Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me (Howie Mandel)

I had received Howie Mandel's book as a gift so I was excited when I finally had an opportunity to take some time to read it.  I had chosen this book as my "A book that is funny" choice, since I had recently been watching a lot of "America's Got Talent" and realized how funny I think Howie Mandel is. 

I loved this book.  It was the perfect mix of funny, embarrassing, heartwarming, and honest.  Howie speaks truthfully about his ADHD and "germophobia" and helps us to truly understand the challenges that he goes through.  It puts these issues in a whole new light and allows us to begin to understand the complexities of the OCD he faces. 

There were so many funny stories in the book where Howie recounts pranks he pulled on others and encounters he's had with various people.  There were also more serious stories, where he talks about health concerns and other struggles. 

Though the book is a little more dated now, since it discusses Howie's days on the TV show Deal or No Deal, it's still recommended by me since it's equally as funny and true.  I loved it and would recommend it to anyone who likes nonfiction, Howie Mandel, or comedy. 

My 2015 Reading List Update

• A popular author's first book
• A book that was originally written in a different language
• A book written by an author with your same initials - In a Class by Itself (Sandra Brown)
• A memoir - Some Girls: My Life in a Harem (Jillian Lauren)
• A funny book - Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me (Howie Mandel)
• A book with a colour in the title
• A book you own but have never read - Six Years (Harlan Coben)
• A book with a one-word title
• A book written by someone under 30
• A book you can finish in a day
• A book with non-human characters
• A book set during Christmas

Some Girls: My Life in a Harem (Jillian Lauren)

I've finished my first book of 2015 - which also fits into my 2015 Reading List!

I started reading "Some Girls: My Life in a Harem" because it was recommended by my mom. It's the story of a girl who moves from a difficult situation in the United States into a quite different situation in Singapore.  She is promised a large sum of money if she moves across the world to attend parties for Prince Jefri.  The ladies fight over his time and attention during their stays in Brunei.  She's treated fairly well, has caught the prince's eye, and receives quite the perks with this 'employment.'

Although the title and overall idea of the book may discourage some people from picking it up, I enjoyed Jillian's story.  Despite this book sounding like a "deep" content book, it was easy to read and wasn't a depressing tale of a girl's life-gone-bad. It was an interesting read and provided quite a different view than the reality that we see in North America.

I would recommend this book for those who like non-fiction books and for those who enjoy stories about people who live different and interesting lives.  It was definitely a book I would recommend to others! 


My 2015 Reading List Update

• A popular author's first book
• A book that was originally written in a different language
• A book written by an author with your same initials
• A memoir - Some Girls: My Life in a Harem (Jillian Lauren)
• A funny book
• A book with a colour in the title
• A book you own but have never read
• A book with a one-word title
• A book written by someone under 30
• A book you can finish in a day
• A book with non-human characters
• A book set during Christmas

Let's Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir) (Jenny Lawson, The Bloggess)

Where do I start with this book?  I have been following Jenny Lawson's blog, The Bloggess, for about 3 years now.  A friend introduced me to the blog and I loved reading it because it was so funny. 

Jenny Lawson has now written her Mostly True Memoir called Let's Pretend This Never Happened.  It was hilarious.  I was sitting outside reading and probably getting weird looks from my neighbours because I was laughing by myself.  They clearly hadn't read the book and just didn't understand how funny it was. 

To get a sense of her writing style and to have a few laughs, maybe check out the picture that cost her $300 to take, how she never dug up a human corpse, her metal chicken named Beyonce, or the time she saw a sasquatch on the road. (Seriously, you should read them.)

I read the book in two days.  I just couldn't put it down.  Her writing is easy to read, not to mention hilarious, and you just want to keep reading.  It made me smile so much and I was honestly laughing out loud and reading excerpts to whoever was in the room with me.  Her stories are so ridiculous and you start to think, "How can all of this stuff happen to one person?" or "If this happened to me, my re-telling of the story wouldn't be quite so funny" or "I have led a boring life compared to hers."  (Well, ok, I haven't led a boring life, just a different life.)

Hamlet von Schnitzel doing a little fishing.
He caught a fish.
It was bigger than he is. 

I almost feel as if I read the book too fast and that I need to re-read it.  Although I think it would be better to get the audiobook for a second-round of the stories because I feel it would be SO AWESOME to hear her expressions as she tells the stories in the book. 

I honestly hope she's not kidding when she says, throughout the book, "That story will be in the second book," because I really do want to read a second book by Jenny Lawson.  But for now, her updates on her blog will have to do...

And now, in the name of being ridiculous (which Jenny Lawson is a fan of), I have taken some pictures of Hamlet von Schnitzel visiting my place in Northern Ontario. 

Hamlet von Schnitzel enjoyed the sunshine at the lake. 
He may have gotten a sunburn, hence the pink-ish colour.
Either that, or my printer was low on ink.

For my Ontario friends, specifically those in the Toronto area, Jenny Lawson (aka The Bloggess) will be at Indigo Manulife Centre (55 Bloor Street West... The Indigo at Bay/Bloor) on Tuesday, August 7th, 2012 at 7 pm.  Please go.  She is hilarious.  I wish I could go.  (I, however, already have tickets to the Roger's Cup... I'll have to catch her on her book tour for book number two!)

Seriously... I'm Kidding (Ellen Degeneres)

I've been waiting for a while to read this book.  I kind of knew that I was getting "Seriously... I'm Kidding" as either a Christmas or Birthday gift (shh...) so I had to hold off on reading it.  I was super excited when I finally received it for my Birthday and it made it on top of the pile of books that are on my "to-read" list!

I LOVED this book.  Loved it.  I thought Tina Fey's book was funny, but I thought Ellen's book was funnier.  This could be because I am a huge Ellen fan (and didn't know much about Tina Fey when I read her book), but regardless, this book was Hilarious with a capital H. 

I was laughing out loud even as I read the flaps in the book and the back.  And then I was laughing out loud when I was reading her message to readers and her acknowledgements at the beginning of the book.  And so on... The laughing continued.

It's such a random book, with chapters about anything and everything.  A chapter about Meditation?  Yep.  A chapter about Stretching?  Yep.  A chapter about Pros and Cons?  Yep.  She includes something for all ages!  Colouring pages for children, a chapter for the older audience and a chapter for the teens.  It's all there! 

It's like a standup routine, but you're reading it instead of listening to her say it.

One part I thought was particularly funny was a chapter where she suddenly says that she bets you're thinking about how you're thirsty for tequila.  She writes, "So that reader is going to take to their Twitter account and tweet, 'Reading Ellen's hilarious new book.  Thirsty for tequila.'  And if that makes people want to buy the book, I think that's great." (Seriously... I'm Kidding, Ellen Degeneres, p. 139)  Well, I decided to sign onto Twitter and search for this phrase.  Yep, it was there.  In fact, at the exact moment that I made it my most recent tweet, 10 other people also tweeted the exact same sentence.  Awesome.

I suggest you go out and buy this book.  Read it as fast as you can (because I know once you start it, you won't want to put it down).  Then make everyone you know read it by talking about how funny and great it was.  Then once everyone has read it, keep it as a coffee table book or a bathroom reader.  Because it's that funny that you will want to reread sections of it over and over again.  Seriously... It's funny.

We Bought a Zoo (Benjamin Mee)

I got We Bought a Zoo by Benjamin Mee for my Birthday from my brother.  For those of you who know that my Birthday was yesterday, don't be amazed that I'm finished this book already...  I opened this present a little early, since my brother was on his way out of town for work for a few weeks. 

My main interest for this book started when I saw the preview for the 2011 movie.  To be honest, I probably would never have found this book had this movie not come out.

Basically, meet Benjamin Mee, a DIY writer.  His father recently passed away, leaving his mother alone in a house worth half a million pounds (yes, pounds, not dollars!).  His mother is ready to downsize, but when Benjamin hears about a rundown zoo that has recently come on the market, he convinces (most) of his family to take on the task of revamping the zoo.  During this process, there are many obstacles, such as his wife having a brain tumor (I didn't give it away, it's on the back of the book), the amount of work that is required on many of the animal enclosures, restaurants and restrooms, as well as the lack of money since there is currently no income for this zoo.  The book basically travels through Benjamin Mee's experiences from buying the zoo to trying to secure funding to renovating numerous areas throughout the park to his experiences with learning about the animals.  The book ends on opening day of Dartmoor Zoological Park. 

I just want to say how good the story behind this book is.  I think it's amazing and very uplifting how this family was able to reopen a zoo that was in the condition he describes, especially considering the lack of skills that Benjamin Mee had when he first purchased the zoo.  He probably learned so much about himself and his family throughout this process, and based on how he talks about his experiences throughout the book, you can tell that he absolutely loves what he has done for himself and his family. 

Benjamin Mee was a writer before he bought the zoo and published this book, so there is no doubt that the book is well written.  I did find, though, that the book was written more like a report than a story.  He moves from topic to topic in an order that makes sense (although not always in a chronological order, since he is sometimes adding in his past experiences with the animals at various points throughout the book) and the book does start where you'd expect and end at a good point. 

The sentences, paragraphs, and chapters were all fairly long and I found that I really needed to be concentrated on my reading throughout this book, or else I'd be reading the same page over a few times before it sunk in.  (This is not ideal for reading at lunch time on supply teaching days!)

While there are many personal memories (such as when he was nearly attacked by a porcupine in the middle of the night) that make you smile, there is a lack of conversations between individuals.   While I don't want to judge the movie without having seen it, I'm wondering how well the events in the movie actually represent what happened at this zoo.  I already see so many things that are different than the book.  (I did just read on the Darmoor Zoo website that in the movie, the zoo has been renamed and that the zoo is based out of California.  "Based on a true story" means that the idea came from the book, right?  I guess that any and all publicity of the book and their zoo is great for them to ensure that they have the funds to keep the zoo open.)

The verdict?  Read it if you're into non fiction and if you have some time to sit and laze around on the couch with a book.  The story is very worthwhile.  (I may have even shed a tear at the end...)  It was good and I'm still very excited to go see the movie.

Bossypants (Tina Fey)

I got this book for Christmas, but I've had my eye on it for a while.  I've heard some good things about the book and decided that I was ready to try it.  I also saw her on The Ellen Degeneres Show and she was hilarious... Check out that appearance here and here. 

In Bossypants, Tina Fey describes many things she has experienced in life and her stories make her seem somewhat more 'human' and down to earth.  She discusses important times in her career (such as her years at SNL or on 30 Rock), her honeymoon, her college years, photo shoots, and being a mother. 

I read the book from start to finish in about a day, but you could also pick a specific chapter that you're more interested in and read that.  It's not the type of autobiography that you would need to necessarily read in order.  She wrote well and since she is pretty funny, this shone through in her writing. 

Now, I should tell you that I'm not a "must watch" Tina Fey fan.  I think she's funny and I do like her when I see her in movies or on television, but she's not one who, in the past, I have rushed out to see in a new release.  I think that someone who has watched her for those many years on SNL or who has been a fan of 30 Rock would definitely like certain parts of the book more than I did.  (I didn't get some of the 30 Rock stuff since I've never really watched much of the show... But lately, I have debated picking up a season). 

However, that said, there were so many parts of the book that were funny and heartfelt regardless of whether you have seen all of her shows and movies.  Who can't laugh at her honeymoon experience (where there was a fire on a cruise) or her commentary that goes along with a photo shoot? While it is non fiction, there were many chapters that were not specific to events in her life, but just her insights into some of her experiences.

The book was an easy read and it was definitely funny.  If you can watch the clips of her on Ellen and be intrigued like I was, then I think you'd enjoy the book.  It did definitely make me laugh and say to whoever was nearest me at the time, "You have to listen to this..." 

Open (Andre Agassi)

I am on a roll with my non fiction books lately.  The most recent one being Open by Andre Agassi.  I'm a tennis fan, so I read this book despite the fact that he was starting to quiet down his tennis career just as I was starting to regain interest in (watching) the sport. 

On the book, Time described the book as "One of the best sports autobiographies of all time.... One of the better memoirs out there, period."  Can't go wrong by reading this, right?

The story is about Andre Agassi. He struggled in school, hated the sport that was forced upon him by his father, and worked hard trying to find out who he was as a person.  He discusses everything from his lowest points to his highest points in the game, specific points in a match (really), his changing relationships with coaches, trainers, and girlfriends, and his struggles with his physical self and injuries.

It surprised me how much you really learn about Agassi in this book.  As fans, we cheer on our favourite athletes, sometimes thinking how lucky they are to be able to play hockey, tennis, basketball, whatever, for a living.  Never do we think that they don't want to be doing what they're doing.  Based on Agassi's interviews with the press at the time, you assume that he's being honest... wrong.  He's human, and when times are hard sometimes it's easier to just let people think what they want to think.  And hopefully you don't let it affect your game, right?  It must be difficult to live a life where your every move, comment, decision and relationship are right out there for the public and media to criticize and comment on.  It was an eye opener.

"If I had time, if I were more self-aware, I would tell journalists that I'm trying to figure out who I am, but in the meantime I have a pretty good idea of who I'm not.  I'm not my clothes.  I'm certainly not my game.  I'm not anything the public thinks I am.  I'm not a showman simply because I come from Vegas and wear loud clothes.  I'm not an enfant terrible, a phrase that appears in every article about me.  (I think you can't be something you can't pronounce.)  And, for heaven's sake, I'm not a punk rocker.  I listen to soft, cheesy pop, like Barry Manilow and Richard Marx." (Open, Andre Agassi, p. 117)

I found the book to be a bit of a rollercoaster.  I found some sections of the book more interesting than others.  He's writing about his career - which is tennis - so it makes sense that a majority of the story will be about just that - tennis.  There were some sections that were very... tennis.  Kudos to the fact checker who made sure that the tournament name, opponent name, round number, and match scores were accurately represented in the book!  I found I kept reading, waiting for the next piece of information about his relationships! 

I think you really need to have an appreciation for tennis or a love for Andre to fully appreciate this book.  If you don't have a love for either, I'm not sure that it would be on the list of your top reads.  I enjoyed reading Open, but I can see how it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea. 

There were many quotable moments in his book... I'll leave you with this one.

"It's no accident, I think, that tennis uses the language of life.  Advantage, service, fault, break, love, the basic elements of tennis are those of everyday existence, because every match is a life in miniature.  Even the structure of tennis, the way the pieces fit inside one another like Russian nesting dolls, mimics the structure of our days.  Points become games become sets become tournaments, and it's all so tightly connected that any point can become the turning point.  It reminds me of the way seconds become minutes become hours, and any hour can be our finest.  Or darkest.  It's our choice."  (Open, Andre Agassi, p. 8)

Little Princes (Conor Grennan)

I was hesitant to start this book, mainly because I'm not usually a non fiction reader.  However, because this book came highly recommended by various family members, I decided to give it a go this summer.  I'm glad I did.

Little Princes is the true story of Conor Grennan, a twenty-nine-year-old who decides he's going to go volunteer in an orphanage in Nepal (mainly because he thought it would sound good when he told others!).  Although his initial visit to Nepal was just the first stop on his "one-year, solo round-the-world trip," the experiences he had with the many children in the orphanage changed him.

Living in Nepal exposed him to many things.  He discovered that many of the children in these orphanages were the victims of child trafficking; that is, when times were hard, these children were sold by their parents, who had been promised that their children would grow up in a safer environment with food, shelter, and education.  This was hardly the case for many of these children. Conor takes it upon himself to find family members and reunite them with their children. 

Conor Grennan's descriptions of the children really make you feel like you are experiencing what he is - many of his interactions with the children made me laugh out loud, whereas others made me really feel for them.  The story of his trek across the country really makes you understand how difficult this journey was and how much he was risking to help the orphans.

This book really shows how much impact one person can have - He did some pretty amazing things. 

If you purchase this book, a portion of the proceeds are donated to Next Generation Nepal.