Paddle Your Own Canoe - Book Review

Book: Paddle Your Own Canoe: One Man's Fundamentals for Delicious Living

Author: Nick Offerman

Genre: Non-Fiction 

Publisher/Publish Date: Dutton Adult / October 1, 2013

Source: Public Library

Pages: 337

Rating: 3.5/5

GoodReads  •  Amazon

I'm a huge fan of Nick Offerman's character on Parks & Rec, Ron Swanson, and knew enough about his personal life and woodworking background that I was pretty sure I was going to enjoy this books. I was right, though also pleasantly surprised by the depth and variety of this book.

A mix a narrative chapters about his life and instructional/topical essays, Offerman not only gives you a look into his life, and everything that lead him to his success in Hollywood, but also give great advice for aspiring actors and people in general.

The book is a bit racy in sections, just to warn you in case you plan to listen to this in audiobook form with your parents. Overall one of my favorite memoirs I've read in awhile.

Loved: the fun illustrations
Enjoyed: his tales of auditioning and working in Hollywood

what I've been reading....

Hi. It's nice to be back from my little break. Life got in the way of blogging and reading. It was all good stuff, but I have missed sharing here what I've been up to.

I was over on GoodReads.com the other day, listing some books I'd finished reading, and decided to check out how I was doing on my goal of reading 75 books this year. Well, the news was bad. While I've read 13 books, I'm 17 books behind... yikes! Not sure if I can catch up, or if I even care to try, but I want to get back on the horse and read more the second half of the year. I also have piles of books in my room to read:)

Books I've read since I last posted...

Still: Notes on a Mid-Faith Crisis, by Lauren F. Winner
I picked this up since I loved her first book Girl Meets God and this didn't disappoint. Winner honestly shares her struggles with God and Christianity, and where she sees her self in the Christian story.

Here I Go Again, by Jen Lancaster
A hard book to explain without giving too much away, Lissy Ryder returns to her high school for her 20th reunion to discover that her memories were a little rose-tinted, and she may not be as successful and beloved as she once thought.

The Bling Ring: How a Gang of Fame-Obsessed Teens Ripped Off Hollywood and Shocked the World, by Nancy Jo Sales
While not the most well written book, it's an interesting look at the headline catching story of six LA teens who burglarized celebrity homes including Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Orlando Bloom. This book attempts to discover the motivation behind the break-ins and what lead to their obsession with celebrity.

One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories, by B.J. Novak
Random, odd, funny, heart-touching. A mix of short stories, Novak does an amazing job of fabricating unique stories, characters and places.

Eleanor & Park, by Rainbow Rowell
I've heard about how great this book is, and I'm glad I finally got around to reading it. It is definitely a young adult book, but is a beautiful story of two high school misfits finding love and seeing if they have what it takes to make it last.

Help Thanks Wow: Three Essential Prayers, by Anne Lamott
One of my favorite authors, Lamott shares the three prayers that get her through tough times, and shares personal stories that lead her to these three prayers.

The Knowledge of the Holy, by A.W. Tozer
I read this book with my church's small group. Tozer does an amazing job at identifying and expounding on God's attributes, such as wisdom, grace, mercy and justice. There was a lot of content that was new to me, and it's a dense book, elegantly written, and I probably re-read in a year or two.

The Mystery of Mercy Close by Marian Keyes - Book Review

Book: The Mystery of Mercy Close: A Walsh Sister Novel

Author: Marian Keyes

Genre: Chick Lit 

Publisher/Publish Date: Michael Joseph / September 2012

Source: SF Public Library

Pages: 508

Rating: 4.5/5

GoodReads  •  Amazon

Just a heads up, Marian Keyes is one of my favorite authors. I've read and loved all her books, even the collection of short stories (though not her cook book). Like many of her other books, this centers on the Irish Walsh Family and their five daughters. This is the last book in the series, and it's fun to read a book and know the other characters so well.

The novel starts off with private investigator Helen Walsh getting a very secretive job from her ex-boyfriend. A member of a popular 90's boy band is missing, and she has five days to find him. She has just lost her apartment and is short on money, so she takes the job though she'd rather not be working with her ex.

The story goes back and forth between her search for Wayne, the "Wacky One," and flashbacks to her past relationships and struggles with depression. Helen is a unique, dark, nutty character, and enjoyable to read about.

Looking back on the book, there may be some plot holes in a few of the character arches, but the mystery was strong enough to make me not notice those things.

If you haven't read any of Keyes' books, I highly recommend picking one up, and finding a comfy spot to spend a few hours. I recommend it to people who like Bridget Jone's Diary, The Shopaholic Series, or books by Jen Lancaster.

I'm not sure why there are different covers, but I like both of them. Which do you like better?

Book Review: Bossypants

I had heard a lot of good reviews of this book, so was very excited when I finally got a copy to borrow from my public library (if I bought all the books I read it would take over my apartment, I'm very grateful to the library).

Honestly, while I didn't know what I expected, I felt the books started out a little too heavy on the satire, and a little light on reality. Yes, it was funny. And yes, I do enjoy Tina Fey's sense of humor. But I was interested in knowing more about her life, while enjoying a funny book.

Luckily, as the book continues, the writing does become more serious, specifically when she starts to talk about her comedy career and how she got on SNL and later how she created 30 Rock. The behind-the-scene parts, and the insights to how she got 30 Rock up and running, for example how they got Alec Baldwin on the show, were fascinating to read. In true form, Tina Fey has written an enjoyable, sassy, smart and humorous book, with a nice balance of life stories and lol's.

Rating: 4.75 out of 5