Truth is Stranger than Fiction

In My Mind's Eye by Justin Marciano

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for a review.

Summary: Chased by the Klan, assaulted by family, influenced by friends, and shaped by environment, this narrative takes the reader through one man's life as a suburban teenager in Connecticut.

The story is told in narrative shorts that go from violence to the guilt of stealing from a church. The reader will feel sympathy in one story, anger in the next, and frustrating humor throughout. The author purposely takes the reader on a joyride through the lunacy that is captured in every story. His perspective eminates from every page.

Open the book and be captured by the elegant insanity that becomes In My Mind's Eye.

Review: A collection of stories that proves the saying truth is stranger than fiction.

Justin Marciano certainly has had an interesting life. As Marciano mentions, his childhood was normal to him, but to most other people, Marciano's life was scary, sad, and abusive at times. Even so, he manages to make his stories funny.

My favorite was when he asks his preschool teacher to have sex with him to get her to stay with him. Although Marciano says he doesn't remember where he heard the phrase, it is certainly fun to imagine where he heard the phrase.

I am sure it was scary for Marciano, but I thoroughly enjoyed the story when he went into the city with his cousin and he cousin managed to scare him straight from going into the gang life. Another scary yet funny story is the author's run in with the Ku Klux Klan.

In short, an eclectic collection of stories that are sad, funny, and poignant.

Rating:

Recommendation: I would recommend this book to those that enjoy short stories or memoirs.

Glitz, Glam, and Fool’s Gold

License to Pawn: Deals, Steals, and My Life at the Gold & Silver by Rick Harrison, Tim Keown

Summary: In Las Vegas, there's a family-owned business called the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, run by three generations of the Harrison family: Rick; his son, Big Hoss; and Rick's dad, the Old Man. Now "License to Pawn" takes readers behind the scenes of the hit History show Pawn Stars and shares the fascinating life story of its star, Rick Harrison, and the equally intriguing story behind the shop, the customers, and the items for sale. 

Rick hasn't had it easy. He was a math whiz at an early age, but developed a similarly uncanny ability to find ever-deepening trouble that nearly ruined his life. With the birth of his son, he sobered up, reconnected with his dad, and they started their booming business together. 

"License to Pawn" also offers an entertaining walk through the pawn shop's history. It's a captivating look into how the Gold & Silver works, with incredible stories about the crazy customers and the one-of-a-kind items that the shop sells. Rick isn't only a businessman; he's also a historian and keen observer of human nature. For instance, did you know that pimps wear lots of jewelry for a reason? It's because if they're arrested, jewelry doesn't get confiscated like cash does, and ready money will be available for bail. Or that WWII bomber jackets and Zippo lighters can sell for a freakishly high price in Japan? Have you ever heard that the makers of Ormolu clocks, which Rick sells for as much as $15,000 apiece, frequently died before forty thanks to the mercury in the paint? 

Rick also reveals the items he loves so much he'll never sell. The shop has three Olympic bronze medals, a Patriots Super Bowl ring, a Samurai sword from 1490, and an original Iwo Jima battle plan. Each object has an incredible story behind it, of course. Rick shares them all, and so much more--there's an irresistible treasure trove of history behind both the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop and the life of Rick Harrison.

Review: A quick read that tells the stories of Rick, Corey, the Old Man, and Chumlee and how the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop was born.

I read this book because I am a big fan of the show and I would suggest that fans of the show read this book as well. The history about the interesting items is great and I love the interaction between the cast. Who doesn’t love the cranky Old Man? This book focuses mainly on Rick’s life, but also contains chapters from Corey, the Old Man, and Chumlee which give you an idea of what everyone had to go through to the get the pawn shop started.

Rick certainly does not sugarcoat his early life and airs his dirty laundry, but does it in a way that is matter of fact and not attention seeking. I was really glad when he decided to turn his life around. I also liked how he handled his son’s addiction. I also really liked all the stories Rick had to tell of the pawn shop and the many customers they have had. I think I would read a book just about the weird characters that show up at the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop. It is a shame that Rick and the Old Man can’t interact with their customers like they used to since they have gotten famous.

Rating:

Recommendation: I would highly recommend this book to fans of the show or those who like celebrity memoirs. 

The Internet Is A Wild Place

lead me not into temptation; i can find it myself: Grandma Goes Online by K.C. Konrad

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for a review.

Summary: Kayla googles “sex in your seventies” and comes up with the idea that she is at a disadvantage without a partner. One thing leads to another and before she knows it she is launched on an adventure like nothing she has ever experienced before. Not only is she does she meet five strangers, but she is also confronted with a persistent, outspoken, inner voice that criticizes every move she makes.

Review: A humorous, sweet, and a little sad tale about an older woman who tries to find a companion through internet dating. 

I personally have no experience with internet dating (heck I have very little experience with actual dating), but I know it can be a crapshoot. It is so easy to lie about who you are and since you can meet people from all over, you have less of a chance that people you know are familiar with him or her. Luckily, it's pretty damn easy to find out information about people on the internet too. It's fascinating to think about what the internet has taken away and what is has given us. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the voice that kept nay saying all of Kayla's decisions. It made some good points, but sometimes you have to go for it and I'm glad Kayla did so since you never know until you try. It was interesting how certain people would be interested in her depending on the wording she used on her profiles. Also, there really is a fascination with cougars among younger men. Sometimes fantasies are best just staying fantasies. I hope that she has better luck in the future with finding a companion, but it's certainly been worth the journey. 

Rating:






Recommendation: I would recommend this book to those that enjoy memoirs or tales of online dating.

One Woman's Incredible Journey

Journey Across the Four Seas: A Chinese Woman's Search for Home by Veronica Li

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for a review. 

Summary: This is a true and touching story of one Chinese woman's search for home. It is also an inspiring book about human yearning for a better life. To escape poverty, Flora Li fought her way through the education system and became one of the few women to get into the prestigious Hong Kong University. When the Japanese invaded, she fled to unoccupied China, where she met her future husband, the son of China's finance minister (later deputy prime minister).

She thought she had found the ideal husband, but soon discovered that he suffered from emotional disorders caused by family conflicts and the wars he had grown up in. Whenever he had a breakdown, Flora would move the family to another city, from Shanghai to Nanking to Hong Kong to Bangkok to Taipei and finally across the four seas to the U.S. Throughout her migrations, Flora kept her sight on one goal: providing her children with the best possible education.

Review: An incredible story that shows one woman's incredible strength and determination.

I loved reading Flora's story. She was an incredible woman (I am not sure if she is still alive). She came from very little and managed to be educated, deal with a troublesome husband, and put her children through college. I enjoyed reading a memoir that wasn't from a US born American's point of view. Reading about Hong Kong, especially during the war, shows how people suffered and the gap between the rich and the poor. Their life was different from ours, but it was still the same in a number of ways. A lot of people, Flora included, had to struggle to survive.

I found myself cheering for Flora as she accomplished one victory after the other. She never gave up, even when she was dealt a bad hand. I can't believe how she managed to deal with her husband. She kept having to save him from making bad decisions so she would be able to provide for her children. Her experiences would have broken a lesser person, but Flora was able to shoulder on. I am glad that she was able to convince her husband to go to America. Her children have been successful and that is what Flora wanted all along. I certainly cannot pretend to know her mind, but I must assume that Flora was happy in the United States because she finally was able to provide the opportunities she wanted for her children.

Rating:

Recommendation: I would recommend this to people who enjoy memoirs, especially those who enjoy womens' memoirs and/or memoirs told by non native American citizens. 

Review: Alex and Me by Irene Pepperberg

Alex and Me by Irene Pepperberg

Summary: On September 6, 2007, an African Grey parrot named Alex died prematurely at age thirty-one. His last words to his owner, Irene Pepperberg, were "You be good. I love you."

What would normally be a quiet, very private event was, in Alex's case, headline news. Over the thirty years they had worked together, Alex and Irene had become famous—two pioneers who opened an unprecedented window into the hidden yet vast world of animal minds. Alex's brain was the size of a shelled walnut, and when Irene and Alex first met, birds were not believed to possess any potential for language, consciousness, or anything remotely comparable to human intelligence. Yet, over the years, Alex proved many things. He could add. He could sound out words. He understood concepts like bigger, smaller, more, fewer, and none. He was capable of thought and intention. Together, Alex and Irene uncovered a startling reality: We live in a world populated by thinking, conscious creatures.

Review: This book was a quick read and a very sweet and cute book. It does not going into much of the science behind the brain of birds, including Grey parrots, or how Alex's brain was working when he was learning tasks. I had been hoping for a bit more science, but I can read The Alex Studies for more of the science behind Pebberberg's work.

I am a fan of birds and Pepperberg is as well so it made sense to mention her childhood and how her love of birds began. I feel she goes a little too in depth about her childhood. It takes Pepperberg about 50 pages to get into the story. The initial chapter about the outpouring of sympathy and media attention over Alex's death felt a little too long and could have been much shorter without Pebberberg quoting sympathy letters, newspapers, and emails. The work Pepperberg did with Alex and the other birds is very interesting and it does show that birds, and all animals too, have more intelligence then we give them credit for. However, I feel that Alex may very well be a genius among Grey parrots and what Pepperberg learned that Alex could do might not translate to other Grey parrots. And the intelligence of one species says very little about the intelligence of another species.

Rating:






Recommendation: I would recommend this book to a fan of birds or anyone who enjoys lighter memoirs.