I'm afraid this post sounds like "I laughed. I cried. It was better than CATS. I'm going to see it again and again." But I just enjoyed all of these books.
It's So Easy - Duff McKagan
There's this little band called Guns n' Roses - perhaps you've heard of it? Duff was the original bassist. He was just sort of another bassist to me until I discovered Married to Rock. He was so funny on that show and clearly hated being part of a reality show. So, I picked up his autobiography, and I must say: Duff is a super cool and interesting guy. For example ... what do you do when, as a rock star, you think you might have been screwed out of some of your money? Well, if you're Duff, you go get a degree in economics. Because you're a badass!
Duff seems cool and pretty normal. I really enjoyed this book.
Life Itself: A Memoir - Roger Ebert
I've always appreciated Roger because he finds joy in the movies. He judges movies by what they are trying to do, instead of comparing every movie to, say, Citizen Kane. That said, I picked up this audio book because, well, I was looking for an audio book at the library, and this seemed sort of OK. But it was super great.
This is Roger's autobiography, and it has clearly been impacted by his health woes in recent years. He can't speak anymore, and so, he writes. Here, he writes about everything from his childhood to his passion for newspapers to marrying as an older adult. Also, he dedicates an entire chapter to Steak 'n Shake. I approve.
This book made me follow Roger on Facebook so that I can keep track of him via his new avenue of discourse, social media. He's a gem.
Drop-Dead Healthy: One Man's Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection - A.J. Jacobs
A.J. has written a series of books where he treats himself as a bit of a guinea pig. First, he read the entire dictionary. Then, he tried to follow alllllll of the Bible's teachings. Now, he's trying to be all healthy, all the time. The great thing is that he's such a funny, self-deprecating writer. And he's honest. And informative, so I was entertained, but truly learned some stuff, too.
Also? A.J. gets mad props for being super kewl when I met him a few years ago and admitted to being his stalker. Extra points for not trying to get me kicked out of your reading, Mr. Jacobs.
So. What books have made you basically incapable of any criticism lately?
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3 comments:
Good recommendations. I really enjoyed Roger Ebert's book. I follow his blog.
Lately, I am most impressed with Hugh Howey, an indie writer. His dystopian "Wool" stories are outstanding fiction. I am eagerly waiting for I, Zombie which is out on the 15th.
I just finished a screwball fantasy called April 33. I kept laughing out loud and my family looked at me like I was crazy! Disclaimer--the author is my former brother-in-law but I had no idea he was such a good writer. Available on Smashwords.
Wow...thanks for the recommendations! They all sound great.
I've been getting into audio books lately, just because I'm in the car so much and sick of radio. So far I've listened to Valerie Bertinelli, which was ok. I'm now listening to At Home, by Bill Bryson. It's absolutely fascinating the things I'm learning. I'm even thinking about getting the book for my own collection.
I'm late to the party, but I'm currently in a love affair with Ann Patchett. I listened to an essay she did for Audible called "This is the Story of a Happy Marriage," and am just minutes from finishing "Truth and Beauty," a memoir of her friendship with Lucy Grealy. Her writing draws me in. I'm off to Bel Canto next, which I've also heard great things about...
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