Brat: An '80s Story by Andrew McCarthy

 I was 14 when St. Elmo’s Fire and Sixteen Candles released. I was a teen in the John Hughes era. I crushed on the boys of the Brat Pack (I was all about Judd and Andrew) and wanted to be Molly or at least friends with her. I was a little sad to learn I was 2 years shy of having been in Washington Square Park at the same time as @andrewtmccarthy 

So when this book was released a couple of weeks ago I knew I had to have it. 

For me this was a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read. But if you’re not familiar with the time and hold no nostalgia for it or if you have a taste for memoirs filled with lots of very intimate and private details about the writer and/or those they come in contact with this may be 3-4 stars for you. 

It’s a thin one, 217 pages. It’s not gossipy and there’s nothing scandalous or salacious in the pages. 

But I loved it. I was surprised to learn that The Brat Pack weren’t for the most part a group outside of the movie sets, in my teenage brain and heart they were the group of friends I wanted to be with and join. I felt like Andrew on these pages was as laid bare as he could be as sparse as it was given what he shares about his nature and insecurity defense mechanism of withdrawing. I imagine even sharing this much wasn’t easy and that makes it all the more revealing. 

I almost thought that I wished he had shared more about his life now, how he is doing, but then I realized that is part of the problem we have with celebrity, the feeling of wanting to know all the slimy and private details. If a friend was telling me about their life before we met and these were the details they shared I wouldn’t be angry to feel cheated, I’d feel thankful they shared anything with me as we grew our knowledge of each other. And that’s what this is, a small glimpse given by someone who owes nothing to anyone. 

I’m so glad I read it and spent some time remembering that time and my love of the movies he wrote about. 

(Finished May 26, 2021)

The Blacktongue Thief (Blacktongue #1) by Christopher Buehlman

 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5⭐️ (I think this hovers for me between 3.5 & 4 stars but I gave it the 4 because it’s clever and so sarcastic that I appreciated it.)

If you’ve ever read The Name of The Wind this will bring that to mind. I liked Rothfuss more but this was in that same style of story telling, full of snarky wit and humor with its heart buried a little. You can definitely tell Buehlamn was influenced by Rothfuss and he says as much in the acknowledgements. 

This story has so much in it, magic, thieves, giants, witches, a cat that maybe isn’t, a kraken, blood, sex, foul (amusingly so) language, irreverent humor, adventure...

I didn’t love it but I liked it a lot. I can understand why those who read fantasy outside of the YA/NA books would love it more than I did. It was absolutely well done.

(Finished May 23, 2021)

A Conjuring of Light (Shades of Magic #3) by V.E. Schwab

Book 1: A Darker Shade of Magic

Book 2: A Gathering of Shadows

I just finished reading this with enough time to post before I have to head to work. I loved this trilogy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

No doubt this time around!!

The saga of The Londons comes to a conclusion with magic and love and pain and loss and healing too. 

Lila is so strong and badass. I love her even when she is so stubborn she makes a hot mess things. I love how vulnerable she is without ever realizing it. 

Kell is just the best. I wish he hadn’t made the choice he did at the market (sorry that’s vague but I’m trying to avoid spoilers) because now I’ll never know 😂. His budding bond with Lila over the three books is everything. I’m not a huge fan of sappy, I much prefer their snarky growth. 

And my heart broke for Holland and I loved him at the end and I am so mad at V.E. for that 😂

And finally I need to say that Alucard and Rhy healed me and were just everything I wanted them to be and more. And they healed each other too, I think. I’d like to think. And I am so glad to have met them. 

(Finished May 21, 2021)

A Gathering of Shadows (Shades of Magic #2) by V.E. Schwab

Book 1: A Darker Shade of Magic  

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

At first I was going to say 4⭐️ but this was one that got under my skin and into my heart over the course of it. I was at times frustrated with Lila’s stubborn refusal to listen to anyone but by the last page it all wrapped up to make sense, I began to understand the front she put on and was pulling for her to find peace and rest, to stop running. 

The other part that had me wondering if I should go down a star was the tournament scenes. While it was a bit interesting it also had the feel of the Quidditch scenes for me, I was over it pretty quickly and just wanted to get to the scenes where the real action was, the reveals of more clues as to who/what Lila is, what will happen to/with Kell and Rhy, and the Alucard reveal (one I didn’t see coming). But luckily they didn’t drag on any longer. They aren’t bad, just made a pause I was anxious to get past. But there were some important clues/bits there so I can’t complain too much. 

Overall, while different than my now beloved Addie LaRue, I truly do love the way VE writes, the twists, the flow of language, the imagery, the feels. I’m only sorry I waited so long to read this installment, I finished A Darker Shade of Magic on March 27, 2019.

(Finished May 9, 2019)

Every Day Is a Gift: A Memoir by Tammy Duckworth

 Because she reads the audiobook herself I wanted to listen rather than grab the hardcopy. Listening to Senator Duckworth narrate her memoir made it feel more intimate, like she was talking right to the listener. She isn't an actress, that is clear, but her tone is conversational, like one would expect if someone was sitting there telling them stories about their life, so in that I give the narration 5 ⭐s, though I was a little tempted to deduct a 1/4 of a star for her rant about granny panties since I felt a little attacked 😂😂

Every Day Is a Gift is really the message of her story and not just the title. Senator Duckworth tells the story of her life beginning with the start in Thailand through the current day. She shares openly about her parents and extended family and the emotional and financial hardship of her childhood and teen years after moving to Hawaii. She shares about her drive and desire to serve. We go along for the ride as she joined the military and began flying Blackhawks. She shares what she learned about the shoot down that took her legs, she doesn't have many of her own memories of it and the blanks are filled in by those with her that say, heroes all. Senator Duckworth unflinchingly shares details of the long and painful road of her recovery and the time at Walter Reed and how that led her to get involved in the political side of public service. 

And in the later parts of the book she shares the struggle she and her husband Brian faced in their efforts to become parents. 

While there are some, I mean she is a senator after all, political parts of this story but it isn't all that and even if you disagree with her views on policy there is a lot to like about her and feel as you hear or read her story. 

I have been rather lucky of late...another ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ book. 

(Finished May 2, 2021)