The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness

 The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness

By Joel ben Izzy

Pages: 256

"The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness is that rare, magical book—a book that tells a good story but also shows us how the tales we learned when we were children shed light on our adult lives. Joel ben Izzy had the unusual opportunity to relive those lessons when he lost his voice and reconnected with his old teacher, Lenny, a retired storyteller. Through his meetings with Lenny, Joel rediscovers the wisdom of ancient tales and takes us on a journey into a world of beggars and kings, monks and tigers, lost horses and buried treasures—and in the end tells us the secret of happiness."

I really enjoyed this little memoir. Each chapter started with a short story that was applicable to the chapter of the storytellers life. This book is a reminder to find the happiness in your own story, and that sometimes what seems to be a curse is really a blessing.

The Sookie Stackhouse Companion (Sookie Stackhouse #10.5 - Small-Town Wedding)

The Sookie Stackhouse Companion (Sookie Stackhouse #10.5 - Small-Town Wedding) by Charlaine Harris

Pages: 461

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Charlaine Harris gives fans of True Blood and of the Sookie Stackhouse series, what they have been asking for - a definitive guide to the world of Sookie Stackhouse.

This book includes a short story that takes place before Dead Reckoning. Sookie accompanies her friend and boss, Sam, to his sister's wedding. Trouble seems to follow Sookie wherever she goes, but this time, it has more to do with Sam and his family.

Also included in the book are information about Bon Temps, some of the characters' houses, Tara's dress shop and Merlotte's. Recipes from previous stories are shared including Caroline Bellfleur's famous chocolate cheesecake. There are trivia questions from the series and insights into Sookie's thoughts.

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk

Ok but the mention of how people who were able to go home after 9/11 and be comforted were able to recover. 
I'm just...going to be snapping...because like...yes it's saying stuff I know, but I listen to trauma podcasts. 
and like.. how trauma makes it difficult for a person to judge if a situation is dangerous or not because of the amygdala. 
"Emotions assign value to experiences, and thus are the foundation of reason" snaaaaaaaaaaaaaps.
Reads a book about trauma. *talks about depersonalization. *laughs uncomfortably
Go off about the DSM5. Go off. I'll drink my tea and love it. 
So I knew this book was going to attack me...but like...
Also I really appreciate that we talk about how trauma doesn't stop affecting the body and the mind when we're not thinking about trauma, and how often times victims of trauma know that their reaction is an over-reaction, but they can't stop it because the body has trained itself to keep itself safe. 
464 Pages

The Beadworkers by Beth Piatote

The Beadworkers by Beth Piatote

Pages: 208

Rating: 3 out of 5

A collection of writings about Native American life in the contemporary world. The mixed-genre works find unifying themes in the strength of kinship, the ache of longing, and the language of return. A formally inventive, witty, and generous, the works in this collection draw on Indigenous aesthetics and forms to offer a powerful, vision of Native American life in modern America.

Ganzl's Book of the Broadway Musical: 75 Favorite Shows, from H.M.S. Pinafore to Sunset Boulevard

  Ganzl's Book of the Broadway Musical: 75 Favorite Shows, from H.M.S. Pinafore to Sunset Boulevard

by Kurt Gänzl

Pages: 488

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This is a guide to 75 Broadway musical favorites ranging from the 1890s to the 1990s. Actor, author and producer, Karl Ganzl, provides full production information, casts, plot synopses, song titles and notes about each show. The work is illustrated throughout with photographs of the original Broadway productions. The Broadway shows featured include The King and I, Jesus Christ Superstar, Damn Yankees, Grease, My Fair Lady, The Music Man, A Chorus Line, West Side Story, Annie, The Sound of Music, Gypsy, Sweeny Todd, Evita, Show Boat, 42nd Street, Anything Goes, Cats, Oklahoma, Hello Dolly!, Fiddler on the Roof, Carousel, Hair, South Pacific, Phantom of the Opera, Guys and Dolls and Miss Saigon. Fascinating information for theater buffs. 

Broadway Musicals: Show by Show, 9th edition

Broadway Musicals: Show by Show, 9th edition by Stanley Green

Revised and Updated by Cary Ginell

Pages: 439 plus indexes

Rating:  5 out of 5 stars. 

Described by the author, Stanley Green, as a combination history, guide, fact book and photograph album of the most memorable productions presented both on and off Broadway each year from 1866 to 2018. The wide variety of the types of stories told, the embracing of changing technology and social norms makes this a history of American society as well. With photos of playbills and posters and a brief summary of the plot and the musical's performance, Green also lists revival performances and movie versions of each musical. He lists the cast, songs, songwriter, lyricist, producer, director, choreographer, songs and the theatre where the musical was performed and the dates of the run. 

There are so many more musicals out there than I realized. Especially since those listed in the book are the successful, award-winning or otherwise memorable performances and not all the musicals performed in say, just New York City that year, or published that year. 

A Cat's Tale: A Journey Through Feline History

 A Cat's Tale: A Journey through Feline History

by Baba the Cat as told to Paul Koudounaris

Pages: 288

Rating 5 out of 5 stars

This is a history of domestic cats through history, all around the world, told from a cat's point of view by Baba the Cat. The author describes different famous cats through history and why and how cats and humans relationships have changed throughout time due to politics, religion and agriculture. Baba also is  a very agreeable cat and poses for fun photos in costumes related to the culture and time period being discussed. The book also includes photos and news articles about cats around the world. 

Interesting facts and fun for any cat lover. 

The True Tails of Baker and Taylor: The Library Cats Who Left Their Pawprints on a Small Town . . . and the World

 The True Tails of Baker and Taylor: The Library Cats Who Left Their Pawprints on a Small Town . . . and the World by Jan Louch and Lisa Rogak

Pages: 274

5 out of 5 stars

In this true story of Baker and Taylor, two library cats who not only lifted the spirits of the library staff struggling to meet the demands of a rapidly growing community, but the community itself, Jan Louch shares how the library came to have the two cats, how the book company Baker & Taylor came to use them as their mascots and make them feline celebrities. The cats even became pen pals to school children in another state and helped encourage reading and writing. 

For everyone who loves cats, but especially for those who also love books and libraries. 

Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators

   Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators

by Ronan Farrow

Pages: 448

5 stars out of 5

This book made me angry. But, I think it is supposed to make you angry. Reporter Ronan Farrow stumbled upon a conspiracy that had long protected men in power in the media, the government, the world of finance and Hollywood.  As he dug deeper to find out how many women had been sexually harassed and some assaulted, he discovered a network that covered up what was going on for decades. Women were afraid to come forward both because of a threat to their careers but for some their life and the lives of the family members had also been threatened. Some people disappeared. Ronan thought about backing off the story when he realized he was being followed and photographed but his partner and his sister kept encouraging him not to be another  man who had let these women down. He lost his job and had to sell the story freelance but eventually the truth won out. Several people in this book have recently been convicted of their crimes while others are still awaiting trial. Sadly, some are still protected. 

ALL THE THINGS #2: Set of 12 Books

The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women
by Kate Moore

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So I have been crying intermittently for about the past 2 hours now, because this book is 1 part fascinating, 1 part informative, 1 part heartfelt, and 7 parts horrifying. This level of suffering is unimaginable. I am so saddened by what occurred, but I’m glad that I read this book to learn more about these bold and determined women.

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Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really wanted to like this far more than I actually did. On the plus side, we had the characters and setting, but the pacing was just all off for me. It felt like the novel really drug, and I found myself getting bored a lot. I think having read ON THE COME UP recently, it was hard not to draw some comparisons and find this one to be lacking.

But it’s definitely okay, just not brilliant or earth-shattering, which is what I’m always hoping for.

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Renegades by Marissa Meyer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is my 3rd time though, in preparation for reading the final book. And this is still glorious. I really have enjoyed revisiting these characters and this world.

PREVIOUS REVIEW:
#BecRereads2019

Superb! This one gets 5 Super stars, with bonus magical powers.

I’m so happy to be rereading this one, in preparation for reading book 2 for the first time.

I adore how this explores the same situation from different perspectives. It walks that fine line between what is right and what is wrong, as well as who is good and who is bad. It’s a reminder that most of the world and life exists in the gray areas, not in the black and white areas.

Book 45 read in 2019

Pages: 552

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Crazy Rich Asians
by Kevin Kwan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It’s a standard, decent read, that let me see the world through some different eyes and mindsets, which is good. But it wasn’t really as exciting and compelling as I hoped it would be. The overall plot is a bit meh, so I was there for the characters and culture.

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You by Caroline Kepnes

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I confess that it first, I found this book a bit tedious, but then it really started getting into the inner-workings of the characters and it became much more compelling as the story progressed.

I listened to this on audiobook and really enjoyed the narration.

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The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was absolutely adorable and had such a great premise with some unexpected depth. I really just wanted a tiny bit more oomph and a bit more development in the side characters. I guess I expected just a few more truly funny moments, and it went the sweet but serious route instead. That’s fine, too, but I was craving just a bit more lighthearted fun. Otherwise, I really enjoyed it.

I listened to the audiobook, which had 2 unique narrators that I thoroughly enjoyed.

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The Gentleman’s Guide to Getting Lucky
by Mackenzi Lee

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Amusing and so darned sweet.

This is a great little novella, and anyone who loves the series will want to pick this up and give it a read.

Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century by Jessica Bruder

Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century by Jessica Bruder
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Far more depressing than I expected it to be. I guess I hoped for a bit more adventure and the formation of unique family and friends groups, and what I got was harsh reality. That was probably good for me, but I can’t say I exactly enjoyed this read. It’s more like I survived it and worried myself to death in the process.

Pages: 320

Heartland: A memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth by Sarah Smarsh

Sarah Smarsh is from a fifth generation Kansas wheat farm family on her Dad's side, and the product of generations of teen mothers on her Mother's side. Writing about her experiences growing up on a farm west of Wichita, she gives her perspective into the lives of poor and working class Americans living in the heartland.

Her legacy was a work ethic that enabled her to create a solid professional life for herself, but that doesn't alleviate the pain of growing up seeing the way that poor people are marginalized and made to feel
"less than".

304 pages

Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident by Donnie Eichar

Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident by Donnie Eichar
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An interesting hypothesis, and solid research, about the Dyatlov Pass deaths.

Pages: 288

Stay Sexy and Don't Get Murdered by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

I listen to the My Favorite Murder podcast religiously, so of course I picked up their book! It serves as a duel memoir of the podcast hosts and discusses their ups and downs in dealing with alcoholism, eating disorders, general anxieties, and how they learned to begin to heal themselves. From listening to the podcast, I had heard outlines of a lot of their life stories, but this book delves deeper into their lives and how they became murderinos (people who are obsessed with true crime).

SSDGM

Rating: 4/5

Pages: 304

Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done by Jon Acuff

Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done
by Jon Acuff

5/5

208 pages

According to studies, 92 percent of New Year’s resolutions fail. You’ve practically got a better shot at getting into Juilliard to become a ballerina than you do at finishing your goals. 

For years, I thought my problem was that I didn’t try hard enough. So I started getting up earlier. I drank enough energy drinks to kill a horse. I hired a life coach and ate more superfoods. Nothing worked, although I did develop a pretty nice eyelid tremor from all the caffeine. It was like my eye was waving at you, very, very quickly. 

Then, while leading a thirty-day online course to help people work on their goals, I learned something surprising: The most effective exercises were not those that pushed people to work harder. The ones that got people to the finish line did just the opposite— they took the pressure off. 

Why? Because the sneakiest obstacle to meeting your goals is not laziness, but perfectionism. We’re our own worst critics, and if it looks like we’re not going to do something right, we prefer not to do it at all. That’s why we’re most likely to quit on day two, “the day after perfect”—when our results almost always underper­form our aspirations. 

The strategies in this book are counterintuitive and might feel like cheating. But they’re based on studies conducted by a university researcher with hundreds of participants. You might not guess that having more fun, eliminating your secret rules, and choosing something to bomb intentionally works. But the data says otherwise. People who have fun are 43 percent more successful! Imagine if your diet, guitar playing, or small business was 43 percent more suc­cessful just by following a few simple principles. 

If you’re tired of being a chronic starter and want to become a consistent finisher, you have two options: You can continue to beat yourself up and try harder, since this time that will work. Or you can give yourself the gift of done.

I love it when 'self-help' books speak to me.  And y'all, this one SPOKE. 

Also, I recommend the audiobook as the author reads it, and he is quite fun. 

Creating Character Arcs: The Masterful Author's Guide to Uniting Story Structure, Plot, and Character Development by K.M. Weiland

Creating Character Arcs: The Masterful Author's Guide to Uniting Story Structure, Plot, and Character Development
by K.M. Weiland

284 pages

4/5

Have you written a story with an exciting concept and interesting characters—but it just isn’t grabbing the attention of readers or agents? It’s time to look deeper into the story beats that create realistic and compelling character arcs. Internationally published, award-winning novelist K.M. Weiland shares her acclaimed method for achieving memorable and moving character arcs in every book you write.

By applying the foundation of the Three-Act Story Structure and then delving even deeper into the psychology of realistic and dynamic human change, Weiland offers a beat-by-beat checklist of character arc guidelines that flexes to fit any type of story.

This comprehensive book will teach you:

• How to determine which arc—positive, negative, or flat—is right for your character.
• Why you should NEVER pit plot against character. Instead, learn how to blend story structure and character development.
• How to recognize and avoid the worst pitfalls of writing novels without character arcs.
• How to hack the secret to using overarching character arcs to create amazing trilogies and series.
• And much more!

I am on a 'reading about writing' kick at the moment, so I really enjoyed this take on characters and character arcs.  Weiland uses a variety of examples which are really helpful when talking about the various details of creating a well-rounded character.  Most of this book is dedicated to discussing positive character arcs, and I was left wishing she discussed the alternate types of arcs (negative, flat, etc.) more.  Overall, though, I am glad to have read it and, I did order the workbook.

Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World by William H. McRaven

Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World by William H. McRaven

144 pages

4.5/5

If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.
On May 17, 2014, Admiral William H. McRaven addressed the graduating class of the University of Texas at Austin on their Commencement day. Taking inspiration from the university's slogan, "What starts here changes the world," he shared the ten principles he learned during Navy Seal training that helped him overcome challenges not only in his training and long Naval career, but also throughout his life; and he explained how anyone can use these basic lessons to change themselves-and the world-for the better.

Admiral McRaven's original speech went viral with over 10 million views. Building on the core tenets laid out in his speech, McRaven now recounts tales from his own life and from those of people he encountered during his military service who dealt with hardship and made tough decisions with determination, compassion, honor, and courage. Told with great humility and optimism, this timeless book provides simple wisdom, practical advice, and words of encouragement that will inspire readers to achieve more, even in life's darkest moments. 

Overwhelmed: How to Quiet the Chaos and Restore Your Sanity by Kathi Lipp

Overwhelmed: How to Quiet the Chaos and Restore Your Sanity
by Kathi Lipp

240 pages

5/5

Feeling overwhelmed? Wondering if it's possible to move from "out of my mind" to "in control" when you've got too many projects on your plate and too much mess in your relationships?

Kathi and Cheri want to show you five surprising reasons why you become stressed, why social media solutions don't often work, and how you can finally create a plan that works for you. As you identify your underlying hurts, uncover hope, and embrace practical healing, you'll become equipped to trade the to-do list that controls you for a calendar that allows space in your life decide whose feedback to forget and whose input to invite replace fear of the future with peace in the present. You can simplify and savor your life—guilt free! Clutter, tasks, and relationships may overwhelm you now, but God can help you overcome with grace.

The Actor's Life: A Survival Guide by Jenna Fischer

The Actor's Life: A Survival Guide by Jenna Fischer

252 pages

5/5

Jenna Fischer’s Hollywood journey began at the age of 22 when she moved to Los Angeles from her hometown of St. Louis. With a theater degree in hand, she was certain everything would fall easily into place. Never mind that she didn’t know a single person in the entertainment industry. She was determined, she was confident, she was ready to work hard. So, what could go wrong?

Uh, basically everything. It would be eight long years before she landed her Emmy-nominated role of Pam Beesley on The Office—nearly a decade of failure, struggle, rejection and doubt. 

If only she’d had a handbook for the struggling actor. Or, better yet, someone to show her the way—an established actor who could manage her expectations, educate her about the business, and reassure her in those moments of despair.

Jenna Fischer wants to be that person for you. 

This book is adorable, and if I were an aspiring actor, it would be SO helpful.  It's less memoir and more instructional manual for someone new to show business.  As such, a lot of this was not directly applicable to me personally, but I found her stories unique and uplifting.  Jenna is extremely honest about all of the ups and downs she has experienced throughout her career, and sprinkles those stories throughout the practical advice about getting work as an actor.  It made me want a full-on memoir from her; she's so engaging!  My favorite chapter was the one on headshots.  I learned a lot about headshots in general, but hearing Jenna bemoan her early headshots (she's holding her first in the cover art) was hilarious.

Also - please go for the audiobook.  Jenna is the narrator, and it's awesome. 

Stephen Fry’s Victorian Secrets: An Audible Original

On the surface, the Victorian age is one of propriety, industry, prudishness and piety. But scratch the surface and you'll find scandal, sadism, sex, madness, malice and murder. 

Presented by Stephen Fry, this series delves deep into a period of time we think we know, to discover an altogether darker reality. The stories we're told offer a different perspective on an era which underwent massive social change. As education, trade, technology and culture blossomed, why was there an undercurrent of the 'forbidden' festering beneath Victorian society? 

Across 12 episodes, Stephen presents a series of true accounts of the dangerous low life and debauched high life of Victorian Britain.

I LOVE me some Stephen Fry.  Oh, yes I do. :)

This audiobook 'read' more like a podcast.  The lovely Mr. Fry narrates twelve info/stories that are anchored by experts and sprinkled with actors.  I definitely enjoyed it, and I learned some new things about Victorian England.

4/5

7 hrs & 33 mins - This is not available in print form, so I'm not sure how to grant myself pages.