Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss

 Book 12 of my 2021 Reading Challenge

Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss

by Rajeev Balasubramanyam

Summary (via the book jacket)

published 2019

Professor Chandra is about to embark on the trip of a lifetime.

In the moments after the bicycle accident, Professor Chandra begins to reassess his life, his career, and his relationship with his three children. 

He's just missed out on the Nobel Prize (again). All this work. All this stress. It's killing him.

Professor Chandra needs to take a break, and reluctantly agrees to visit a Californian retreat, to follow his bliss.

And so he must try to crack the most complex problem of all: the secret to his own happiness.

First Impressions/Judging a Book by Its Cover

This is the first book I received from the monthly "book and chocolate" subscription box my family gave me for Christmas.  This book came with a bookmark, Willie's Cacao chocolate (Raspberries & Cream and Milk of the Stars), Lotus biscuits, and Galaxy hot chocolate.

They picked the "Hidden Gem" genre for me which is a great choice for my random reading.  I haven't heard of this book before but the cover is simple and bright.  I also really like Marian Keyes, the author that wrote a blurb on the front of the book.  Blurbs haven't been something I've paid much attention to in the past but it's something I'm starting to notice more as I've been taking time to actually look at the book before jumping right in.

My Opinion

3 stars

I didn't realize Esalen was a real place until reading the author's acknowledgements.

I wasn't very invested at first; I liked it when I was reading it but when I set it down there was no huge urgency pulling me to pick it up again.  Once everyone loosened up and started talking I liked it more and that's when I realized that since it was from Professor Chandra's POV and he started off detached and unemotional, I felt detached from the scenes being described.  Once he started letting people in, I also felt drawn in.

I like these kinds of books, where there are events that serve as jumping off points but the majority of the book is based on the small interactions between family and friends and how they react to each other.  I liked the arc of the book and thought it ended in an appropriate place.

Home Work

 Book 11 of my 2021 Reading Challenge

Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years

by Julie Andrews

Summary (via Goodreads)

published 2019

In Home, the number one New York Times international bestseller, Julie Andrews recounted her difficult childhood and her emergence as an acclaimed singer and performer on the stage.

With this second memoir, Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years, Andrews picks up the story with her arrival in Hollywood and her phenomenal rise to fame in her earliest films -- Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music. Andrews describes her years in the film industry -- from the incredible highs to the challenging lows. Not only does she discuss her work in now-classic films and her collaborations with giants of cinema and television, she also unveils her personal story of adjusting to a new and often daunting world, dealing with the demands of unimaginable success, being a new mother, the end of her first marriage, embracing two stepchildren, adopting two more children, and falling in love with the brilliant and mercurial Blake Edwards. The pair worked together in numerous films, including Victor/Victoria, the gender-bending comedy that garnered multiple Oscar nominations.

First Impressions/Judging a Book by Its Cover

I read Home, the memoir of her early years last summer and this book, Home Work, picks up where that one ends (just as she booked Mary Poppins).  I rated Home 3 stars because it was what I expected (a fluffy read with skimming over traumatic events) and I expect this will be along the same lines.  I'm sure it will be interesting to read and I may like this one more since I'm more familiar with the movies than her earlier plays.

As I always note when reading memoirs/biographies, there are pictures included and I like that most if not all are "candids" or behind-the-scenes instead of canned publicity shots.

My Opinion

3 stars

It's funny that I said I was more familiar with her movies than her earlier plays in my 'First Impressions' because as I was reading this book I discovered I really don't know much about her acting.  Prior to this book I saw her in  "Mary Poppins" and "Sound of Music", I knew she was in but didn't watch "Victor/Victoria" and "Princess Diaries" and I knew the "scandal" that she went topless in a film of her husband's (that I haven't seen and wouldn't have been able to name prior to reading).  I think I felt like I knew more about her work because of the number of times I've seen "Mary Poppins" and "Sound of Music" but I really didn't know how active she was on stage, on tv, and in movies before reading this book.  I also had no idea she'd written so many children's books! 

She was constantly working in different countries and the constant travel and shift in locations was part of the reason I didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought I would.  She was living a hectic life but the anxiety of the constant travel, moving, packing, etc. translated into the pages as frantic and I was never really able to settle in before she was on to the next memory.  I'm sure that's how she felt living it but as a memoir, I would've preferred her taking a breath and reflecting, maybe talking about about how she felt about the scheduling as opposed to presenting everything quickly and chronologically.  I had no idea what year it was or how much time had passed between projects.  At times it felt like a combination of her imdb page and real estate transactions...she did this project which required moving to this place which required buying this furniture and these kids moved with her while these kids lived somewhere else, etc.  It was still interesting but similarly to her first book, it also kept things more superficial.

This was a good companion to Home.  She gave a brief recap of her earlier life at the beginning of this book so it's not necessary to read it but I do think they go well together and I'm glad I waited to read Home Work (I received it as a gift but waited to read it until I sought out and read Home first).  

Queer Icons and Their Cats

 Book 10 of my 2021 Reading Challenge

Queer Icons and Their Cats

by Alison Nastasi and PJ Nastasi

Summary (excerpt from Goodreads)

published 2021

This book is a celebration of queer icons of the past and present and their furry feline friends. From images of lost legends such as Josephine Baker and James Baldwin, to snapshots of contemporary trailblazers like comedian Tig Notaro and fashion designer Jason Wu—these charming and eccentric photographs capture what it truly means to be a cat purr-son.

First Impressions/Judging a Book by Its Cover

The title and cover photo of Jujubee (a drag queen I recognize from RuPaul's Drag Race) made this an immediate grab for me when I saw it on NetGalley (disclaimer for receiving a free copy below).

Since I'm writing this before downloading it, my only concern is that books with pictures don't always translate well on e-readers.  That wouldn't be the book's fault and I would note that in my review but I really hope that's not the case because I'm really looking forward to this book.

My Opinion

4 stars

**I received an electronic copy of this book via NetGalley and would like to thank the author and/of publisher for the opportunity to read and honestly review it**

I enjoyed this book.  It's very clear what to expect so it's always a little tough to review...if the book looks interesting to you, you won't be disappointed because the authors do a good job with the concept and material.

There was an interesting statistic about pet ownership in LGBTQ households vs. straight households.  A 2007 survey found that 71% of LGBTQ households owned pets compared to 63% of straight households, and that LGBTQ are more likely to own cats (63% vs. 52%).  I don't want to draw too many conclusions from that stat alone but the theory that pets bring unconditional love and that's something that LGBTQ people may be less likely to receive from humans did make sense to me, unfortunately.

The pictures were good and clear with a mix of color and black/white.  The icons weren't all familiar to me, with a range from different ages and time periods, and the authors were respectful and gave lots of information about their accomplishments.  The 'queerness' may have been the reason for their inclusion in the book but it wasn't exploited or told in a salacious way.  The spin about the pets made it more than "Wikipedia" entries and it really showed the research by including quotes when possible.  I will note that most interviews and photos were not specifically for this book so I can't speak on if 'experts' would feel the same as I do about the information being new and unique but I think the tradeoff of being able to include such a wide range of people is worth it.

As a note since I mentioned it in my 'First Impressions', there were 2 mistakes with my copy that I'm not factoring into my rating but am noting.  The photo of Clifton Webb was missing/omitted and the information about Ossie Clark was unfinished (it still had editing notes in the text).

Daughters of the Lake

 Book 9 of my 2021 Reading Challenge

Daughters of the Lake

by Wendy Webb

Summary (via Goodreads)

published 2018

After the end of her marriage, Kate Granger has retreated to her parents’ home on Lake Superior to pull herself together—only to discover the body of a murdered woman washed into the shallows. Tucked in the folds of the woman’s curiously vintage gown is an infant, as cold and at peace as its mother. No one can identify the woman. Except for Kate. She’s seen her before. In her dreams…
One hundred years ago, a love story ended in tragedy, its mysteries left unsolved. It’s time for the lake to give up its secrets. As each mystery unravels, it pulls Kate deeper into the eddy of a haunting folktale that has been handed down in whispers over generations. Now, it’s Kate’s turn to listen.
As the drowned woman reaches out from the grave, Kate reaches back. They must come together, if only in dreams, to right the sinister wrongs of the past.

First Impressions/Judging a Book by Its Cover

When I was browsing the "free" books Prime Members can download on Amazon, this was one of the first ones on the list and the cover stopped me immediately and drew me in.  I was interrupted before I could look at the description or else I would've noticed right away that this is set in the same town with some of the same characters as a book I was reading at the time, The Haunting of Brynn Wilder.

Because I hadn't read the description it was an extra jolt when I finished The Haunting of Brynn Wilder and saw in the acknowledgments that it was written because she wasn't done with the town of Wharton yet after writing Daughters of the Lake.  At first I thought I was also being haunted but then I realized it's just Amazon being Amazon and doing good marketing.

So whether based on the cover or based on the writing of The Haunting of Brynn Wilder, I would've wanted to read this book either way and I'm looking forward to it.

My Opinion

3 stars

I received this book for free through Amazon Prime. I don't know if that needs a disclaimer or not so I'm including it just in case.

I liked it but not as much I thought I would and I can think of two main reasons why.  First, I liked the plot and characters of The Haunting of Brynn Wilder better so this probably would've been a little bit of a letdown no matter what.  However, the other reason is since Haunting took place after this book I knew what characters were going to end up together and who was going to stay in town and work on the hotel.  So while Haunting isn't necessarily a sequel, I did know some of character development earlier than the author revealed in this book by reading Haunting first.

I see in the Acknowledgments that there is another book, The End of Temperance Dare, that is also set in Wharton and I'll definitely read it because I like the author's writing style.

You're on an Airplane

 Book 8 of my 2021 Reading Challenge

You're on an Airplane

by Parker Posey

Summary (via the book jacket)

published 2018

In her first book, the actress and star of movies such as Dazed and Confused, Party Girl, You've Got Mail, The House of Yes, and so many more opens up about the art of acting, life on the set, and the realities of fame. A funny and colorful Southern childhood prepared Posey for a life of creating and entertaining, which not only extends to acting but to crafts (pottery, sewing, and collage) as well as yoga and cooking, all of which readers will find in this whimsical, hilarious, always amusing book. Parker takes us into her childhood home, goes behind the scenes of the indie film revolution in the nineties, shows us the delightful absurdity of the big-budget genre thrillers she's turned into art in a whole new way, and shares the creativity that will always be part of both her acting and her real, everyday life.

More than just a memoir, this is an exploration, meditation, and celebration of what it means to be an artist. And with Parker's incredible, memorable, hilarious, and poignant voice, it truly does give the reader a feeling of traveling with Parker. Buckle up and enjoy the journey.

First Impressions/Judging a Book by Its Cover

I like Parker Posey's acting so when I saw a friend's post about enjoying this book that was enough for me to check this out from the library.

It's described on the cover as a "self-mythologizing memoir" so I'm not sure what to expect.  Based on the cover photo she seems just as quirky as the characters she plays.  As I do with any memoir/biography, I start by flipping through to see if photos are included (not a negative if they're not but I enjoy them when they are); there do appear to be some black and white photos and drawings but since they're interspersed with the chapters and not a collection in the middle, I'll wait and look at them as I'm reading.

My Opinion

3 stars

As a book, it was fine.  The stream-of-consciousness accomplished what the book advertised which was the feel of "talking" to a chatty neighbor; I put "talking" in quotes because she really did capture the one-sided conversation you would have with a performative person, where one word from you leads to a ten minute monologue disguised as conversation, with occasional visual aids thrown in to further demonstrate the point (which I pictured as someone looking something up on their phone and showing it to you).  If I'd been sitting next to her on a plane and this was the conversation, I would've been entertained at the time but also hoping it was a short flight.

As a memoir I'm a little less sold.  You would have to have some familiarity with Parker Posey to understand the schtick of the writing but at the same time, if you picked up this book as a fan wanting to learn more, I don't think you would be satisfied.  There was personal narrative but the book itself was so tongue-in-cheek that I'm not sure if what she said was true and even if it was, the downside of stream-of-consciousness writing is that the topics move quickly so things don't get fully explained.

I really appreciated that she does seem to be authentically unique and wasn't trying to be "quirky" or "different" as an act.