All Creatures Great and Small

by James Herriot  442 p.

             I loved this book. It reads like fiction, but is nonfiction. It is the first couple years James Herriot, a Scottish veterinarian, spends in his first job which is in Yorkshire England in the late 30s.
         It had chapters that made me cry, the next made me laugh, and grossed me out. It confirmed I made the right decision in not becoming a vet, but he does have some great moments with animals. Read this book! I look forward to watching the series that was on PBS in the 70s.

Decision Points

George W. Bush
491 pages

This is Bush's autobiography, and it mainly deals with the major decisions he faced before and during the presidency.  The decisions he made about Afghanistan, Iraq, Hurricane Katrina, and the financial meltdown. He also highlights his administrations work on Medicare reform and HIV/AIDs prevention in Africa.  Overall, this was insightful.  Bush made the politics and issues he was discussing easy to understand, which I appreciated.

I did not read this book because I am a huge Bush supporter.  I read it to gain insight on this period of time.  I think it's important to hear both sides before you make judgments about what really happened, and this book allowed me to hear the other side of the story.  A president's shoes are hard to fill, and I don't envy anyone who attempts the job.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?

by Mindy Kaling
222 pages

This is a non-fiction book containing biographical essays pertaining to Mindy Kaling's life.  Mindy Kaling, best known for her role as Kelly on NBC show The Office.  Kaling, in addition to being an actor, is also a writer and producer for The Office.  This book recounts humorous episodes from her life.  It also contains lists and essays about Kaling's own thoughts and opinions.  She jumps around in time, and some essays are rather random, so this is not a straightforward biography.  Overall, Kaling is humorous and down-to-earth.  You don't necessarily expect someone so successful to be so real.

This is definitely a light read.  It's one of those books you can either read in one-sitting or read over several weeks.  It's a nice book to read while indulging in your favorite treat/beverage while hanging around the house in your pj's.

Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman

Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman
by Robert K. Massie
625 pages

This is the autobiography of Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia from 1762-1796. I am obsessed with royal history, but have only really read about English and French royal history.  I didn't really know much about Russian history, and I'm all about powerful women, so I thought I would give this book a try.

It is a big book (625, whew!), but definitely worth the effort. If you love history, I think you'll enjoy it.  It not only talks about Catherine, but it gives details about other people and events as well.  The only draw back for this book is that there aren't very many pictures. 

License to Pawn

License to Pawn: Deals, Steals, and My Life at the Gold and Silver
Rick Harrison & Tim Keown
272 pages

This book is an autobiography of Rick Harrison, star of History Channel's Pawn Stars.  Harrison discusses his family history and early life as well as his present situation as a star of a reality TV show.  Along the way he tells how his father struggled to start a second-hand store in Las Vegas and how that store eventually transformed into the successful pawn shop it is today.  "The Old Man," Corey, and Chumlee also contribute to this book, adding their perspectives and discussing how they helped contribute to the pawn shop's present day success.

I occasionally watch Pawn Stars, so it was interesting to get insight into the real people behind the show.  I admit that Chumlee's chapter sounded more like Tim Keown must have written the whole thing.  However, I underestimated Chumlee's ability to be thoughtful and reflective and was pleasantly surprised.  I also thought Rick was a bit full of himself in places, but overall, it was an interesting read.

Bossypants by Tina Fey

I just realized I put the picture for the audiobook here...maybe I should have listened to it, but I'd probably still be laughing because just reading it was great!  I really like Tina Fey...she's kind of one of my heroes.  She seems so normal but she's brilliant.  Her "Things I Learned from Lorne Michaels" list has implications for anyone working with anyone else and the chapter entitled, "The Mother's Prayer for Its Daughter" is laugh out loud funny while being true, so very true. The stuff she wrote about her dad has just the right amount of reverence and humor. It's nice to read a celebrity book that doesn't cannonize or demonize the parents.
In short, the book is a nice, relaxing, enjoyable break from reading the hard stuff but it isn't stupid candy.  It's more like a beautifully decorated birthday cake made from the finest ingredients.  Enjoy!
Kim F
275 pp

Autobiography of a Fat Bride

By: Laurie Notaro, 272 pp.

OMG!! I hope that is allowed!

This book is so funny ~ Well, really Laurie Notaro is hilarious! She kept me laughing throughout the entire book!

Notaro describes her life as a "big Italian" girl. She tells us everything! She holds nothing back! I think one of my favorite parts is the chapter "Red Mice!" It is a bit gross, yet so true and funny!

Unfortunately, we do not have this title in our system. I borrowed it through MOBIUS.

Place your hold on it today! You will be glad you did!

Composed by Rosanne Cash

I've always been a fan of Rosanne Cash's voice and her music has been the background for some of the moments in my life, so I was excited to read her memoir.  It was pretty good.  I appreciated learning what was behind some of her lyrics and I appreciated her struggles with perfecting her craft and wondering if she was good enough.  One of the reviews read, "With her cool crisp prose, Cash never makes a drama out of a crisis."  I agree.  She might come across as self-indulgent when she's dropping the names of famous people or getting a little carried away with the big words, but she writes from a straightforward place that's refreshing.  This is definitely not a dirt-slingfest and I hope she is as forgiving of faults as she seems.
If you like Rosanne Cash or are currently struggling to make it as a singer/songwriter then this is a pretty good read.  If you don't know who she is or you aren't that interested in her music, you can probably skip this book. 
Kim F

Lady Sings the Blues

by Billie Holiday
(1956 | 224 p)

Eleanora Fagan was born April 7, 1915. Her mother was only 13 and her father was pretty much absent. Eleanora was raised by family while her mother worked; her childhood was painful and short. At 13 Eleanora was working as a prostitute, by 14 she was singing her unique style of jazz as Billie Holiday in Brooklyn clubs. Racism and drug addiction dogged her for most of her career but her unyielding spirit could never by broken.

In "Lady Sings the Blues" Billie Holiday tells us her story in her own, bold words. There were parts of her story that made me cringe, others that left me behind. The stories are not necessarily shared chronologically and words aren't wasted on clarifications. Either you know who and what Ms. Holiday is talking about or you don't. If you don't you'll have to go elsewhere for explanations. Her autobiography is not what I'd call well crafted, but it is still well told. Through the rough edges of her prose Ms. Holiday reveals more of herself than would be found in any professionally written biography.

I'd recommend this book to anyone, but it would be particularly well received by those interested in Women's history or African American history. It's also a must read for fans of jazz.