Ive been watching Chris' YouTube channel since 2015, so it was nice to read more stories about his early days in Japan than he has shared on his ch3.5
Ive been watching Chris' YouTube channel since 2015, so it was nice to read more stories about his early days in Japan than he has shared on his channel. Chris is a decent writer and a good storyteller, so this book is a very easy and enjoyable read. I appreciated the explanations and extra info about Japanese cultural norms and behaviours, too.
I did find the later chapters felt a bit short and clipped and lacked the sort of oomph of the first half; unsure if that's because more of his later years in Japan have been captured on his YouTube channel, or if he was feeling rushed to finish. Either way, I did enjoy the book and look forward to watching more of his adventures on YouTube....more
This memoir is, above all, hysterical. The best stand-up show I've ever seen was Maria Bamford, and the audiobook had me roaring laughing as much as IThis memoir is, above all, hysterical. The best stand-up show I've ever seen was Maria Bamford, and the audiobook had me roaring laughing as much as I did at the show. It obviously isn't some grandiose piece of literature, but it is raw and honest about family and mental illness while also making me howl with laughter, and that makes it a success....more
I was sceptical of reading another celebrity memoir after I've been burned so badly already this year, but Bryan Cranston's is surprisingly very good.I was sceptical of reading another celebrity memoir after I've been burned so badly already this year, but Bryan Cranston's is surprisingly very good. For fans of Breaking Bad and Malcolm in the middle, he gives all kinds of behind the scenes information that is interesting and insightful. But I think the true strength of this book is how Cranston explains his thought processes when taking on a new job or approaching a new role. He tells stories and explains why that particular snapshot has had a lasting effect on him. It feels thoughtful and wise, and it's a pretty fun read too....more
There's not much to say about this book that hasn't already been said. Other than the (I'm sorry to say it, Haz) very boring military se2.75, I guess
There's not much to say about this book that hasn't already been said. Other than the (I'm sorry to say it, Haz) very boring military section, it's a fast read and if you've followed the "Megxit" story at all, the last section will be very familiar to you. The writing is like, medium at best and doesn't actually sound like Harry, really - he's much more eloquent in interviews.
Other than all the "salacious" details that have been making the rounds, the stand out takeaways for me are:
1. Harry does not like Camilla and believes she has frequently promoted lies about Harry and other royal family members to protect herself and Charles, and to rehabilitate their image.
2. Harry certainly loves Meghan but he did absolutely nothing to prepare her for the life of a royal, and he does not acknowledge this at all. Whoops, Haz.
3. The way he talks about his relationship with Botswana bothers me. He calls it his real home and uses it as an escape many many times in his life...but like, does not ever acknowledge his direct lineage to, and in many ways still symbolically performing, colonialism in Africa?
4. The level of fear and competition in the royal family seems so petty but is indeed the reality of these glorified indentured servants. In order to make life bearable in their gilded cage they must compete with their own family, their flesh and blood, to not be destroyed by the media, which of course makes their entire family dynamic completely fked up and unlike any other relationship with fame in the world.
I did not expect to have the emotional reaction that I did to this story. Beaton manages to capture the isolation, the bleakness, the mundanity, the rI did not expect to have the emotional reaction that I did to this story. Beaton manages to capture the isolation, the bleakness, the mundanity, the repetition of working in the oil sands. Her experiences as a woman working in a dangerous environment while being vastly outnumbered by men - men from all over the country and all over the world; older men and young men; men who are isolated and lonely; men who are far from home - touched me deeply. It's a beautiful and sad personal history, but also an important reflection of a part of Canadian history....more
No tea no shade to Matthew Perry - his life with addiction sounds like it has been harrowing and dark and miserable and he has suffered greatly.
But tNo tea no shade to Matthew Perry - his life with addiction sounds like it has been harrowing and dark and miserable and he has suffered greatly.
But this book is bad.
The writing is bad, the narrative structure is bad, the tone is bad. I did not laugh once while reading it. The areas of his life he chose to focus on, while entirely his prerogative, are bizarre. There is little to no behind the scenes of working on Friends, which is probably what most readers would enjoy learning about, and endless pages of the women he has hurt in different ways. He is simultaneously deeply apologetic for his behaviour while also seeming to be arrogant and self aggrandising.
Honestly you could probably skip this memoir and nothing in your life would be different....more
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