didn’t delve quite as deep but most were interesting and insightful. For all the history across these works, they all were tied in to struggles modern moms deal with.

It’s also very accessible. If you didn’t spend your undergrad dabbling in comparative literature, this will still make perfect sense to you. An excellent gift idea for bookish moms for Mother’s Day. 4/5