Need another book to fill the last slots of your summer reading list? How about Educated by Tara Westover? This memoir is sure to keep you turning pages. Educated by Tara Westover has been on the New York Times Best Sellers list for over five months, and we can see why. Tara Westover grew up … Continue reading Educated by Tara Westover
May is Mental Health Awareness Month so O'Fallon Public Library is showcasing some brilliant books written about mental health on our blog as well as Instagram and Facebook pages. Because We Are Bad by Lily Bailey Because We Are Bad: OCD and a Girl Lost in Thought by Lily Bailey is a memoir of a … Continue reading Because We Are Bad by Lily Bailey
The Five Star Friday selection this week, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers, hearkens back to the Gen-X hype of the 1990’s. Summary: The literary sensation of the year, a book that redefines both family and narrative for the twenty-first century. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius is the moving memoir of a college … Continue reading A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, by Dave Eggers
Full title: Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis Intense memoir of J.D. Vance's childhood and eventual rise. It reminded me of Angela's Ashes except that instead of Ireland, it took place in Kentucky/Ohio and the drug of choice was prescription pills rather than alcohol. I was astonished that J.D. not only … Continue reading Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance
One of my favorite actors, Gene Wilder, died from complications of Alzheimer’s. In haste, I have collected links to videos and interviews to celebrate his life. Be it Young Frankenstein, The Producers, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, or a host of other movies, Gene Wilder has provided us with decades of uniquely dynamic and … Continue reading Celebrating Gene Wilder
I spent my childhood in Nashville, Tennessee at a time when protests for civil rights roiled not so far from my front door. This volatile era spurred nightly dinner-table arguments between my raging “teen-ager with a cause’ aunt and my rigidly racist grandfather. It was my aunt who first told me about James Baldwin and … Continue reading The Fire Next Time
Excruciatingly honest memoir from Felicia Day about her quirky childhood, gaming addiction, cultural attitudes online, and life long struggle with anxiety and other mental health issues. She reminded me a great deal of Jenny Lawson in her straight forward presentation of difficult topics and also in her exuberant storytelling style. And, in many other ways, […] … Continue reading Guest Post: You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day — The Help Desk
Full title: As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride. Before I start my review, I want to mention that As You Wish is the perfect audiobook for a road trip between St. Louis, Missouri and Kansas City, Kansas. I was traveling with my daughter and husband, and we were all … Continue reading As You Wish by Cary Elwes
The title says it all, doesn't it? Lauren Scheuer's book Once Upon a Flock: Life with My Soulful Chickens explores her heartfelt and often humorous experience with raising chickens in her backyard. As can be imagined, her husband wasn't exactly thrilled when she had the bright idea one afternoon to build a chicken coop. Yet it wasn't … Continue reading Once Upon a Flock: Life with My Soulful Chickens
Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon's Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart is James Doty's memoir. He had a tragic childhood with parents who, for various reasons, were not present for him. Then, after an encounter with a total stranger, James was taught meditation, creative visualization, and positive … Continue reading Into the Magic Shop by James Doty
