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Memoirs
Dec 21, 2008 14:02:51 GMT -4
Post by kanding on Dec 21, 2008 14:02:51 GMT -4
Oh yeah, I read that Shelley Winter's autobiography when it first came out. That was a rip. She really didn't hold back, did she?
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Deleted
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Nov 24, 2024 5:41:51 GMT -4
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Memoirs
Dec 22, 2008 19:01:11 GMT -4
Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2008 19:01:11 GMT -4
Some of my favorites:
Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress by Susie Gilman - essays by a woman who grew up in New York's upper west side in the 60s. Super funny stuff.
The Liar's Club by Mary Karr - memoir of a girl growing up with a slightly unhinged mother in the middle of a Texas swamp. Just a great book, fantastic tone. I loan this one to everyone I know. In fact, I haven't gotten it back yet.
Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy - the memoir of a woman who developed a rare type of cancer as a child and had a large chunk of her jaw removed. Really fascinating look at the relationship you have with your face and the struggles Grealy went through in accepting herself. And it's not at all sentimental or pitying. (The book Truth and Beauty by Ann Patchett is actually about her friendship with Grealy and is also an interesting read, though I'd read Grealy's first)
Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose - the book that spawned the mini-series, suuuuuper good, full of the kind of quiet heroism that makes you quietly sob into your lunch while you're reading it (or maybe that was just me...)
Julie & Julia by Julie Powell - a woman working as a temp with an agency sorting things out after the World Trade Center collapse decides to get her life in order by cooking every recipe in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Worth it just for the part where she tries to psych herself into killing a lobster.
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson - a humorist/travel writer's memoir about growing up in Des Moines in the 50s. Super funny and a nice little slice of nostalgia.
The Sex Lives of Cannibals and Getting Stoned with Savages by J. Maarten Troost - a man goes to live in Kiribati and later Vanuatu in the South Pacific when his girlfriend gets a job there. Funny and a fascinating look at a part of the world you rarely hear about.
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Deleted
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Nov 24, 2024 5:41:51 GMT -4
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Memoirs
Dec 24, 2008 12:54:35 GMT -4
Post by Deleted on Dec 24, 2008 12:54:35 GMT -4
I can second the recommendation for Julie & Julia, I've read it twice and find it very enjoyable.
Eat, Pray, Love is not too bad, but not great. It feels very self-indulgent, and the first part, 'eat', set in Italy is the best. The 'pray' and 'love' sections are...boring.
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Memoirs
Dec 26, 2008 15:58:32 GMT -4
Post by Coffeecakes on Dec 26, 2008 15:58:32 GMT -4
Infidel by Ayan Hirsi Ali was pretty darn good. She made a film criticizing Islam as she grew up a pretty strict Muslim. She is now under security and the director of the short film was killed in the streets of Holland for it.
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Memoirs
Dec 27, 2008 23:45:29 GMT -4
Post by Smilla on Dec 27, 2008 23:45:29 GMT -4
Mary Karr is also an accomplished poet. You might like her poetry if you liked Liar's Club.
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Memoirs
Dec 28, 2008 1:16:26 GMT -4
Post by eclair on Dec 28, 2008 1:16:26 GMT -4
What's the difference between a memoir and an autobiography?
I enjoyed "Dumbfounded: A Memoir" by Matt Rothschild. The subtitle is "Big Money. Big Hair. Big Problems. Or Why Having It All Isn't for Sissies". The author was raised by his incredibley wealthy grandparents in New York, while his narcissistic mother married and divorced various men in Europe. The family is wealthy and dysfunctional. The book is touching and funny.
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Deleted
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Nov 24, 2024 5:41:51 GMT -4
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Memoirs
Dec 28, 2008 1:57:03 GMT -4
Post by Deleted on Dec 28, 2008 1:57:03 GMT -4
From what I garnered online, an autobiography is the whole timeline of one's life and is factual. While a memoir is more emotional and can cover just six months of a life.
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Memoirs
Dec 28, 2008 2:37:06 GMT -4
Post by LAX on Dec 28, 2008 2:37:06 GMT -4
I adore Ruth Reichl's memoirs, Comfort me with Apples, and Tender at the Bone They're entertaining, touching at times, and contain ample discussions of one of my favorite topics, food.
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Memoirs
Dec 28, 2008 5:59:33 GMT -4
Post by Yossarian on Dec 28, 2008 5:59:33 GMT -4
I adore Ruth Reichl's memoirs, Comfort me with Apples, and Tender at the Bone They're entertaining, touching at times, and contain ample discussions of one of my favorite topics, food. Me too! Memoirs about food are the best!  |
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Memoirs
Dec 28, 2008 20:38:29 GMT -4
Post by Martini Girl on Dec 28, 2008 20:38:29 GMT -4
If you want a quick and easy read, Carrie Fisher's Wishful Drinking is HILarious. Her stories about Debbie Reynolds and drugs are priceless.
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