The Story

From the back of the book:

At the heart of this wrenching memoir of a teenage girl’s wartime survival is something utterly unexpected: a love story that blazes briefly in one of the darkest corners of occupied Poland.

Judged only as a World War Two survivor’s chronicle, Millie Werber’s story would be remarkable enough. Born in central Poland, in the town of Radom, she found herself, at fourteen, trapped in the ghetto, a slave laborer in an armaments factory in the summer of 1942, transported to Auschwitz in the summer of 1944, before being marched to a second armaments factory. She faced death many times; indeed she was certain that she would not survive. But she did.

Many years later, when Millie began to share her past with Eve Keller, the two women rediscovered the world of the teenage girl Millie had been during the war. More important, Millie told Eve her most precious, private memory: of a man to whom she was married for only a few brief months. He was – if not the love of her life – her first great, unconditional passion. He died, leaving Millie with a single photograph taken on their wedding day – which Millie preserved to the war’s end – and two rings of gold that affirm the presence of a great passion in the bleakest imaginable time.

The Response

I’ve put off blogging about this book for around a week now, because I really wanted it to thoroughly sink in, in order to get my thoughts straight about it. And even now I’m having a hard time getting my thoughts out for this one, because what I want to say about the book completely contradicts itself.

It’s an emotional and heartbreaking read (as anything about the Holocaust is) – the fact that humanity could stoop to the levels of genocide, and especially of that proportion. But the book is also an extremely uplifting read – that even in those dark times there was still some good in humanity, that there were other Jews and Germans who would do what they could for a young girl, even if it meant they could have been put to death.

It is both a very hard read and a very easy read. The subject matter makes it so very difficult to get through, just trying to understand why people would do what they did. It’s very easy to imagine yourself in Werber’s place, and it’s utterly terrifying what she had to go through. But the book is written in such a way that it’s presentation of the subject matter doesn’t weigh you down. The way that Keller put together Werber’s experiences made it very easy to keep reading – it’s extremely well written.

I particularly liked how the book isn’t necessarily written in chronological order, but takes a look at one of Weber’s experiences, and follows that thread throughout her life. For example, at times it would mention an a specific event surrounding a specific person, and then go forward a few decades to speak about any experiences Werber had with that person after the war, before going back to the period of the war. If it hadn’t been told in this way, I know for a fact that I would be getting a bunch of different people mixed up, and this helped keep straight in my mind who each person was.

While this isn’t the first book I’ve read about the Holocaust, I think this book is a little bit more accessible for readers to really comprehend, understand and empathize with. Yes, it’s good for us to know statistics of what happened in the war, but statistics don’t have personalities, and by looking at the large numbers we miss out on each person’s experiences. Reading this book helped me to remember all of the horrors that occurred during WWII, and has made me mourn again all of the lives that were lost – this is not a topic we should ever allow ourselves to overlook.

Two Rings was phenomenal and heartbreaking, and one of the best non-fiction books that I’ve read in a long time.

The Bottom Line

If you only read one non-fiction this year, make it this one. It is touching and heartbreaking and wonderful. Loved it.

The Story

Bob Hallett. One of the founding members (and my favourite member) of one of my favourite bands – Great Big Sea. A band whose full catalogue I own. A band who I have seen 6 (soon to be 7) times in concert. A band that has inspired my appreciation of traditional folk music. One of my all-time favourites.

Writing Out the Notes is Bob Hallett’s memoir – about his time growing up, his time discovering music, and his time playing in various bands (including the wonderful Great Big Sea). But it’s also more than that – it’s about the music that he loves.

The Response

Love! Love love love!

Okay. So you know how a lot of celebrity memoirs are written by ghost writers? Well, here’s the thing. Bob Hallett can actually write. He has a blog that is updated semi-regularly. He contributes to magazines. He has written books. And he wrote this. Which just makes it feel that much more authentic than some memoirs I’ve read.

And you can tell that he knows how to write. This memoir completely drew me in (and not just because OMG he’s in GREAT BIG SEA and I am such a FANGIRL) but because of how it was written – like each chapter was a separate little anecdote. And while not everything in this book relates to Hallett’s time in Great Big Sea (don’t let the subtitle of the book lead you to believe that’s all it’s about), it most certainly all revolves around music.

It was unique, the way he did it – it was half about Hallet and half about the music he’s heard that has meant something to him, that has had an impact on his life and career. It gives background on various types of music, on styles, all the while giving us a glimpse into Hallett’s own life. And it did it in such a way that was highly entertaining to read.

The only thing I would’ve wished a little different about this book is this: I wish it could’ve come with a CD that included all the songs mentioned in this book on it. Or that there was a link to an iTunes iMix that included all of the songs mentioned in this book. Because, really? After reading about all these songs, I rather feel the need to actually listen to the ones that I hadn’t known previously.

The Bottom Line

Loooooooved. Highly recommended for those who are either huge Great Big Sea fans, or for those who are looking to be introduced to traditional Atlantic Canada/Irish/Celtic/etc folk music.

Other Reviews

Have you reviewed this book on your blog? Let me know and I’ll add your link.

The Story

Melissa Anelli is the webmistress of The Leaky Cauldron, the best Harry Potter news site on the web. She has been one of the central figures in the middle of the Harry Potter fandom and phenomenon for years, starting as your average fan to becoming webmistress of Leaky, and even having a chance to interview JKR. Harry, A History tells not only her journey through the HP fandom, but also talks about a lot of the different things that were around in fandom – from fanfiction and LJ communities and shipping wars, to fan conventions and wizard rock.

The Review

I can’t believe so much time has passed since the last HP book was released! Goodness time has gone by so quickly! I will fully admit that I wanted nothing to do with HP for the longest time. It wasn’t until some point between GoF and OotP that I actually even picked one of the books up – and I fell in love immediately. And then, to tide me over until the release of OotP, I discovered fandom.

I was only ever on the outskirts, but I still witnessed a lot of what was going on. And Harry, A History was like such a trip down memory lane. There was so much there that I remember discovering for the first time, and it was so wonderful to spend that time reminiscing. There was also so much that, surprisingly, I had completely forgotten about – like Laura Mallory’s attempts at getting the HP books banned (yes I remembered that people tried to ban them, but had forgotten all about Mallory herself).

Anyway! This book is partially Anelli’s memoir, but it is also so much more than that. Anelli goes into what HP means for her, where she was when certain events happened, how the HP fandom changed her life. But then it is also so much a commemorative look at the fandom. Hearing about Anelli’s growth in the HP fandom was only part of the charm of the book. HP fans will be able to see themselves in parts of this book – will be able to go, yeah! I remember that! I was a part of that! I was a part of this awesome phenomenon that took over the world and changed so many things! (Because yes, the HP phenomenon DID change things – it brought together all sorts of people who would never meet to do such amazing things. Like, who would ever think to have a rock show in a library before?)

So definitely a thoroughly enjoyable book, and now I am so wanting to go back and reread all of the HP books.

The Bottom Line

This is a must-read for people who were involved in the Harry Potter fandom – even if it was on the outskirts like I was. It’s a good tribute to everything we were a part of, and reminded me completely of why I loved both the series and the fandom. Highly recommended.

Other Reviews

Shooting Stars Mag, The Zen Leaf, A Chair, A Fireplace and a Tea Cozy, Sassymonkey Reads, Bart’s Bookshelf. Have you reviewed this book on your blog? Let me know and I’ll add your link.

Summary

The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl is the memoir of a high class call girl, Belle de Jour. Her many years in the industry has given her an honest look at it, men and life in general. She does so in a witty and amusing way. She covers why she became a working girl, the pros and cons of working for an agency, and intersperses it with anecdotes from meetings with men (and women) both in her working life and her personal life.

If you’ve read the blog, then you’ve read parts of the memoir, but they don’t always correspond to the same dates, and she did expand one some of those blog posts.

Review

It’s all Billie Piper’s fault that this book appeared on my radar. Totally her fault. (Which means that it might actually be the Doctor’s fault – because if it wasn’t for the Doctor, I wouldn’t have been re-introduced to Billie Piper, and so would never have watched Secret Diary of a Call Girl. Ha! Everything can be tied back to Doctor Who!)

ANYWAY.

I did enjoy this. It was a fresh look at the sex industry and escorts. It almost even made it seem glamorous at times (not that it’s something I would ever consider). Not as drug-centric as the media typically portrays it – though Belle does make sure to let people know that it is not the fairy tale that is portrayed in Pretty Woman.

There was (is?) some controversy as to whether the author is actually writing about her life, or whether she’s making it up. Orion Publisher – her UK publishers – maintain that these books are nonfiction/memoirs, however the third book that she’s published about her life as a call girl was categorized as fiction, and apparently starts up right where the second one finishes off. Who knows. All that really mattered to me was that it was entertaining.

In comparison to the TV show, I really cannot say which one I prefer more. They both have the same frank voice, and Billie Piper does an awesome job portraying the version of Belle that Belle de Jour brings forward in her memoirs.

Speaking of comparisons, I have to say this: I hate books written solely as diary entries, but if it’s written like a blog, then I’m all over it – as long as it’s written well, of course. Belle de Jour writes like a GOOD blogger. It’s very engaging and doesn’t sound contrived, which is how a lot of books written like blogs do sound. (Mind, since she wrote her blog before starting the book, that makes total sense.)

The Bottom Line

If you’re wondering whether you’d like it, I recommend checking out her blog first. It has a very real voice, and is quite witty. It’s not as graphic as one might expect from a memoir about a call girl, and gives an honest look at life. Would definitely recommend it.

Other Reviews

Confessions of a Bibliophile. Have you read and reviewed this book? Leave me a link and I’ll add it.

I meant to post this days ago, but what with the flu having made me it’s newest victim, and having suffered from it for days, well some things get pushed aside. Alas alas!

I have not read a lot of memoirs, so I don’t have much to compare this to. But the ones that I have read, bless their little memior-writing selves, were not written by people whose predominant calling in life is to write. And it is evident. You can tell that this one was written by someone who knows how to write well.

The Mighty Queens of Freeville is the memoir of Amy Dickinson. Dickinson took on the role of the Chicago Tribune’s advice columnist after Ann Landers passed away. This memoir tells how Dickinson got the role of the advice columnist, what she’s been through in her life, and how she is qualified to give out advice:

So when people ask me how I know what I know or how I get to do what I do, I have the answer. I got here the hard way, by living a life and making my share of mistakes. I took the long way home, driving the back roads through marriage and divorce and raising a child on my own.

The memoir covers mainly from when Dickinson’s daughter was born to present day, with a few flashbacks to when Dickinson is growing up.

Dickinson grew up in the small community of Freeville, New York, and returned to that community whenever she was faced with a crisis in her own life. The community there plays as much, if not more, of a role at making Dickinson who she is today than any singular person. In fact, the community itself has managed to take on its own personality through this memoir – caring, supportive and oh-so-friendly.

Although Dickinson has said that she got to where she was the hard way, she always had the loving community of Freeville to support her. And she didn’t have it as hard as she could have. It could have been a lot worse – she wasn’t involved with drugs and she wasn’t an alcoholic, while she may have had a tough time raising her daughter, it would seem that she’s done a good job of it, and she’s most likely instilled some good principles in this girl’s life.

What I liked most about this memoir was that each chapter could almost stand alone. While they sometimes follow a chronological format, there was the odd chapter that was more like an anecdote from Dickinson’s life – such as the chapter about pets and a certain cat that Dickinson and her daughter had for many a year before it got sick and died.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It wasn’t heavy reading – something light, and something that reminds you how important it is to have a community of loving friends and family to help you through tough times in your life. It’s not something I’ll read again, but it is something I enjoyed reading through the first time.

Bottom Line: If you are a fan of the Dear Amy column, then you might find it fun to see how Amy became who she is today. If you aren’t a fan of the column, it’s still an easy and entertaining read to borrow from the library or a friend. But I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy a copy of this book.

I am a self-proclaimed Mac Geek. So, I will attempt to restrain myself from going overboard with saying that Macs are the best computers you can get, and that everyone should go out and get their hands on one. (They are, and everyone should.)

iWoz is the memoir of Steve Wozniak, one of the guys who founded Apple. You know, the guy who made the Apple I and the Apple II. The book covers everything from when he was a young kid in Silicon Valley to when he and Steve Jobs were phone phreaks, working at HP to the creation of Apple, right up until present day. Incidentally, this book also mentions the creation of one of the greatest games ever – Breakout. OH YES.

So yeah, this was an interesting book in the respect that it talked about Apple, and how Apple got it’s beginnings and all that stuff. The writing wasn’t fabulous, and parts weren’t as exciting as others, but overall I quite enjoyed it.

Plus, it talks about Apple. And Macs are great.

I really think the title says it all when it comes to this book. Anthony Rapp was one of the Original Broadway cast members of RENT. The memoir starts with Rapp’s first audition for the workshop of the show through the beginning of the filming of the movie, and while the book does cover a lot about the musical, a lot of the focus of the book is also on his famly and personal life.

The book was very well written, very bittersweet, brought tears to my eyes at all the right moments, and made me actually feel that I was there witnessing some of the events. It’s made me wish so much more that I had a chance to go to see the show on Broadway when it first got big, and I know that the next time the show comes anywhere near here, I’ll definitely make a point of going to see it.

Oh, and by the bye, I really ought to stop getting books from the library that are going to make me cry, because then you can’t really enjoy the fact that the book is bringing tears to your eyes as you’re too busy worrying that you might get tears on the pages, therefore making the pages all wrinkly. It’s not as much fun that way.