Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story
Knowing my love of U2, a friend gifted me Bono’s memoir, Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story. Because they are my favorite band, I was pretty sure I was going to enjoy the book. I was right. Each chapter is titled after a U2 song, so before reading each chapter I listened to the song (spoiler alert, I’m not the only one with this idea, as there is a Spotify playlist made up of the 40 songs). I loved reading about the history of the band from the lead singer’s perspective, along with the paths he’s traveled. Well written so that not only fans but those that aren’t fans will enjoy.
Mixbook
This isn’t a book to read, but a book you can create! For my brother’s 50th birthday, I made a book that included memories, stories and life lessons from friends and family. My goal was to received 50 entries and photos to include in the book. After gathering everything, I searched for a platform on which to create the book. I came across Mixbook, and it was very easy to use and made compiling the book a breeze. I was able to use fun fonts, graphics, backgrounds and more and ended up with a great memory book to celebrate a life well lived!
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing
I epitomized the target audience when the television show Friends was released. I remember making sure to be home on Thursday evenings to catch it—and the agony of having to wait all summer to find out how cliff-hangers were resolved. I knew Matthew Perry had come out with a book and, on a whim, reserved it at the library. By the time I received the email that my book was ready for pickup, I had forgotten I had reserved it! I’m glad I requested it, though. While his back-and-forth style between past and present had me confused at times, it was an eye-opening story about the pursuit of fame and dealing with addiction.
The Word Is Murder
My mom loves British television shows, specifically Midsomer Murders and Father Brown. For the record, I don’t enjoy those shows (each episode is the length of a movie!). Mom and I were browsing a local bookstore and came across The Word Is Murder, written by Anthony Horowitz, who also wrote Midsomer Murders. Even though I’m not a fan of the show, the book sounded intriguing. And a fun twist is that the author inserts himself into this fictional story. I enjoyed his style of writing, and it’s a classic crime story. It’s the first of a series, and I’m looking forward to the next installment!
A Man Called Ove
I’ve written about this book in the past, but it recently was released as a movie under the title A Man Called Otto. I haven’t had a chance to see the movie but have heard it’s a faithful rendition of the book A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. I fell in love with this quirky tale about a grumpy curmudgeon. It’s an easy read—you can pick it up and put it down for a few days and not be lost. I smiled, laughed and got teary-eyed as I read about Ove and the lives he touched and have reread it a few times!