A non-fiction medical mystery. That's all I needed to hear.
Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan
Genre: Autobiography, medicine
Publication date: November 2012
A shocking true story about a twenty-something journalist living in NYC who suddenly goes mad, due to a mysterious disorder that doctors cannot diagnose. Susannah first shows symptoms of madness as she imagines bugs in her Hells Kitchen apartment (not unrealistic) and uncharacteristically and exhaustingly snoops through her boyfriends belongings. Eventually, these small signs develop into grander and more severe signs (paranoia, hallucinations, seizures). She is admitted into NYU's hospital, thought to be psychotic, and losing her mind and most of her facilities.
A Dr. House mystery medical case told from the perspective of the patient. However, this patient loses about a month of her life, as after she has difficulty remembering the trying times in psychosis. She relies on family and friends' recollections, interviews with her doctors, and video surveillance of her time in the hospital. The medical drama is made personal as her loved ones stay by her side and through her recovery, demonstrating how an illness not only affects the patient but those around them.
DD's rating: A
Another book I read in two days. Terrifying and fascinating to read about someone losing their mind, from their perspective. How they dealt with conflicting positions (paranoia vs. reality) and being aware of ensuing madness.
Next read: Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari
Showing posts with label autobiography. Show all posts
Showing posts with label autobiography. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Monday, June 15, 2015
Is Everyone Hanging out Without Me?
Somehow my checkout of Not That Kind of Girl expired, but fortunately I still have Mindy to turn to for a good laugh and chick lit. Which is nice because I prefer Mindy and The Office to Lena and Girls.
Is Everyone Hanging out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling
Genre: Comedy, nonfiction/autobiography
Publication Date: November 2011
Mindy Kaling is the female comedian I (and most of my lady-friends) can relate to. She is upper middle class, family-oriented, not a loser and not popular in high school, earns an Ivy League education, and still enjoys doughnuts and reality TV. The fact that she is a minority (being Indian and bigger than a size 4) makes her even more relatable! Therefore everything she writes about I could see myself saying and agreeing with if I were in her line of work. I am no writer and only have a little bit of comedy in me, but she is the female funny girl who represents me (with darker skin and more meat on her bones).
I enjoyed this book a little bit more than Tina's and Amy's maybe because Mindy is a little less outrageous than Amy Poehler and a little less successful/established than Tina Fey. She is younger, hipper, single, doesn't do drugs, and (like me) gets confused about what "hooking up" actually means. She doesn't do one-night-stands, she doesn't get into the whole LA/NYC celeb party scene. She's like the comedian version of Jennifer Lawrence (who I also want to be my best friend).
Additionally, and probably why I'm so enamored with her, she rates the Will Ferrell scene in Old School where he shoots himself with the tranq dart as one of her favorite pieces of comedy. In outright truth, I rate that as my ALL-TIME FUNNIEST SCENE. Even reading about it has me in a fit of giggles. I'm that my appreciation of humor is on par with Mindy's. Also we both love Dave Chappelle's Racial Draft, but honestly who doesn't?
Now I may actually watch the Mindy Project, after I finish season 3 of Orange is the New Black (obvs).
Finished reading: Monday, June 15, 2015
DD's Rating: A
I would say about on par with Amy Poehler's Yes Please and Tina Fey's Bossypants. She says she is not like her character Kelly Kapoor, but I hear Kelly in her writing, they are a little too similar and she needs to own up to it. But otherwise awesome.
Side note - I would really appreciate it if Alec Baldwin wrote an autobiography (another one, not something mildly depressing about Fatherhood and Divorce), but in the manner of Bossypants and with a Jack Donaghy vibe. I'm begging for this.
Next read: Killing Patton by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard. I hope to finish this by Friday, when my awesome and generous man friend will let me borrow his copy of Killing Lincoln.
Is Everyone Hanging out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling
Genre: Comedy, nonfiction/autobiography
Publication Date: November 2011
Mindy Kaling is the female comedian I (and most of my lady-friends) can relate to. She is upper middle class, family-oriented, not a loser and not popular in high school, earns an Ivy League education, and still enjoys doughnuts and reality TV. The fact that she is a minority (being Indian and bigger than a size 4) makes her even more relatable! Therefore everything she writes about I could see myself saying and agreeing with if I were in her line of work. I am no writer and only have a little bit of comedy in me, but she is the female funny girl who represents me (with darker skin and more meat on her bones).
I enjoyed this book a little bit more than Tina's and Amy's maybe because Mindy is a little less outrageous than Amy Poehler and a little less successful/established than Tina Fey. She is younger, hipper, single, doesn't do drugs, and (like me) gets confused about what "hooking up" actually means. She doesn't do one-night-stands, she doesn't get into the whole LA/NYC celeb party scene. She's like the comedian version of Jennifer Lawrence (who I also want to be my best friend).
Additionally, and probably why I'm so enamored with her, she rates the Will Ferrell scene in Old School where he shoots himself with the tranq dart as one of her favorite pieces of comedy. In outright truth, I rate that as my ALL-TIME FUNNIEST SCENE. Even reading about it has me in a fit of giggles. I'm that my appreciation of humor is on par with Mindy's. Also we both love Dave Chappelle's Racial Draft, but honestly who doesn't?
Now I may actually watch the Mindy Project, after I finish season 3 of Orange is the New Black (obvs).
Finished reading: Monday, June 15, 2015
DD's Rating: A
I would say about on par with Amy Poehler's Yes Please and Tina Fey's Bossypants. She says she is not like her character Kelly Kapoor, but I hear Kelly in her writing, they are a little too similar and she needs to own up to it. But otherwise awesome.
Side note - I would really appreciate it if Alec Baldwin wrote an autobiography (another one, not something mildly depressing about Fatherhood and Divorce), but in the manner of Bossypants and with a Jack Donaghy vibe. I'm begging for this.
Next read: Killing Patton by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard. I hope to finish this by Friday, when my awesome and generous man friend will let me borrow his copy of Killing Lincoln.
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Yes Please
I was able to finish this book fairly quickly. My boyfriend, who is my primary source of entertainment, is traveling for three weeks and I am left to my own devices (Kindle device, get it). Due to my lack of cable TV, a promise that to wait to watch House of Cards, and the conclusion of graduate classes, I am able to quickly continue my literature endeavors.
Yes Please by Amy Poehler
Genre: Non-fiction, autobiography, memoir, humor
Publication Date: October 2014
Another amusing celebrity memoirish book. But I absolutely love Amy Poehler, more than her brunette counterpart Tina. Parks & Rec is the best and I still credit the show for making Andy Dwyer (aka Chris Pratt) famous, for introducing America to Nick Offerman and Ron Swanson, and putting Aziz Ansari on camera weekly (because everybody loves RAAAAAAAANDY). And don't even get me started about Jean-Ralphio. Okay, that's enough gushing.
Amy's book is more comedy story than memoir. The story line follows her life, but the narration is from a blonde stoned peppy theater geek. She does break the humor at some points, like when she talks about divorce and childbirth, but the book is very good-natured and jovial. I don't know, it's hard to critique someone's memoir, because it's the author's life. I read the first half of the book in 32 hours, but the rest took some time. I think this would be a great read for aspiring comedians or anyone in Hollywood/show business. But I still enjoyed it.
Poehler name-dropped a lot, on purpose. There were a few sections where she told ridiculous stories that happened with famous people she is friends with. While funny, sometimes these stories seemed unnecessary and braggy. The only name I really cared about were Seth Meyers and Tina Fey (and one pranking involving Julie Louis-Dreyfus). This memoir actually made me want to read Seth and Julie's potential future memoirs.
Finished reading Wednesday, March 4th
DD's rating: A
Very entertaining. I love Amy Poehler, Parks & Rec, and SNL so this was a behind the scenes look into a comedy genius and female superstar. In my opinion, this book was better than Tina Fey's Bossypants because of its style - Poehler had friends and family author some parts of her book, like her mother and my megacrush Seth Meyers.
Next read: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. I got excited when I first saw the author's name, Mandel is similar to Mendel, the king of genetics, science nerd is happy... and I'm it's a book by another female!
Yes Please by Amy Poehler
Genre: Non-fiction, autobiography, memoir, humor
Publication Date: October 2014
Another amusing celebrity memoirish book. But I absolutely love Amy Poehler, more than her brunette counterpart Tina. Parks & Rec is the best and I still credit the show for making Andy Dwyer (aka Chris Pratt) famous, for introducing America to Nick Offerman and Ron Swanson, and putting Aziz Ansari on camera weekly (because everybody loves RAAAAAAAANDY). And don't even get me started about Jean-Ralphio. Okay, that's enough gushing.
Amy's book is more comedy story than memoir. The story line follows her life, but the narration is from a blonde stoned peppy theater geek. She does break the humor at some points, like when she talks about divorce and childbirth, but the book is very good-natured and jovial. I don't know, it's hard to critique someone's memoir, because it's the author's life. I read the first half of the book in 32 hours, but the rest took some time. I think this would be a great read for aspiring comedians or anyone in Hollywood/show business. But I still enjoyed it.
Poehler name-dropped a lot, on purpose. There were a few sections where she told ridiculous stories that happened with famous people she is friends with. While funny, sometimes these stories seemed unnecessary and braggy. The only name I really cared about were Seth Meyers and Tina Fey (and one pranking involving Julie Louis-Dreyfus). This memoir actually made me want to read Seth and Julie's potential future memoirs.
Finished reading Wednesday, March 4th
DD's rating: A
Very entertaining. I love Amy Poehler, Parks & Rec, and SNL so this was a behind the scenes look into a comedy genius and female superstar. In my opinion, this book was better than Tina Fey's Bossypants because of its style - Poehler had friends and family author some parts of her book, like her mother and my megacrush Seth Meyers.
Next read: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. I got excited when I first saw the author's name, Mandel is similar to Mendel, the king of genetics, science nerd is happy... and I'm it's a book by another female!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)