Book Review: "Lucky Man: A Memoir"

It's no secret to anyone who knows me personally that lately, I've been on a huge Michael J. Fox kick. (No, really; I barreled through the entire series of Family Ties in the span of one month. I've been attempting to watch anything he's ever been in.) I more recently found out that he's also an author who's written three books. This is the first of those three.

Lucky Man: A Memoir is not exactly an autobiography, although it does have a lot of the makings of one. How it varies, however, is that it focuses primarily on Michael's journey with Parkinson's disease: how it started, how it progressed, how it affected his life, the extents he'd go to to try and mask his symptoms so nobody would know about it for years, and how he eventually became somewhat of an ambassador for the disease, although hesitant to become its poster child. At the same time, however, it does include a lot of details involving his personal life that don't necessarily have anything to do with the disease either; returning the humanity to Michael that the label of victim almost immediately stripped from him as soon as he went public about his diagnosis.

The book bounces back and forth a lot between earlier days and more modern times; in a way, he's writing two separate timelines in tandem. Although that may sound weird or confusing, it actually works. What makes it work even moreso is that Michael is one of few celebrities who've written a memoir that's written in the same exact style he speaks in. (Davy Jones is one other such example whom I've personally read an autobiography of that encapsulated that quality.) You enter the book almost feeling as though you know him because of this quality.

I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed every last bit of this book and took my time savoring its every last word. I highly recommend it to just about anybody, and I rate it a 5 out of 5 stars!

Book Review: "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl"

Similar in style to The Fault In Our Stars, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is another teen/YA story dealing with the topic of teenage cancer. The difference in this case being, it's told in a bit of an off-color style, without any huge lesson to be learned, or teary-eyed love story to be had, or any of the stuff that made up TFIOS.

This is the story of Greg Gaines; amateur film-maker, and his desire in life to remain politically neutral when it comes to the delicate ecosystem known as high school. His partner-in-crime (or rather, partner-in-film-making) Earl, despite being from entirely different worlds, gets dragged along for the ride. Greg is basically your typical all American overweight dorky teen boy, whose exploits with girls are quickly made known -- as well as all the ways he's managed to fail with all of them.

That is, until one of them later down the road ends up developing cancer and his mother forces him to go rekindle a friendship.

It's an awkward, bumpy ride. Greg isn't exactly thrilled with this plan; nor is Rachel, the girl in question. Yet they manage to forge a sort of friendship, especially when she gets made privvy to the top-secret library of films that Greg and Earl have made over the years that have never been seen by another set of human eyes aside from their own. She becomes their biggest fan -- and as her illness progresses, her best friend rallies for them to make a special movie, just for her.

Cue many failed attempts at making this film. They try it in a variety of different styles, none of which pan out into turning into much of anything worthwhile. The harder they try, the worse the attempts become, until Earl's sudden realization hit that they haven't been truly trying to make a film about this girl... they'd revolved it around themselves the whole time without meaning to, while never truly getting to know the girl known as Rachel, and before they know it, it's too late.

There's no sappy love story here. Not even a proper coming of age story. And yet, there's a certain truth that rings through in this novel that makes it feel authentic, as if this were a true story that really happened to someone. There's something to be said for that.... and for that, I rate this book a 4 out of 5 rating. I'd say it's well worth giving this one a read.

Book Review: "Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang"

Chelsea is back and better (badder?) than ever! I loved the other book of hers I read, which I previously reviewed on this blog, Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea so I had high hopes for this one... I was not disappointed! I think I liked this one even more, in fact.  C'mon, the book starts off with its first chapter being about her childhood addiction to compulsive masturbation. What's not to love? ;) You can probably take a good guess at the type of topics the rest of the book contains just from there. I love raunchy humor, so this is right up my alley. If you're not into that, steer very clear of this book or you'll likely get offended. Otherwise, kick back, get yourself a drink, and enjoy! 5 stars!

Book Review: "Seriously...I'm Kidding"

I'll admit; after the last Ellen book I read (which has the prior review on this blog), I was more than a little hesitant to read this one. But I plowed on, and I'm happy that I did, as this book was much more well-written than its predecessor. It's still written as a collection of short stories -- some seemingly stream of consciousness -- but unlike the last book, it doesn't feel so A.D.D. that it almost seems like you're reading the ramblings of a cocaine addict. (I mean no disrespect whatsoever to Miss Ellen.) This has a much smoother pace, and for it, I was able to appreciate the humor much more and just all around enjoyed the book a lot more, and for that, it wins a 4 star rating!

Book Review: "The Funny Thing Is..."

I love Ellen. I really, really do. So it was my assumption that I would also adore anything she wrote. Well..... her humor doesn't really carry over to the written word quite as well, let me tell you, unless you prime yourself for it. If you base this on writing style alone, it's very A.D.D. and jumps all over the place. Now, if you sit and imagine it in her voice, it regains some of the funny and some of her style, but just on its own, it seemed a bit lackluster to me. Which was a disappointment, as I've been waiting for over two years (!!!) for my local library to finally have this book on its shelf. It's ALWAYS checked out, so I'd falsely assumed it must be one of the greatest books ever written. (Or something.) And while indeed, it's not terrible, it just... I don't know, it feels like it's missing something. I can't put my finger on exactly what that something is, though.

I'm rating this book 3 out of 5 stars.

Book Review: "The Four Dorothys (Drama!, #1)"

With a title like The Four Dorothys, my initial assumption was the book was likely about drag queens. (No really...for those not in the know, Judy Garland is more or less the patron saint of the LGBT world. The rainbow flags are even a nod to her.) Well, this book isn't about that (although I wouldn't have been opposed if it were -- quick, somebody write one! ;)). No, this story is about an ill-fated high school production of The Wizard of Oz that was doomed from the moment it left the gates, and ended up in complete and total utter sabotage. Without giving too much away, this story quickly becomes that of a whodunnit? nature. It's well-done though, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I also give props to all the chapter titles being named after different Broadway shows. (I literally squealed when I saw one was named after The Boy From Oz.) Even if you're not a Broadway geek like me, you'll probably still enjoy it even if some of the more subtle references sail over your head; the story itself is still phenomental. Big 5 stars for this one!

Book Review: "Trust Me, I'm Dr. Ozzy"

When you think of Ozzy Osbourne, chances are the first images brought to mind are those of Black Sabbath and the Prince of Darkness........ not of a raging hypochondriac who was given his own weekly advice column, am I right? However, crazy as it sounds, it happens -- and the questions, his answers, and his own running commentary (along with charts and quizzes at the end of the chapters) fill the pages of this book in a wonderfully hilarious (if irreverent) way. Just about everything under the sun is touched upon at some point or another, but one that shows up over and over is the topic of drug use -- and Ozzy's insistence that everybody ought to try and quit drugs and alcohol (which was surprising to me that Ozzy of all people is so gung ho about this! Good on you, mate!) is peppered along with anecdotes and self deprecation. And... as it turns out, Ozzy is a huge hypochondriac and it's likely part of why the man's still alive all the crazy shenanigans he's pulled over the years. Good to know. ;) If you need a good laugh, this book has you covered -- even if you're not a fan of Ozzy's music, you can appreciate his sense of humor! 5 star review for Dr. Ozzy!

Book Review: "Go The Fuck To Sleep"

Most kids enjoy a good bedtime story (or ten) to fall asleep to. Ah, those were the days... Well, when was the last time you saw a bedtime story aimed for grownups? Parents, specifically? Oh yes....that's where Go The Fuck To Sleep comes in. Beautifully illustrated, this book is just as much eye candy for the reader as it is filled with clever prose illustrating the frustrations of being a parent. You needn't actually have children to understand the humor; anyone who's so much as had to babysit a child even once will be able to appreciate this book. You needn't even head to the library to hear this fun little tale; just head on over to Youtube, where there's multiple celebrity readings of it. ;) Seriously though, this has got to be one of my new favorite things. Big five stars!

Book Review: "The Boyfriend List: (15 Guys, 11 Shrink Appointments, 4 Ceramic Frogs and Me, Ruby Oliver)"

The Boyfriend List: 15 Guys, 11 Shrink Appointments, 4 Cermanic Frogs and Me, Ruby Oliver by E. Lockhart reads as though it were the much-convoluted dating diary of one Ruby Oliver, average teenager. Or not so average...

When Ruby begins to suddenly have panic attacks, her mothers signs her up to start seeing a therapist. Her first assignment is to make a list of every boy she's ever had any sort of romantic connection to whatsoever, and well...that's what starts the ball rolling for all the chaos that ensues.

The teenage tales of woe told here are not only relatable, but extremely humorous at the same time. It pokes fun at the drama of high school life without painting it as a charicature. My only complaint is that it's hard to keep track of who all's who in this story, but then again, isn't that how high school works as well? Rating this one 4 out of 5 stars.

Book Review: "Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According To Kathy Griffin"

Can I just say I was overjoyed to finally get my hands on this book? It's been seemingly consistently checked out of my local library since it came out, so imagine just how overjoyed I was to find it was actually there? (Ironically, it was on the shelf right next to Steve Martin's book. If you read this book, you'll see why I find that hilarious.)

For how many hilarious anecdotes pepper this entire book, it also paints a clearer picture of Kathy as an actual person. A woman with a family, with her own short-comings, with.... oh hell, I'm not going to drag this down with that shit. ANYONE reading this book knows damn well they just want to hear her talk shit about any and every celebrity! ;) And she does plenty of it. (I was shocked there was only one teeny brief mention of Liza Minnelli though. I'd of loved to hear glorious anecdotes about her, given what Kathy's had to say about her many times in her stand-up acts. "LIGHTER!", anyone?) I'm kind of shocked just how much of her celebrity 'drama' has happened in my lifetime and I'd never even heard about these stories until this book. (Guess who's gonna pay that much closer attention to Kathy now?) Seriously though, this book is a hoot. I can't echo enough just how much you ought to read this. But, if you're faint of heart about swearing or rude humor, then you'll probably have a heart attack over it. (Doesn't mean you shouldn't read it!) 4 out of 5 stars!

Christmas Special Review #3: "A Dennis the Menace Christmas"

Let me go into this one saying that I was very skeptical of if this movie would even be any good or not, since I know how spinoffs often go. But this one, thankfully, isn't so bad. Dennis is still tormenting Mr. Wilson, as always. But as usual, his heart is in the right place. All he wants to do is bring the holiday spirit to Mr. Wilson, especially since he got assigned to him for a Secret Santa project. (And who could stay mad at that cute little face? The actor playing Dennis is adorable!)

The movie goes on to take on an A Christmas Carol turn with the whole Christmas past, present and future. Except this time, it shows Mr. Wilson as a child (who acted EXACTLY like Dennis), present, and future.....which shows how bad off Dennis's parents will be if Mr. Wilson forces them to pay for all the damages Dennis has incurred. Also, what will happen to Dennis.

So, the ending is fairly predictable....yet, at the same time, it's a major tear-jerker. (Either that, or I'm more of a sap than I thought.) Especially given that this is a sequel spin-off, I wasn't expecting it to be as good as it was. Not perfect, but pretty good. 4 out of 5 stars.

Book Review: "Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea"

Much in the same vein as Kathy Griffin, Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea is the irreverent (but hilarious!) autobiography by Chelsea Handler. Actually....I'm not so sure autobiography is the right term, exactly. It's little slices of life, random anecdotes, but is far from a full picture. Still...

Who couldn't love a book that has everything from fooling her classmates that she was going to star in a film with Goldie Hawn, to babysitting clients from hell, to life inside the clink, to a torrid love affair with a ginger, to shady pitch black dining establishments, to even shadier massage parlors, to dog sitting horror stories, to a re-gifting faux pas to end all re-gifting faux pas, to getting mugged by 14 year old Mexican girls, to midget escapades.....this book has it all. (No really. You only think I'm kidding.) I don't even know what exactly I can say about this one other than READ THIS BOOK. Even if you don't know who Chelsea Handler is, doesn't matter! Read it anyway! You'll be able to appreciate the humor. 5 stars!

Book Review: "Twenties Girl"

Even if you're not a fan of the 1920's, you'll still be able to appreciate this book! Admittedly, I am a fan of the 20's, but that's beside the point. ;) Regardless. I'd never heard of Sopie Kinsella by name before, althoug I knew it had seemed familiar from somewhere... Turns out, she's the one who wrote Confessions of a Shopaholic! So that should tell you that the quality of this author is high.

I love the premise of this story, because it plays into SO many "what if?" scenarios in my mind. Basically, this girl has to go to her great-aunt's funeral who died at 105 years old. Never knew her aunt in life... in fact, practically the whole family blew her off and abandoned her in a nursing home. Almost no one was at the funeral. And yet, suddenly during the services, the girl hears a voice. And sees a person who wasn't there before. Little does she know it's the ghost of her great-aunt Sadie.

The whole story becomes a whirlwind as Sadie begs the main character, Lara, to stop the funeral somehow, because she needs her necklace. Just what necklace, Lara doesn't know. Before she knows it, she gets herself tied up in trying to track down this necklace at any cost. At the same time, during the weeks she spends with the ghost, she learns about who her aunt really was and becomes friends with her, which makes it all the more devastating and heart-wrenching when Sadie finally does fully cross over at the end. There's so many plot twists in this story though.... I can't even begin to tell you how much I love it. This is quite possibly my newest favorite book! I'd rate it even higher than a 5 star rating if I could! :D

Book Review: "Diary of a Chav"

Well now! Diary of a Chav by Grace Dent turned out to be an extremely refreshing change of pace from most of the books I've been reading lately! Spoken like a true Brit, the entirety of this book is written in very much legitimate Brit-speak...none of your prim and proper stuff 'round here! This is more along the lines how real British people speak...or at least, judging by all the ones I've ever been friends with. (And there have been many over the years.) A lot of this book might go right over the tops of a lot of Americans' heads given all the slang (despite a nice glossary in the back), but it just felt natural to me reading it; probably thanks in part to all the Brits I've known in my lifetime, it just feels like talking to any one of them. And I love it.

As the title implies, the book is written in the style of a diary of the main character, Shiraz. It basically follows one year in the life of trials and tribulations (often overdramatically so, as is usually the way of most teenagers) of a typical lower-class 15 year old girl, which always turns out to be completely hilarious, no matter what it is that's gone on with her. It also shows some personal growth on the part of the main character over the course of this particular year, which is good to see, because in many teen books, the main characters often end up no better off than they were in the first place where the book started.

I really love the style of this, and was overjoyed to find out there's an entire series of these! If they're all this good, they may be my new favorite thing of the moment. This seems to be the first series to *really* grab me this much since the Secrets Of My Hollywood Life series earlier this year. Big five stars!

Book Review: "The Karma Club"

Just about everybody has at least some grasp on the concept of how karma works: that whatever you do and put out into the universe, good or bad, will come back on you tenfold. Thus is the basis of The Karma Club by Jessica Brody. After a group of three friends have all been scorned by their significant others, they form a club in which to exact revenge on the perpetrators, all in the name of karma. The idea is that they're helping to lighten karma's load by speeding up the karmic process a little and exacting punishments themselves. What they fail to recognize is that for the negative energies they put into the revenge tactics, they're only bringing bad karma unto themselves.

This book is loaded with typical high school drama, but there's enough humor in it to make up for that fact and then some. (Their revenge tactics are pretty damn creative...) I found it quite enjoyable, and rate it a full 5 out of 5 stars. :)

Book Review: "Star Power (Talent #3)"

In this final installment of Zoey Dean's Talent series, the girls are truly finding themselves on the up and up. Mac has taken it upon herself to become everybody's agent. (It used to just be Emily's.) She starts out meaning well, but soon becomes heady with power and starts letting it get to her. Emily is still in full swing of her Davey Woodward crush, and it's only coming out more and more in spades since working with him on set in a romantic role. Becks has been signed on as the fourth Dixie Girl, which are a world-renowned surf team. And Coco is trying to make a name for herself as a singer, and not as just Cardammon's daughter. But since Mac keeps putting her managerial duties first and friendship second, and as is to be expected, ends up making a huge mess out of things. As with most things, things find a way of working out in the end, and ends up on a cute note.

I'll be sad to see the girls go, but at the same time, one can really only put up with so much middle school drama. After all, isn't living it firsthand once enough? But I did enjoy the story, and I'm rating this one a 4 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Book Review: "Hollyweird"

Hollyweird by Terri Clark is a fun little read that's essentially a new spin on the classic good vs. evil tales. 3 girls win a trip out to LA to meet their favorite actor and idol, Dakota Danvers, and be treated to the whole celebrity treatment while they're there. What they don't know is that their idol...is the son of Satan.

But all hope is not lost. Just as unknowingly as they'd gotten mixed up with hell's minion, one of God's fallen angels, Jameson, is provided to them as a protector. They don't know it right away that he's an angel, but in time, the truth is revealed, as is the knowledge that the supernatural world of demons, vampires, witches, werewolves, etc all exist in the underground. Likewise, it's brought to their attention that much of the celebrity world is part of this preternatural existence. (What an interesting thought that would be if it really did work that way?) But Jameson has been given the assignment of being put in charge of defeating Dakota before he unleashes evil on the entire world...and his plans are coming together faster than anyone could possibly think. The only help in the world that he has is that of which he entrusts in the girls.

There's a lot of aspects of this book that remind me of one of my favorite films ever, Stanley Donen's Bedazzled. Good vs. evil, the 7 deadly sins, etc. It all comes into play here in a fresh, modern spin on a classic tale. It's a quirky, easy read (you could easily read it in one sitting if you were so inclined), and I highly recommend it to just about everybody :) 5 star rating!

Book Review: "Almost Famous (Talent #2)"

This second installment of Zoey Dean's Talent series is thankfully a huge step up from its predecessor. Whereas the first book in the series was bland and boring, this one is filled with juicy drama all the way through, and really fleshes out what each character is all about. It's all in the tone of middle school drama gone VERY awry, and eventual revenge. However, morality is to be upheld, and the underlying message is that revenge doesn't pay, no matter how badly you've been burned. (It would've been too predictable if everything had ended up working out according to plan with the revenge plots.) I think there's a lot of themes throughout this book though that most people can relate to on some level, as most people have been harassed in school at some point in their lives; maybe not to the degree these girls are, but it still gets its point across. Regardless, I'm voting this one a big 5 stars :)