Why Do We Love Memoirs?

Take a look back at many of the books published over the past several years. You will probably notice a huge amount of memoirs. Most of them are by celebrities, but others are by nobodies and still manage Goodreads choice nominations. Sometimes I wonder why everyone needs a life story so badly...but then again, I am fascinated by people's lives, and continue to pick something up.

So why do we love them so much? I have a few ideas.

They humanize people.

When we read a book by someone well-known, it puts us in their shoes. I just finished reading Michella Obama's book. She was a completely normal girl on Chicago's South Side, and still tries to raise her kids to be normal people as well. You stop viewing them as "a celebrity" and see them as a regular person that is easier to relate to. Plus, once I read one, I think differently of the person when I see them on a talk show or doing a public appearance (in a good way). It's like: "hey, I know her!" 

They remind us we all have a story to tell.

These aren't fictional, but the challenges and characters featured could be seen in any novel. After all, don't novels tell us about life? Memoirs can arguably be an even better version of fiction because they're real and about people we actually know. 

They tell us more about people we like or admire.

At their most basic level, memoirs tell us a little more about their lives. Did you know that Rainn Wilson is just as much of an oddball as his TV character? You'll also learn more about his charity initiatives, an important part of his current work. It gives us more insight into some of our favorite people and help us to feel more connected.

They inspire us to reach to new heights. 

If these people can change the world, implement new policies, or create significant change in a community that needs it, why can't we? Many authors touch on issues that are important to them and can speak candidly about how they were affected. We can understand other people better by listening to their stories. By listening to a political figure, we may get inspired to make change and look at a situation from a new perspective...if we have the open minds to do so. 

Memoirs I Recommend

Is Everybody Hanging Out Without Me? And Other Stories: Mindy Kaling

Becoming: Michelle Obama

Yes, My Accent is Real: Kunal Nayaar

Hyperbole and a Half: Allie Brosh

The Bassoon King: Rainn Wilson
The Rocket Boys: Homer Hickam Jr. 

Becoming: Michelle Obama

Becoming: Michelle Obama
Genre: Memoir
Published: 2018
Pages: 421

Michelle Robinson grew up on Chicago's South Side, surrounded by the love of her family in a neighborhood that was destined to fail. Given her background, and living in a United States that was just moving out of segregation and still dealing with pressing civil rights issues on a regular basis, it seemed unlikely that she would ever become America's First Lady.

But become she did. This book chronicles her humble beginnings and recounts the teachers and adults who helped nurture Michelle's talent in the classroom, two Ivy League schools, and ultimately at work. Not thrilled with practicing law, Michelle would struggle to find her purpose. As she was "checking off the boxes" of success, she would meet Barack Obama, and her plans would be thrown into disarray. Suddenly thrust into politics and starting a family, eventually she would become First Lady. But she doesn't tell her story without asking us the question: who do we as people, and as a country, want to become?



All I have to say is: This book. What a step up from the last, a 1-star rating that I just couldn't stand to finish. I need to thank Michelle for bringing me out of somewhat of a "book slump." Just by telling her life story, she is a better writer than several of the last I've read! But is this book truly worth all this hype? My answer is yes.

What I love about memoirs is that they humanize people. Right off the bat, Michelle and I had several things in common. As kids, we both liked to settle our stuffed animals around us at bedtime. We took piano lessons at age 4 (her with great aunt Robbie, me with Miss Sarah). We met a love interest in the same way--by one of us mentoring/training the other at work. We even reacted to the 2016 election in the same way: going to bed before the winner was announced so we could avoid hearing the outcome. This kind of humanization is especially important, and now probably necessary, when it comes to politics. Michelle is just as real as any of us.

The first third touches on Michelle's early childhood and paints a vivid picture of her Chicago childhood before introducing us to political life and finally life in the White House. Even as a student, she noticed the inequalities between students with privilege and those without, and wanted to do something more about it. I also quickly fell in love with her parents, brother, and grandparents. In a way, it's a tribute to all the people who helped to nurture her talent and an appreciation for tight-knit family culture. You may recall how "chill" the president could be at times, which is something talked about on Tumblr occasionally. This attitude shines through in Michelle, too. She isn't afraid to poke fun at her husband--the first mention of him literally reads "Barack Obama was late on day one"--and mentions the tough time she has getting him to be on time. Of course, there are politics too., but not before Michelle gives us her background and shows us that she is relatable.

This isn't a book about politics or a presidential biography, so she doesn't go much in-depth on a lot of issues or what Barack did on a daily basis. Instead, it touches on what the important issues were at the time, especially to her. We also hear a lot about Michelle's initiatives as First Lady, including projects to decrease childhood obesity and help military families. These projects were inspired by her own life and experiences, including her visits at military hospitals and her daughter not getting enough nutrition due to their busy schedule. These were things I certainly knew about, but I didn't know a lot of the details at the time, and I was interested to know more.

I also enjoyed her portrait of White House life, which she does talk a lot about. Living in the White House isn't always as glamorous as one may think and it presents certain challenges. (Yes, the president and his family do get charged for expenses!) Michelle got along with Secret Service agents and even saw some as friends, but that didn't mean that being tailed by them was easy. She could barely even leave the building without permission, as shown in her recount of the night that same-sex marriage was legalized. She and daughter Malia had to stage an escape just to get outside and see the lights and the crowds. I had to laugh, as I remembered her sharing the same story on the Ellen show. Many aspects are discussed, from the anxious anticipation of election night, to meetings with the Queen and Nelson Mandela, to dealing with criticism, to the Thanksgiving turkey pardon. There is something for everyone here; she never lingers too long on any particular topic but spends just enough time on everything, ensuring the book flows nicely.

She is also pretty straightforward about saying that she is not happy with the current administration, and sometimes it seems like she is going after Republicans. But before you call "partisan!", readers should keep in mind that the Obamas had to work with one of the worst, most partisan Congresses of all time and ended up leaving the White House as a bully was coming in. She is just telling it like it is. (This, and Trump, are something I, she, and many others should not be afraid to speak out about. This is not normal politics, as Michelle put it.) As she shares her frustrations about Congress blocking many bills and measures, and her frustrations about Trump, maybe skeptical readers will understand where that frustration is coming from. She doesn't go on a lot of Trump rants or anything, but does feel the need to acknowledge the problems the administration is causing. But her message fits in nicely: keep working at it.

Tying the book together is the theme of "becoming." It shows us what Michelle is becoming, and what the country can become as well. She often looks toward a vision of "what can be" while working with what the reality is in order to inspire change, and she encourages us to do the same. Progress and change are slow, she reminds us, but we should never lose hope and stop working for change.

Even if you didn't always agree with Barack's policies, I would recommend picking up Becoming. It's an exciting yet intimate look into the life of an admirable woman and also an interesting look at what political life entails. It's very well-paced and flows nicely, one of those books that makes you want to go slowly and concentrate on every word. You will laugh, you will cry, and you will have hope for the future. And perhaps the most important message of all? To become, we have to come together and lay our partisan differences aside. (Please? I'm so tired of petty politics, and it doesn't need to be this way.)

5 stars

Fictionistas Unite Book Survey

Feel free to answer these in your own blog post and include a link in the comments, or post the answers in the comments as well. 

My Survey Answers

1. I have two. The first that comes to mind is Lucille from the Junie B. Jones series. She was pretty, rich, and had good dress sense. But then again, Junie B. was the one with the fun grandparents. Hmm...it was quite a dilemma. The other one was Abby from the Abby Hayes series. She liked to write, like me, and I thought her journal was a genius idea. Plus, her world was so true-to-life, and I liked being able to "be" another character for a while. 

2. Favorites? Realistic fiction, psychological thriller (especially domestic noir), and chick lit as long as it isn't TOO sappy. Least favorites are science fiction and dystopia. I don't care for most fantasy either. 

3. I DID technically write books, but they aren't actually in print- either on Wattpad or in draft mode. But if I had to seriously think about another book to write, I had this idea in mind: something about a girl who meets a semi-friend at camp and they fall out of touch. Then the semi-friend starts acting creepy and needy all of a sudden, and it eventually turns into a non-romantic thriller. It's based on my life (the concept, not the thriller part). 

4. I have several I wrote about in an entry about my book pet peeves. The latest one that bugs me is missing fathers. UGH. It's been done to death over the past few years. Another is YA love triangles. I don't understand why every YA book these days needs a romance to begin with; not everyone is interested in that. It was so overused and so much the same every time that I gave up on the genre. 

5. I don't have a reading routine necessarily, but I do like to read before bed, even if it's not a book. I'll even read yearbooks or old writing projects.

6. One of my first books was Pig William. It was very graphic and colorful and follows a day or so in the life of a pig. Pigs in Hiding was also great, but lacked text.

7. I'm reading a memoir right now, so that's probably not going to work given the context. But for the last book I fully read, Obsession, a great song would be Stranger by Hilary Duff. One of the main characters isn't herself and they're all playing games with each other, possibly trying to make others look bad. This song fits the bill.

8.  I unfortunately do not see a ton of movies based on books I've read, so this is a hard one.My mind wants to go to Harry Potter for a favorite movie adaptation because I think it gets the setting and characters right. I did like seeing Freedom Writers play out on screen, but back to annoying tropes- Patrick Dempsey was utterly useless. Other than this movie being a prime example of including a romance just to include one, it was good and inspiring. 

9. Octavian Country Day School from The Clique series always sounded like a good school. The cafeteria was chill-looking and you could take yoga for a gym class- very awesome. 

10. In college I really enjoyed the Maus graphic novels. Very entertaining and thought provoking. 

11. Someone I have a crush on. Hmmm. I guess Austin is pretty cute from the Cupcake Cafe series by Jenny Colgan. I also like Lucas from A Dog's Way Home. 

Don't forget to check out my second post, a more general survey, if you want to know your book blogger a little bit more! And please post your answers in the comments, or provide us a link to a post with your answers. I would love to see!

How to Fix Garfield

As I said in my last Garfield post about the evolution of Jon Arbuckle, I still like this comic strip no matter how simple it gets. That's part of the charm of the strip: they live in a simple world with recognizable characters and charm. Maybe it's too simple for some people who claim the comic strip loses appeal as they get older. But you know? I will never stop loving Garfield.

But even I have to admit that, as much as I love it, the strip has faltered a bit over the last 5 or so years and is almost becoming the fan art it's so good at selling. How could it be improved to its original charm? I have some suggestions.

Add more weeklong storylines

Whatever happened to the days when Garfield and Jon would visit their family on the farm? I miss those days. Adding more storylines would help with the lack of stories and text that have been occurring lately. They could go visit Irma at the diner, or Garfield could do a show on the fence. Take Jon on a golf outing. Keep readers wanting to find out what happens next sometimes. The strip even broke barriers to do a spooky, existential plotline for Halloween at one point, and that was really cool.

Do a longer storyline once in a while, too. Remember the one where Garfield ran away from home and joined the circus? Remember when he reunited with his mother? Storylines make the comic more than just a witty (or these days, even cliche) quip. 

...with the exception of the spider smashing

Yep. Just dump them. There's nothing funny about finding out you're about to get a week's worth of comics featuring all different ways Garfield can kill a spider. Or rather, a week's worth of items that Garfield can use to smash a spider.

Have things happen

I probably should have started with this one. There is so few dialogue and action in so many strips these days which is probably one of the main reasons I feel it's not quite as good. Some of the dialogue and gags are very bare-bones. Some of the time, it is a joke we've heard before all over the internet. Take a recent strip: Garfield says that life has ups and downs. He then looks at Pooky, his bear, and says that Pooky is an "up." Not a lot of humor or charm or laughter; we all know Garfield likes his teddy bear. I like the simple world, but it is sometimes too simple, like saying something about how he likes Pooky. This is especially true in the past 2-3 years.

The events don't have to be real events, either. Another thing that could be done is having Garfield return to his lively imagination. Remember the weeklong story where he was Amoeba Man? Or the Caped Avenger? Sometimes he could even get sort of philosophical. Garfield's imagination really helped to give him some personality.

A little less of Jon; more of Garfield

We all know Jon: that lovable geek that only got geekier over the years. It's not that he's not entertaining, but he does often take the focus away from Garfield with antics that to some may be too over-the-top. He's got a girlfriend now, we can probably make him a little more sane. Let Garfield's quirks take center stage more often. In the older days, Jon wasn't nearly as goofy as he is now, and the strip still worked very well.

Bring back old features of yore

There are some things that modern Garfield just doesn't mention anymore. Remember his sunbeam? Remember nights spent dancing on the fence? Remember Jon going on vacation or golfing? Remember him sucking up to Arlene? We don't even see the love of lasagna too much these days. These are good, vintage gags we need more of. EDIT: I actually did see a fence instance not long ago. Still, we need more of these things that made Garfield Garfield. 

Also, bring Lyman back. For those of you who don't know, Lyman was Jon's roommate back in the comic's infancy. A reunion would be a fantastic idea, even if only for a week or two. It would also add a great storyline! 

Don't be afraid to up the humor... once in a while

In the younger years Garfield wasn't afraid to not try too hard to appeal to a certain age group. Nowadays, many strips seem mainly for young kids. They're a punch line, and some I've heard plenty of times before that strip was even published. Make the humor come from Garfield himself a bit more by using his personality. And it's okay if the humor appeals to adults. Sometimes. Even in the early years, they never made too many "adult joke only" strips. As a regular reader of a comic, I would hate to see it get downgraded for more child appeal. This actually did happen to me once with a magazine I subscribed to. It used to be much more mature, then it seemed to slowly cater to teens who were younger and younger after some kids wrote in because they were offended about the subject material. That's frustrating. Pick an audience and stay with it. 

Now some people might say this would never work as they won't really want to get rid of this new audience. But it worked with Peanuts, especially when converted into animated specials. And kids certainly won't understand every single one of those strips. Still, its characters are such that kids love them anyway and are still able to get the gist of 95% of the stories and jokes. Garfield shouldn't be afraid to steer clear of a few jokes that all ages wouldn't get. 

Don't be so rigid and precise with the artwork

I used to be a member of a Spongebob fansite, and people said that the show had the same problem: the character designs had become stiff and rigid, making the design less appealing and the character less quirky. I think there's something to be said for Garfield's earlier designs with folds of fat all around. Now, even his modern look...as in the past 4 years... looks more rigid and hi-def than it used to, and he loses something that way. The old design added more to Garfield's personality. I don't have anything against the new design, which has been used for decades now, but lately he's looking a little too perky.

Stop trying to make it sell

I have heard a rumor going around that Garfield was created to be something that sells, and I can see that. Look at are the specials and artwork of Garfield out there. However, that doesn't mean the quality has to go down. It has gotten so basic that sometimes all it does is maintain a profitable character by having Garfield making half-baked smart remarks without anything especially interesting happening. Bottom line: don't make things...comics, books with popular plotlines, anything... JUST so they can sell. Garfield got away with it, but it's not trying as hard anymore, and people are noticing. 

It may seem like I hate Garfield after you read this, but I don't at all. I check up on it every day, but in the last few years, I really think it could be better too. 

The Kiss Quotient: Helen Hoang (DNF)

The Kiss Quotient: Helen Hoang
Genre: Romance/Fiction
Pages: 314
Published: 2018

Stella is in her thirties with barely any dating experience, to the chagrin of her mother. She knows a lot about creating algorithms that help customers decide what to purchase. But because of her mild autism, she has more difficulty with human interactions. So to please her parents, she decides to hire an escort to show her the ropes of what a relationship is like. Enter Michael, who does this for a living. But Stella was expecting practice, not someone to fall in love with. And Michael was expecting a one-night affair, not someone who wanted practice. But as the two get to know one another, maybe they'll realize there's more to life than logic.


Without consulting a review, I was told so many great things about this book that I heard through Goodreads and Instagram. Plus it was a Goodreads Choice Winner. What a cute romance, people said. So fresh! So fun! And that cover! (Okay, you're not supposed to judge by the cover, but still, it's a good book design...but not for the type of book that it is.) So I had to pick it up.

Only to find that this is not a "quirky romance". This is almost straight-up erotica. At least for the first half.

Isn't it strange when everything you see about a book is wrong? And, quite frankly, you wouldn't know that this is that type of book.

It may have been my fault for not reading the description more carefully. When I saw that Stella was hiring an escort, I thought it was literally going to be that: an escort. Someone to help her navigate relationships and accompany her to events to make it look as if she's in a relationship. And that sounded really interesting--someone teaching someone else how to navigate romance. Where it lost me was that he was only teaching her sexual things. Sex and romance don't necessarily equate. I was also disappointed that Stella is only doing this entire thing to impress her naggy mother. You'd think the mother would be a little more understanding of the fact she has autism. And her mother's needs just seem to be forgotten about after the first chapter anyway. So where's the motivation for her needing a relationship?

In addition to me not caring a whim for sex scenes, it was the writing in general. The beginning was love/sex scene after love/sex scene. And not only was it way TMI for a general romance novel (Hoang uses some terminology that is almost strictly for erotic novels, which didn't help), but it was just so boring. I mean, what kind of excitement are you expecting with watching two people make out, or learning a sex position? That's a LOT of this book. Stella herself seems really interesting. Her job and her disability would be great areas for exploration, but they're not explored nearly enough. I think her character should have been explored a lot more than it was; the premise offered a lot of interest that the story itself didn't really provide because it focused so much on the drawn out scenes of intimacy. Even if I did like sex scenes, it was hard to connect to the characters because I didn't learn much about them. Stella seemed so robotic at times. Much of the plot seems to be the author's wish fulfillment. It's almost too much like Michael's so-called "Hot for Teacher" fantasy. I was really hoping for more relationship stuff and less physical intimacy, which doesn't thrill me at all.

Oh, and Michael. He has missing father issues! Gee, I've never seen that in the past two years! Authors need to find a different family drama subplot, because this one is getting so stale. So. Tired. Of. Missing Dads. Now between the two main characters, there is certainly some chemistry potential. Sadly, a lot of it is wasted on instructional sex scenes. I would also like to add in how predictable the love-at-first-sight/forbidden love thing is, but that may not be necessary. It's a romance, and sometimes I guess it's necessary to be a little predictable. Still, the two MCs are super in love right away which just isn't realistic.

Some of these things aren't necessarily Hoang's fault, either. There was clearly a marketing misfire. Many of the initial thoughts I heard were wrong, and it was trying too hard to sell a "fun romance," which isn't necessarily what it is. (Read: sex and romance aren't the same thing and they're kind of robotic at times.) There is a considerable difference between what's in the book and what it says it's about. Still, the writing and lack of action didn't thrill me, and what I saw of the family subplots was bland and cliche. It's nothing we haven't seen before.

If I had to give it some praise, I would say I enjoyed the diverse characters. It was so good seeing different ethnicities represented here, and not just for use as political props. I feel like 85% of the time that people of color play major roles, it's to prove a point about diversity, or their story revolves around racism or tolerance. It shouldn't always be that way. We need more of this; books about people in the USA who just happen to be non-white without always playing the race/diversity card.

If you're not into erotic scenes, you'll be best off skipping this one. Honestly I'm disappointed--the story had so much potential that just didn't translate. I liked what people said the book was, rather than what it actually was. I'd much rather see developed characters in a typical budding relationship doing more actual stuff together. Or maybe my values didn't line up with the ones in the book. I don't think erotic novels work, at least for me, because I have no desire to read sex scene upon sex scene.  I want action, character development, and interesting plotlines, which The Kiss Quotient doesn't really have. I think that it's possible it might have improved later on, but I kept having such a hard time finding motivation to even pick it up--and when I did, I really slogged through it-- that I'll leave it alone for now. On the other hand, maybe I should have looked into the concept more. I'm sorry, but I have to maintain my original unpopular opinion here.

1 star

Obsession: Amanda Robson

Obsession: Amanda Robson

Genre: Thriller (domestic)

Published: 2017

Pages: 454

Carly and Rob. Craig and Jenni. That's the way its been for a while. The two women met while pregnant and have been friends ever since.

Until one night while Carly is on vacation and drunkenly asks Rob who else he would choose to be with given a choice. She didn't expect him to say Jenni. Believing that the two are conspiring, paranoia soon takes over Carly's life as she tries to expose them. But as their lives begin to unravel, is Carly the one to blame? Who can any of them really trust? 

***Warning: there are some mild spoilers.***

This book essentially starts off as a bare-bones cheating scandal with not a lot of new things brought to the table. For a while, I thought that was what I was going to get. Of course, it ended up being a little different. 

First off, the title is a bit misleading. "Obsession" implies an intense longing for a relationship, and that's kind of what we get, but not quite. (There are plenty of sex scenes that I didn't love which I guess is where the "obsession" part comes from. Maybe it's just me, but some chapters were just plain erotica. That's not my thing at all.) It's true that the main characters spend time thinking about each other, but not to the degree that people may think. 

The first 120 pages are basically watching everyone cheat on each other and getting mad at each other for it, and there's not a whole lot more. There are some subplots introduced that want to add to the story, like Jenni's mother dying, but they are abandoned within the first 60 pages making me wonder why they are there in the first place. I also found the motivations to be a little confusing. Basically the premise is that one woman gets mad at her husband because she thinks he's cheating, but then she does the same thing with her friend's husband...and then, so does everyone else. So they all find it okay for themselves to cheat, but when their friend or spouse cheats on them it's time to fight to the death?  If the women are so much happier with each other's husbands, why don't they just swap husbands? Hey, that's a great idea! Why not have them both just get together with the other guy and live happily ever after? I guess that would have made for a shorter book. 

EDIT: I think this logic problem got caught in proofreading, because someone at one point quickly brushes it off as "because of their Christianity, they don't want to divorce." I don't buy it. If you were that Christian, you probably wouldn't cheat in the first place. It seemed like a very last-minute, hasty explanation. 

The main problem is just that nobody's a very good person here. Then, when lives are turned upside down, everyone is shocked because they "don't deserve it." Um, okay. Sure you don't. 

Character motivations come out of absolutely nowhere. Told in limited first person through alternating POVs, readers see events from the characters' perspectives. The catch? They might not be telling us everything. This technique sort of works, and sort of doesn't, since we have to make some assumptions for ourselves. I'm especially looking at the court case. We never find out whether the defendant is truly guilty or not because when we are reading from their perspective, they act innocent, but of course that may not be the case. Also, the person behind the initial evil acts shows absolutely no sign of actual evil throughout the book. I don't mean that it was a masterful twist; I mean that the actions they took completely went against their entire personality and thus didn't really make sense. 

The characters also seem to frequently go back and forth with their feelings for each other. When Jenni and Craig reconcile, for example, it seems like they flip back and forth between loyalty and wanting to cheat again. It's like a switch is toggled, and suddenly they're in love with someone else. The switch is toggled again, and they're back to loving their spouse. Rob and Carly do the same thing. One moment, Rob is wanting to protect Carly and seems genuinely in love with her. The next, he's thinking highly of another woman. That was confusing. Is he in love with her, or not?? I guess that's kind of the point, but it seemed like the characters had multiple personalities. 

That said, let's talk about Carly. Halfway through the book it's revealed that her paranoia is a result of some undisclosed mental illness, which is an interesting use of the unreliable narrator. (I'm also glad Robson utilized a different means of unreliability than drinking itself, which these books are apt to do.) Then the switch is toggled again...she's a completely different person...nicer, loving her kids again, loving her husband again. I'm not sure that's how those illnesses work. That also means that her guesses about the cheating behind the scenes are pure coincidence and I wonder if there was even reason for the first half of the book at all...

There are a couple other nitpicks I didn't love. Regarding language, everyone kind of sounds the same. It's kind of strange how Craig and Jenni sound alike, and Rob, and Carly. I didn't love how Carly's daughter Pippa had no personality other than acting like her brothers' mother. But this is REALLY nitpicky, so moving on. 

It seems like I'm complaining, but the last third was when this slow burn really picked up. I read the last quarter in one sitting, but I liked the suspense throughout the whole thing. There are court cases, jail time, and losses of life. Unfortunately, many of these intense scenes are kind of glossed over and I would have liked to see more of the reactions, dialogue, action, etc. (This is where "show, don't tell" could apply.) I also would have liked to see more of the evidence explained. Supposedly one character dressed up like one of the other characters as an alibi, but we never know why or how they accomplished that because they never tell us. I was also able to guess the final act of the book well before it actually happened. 

I do give the book props for making me wonder who was behind everything. It's not as "twisty" as some other related books I've read. It's more straightforward and true to the back summary, but I enjoy the suspense of turning pages knowing that exciting stuff is coming. And even though the characters weren't likable (and I don't think they were meant to be), the plot makes up for that by showing everyone getting their due and warning us how cheating can ruin lives. If you want a happy story, you probably shouldn't look here.

This is a decent first effort by Robson, though it definitely had its issues. A little more reasoning for the events that took place and for the character motivations would have been nice. Sometimes it seems like characters are doing things just to move the plot along. The intense scenes also needed to be slowed down and the long, dry first half could have been sped up. Still, it picks up eventually, and anyone looking for a standard thriller novel might start with it. It's just not unique enough to be one of my favorites. With practice, hopefully we can see more polish from her in the future.

3 stars

Opinion: Please Stop The End-of-Year Negativity Fad

I know this doesn't really have a lot to do with books, or movies, or stories, but I am the boss of this blog and I can do what I want. But this needs to get out there to combat the feelings I've been seeing every December. 

In 2016 it was because lots of celebrities died. In 2017 it was probably because of Trump. (I think.) In 2018...I don't really know why.

The latest trend seems to be hating and complaining on how bad the previous year was every December. I don't know if it's because of politics, or if people are just grumpy. But it's gotten out of hand. Being pessimistic and angry is becoming a fad, and it needs to quit. Of course I'm talking about talking about how bad every year is. We live in a world where good and bad things happen, and of course you don't have to focus solely on the good. But, my gosh, have we gotten obnoxious as a species when it comes to pessimism!

I write a post about this because people have now gotten hard to be around. But why try so hard to focus on the bad and get others to as well? Why is that necessary? Is it worth it to write off your year because of 2 or 3 events that maybe didn't even impact you? 

Actually, sometimes it is literally becoming a meme. Go on Pinterest in December and you'll find all sorts of text posts like maybe the caption "2018 summed up in one picture" with a picture of a literal dumpster fire. These images don't provide any reasoning, but they take off quickly. I get the feeling that these are posted, someone sees it, their minds go to politics or something, and then they agree and get it repinned. People are literally jumping on the negativity bandwagon.

I will never understand why so many people are spending so much energy on trying to be unhappy and spreading it around.

A couple of complaints I might see....

"There were wildfires that destroyed California!" We live on Earth, and Earth has weather. Sometimes these weather events are unfortunate. You know what's great about this country? The way that everyone comes together to help. What about that? That was a good thing. It's very silly to drown in despair because there was a fire several states away. (This statement does not apply to you if you live in said area.)

"Trump!" Yes. He is a bad president.  But why let him ruin your year? In fact, I think it's almost fortunate he's pretty immature. He doesn't have time to actually inflict anything terrible because he's so caught up in staff drama. And in year 4, he's probably going to be too busy campaigning to do anything. Take the president with a grain of salt. Nobody complained about how bad 2005 was after Bush was president...adding to my point that these attitudes are becoming a fad. He'll be out in a few years. If he's bothering you, turn it into positivity and get into activism. Have a good time with it.

"Lots of celebrities died!" This was a biggie in 2016. The kicker is that a lot of the people that complained weren't huge fans of every single celebrity who left us. This is a great example of complaining for the sake of being unhappy.

Keep in mind that you need to take the news with a grain of salt. The news channels need to find ways to draw us in in an era of instant information, so they must get the worst dramatic stories possible. A lot of what I see these days doesn't even really strike me as important news. I prefer the local programs these days...much less drama.

But I think what bothers me most is how everyone treats "this year was bad" as a fact. I used to love BuzzFeed's 2018 recap articles. Now they're just variously subtle digs on how "bad everything was." Thrillist did the same thing. Even kindness queen Ellen DeGeneres has constantly been beating us over the head with the message that "we need happiness right now more than ever." Would someone mind telling me why? We're hardly living in the dark ages here. Just because politics suck doesn't mean they should ruin or run your life. This is not the most politically charged time in history, but people are just now using it as a platform to be miserable and complain about the last 365 days. I'd never seen this before 2012. Again, this only proves that negativity is becoming a fad with little substance behind it.

Of course, I'm mainly talking about BuzzFeed and Tumblr, who isn't happy about anything, so, you know. Maybe not the best way of getting a point across. Google has been doing it too. But the problem here isn't necessarily the complaining; it's the attitude that's catching. And for the rest of us, it's really unpleasant speaking with anyone in December now.

And what about you? What about the times you had with your best friend? What about the time you went on vacation and met a favorite reality star (yep, me and my parents)? What about that free trip to Hershey you won (again, us)? What about Hanukkah and Easter and Christmas and Thanksgiving and your fabulous Halloween costume? Are you honestly going to forget about those things because Trump is a bad president? Since when did politics determine everyone's life? And personally, whether you like the political climate or not, you can't deny that positive changes are happening, even if politics are slow. I think that recent activism is a good thing. It shows that people care.

There was plenty to smile about this year. PLENTY. Dabbing and flossing, if that's your thing. The Thailand soccer players getting out of the cave alive. Good movies and books to be enjoyed. The winter Olympics. And because this is a book blog I should also bring up the Great American Read.

You don't have to see the world through rose-colored glasses all the time, but, internet: please stop creating a culture of unhappiness by acting like it's a fact that the previous year was terrible and assuming all others think the same. Journalists and writers have more of a responsibility here....I'm especially looking at Buzzfeed. Fortunately, it is mostly the internet community.

Or maybe you did have a bad year. That's fine. It happens. People go through tough times, and that's life. I had one in 2012. In that case, I wish you the best for next year. But there's no need to whine about how "bad everything is" just because everyone else is.

Life is short; let's find reasons to be happy. And do it for our sake, so going on the internet or interacting with people isn't an unpleasant experience. Hopefully this fad will come to an end, but we all need to work to stop it. Bad attitudes are something we could all resolve to lose in 2019.

And that concludes my needlessly in-depth, wordy rant. If you got this far, I give you a virtual cookie for listening.



Whether you had a good or bad year, we still have books. And if you need something to look forward to, my 2018 Book Awards just came out, and there is quite the mixture of good and bad there if you want to check them out!

ABTP 2018 Book Awards

I always like to look back at the things that happened over the past year at the end of December, and it's no different with what I read. So this is the official start of my annual book awards, as long as this blog stays around that long. Keep in mind that I give awards to books I read in that year, not necessarily ones that were published at that time.

You can see every book I read this year at my Goodreads "read in 2018" list. You can also see all the statistics on the books I read this year on my profile.

On with the awards!

/Best Women's Fiction

award name subject to change based on the books read during that year

I would first like to give an honorary shout out to My So-Called Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella. This was a great book that read like a movie, and perfect if you like the chick-lit thing, yet not so much that you wouldn't be able to take it. It's also written well. It almost pains me to have to say it's a runner-up; I thought this was going to win. But, I don't like ties because that defeats the purpose. The real winner is...

Big Little Lies; Liane Moriarty

Yep. Here I am, on the bandwagon. But it's good. It's really interesting, suspenseful, and has spot-on social commentary all at once. I love the three main characters and their personalities; I really like the dynamics between their kids; I love the suspense; I love the buildup to the suspense with additions of characters' conversations; I love the idea of a Hepburn/Elvis fundraiser. I love just about everything here. The only thing that disappointed me a little was how the climactic moment ended- SPOILER ALERT (highlight): it almost seemed like a total and complete accident while the book made it out to be larger. Still, if you don't like murder mysteries but like tension, this is a good one for you. This was really fun to read, and one of those books that you try to stretch out so you don't finish too quickly.

Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk; Kathleen Rooney

Not only does the MC's life encompass several decades, but the book's writing style is timeless as well. Lillian Boxfish reminds me of many a nostalgic, thoughtful narrator in books I've read in the past. While I didn't love all aspects of her (who would love all aspects of anyone?), that made her more realistic and relatable even though I'm nowhere close to 84. I should mention that the concept is also timeless. Lillian is essentially taking a walk through town remembering her life and all the events that led up to this moment, including memorable people and places. Some of her stories were more memorable than others, but what I also liked about her storytelling was that it was just pleasant to "listen to," even though it wasn't an audiobook. The style should give it at least some kind of staying power.

My So-Called Perfect Life; Sophie Kinsella

does win this one! Even while I was reading it, I was impressed with the plot structure. It's pretty character driven and our MC relies on talents and skills to get her into mishaps and to move up in the world. The subplots are also laid out really well; I love the glamping business that her family sets up and its atmosphere adds to the charm as well. The whole thing reads like a movie and I wouldn't be surprised if it became one. Just because it's "chick-lit" doesn't mean it has to be corny, dumbed down, or less of a story. For what it is, it does a great job of storytelling. 

All right. This is hard. I've read 9 suspenseful books this year, 6 of which I consider good. So after much thought, the winner is going to have to be....

The Wife Between Us

As far as thrillers go, this one kept me going with twists and turns. It's not conventional suspense, per se, but so many things were not what they seemed that it kept me on my toes and wondering what the truth actually was. I kept thinking about this book even when I wasn't immersed in the pages, particularly when a twist arrived. And it lasts throughout the entire book, too. I also never reviewed this one; it's hard to without giving anything away. Here's a quick one: read it, it's good. 

Admittedly, there was a lot here, but the biggest runner-ups would probably be Big Little Lies, Never Let You Go, and The Other Woman. 

Big Little Lies; Liane Moriarty

This was a tough one, especially because I'm not always focused on the writing itself while reading. There were several good candidates here, but based on nitpicky decision making, this one wins out. The characters are good and have personality, the plot structure clicks along well, and the suspense is done in a way that I'd never seen before, and I think it works. It reads and feels like real life, without any wordy language trying to get in the way so the author can impress you. 

Big Little Lies; Liane Moriarty

Well, look who won again! The characters here were well drawn, simply put. Everyone had a distinct personality. You have Madeline's sharp tongue, Jane's sweet demeanor, and Celeste's so-called beautiful life.  Even the kids have personality, but not to the point of being corny or having the author shoving their unique quirks in our face 24/7. They also develop well. We have women learning to stand up for themselves, women who learn they're wrong and try to move on, and a sizable cast of minor characters who are fabulously entertaining as well. So, this is a pretty clear winner to me. 

Truly Madly Guilty, Liane Moriarty

Yes, another Moriarty novel. I swear I'm just not jumping on the bandwagon! I really liked the style of this book and how it brought something new and fresh to the domestic realm. I liked how it built up to the event in question (though many readers actually didn't like this), I liked the interesting characters (Moriarty actually did her research when she made one of the characters a cellist...how fascinating!). It was so different...three different families, but who is the one who could have stopped a life-stopping incident at their barbeque? I've never heard anything like it, and that's hard in books these days. Another one I thoroughly enjoyed reading and couldn't wait to continue after I put it down.

Adulting: How to Become a Grown-Up in 535 Easy-ish Steps; Kelly Williams Brown

Out of the few...read, three... non-fiction books I read this year, this is a clear winner. It probably didn't help that the other two choices were coffee table books. But really, even if it weren't for that, this might have won anyway. This was a surprisingly fun book to read with some pretty good advice. There are a couple minor flaws (info boxes that try too hard to be funny, a surplus of advice about online dating but none about "real world" dating, etc.) ,but they can be overlooked.

And no, it's not a sign of millenials being  so "pathetic" that they need a book to tell them how to do things, because I'm sure this will be brought up eventually. Everyone needs to learn this stuff, even if you baby boomers didn't learn it from a book, and there are some advice bits I'd never thought of either. This is a great graduation gift, too. In fact, it was even marketed as such when I got it from Barnes & Noble. This is actually a really nice book and entertaining as well.

Before I announce the winner, I would like to present the nominees, aka my Top Five. These are the books I most enjoyed reading over the course of the year and were written well to boot. Keep in mind that this isn't the Oscars; if the winner doesn't win in a lot of other categories, I didn't choose it due to political correctness. It's more likely due to the fact that my awards span many categories and many books won't even be eligible for too many at once.

Big Little Lies, Liane Moriarty
The Wife Between Us, Sarah Pekkanen and Greer Hendricks
My Not-So Perfect Life, Sophie Kinsella
Truly Madly Guilty, Liane Moriarty 
Adulting; Kelly Williams Brown



And the winner is....

Big Little Lies; Liane Moriarty

Yep. This book takes the cake. It was super fun to read, and suspenseful. I was a bit shocked, because I did feel like it was flawed in places. But that's the thing about reading: a lot of it is subjective, and writers will never reach perfection. And really, the flaws WERE pretty nitpicky. A truly fun read!

I was fortunate enough not to read too many horrible books this year. However, that's not to say there weren't clunkers or misfires.

Before we get to our winner, here are some of the books I just didn't love. Runners up, if you will.

The Perfect Neighbors; Sarah Pekkanen. To be fair, a lot of this was probably a marketing issue. I was told that a woman would be stalking her ex-husband and that people had horrible secrets among other things. (The first woman walked by her husband's house once, maybe twice, and the woman with the horrible secret was sort of justified and nothing comes of it anyway.) Still, more effort would have been nice. There are three different stories told here, but they don't really have anything to do with one another. And the woman with the extra-terrible secret? Nothing comes of it. So why put her story in with the other women if it won't end up mattering? It's not a terrible book necessarily, but it was a disappointment.

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult. UGH. I just...ugh. Do you ever read books that infuriate you so much that you actually have to keep putting it down because you couldn't take it anymore? This book had so much potential and thought-provoking discussion. And then Picoult absolutely ruined it with the romance between our MC and the justice official that she is working with, which is clearly only there because she took the first male character she saw and took it to mean that they were destined for one another. I'm not just saying this. That's the only clear reason there's a romance there! All the seriousness of their plans is brought to ruin when they do get together (I think they've seen each other like three times by that point?) and their mission to catch the bad guy who actually did pretty terrible things is filled with flirting. They don't take their goal seriously at all. Heck, they're flirting at FUNERALS. It's so inappropriate for the context of this novel, which should be centering around her grandmother's Holocaust experience and finding justice in the present. And the official's point of view wasn't something we needed either. I really didn't care about his dating life. 200 pages could easily have been cut and nothing of value would have been lost.

But there were good points. The morals were interesting, and Minka's story of the concentration camps captivated me the most by far. That itself would have been a good book. So no, it's not the worst book I read this year. But....this may be the most pointless romance I've ever seen. So much so, that it lessened the subject material, brought the book down as a whole, and I just can't take it as seriously after that. I should also mention that the final plot twist doesn't make any sense and is only there for shock value...and that's not just my speculation. It's so rushed and lacks so much explanation that it's clearly just there for shock value.



A Simple Favor; Darcey Bell. I am apparently not alone in this one. There's incest for no other reason than...including sketchy behavior I guess. The main characters are totally unlikable and stupid. There is every "missing person" cliche in the book...dumb detectives, a twin sister, and a Spanish housekeeper that keeps calling her boss "Senora." *cringe*  If you don't initially realize the climax is taken from/inspired by a movie, don't worry. The author will point this out to you. And the twist is interesting, yes. But there are no consequences for anyone, and the one character doesn't even find out about it. This book really just could have ended halfway through.

Not the worst book, because I did enjoy the blogging aspect and the initial suspense. But when I'm not sure who the villain is (and I'm supposed to know), it loses something.



And the winner is....

You Will Know Me; Megan Abbott

I'm going to get hate for this one. I'm sorry. I just don't get the hype. She gets so caught up in her wordy language that I forget what I'm reading about and have to go back. Not to mention that she had 5-6 choice phrases that she loves using again and again. This book really intrigued me about halfway through, and then it got really dull again. It didn't help that I thought it was pretty dang obvious who was behind everything, especially after one particular scene. I'm not exactly a star detective, either. It also didn't help that it didn't really have a focus. Was it about the parent relationship between star gymnast Devon and her parents? Devon who, by the way, is really boring and robotic? (Gee, it's almost like she's too boring...) Was it the thriller aspect of "who killed this person and why?" Was it about sibling rivalry (that said, I also didn't care for Devon's brother who seems to speak in riddles for some reason)? Or was it about how far parents will go to push their kids? I saw hints of that too, which could have been interesting, but there's not a lot of follow through. It's marketed as everyone being sad after someone in their community dies, but that's about all we get. 

I should also mention that this book lacks an ending too. This is a trend I don't care for. I buy and read books because I want to know what happens, not so I can invent one or "feel the tension." This might be for you if you like "book noir," per se. Otherwise I just didn't enjoy it, I'm sorry, but it wasn't for me. 

Movie Monday: Official Ranking of the Office Christmas Episodes

When The Office got things right, it got them right. Among those they got right was Christmas. They never put out a bad holiday episode (heck, I even enjoyed the Valentines ones), but the Christmas episodes were truly the star atop the holiday tree. Along with some pretty solid plots and typical Michael gaffes, we got to enjoy the most awkward office parties that we'll ever see. But at the same time, they were fun. Secret Santas, karaoke sessions, and parties courtesy of the party planning committee all took center stage. Here is my official ranking.

Christmas Wishes (S8)

One would expect an episode stuck in season 8, often considered the worst season, to not get a lot of credit. Well...yes and no. Basically Andy promises to make everyone's Christmas wish come true...at least that's what the synopsis says. There's not a huge focus here. I don't love the part with Andy's girlfriend, clearly being utilized to make Erin jealous. It seems kind of forced and not funny. Meanwhile, after complaints from Cathy, Andy announces to Jim and Dwight that if one of them pranks the other he will give both their bonuses to the one who was pranked. This leads to both of them pulling out all the stops to make it look like they are actually pranking each other, and Jim still comes out on top anyway. And don't forget the traditional Secret Santa scenes set to music, which are always classic. It's not the best episode but it's still pretty festive.



Moroccan Christmas (S5)

It's not a bad episode, but is by far the least Christmas-ey, so this one's near the bottom of my list. Meredith's hair catches fire after she has been drinking too much at Phyllis' Moroccan-inspired party, and so Michael improperly decides to stage an intervention to the employees' chagrin. It's the most awkward Christmas party that you'll ever see. It's also an episode where you'll wonder how in the world that Michael wasn't fired immediately after. From a holiday standpoint, it doesn't do that much for me, but it's a good episode on its own.

Meanwhile there are subplots. There's one where Dwight buys all the popular dolls in the area and then resells them at outrageous prices, which was mildly entertaining. There's another where Angela gets her just desserts, like she did in the previous Christmas episode: Phyllis now holds power over her after she catches Angela making out with Dwight in the office. If Angela doesn't want her secret spilled, she must do exactly what Phyllis asks. It's resolved in a different way than you'd think.





Secret Santa (S6)

Who will be Santa: Phyllis or Michael? That is the debacle of this year's Christmas party and Michael's temper tantrums don't help. Then Michael gets word that Dunder Mifflin is out of business and leaks it to his employees. You'd think this one would be a little dark, but it's surprisingly fun and lighthearted with the usual silliness. The secret Santa scenes themselves are also nice and put you in the Christmas spirit. I always like seeing what everyone got and the capturing of these little moments. But my favorite moments are at the end with Bob and Phyllis kissing and both dressed as Santa (Michael: "Get a room, Santas!") and then again with Andy getting Erin twelve drummers drumming as her final "12 Days" secret santa gift.




Dwight Christmas (S9)

Dwight gets the spotlight in this one, where he dresses up as Belsnickel rather than Santa Claus to determine whether each employee is impish or admirable at his Pennsylvania Dutch Christmas party. Not everyone is thrilled with a party planned by Dwight, except for Jim and Pam, who love every moment of it. I like this episode because it really shows how the Dwight/Jim/Pam friendship has evolved and is more than just pranks. This is especially true at the end; Dwight Christmas also serves as the calm before the storm in Jim and Pam's romantic life. Yes, there is a traditional Christmas party in the end when Dwight wants to make things up to Pam after Jim leaves for Philly.

Let's talk about the subplot. After Erin doesn't get a Die Hard reference, she and Pete watch the movie together. I really like the chemistry between them, and let's face it....they're a much better couple than Erin and Andy. Of course, I may be slightly jealous of Erin. ;)  It really starts to show hints of their relationship. I like the chemistry here. Oh, and Darryl isn't happy that Jim seems to have forgotten him in planning his new company. How does the show end its final Christmas special? By zooming out of the group looking down on a drunk Darryl, who has fallen backwards onto the refreshment table and crashed onto the floor. Welp, Merry Christmas to all!




Classy Christmas Parts 1 and 2 (S7)

The best part about this episode? There's two of them to enjoy! Somehow, I used to not like this one which shocks me now. The premise is that Holly is coming back to Scranton and Michael wants to scratch the traditional party and impress with a classy one, only to find out that Holly is serious with someone else. Of course not everything goes to plan, from the live music to Michael taking out his frustrations very childishly on a Woody doll. There's a lot of Christmas tradition here, too. Pam and Darryl go find the perfect Christmas tree, Darryl wants to impress his daughter during the party (in a different way than planned, again), and Pam makes a great gift for Jim.

The only thing I wonder about here is if Jim is out of character. Dwight decides to get his revenge with an intense snowball fight and Jim seems unusually furious about it, to the point of looking like he's about to cry at times. That's not really what I expect from that character, but whatever. I like how Dwight puts an end to everything, too.



Christmas Party (S2)

The Christmas episode that started it all. Michael wants to plan the best party of all time after he gets a definitely not Jelly-of-the-Month club bonus, and uses some of it to buy a super expensive Secret Santa gift even though the limit was $20. But after he gets a homemade oven mitt as his gift, he insists on turning it into a Yankee Swap solely so he can get something better. This doesn't go over well with the employees since they've picked personalized gifts for each other. Especially for Phyllis, whose handmade mitt is rebuffed by Michael, and for Jim, who created the perfect gift for Pam.

This is number one for most people in the Christmas realm, and I can see why. It's classic Michael with an extra side of Grinchiness.  But I do like a couple of others better than this one, though it's very close. The only thing that's curious to me is Pam's behavior. I'm not sure I believe that Pam would seriously choose the iPod over Jim's teapot given the choice. She ultimately ends up with the teapot, adding that "Roy is getting me an iPod anyway." (Otherwise she'd get a sweater from him.) You're better than that, Pam!



A Benihana Christmas (S3)

Why is this not just one of my favorite Christmas episodes, but one of my favorites of all time? It has everything great. It has Angela getting her just desserts. It has a fabulous Christmas party with the obligatory moments of employees just having fun and singing karaoke. It has two should-be rivals, Pam and Karen, collaborating in the name of good (to get Angela back), but then joining forces in the spirit of Christmas. It has a good Dwight prank. It has ridiculous Michael dating moments and even has you thinking that somehow he's going to get the girl he picked up...and then getting something better.

To summarize, Michael is sad because his girlfriend broke up with him and Andy takes him to Benihana to cheer him up, where he meets a cute waitress. Back at the office, Angela gets snippy with Karen at the party planning committee meeting, so Pam decides to team up with her to throw their own party instead. I hate girl drama, but that story is fun, and Angela more than deserves what comes to her (the "revenge" is everyone enjoying the other party much better than hers). Oh, and the thing about their collaboration? This episode helped me through a tough time when I was in Pam's shoes, meaning that the guy I liked was dating another girl. Eventually we even made nice with each other. I'm pretty sure I partially owe that to this episode. And it's not easy for Pam, either. Jim decides to stop pranking Dwight to look more responsible in front of Karen, which means he also initially rejects Pam's present to him. (Nooooooo!)

It's the little moments, too. Michael's complete ignorance again (at all Asian women looking the same), Kevin, Kelly, Dwight, and Angela singing karaoke, and Andy and Dwight's continued bickering all add to a great storyline.

But like in all Christmas episodes, everything ends on a positive note. A really good, Christmasey, feel-good episode with everything but the kitchen sink.





Merry Christmas everyone! Do you agree or disagree with any of my choices?