BORN A CRIME

Author:  Trevor Noah

Genre:  Memoir, Standalone

Published:  2016

Personal Rating:  4.5/5

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Trevor Noah

Yearly Count:  10

From Goodreads:

The compelling, inspiring, and comically sublime New York Times bestseller about one man’s coming-of-age, set during the twilight of apartheid and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed.

This was educational, entertaining, and I experienced a whole range of emotions, as well.  The stories weren't told succinctly, but they were engaging nonetheless. That may have been a little more noticeable due to this being an audiobook (no physical break in pages). The foul language wasn't pleasant either, but overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Thoughts of Joy

A THOUSAND NAKED STRANGERS

Author:  Kevin Hazzard

Genre:  Memoir, Standalone

Published:  2016

Personal Rating:  3.75/5

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/George Newbern

Yearly Count:  8

From Goodreads:

A former paramedic’s visceral, poignant, and mordantly funny account of a decade spent on Atlanta’s mean streets saving lives and connecting with the drama and occasional beauty that lies inside catastrophe.

I thought I'd step into the life of an EMT/paramedic.  Unfortunately, I think I have been permanently scarred!  I will NEVER look at an ambulance or the paramedics inside the same way.  😟  My emotions ran the gamut, but centralized on how perplexed I was regarding the attitude of the author.  He wasn't a horrible person or anything like that, BUT he definitely didn't have the same nature as I do.  What he said was more disturbing than funny.  I do believe I giggled once, though.  HOWEVER, it does take a special kind of person to deal with and perform the duties emergencies require that arise in the medical field.  What's gross or appalling for some is intriguing and compelling to others.  I get that.  And thank goodness for them.  I'm just looking at them with a little skepticism these days.

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EDUCATED

Author:  Tara Westover

Genre:  Memoir, Standalone

Published:  2018

Personal Rating:  4/5 (very good)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Julia Whelan

Yearly Count:  7

From:  Goodreads:

Educated is an account of the struggle for self-invention. It is a tale of fierce family loyalty and of the grief that comes with severing the closest of ties. With the acute insight that distinguishes all great writers, Westover has crafted a universal coming-of-age story that gets to the heart of what an education is and what it offers: the perspective to see one's life through new eyes and the will to change it.

While this was reminiscent of The Glass Castle (Walls), it didn't have the same impact on me, and I'm not exactly sure why.  Both women persevere and work through the life they were born into that was wrought with several forms of abuse.  I suspect there's more to the stories Tara told that she wasn't/isn't aware of, because some were beyond my comprehension.  I just can't see how some of it could slip by others; however, I'm aware that it does.  It's just mind-boggling!  

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MIRACLE IN THE ANDES

Author:  Nando Parrado

Genre:  Memoir, Standalone

Published:  2007

Personal Rating:  5/5 (absolutely outstanding)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Josh Davis

Yearly Count:  46

A survivor of the 1972 Andes plane crash recounts his experience of life and death in the mountains.

Absolutely outstanding.  I was touched in so many ways by Nando's story from beginning to end.  He made me feel what he was feeling, made me see what he was seeing and simply . . . made me feel like I was there.  Truly a remarkable book of survival.  I love Nando.  :)

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MY STORY

Author:  Elizabeth Smart

Genre:  Memoir, Standalone

Published:  2013

Personal Rating:  3.25/5 (just okay +)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Elizabeth Smart

Yearly Count:  41

Elizabeth Smart shares the nightmare she experienced when she was kidnapped for 9 months at the age of 14.

While the story was heartbreaking to hear, I think it could have been presented in a much better way.  Elizabeth was expressing her sassy and sarcastic 14-year-old attitude when she described certain aspects of her captivity.  That didn't bode well with me.  It sounded childish and not the mature adult she is today.  However, I love her attitude regarding the terrifying 9 months of her life and how she has moved on to help others.

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HILLBILLY ELEGY

Author:  J. D. Vance

Gerne:  Memoir, Standalone

Published:  2016

Personal Rating:  3.75/5 (good +)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/J. D. Vance

Yearly Count:  18

This is an account of a self-professed Hillbilly who makes it against many odds.

Since I have read numerous books regarding poverty (and see it in my profession), this book didn't hold any revelations for me, but it was interesting.  Vance did a great job reading his own work, and I appreciated his efforts in showing that getting out from underneath can be accomplished.

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A LION CALLED CHRISTIAN

Author:  Anthony Bourke & John Rendall

Genre:  Memoir, Standalone

Published:  2009

Personal Rating:  3.5/5 (good)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/John Lee

Yearly Count:  67

Two traveling, Australian men purchase a lion from Harrods Department Store in London.  This is their journey with a lion they name Christian.

I enjoyed this short adventure.  It lacked depth for me, though.  After reading about the elephants, this one seemed to skim the surface; however, it was still good.

Thoughts of Joy

THE SOUND OF GRAVEL

Author:  Ruth Wariner

Genre:  Memoir, Standalone

Published:  2016

Personal Rating:  4.25/5 (very good +)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Ruth Wariner

Yearly Count:  49

Ruth, a child of polygamy, tells her coming-of-age story.

This was quite a story.  It reminded me of The Glass Castle (Walls); however, I wish I read this book.  If the author read like she talked in her book trailer, all would have been well.  But, she didn't.  :(  Needless to say, I kept listening and the story took over.  Ruth's love of her family is prevalent and her determination to be applauded.  May her life be filled with joy and peace.

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A MOTHER'S RECKONING

Author:  Sue Klebold

Genre:  Memoir, Standalone

Published:  2016

Personal Rating:  4.5/5 (excellent)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Sue Klebold

Yearly Count:  46

This is Sue Klebold's account of her family and the way in which they have dealt with the tragedy of Columbine.

This was an incredibly sad, yet very articulate reckoning.  Saying my heart goes out to Sue Klebold doesn't accurately convey the depth of my sympathy for her.  She is someone I would like to be my friend -- that's how close I felt towards her after reading her journey.

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HONOR BOUND

Author:  Raffaele Sollecito & Andrew Gumbel

Genre:  Memoir, Standalone

Published:  2012

Personal Rating:  4/5 (very good)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Seth Numrich

Yearly Count:  24

Raffaele, a native Italian, meets an American student named Amanda Knox.  They immediately develop a relationship, but just as quickly are pulled apart by the devastating murder of Amanda's roommate.  They are accused and imprisoned.

I think I like Raffaele's telling better than Amanda's (Waiting to Be Heard), but that may have more to do with their personalities than the writing.  However, not enough to change my rating of the book.  I really enjoyed the narrator.

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WAITING TO BE HEARD

Author:  Amanda Knox

Genre:  Memoir, Standalone

Published:  2013

Personal Rating:  4/5 (very good)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Amanda Knox

Yearly Count:  21

Amanda travels abroad to study in Italy.  Her desire to learn the language and soak in the culture turns to a very limited environment . . . prison.  She was convicted of murdering her roommate.

This wasn't an edge-of-your-seat kind of book (mainly because I know the current status); however, it was told very succinctly and encompassing.  I was able to follow and understand everything she went through:  physically, emotionally and mentally.  

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THE WATER IS WIDE

Author:  Pat Conroy

Genre:  Memoir, Standalone

Published:  1969

Personal Rating:  3/5 (just okay)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Dan John Miller

Yearly Count:  20

Children on Yamacraw Island, off the coast of South Carolina, receive a new teacher . . . Pat Conroy.

I didn't find this to be anything special.  I suppose if I had read any of Pat Conroy's work beforehand, I may have been more intrigued with his life before writing.  

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A GAME FOR SWALLOWS

Author:  Zeina Abirached

Genre:  YA Graphic Memoir, Standalone

Published:  2012 (English version)

Personal Rating:  3.5/5 (good)

Format:  Book

Yearly Count:  86


Two young children are left in their Beirut apartment when their parents don't return from visiting their grandparents.

This gave great insight into the civil war in Lebanon.

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SISTERS

Author:  Raina Telgemeier

Genre:  Graphic Memoir, Standalone

Published:  2014

Personal Rating:  3/5 (just okay)

Format:  Book

Yearly Count:  72

It's a graphic memoir about childhood sisters.

Whatever.  

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THE DUMBEST IDEA EVER!

Author:  Jimmy Gownley

Genre:  YA Graphic Novel Memoir, Standalone

Published:  2014

Personal Rating:  3/5 (just okay)

Format:  Book

Yearly Count:  54

Thirteen-year-old Jimmy goes through some growing pains as he discovers what is important to him.

This has received some high praise, but I just don't see it.  It's fine.  There's nothing necessarily wrong with it; however, I would have included some important steps of his path (i.e.:  actual advice for publishing).  I enjoyed the part when he ventures into defending the graphic novel genre.  The theory of any kind of reading is reading prevails.  I do have my own age appropriate umbrella over that theory, but that's just me.  My hope is that this book inspires young adults (and adults, too).

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WAVE

Author:  Sonali Deraniyagala

Genre:  Memoir, Standalone

Published:  2013

Personal Rating:  2.5/5 (not enjoyable)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Hannah Curtis

Yearly Count:  28

This is the memoir of Sonali who experienced the devastation of the Sri Lanka tsunami when she lost her family.

For me, this is another one of those cathartic memoirs - the kind that are good for an individual to write, but to keep it to themselves (or share with a therapist) for healing purposes.  Most of the book was pure heartache/gloom/grief; however, towards the end she shares some happier memories of her family.  It's her truth, but it's strictly a purging of all the negative thoughts she had beginning when she first saw the wave.

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MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING

Author:  Viktor E. Frankl

Genre:  Memoir, Standalone

Published:  1946

Personal Rating:  4/5 (very good)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Simon Vance

Yearly Count:  63

Neurologist and psychologist, Viktor Frankl uses his years in concentration camps as evidence that people can overcome suffering by choosing their reactions and finding meaning in their struggles.  His theory of logotherapy focuses on searching for meaning and not just happiness.

I picked this up after I saw many wise quotes by Frankl in a book we used at a training I attended.   The quotes spurred a curiosity, and I sought out this book.  The first half was based on Frankl's experience in concentration camps (descriptive, but not overwhelmingly so), and the second focused on his theory of logotherapy.  Both were valuable and interesting.  While I enjoyed listening to this, I think it would be a good book to have on hand for reference.

   

  

LET'S TAKE THE LONG WAY HOME

Author:  Gail Caldwell

Genre:  Memoir, Standalone

Published:  2011

Personal Rating:  3.5/5 (good)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Joyce Bean

Yearly Count:  52

This is a story about the friendship between two women (and their dogs).

I enjoyed this memoir.  It had the perfect balance of life's ups and downs.  I sensed that it was a cathartic endeavor for Gail to share her friendship with an audience.

   

MARBLES

Author:  Ellen Forney

Genre:  Graphic Memoir, Standalone

Published:  2012

Personal Rating:  3.75/5 (good +)

Format:  Book

Yearly Count:  28

Ellen is diagnosed with Bi-Polar I Disorder and shares her deepest thoughts and actions as she goes on a quest for making her life the best it can be.

Geez!  Reading this book made ME feel bipolar!  The ups and downs and racing thoughts were difficult to read.  I can only imagine living it!

I really liked that Ellen pursued a question throughout the book that I found intriguing:  Does taking medication (to temper the highs and lows) affect creativity?  It gave a focus to the book, and she does come to a conclusion for herself.  I liked her perseverance and the insight that she gained.

WITH OR WITHOUT YOU

Author:  Domenica Ruta

Genre:  Memoir, Standalone

Published:  2013

Personal Rating:  3/5 (just okay)

Format:  eBook  

Yearly Count:  22

From NetGalley:

Domenica Ruta grew up in a working-class, unforgiving Italian town north of Boston where in the seventeenth century women were hanged as witches. Her mother, Kathi, a notorious figure in this hardscrabble place, was a drug addict and sometime dealer whose life swung between welfare and riches, whose highbrow taste was at odds with her base appetites. And yet she managed, despite the chaos she created, to instill in her daughter the idea that art—via a classic film or a classical education—could transcend this life of undying grudges, self-inflicted misfortune, and the crooked moral code that Kathi and her cohorts lived by. With or Without You is the story of Domenica’s unconventional coming of age—a darkly hilarious chronicle of a misfit ’90s childhood and the necessary and painful act of breaking away, and of overcoming her own addictions and demons in the process. In a brilliant stylistic feat, Domenica Ruta has written a powerful, inspiring, compulsively readable, and finally redemptive story about loving and leaving.

This was an interesting, quick read, but chronologically it was a mess.  Ruta mentions that when she began writing she just took the memories as they came.  Well that's fine and dandy, but if you're going to publish the memories into a book, a logical step would be to put them in order so they easily make sense to a reader.

Ruta's childhood obviously was not one anybody would wish for and good for her for rising above what she grew up with; however, I didn't find her story to be "darkly hilarious, powerful or inspiring."  I wish her well.        
    

My thanks go to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with this eGalley.