Tag: memoir

Cover for The Witch's Door by Ryan Matthew Cohn and Regina M. Rossi

ARC Review: The Witch’s Door: Oddities and Tales from the Esoteric to the Extreme by Ryan Matthew Cohn and Regina M. Rossi

September 30, 2024

This book introduces you to the world of oddities that has been curated by Regina and Ryan Cohn, creators of the Oddities Flea Market. This is a look at their life collecting and some of the items that have been a part of their collection.  I will admit, I didn’t really know a lot about … More ARC Review: The Witch’s Door: Oddities and Tales from the Esoteric to the Extreme by Ryan Matthew Cohn and Regina M. Rossi

Cover for They Called Us Enemy by George Takei

Review: They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, and Steven Scott

September 20, 2024

This was a very emotional and impactful graphic novel. I have been meaning to read this for a while now and was glad that I could read about this piece of history that was not included in the history books I had to read during school.  This is the story of George Takei’s childhood in … More Review: They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, and Steven Scott

Cover for The Ship Beneath the Ice by Mensun Bound

Review: The Ship Beneath the Ice: The Discovery of Shackleton’s Endurance by Mensun Bound

May 20, 2024

TW: Graphic excerpts from Endurance’s crews journals that discuss animal deaths, death of their dogs and a cat, threat of starvation, bullying, harsh living conditions and the expectation of dying.  After reading Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage a few years ago, I was very excited when it was announced that they had found the ship in … More Review: The Ship Beneath the Ice: The Discovery of Shackleton’s Endurance by Mensun Bound

Cover for The Chick and the Dead by Carla Valentine

Review: The Chick and The Dead: Life Behind Mortuary Doors by Carla Valentine

March 1, 2022

Trigger Warnings: Miscarriage. Grief. Cheating. Depression. Detailed descriptions of animal deaths. Autopsies on babies discussed. Detailed descriptions of autopsies.  Death of family members. Discussion of suicide victims and their bodies. Negative work environment that included jokes against weight, disabilities, and emotions.  Carla Valentine is a pathologist who worked for years doing postmortems, but is now … More Review: The Chick and The Dead: Life Behind Mortuary Doors by Carla Valentine

Cover for The Secret Lives of Bats by Merlin Tuttle

Review: The Secret Lives of Bats: My Adventures with the World’s Most Misunderstood Mammals by Merlin Tuttle

February 19, 2022

This book was fascinating! The Secret Lives of Bats is basically an educational memoir about Merlin Tuttle’s life learning and saving bats. His journey started when he was a child exploring caves with his parents and it led him to spend a lifetime educating the public on the good that bats can do.  Like I … More Review: The Secret Lives of Bats: My Adventures with the World’s Most Misunderstood Mammals by Merlin Tuttle

Cover for How the Word is Passed by Clint Smith

Review: How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith

February 14, 2022

“The history of slavery is the history of the United States. It was not peripheral to our founding; it was central to it. It is not irrelevant to our contemporary society; it created it. This history is in our soil, it is in our policies, and it must, too, be in our memories.” Clint Smith … More Review: How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith

Cover for Migraine: Inside A World of Invisible Pain by Maria Konnikova

Review: Migraine: Inside A World of Invisible Pain by Maria Konnikova

January 26, 2022

“I feel guilty about even thinking about attending to myself. You power through, not because you aren’t in pain, but because it’s the only option. Because you’ll be met with a complete lack of understanding if you don’t.” While this is a very short delve into Migraines, it is very impactful and informative. Maria Konnikova … More Review: Migraine: Inside A World of Invisible Pain by Maria Konnikova

Cover for All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson

Review: All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson

November 30, 2021

Trigger Warnings: sexual assault, racism, homophobia, death of a friend, physical violence. This is a series of personal essays about journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson. They explore his childhood, adolescence, and college years in New Jersey and Virginia.  This was a very moving memoir about George’s life. He describes his past trauma and … More Review: All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson

Cover for Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark by Cassandra Peters

Review: Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark by Cassandra Peterson

November 27, 2021

Content Warnings: sexual assault, underage sexual attention, abusive mother, drug and alcohol use, domestic abuse, homelessness, murder, suicide, stalking, panic attacks, miscarriages, and friends and family death. “We all have our own scars. Let them be a blessing and not a curse.” Wow, what a life!  Cassandra Peters, aka Elvira, started her life as a … More Review: Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark by Cassandra Peterson

Cover for Trejo: My Life of Crime, Redemption, and Hollywood by Danny Trejo

Review: Trejo: My Life of Crime, Redemption, and Hollywood by Danny Trejo

November 12, 2021

Trigger Warnings: drug use, cheating, gang violence and murder, criminal acts, abusive childhood, family death Danny Trejo is an actor that I have watched on screen since I was a child. He is an iconic actor with his looks and personality. When I saw that he wrote a memoir, I knew I needed to read … More Review: Trejo: My Life of Crime, Redemption, and Hollywood by Danny Trejo

Cover for The Ravenmaster: My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London by Christopher Skaife

Review: The Ravenmaster: My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London by Christopher Skaife

September 4, 2021

Until a few years ago, I didn’t realize that the Tower of London had ravens or that there was a whole rumor that the city would fall if the ravens left. Christopher Skaife takes us through the history of the position of Ravenmaster and what it means to be a Ravenmaster.  As an American, I … More Review: The Ravenmaster: My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London by Christopher Skaife