Non-Fiction

Audiobook: The Mango Tree

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by Annabelle Tometitch
Read by the author
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Or listen at Libro.fm
Content: There is a depiction of abuse by a parent, talk of suicide, and swearing, including multiple f-bombs. It’s in the Biography section of the bookstore.

Annabelle Tomtetich’s mom, an immigrant from the Philippines, was arrested for firing a BB gun at a person who was trying to steal her mangoes from the mango tree in her front yard. To understand how she came to this point Tometich takes us through her (not her mother’s) childhood, the relationship she had with her mother, and possibly most importantly, how she views the relationship her mother had with the world around her. It’s a fascinating story, one that I think a lot of children of immigrants will recognize, but it’s also a story of grief and heartache, of anxiety and compulsion, and of coming to terms with life in southwest Florida. 

This was a delightful memoir. I related to the 70s childhood of no phones and hanging out with friends, though I didn’t have an over-protective Philippine mom. I appreciated the way Tomtetich tied everything together – from her father’s death when she was 9, through her obsessive need for approval, and her discovery of her love of writing and food, to her up-and-down relationship with her mother. I feel that Tometitch did an excellent job as a narrator as well.

My only regret was that it was less food-y than I was hoping it would be, but that’s just a minor quibble. It’s an excellent book to listen to.  

Audiobook: Freaks, Gleeks, and Dawson’s Creek

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by Thea Glassman
Read by Christine Lakin
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Or listen at Libro.fm
Content: There is swearing, including multiple f-bombs, as well as talk of bullying. It’s in the Film section of the bookstore.

When we recently drove down to Dallas to see the eclipse, I went through my backlog of audiobooks, looking for something interesting we could listen to and I landed on this. From the subtitle – How 7 Teen Shows Transformed Television – it sounded like an interesting look at pop culture and the ways that teen stories can affect television as a whole. She was looking at The Fresh Prince of Bel Aire, My So-Called Life, Dawson’s Creek, The OC, Freaks & Geeks, Friday Night Lights, and Glee. Although we’ve not watched many of the shows, we figured, why not listen and see if we learn anything interesting?

What we got – and we bailed on about half of it – was a fangirl’s treatise on each show. At one point, one of the girls asked “What is her thesis? Does she even have one?” And we had to say that her thesis, as far as we could tell, was “I loved these shows, and you should too.” She documented each series from the beginning to the end, talking about and to writers, creators, and maybe actors. Many personal interviews were going to be done. This is all fine and good: if you love your ’90s teen soaps, then more power to you. I am just objecting to the idea that there was substance to this book. Because there wasn’t.

We ended up skipping The OC, Freaks & Geeks, and Friday Night Lights because we just weren’t that interested in what she had to say. But, I suppose, if you, like her, loved these shows, you’d probably get more out of this book than I did.

American Zion

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by Benjamin E. Park
First sentence: “In June 2009, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints completed a new library and archives.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Content: It’s a dense work of history, but it’s quite readable. There is also polygamy and racism. it’s in the History section of the bookstore.

This is a sweeping history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, from its beginnings through Joseph Smith to the present day. But Park puts a bit of a spin on it: he’s looking at church history as it parallels the history of the country. It’s not comprehensive – it’s only 407 pages long – but Park does touch on not only the highlights but also addresses some of the more controversial aspects of the religion.

It’s a fascinating look at the religion. I was fascinated by the context that Park placed the religion in, especially the parallels between the changes in the region and the changes in America. I thought he was balanced with both polygamy and racism within the church, and while I learned things I didn’t know, I also knew a lot of the information (it helps being married to a Mormon history junkie). I found it easy enough to read – each chapter covered 50 years, and while they were long, they weren’t impossible to get through. I’m not much for deep history, but I felt this one was palatable even for a non-scholar.

I’m glad I got the push to buy and read this one; it was a fascinating read.

Audio Book: All Boys Aren’t Blue

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by George M. Johnson
Read by the author
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Or listen at Libro.fm
Content: There is some swearing, including a few f-bombs. There is also a graphic depiction of sexual assault and some on-page sex. It’s in the Teen Issues section of the bookstore.

In the wake of Nex Benedict’s death, and at the end of Black History month, I decided it was time to listen to this one, which I’ve had on my TBR pile since it came out in 2020. Nominally, Johnson’s memoir of a childhood growing up in a loving Black family while questioning his sexuality and gender, All Boys Aren’t Blue tackles both the feeling of being on the outside because one can’t conform to traditional ideas of what gender is, and feeling loved and included by one’s family. Johnson frames much of his childhood through the lens of trauma – from being beat up when he was 5 by neighborhood bullies to his sexual assault by a cousin – but also reinforces the idea that his family loved and accepted him (mostly) unconditionally.

I think this is an important book, and one that is most definitnely needed. I believe that Johnson’s voice is one that should be heard and respected. Was it a good book, though? Maybe? He was, however, not a good narrator. He was earnest, but often stiff and inelegant in his delivery. I think I would have liked this one a lot better had I read it rather than listening to it. That said, I’m glad it’s out there, for kids to find and hopefully help them navigate the waters of growing up.

Audiobook: Get the Picture

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by Bianca Bosker
Read by the author
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Or listen at Libro.fm
Content: There is some swearing, including multiple f-bombs, and talk of controversial art. It’s in the Art section of the bookstore.

Journalist Bianca Bosker wanted to understand art, how to look at it, and the creation of it. And so, because she’s that sort of journalist, she decides to immerse herself in the art world. Through the book, she works for two different art galleries, is an artist assistant, and a docent at the Guggenheim. She sees the ins and outs and ups and downs of the art world, trying to figure out. 

I don’t know a whole lot about the art world. I occasionally go to art museums, and I have some art on my walls (mostly photographs, though), but I have never thought I had an eye or even “understood” art. I found this to be fascinating. The art world is wack – elite, snobbish, monied, and not at all an accommodating place for people who don’t know art – and Bosker didn’t pull any punches with her depiction of the world. She was highly entertaining in the process, both as a writer and a narrator. I was with her every step of the way as she figured out the galleries, and talked to artists, and helped create art. But the section that affected me the most was the one with the Guggenheim. It made me think about the way I interact with museums and the way I look at art. The next time I head to a museum, I will look at and experience the art differently. 

So, yes, a fun and fascinating book that I learned from. 

Audiobook: Leslie F**king Jones

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by Leslie Jones
Read by the author
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Or listen at Libro.fm
Content: This is sweary. SO very sweary. Like, I don’t know how many sentences didn’t have the f-bomb. (Plus 10 uses of the n-word, but that’s her prerogative.) It’s in the humor section of the bookstore.

I tell so many people that the best way to read a celebrity memoir is to listen to it on audio. I’ve even gone as far as to say that I actively won’t read a memoir if the author doesn’t read it. (Case in point: I have yet to read Elton John’s memoir, even though I have a copy of it on my shelf downstairs. He doesn’t read the audiobook.) I don’t know why I put Leslie Jones’s memoir on hold at the library (it was a good two months between when I put the hold and when it came in; I no longer remember it), but I have to admit I was curious about the book.

Friends: this audiobook is NOT the book. Well, it’s loosely the book. But you will get an entirely different experience listening to it than reading it. See, Jones says “Chapter X” and then just takes off. Like pretty literally. It’s a 16-hour audiobook for a less-than-300-page book. This is not a criticism. Once I realized that she was riffing on the book, taking the chapters and just going with the flow, telling you her story, I got into the groove of the insanity and enjoyed myself. (At a certain point, when she said “Hey, I like what I wrote here, let me read it” I pretty much figured that if I wasn’t willing to change my expectations about this book, I needed to get off the train. Reader: I stayed on the whole way.)

She’s had a hard life, but she is one of the most positive people I’ve read about. She laughs at herself, her past mistakes, she has Thoughts about pretty much everything, she doesn’t take any crap from anyone, and she knows her worth. It’s pretty amazing. I appreciated her vulnerability, her laugh, her story. So, yeah: not at all what I expected from an audiobook, but definitely worth my time to finish it.

Audiobook: Making It So

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by Patrick Stewart
Read by the author
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Or listen at Libro.fm
Content: There is some swearing, including multiple f-bombs. It’s in the Film section of the bookstore.

If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time (or if you’ve known me for any time), you probably know that I have a weakness for celebrity memoirs. Not all of them – I never did read I’m Glad My Mother is Dead – but of some celebrities who I have a passing interest in, I’m there. Especially if they read the memoir themselves. Which, of course, Sir Patrick does. 

This follows his life, from his childhood in Yorkshire through his time in regional theaters to the Royal Shakespeare Company, and finally landing as Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Charles Xavier in television and films. He’s pretty open and blunt about his shortcomings and faults and the ups and downs of his career and his marriages. He was a delightful person to spend 18 hours with – you can tell he is a storyteller at heart. I think he believes in the power of telling a story, which is one of the things that drew him to acting, and that definitely shows. 

It’s not the best memoir I’ve ever read, but it’s a solid read (and a good listen; he’s an excellent narrator, which is no surprise), and I enjoyed the time I spent listening to it. 

Audiobook: All In

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by Billie Jean King, Johnette Howard, and Maryanne Vollers
Read by Billie Jean King
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Or listen at Libro.fm
Content: King talks about difficult subjects including sexism, discrimination, her affair, and eating disorders. It’s in the Sports section of the bookstore.

In this memoir, King writes of how she got into tennis, her struggles for equal treatment in the sport for women, her winning championships and being number one in the world, as well as her winning the infamous “Battle of the Sexes”. She talks about coming to terms with her sexuality as well as broadening her activism. It covers her life up to the present, including her marriage to her long-time partner Ilana Kloss.

I picked this one up not because I had any real affection for King, but because I was looking for something different to listen to and was in the mood for a sports book. I found it interesting – it’s not just a history of King’s life, it’s a history of women in professional sports, of the evolution of tennis in America, of the history of Women’s, Civil, and LGBTQ+ Rights. If I can say anything, it’s this: King has been around for a long time (she was born in 1943) and has seen and done and been involved in a lot. She wasn’t particularly fantastic as a narrator; I sped it up so she’d read at a speed that I could tolerate, but I did appreciate hearing the emotion in her voice when she talked about certain subjects. She was very frank about her life, her mistakes, her evolution, and her path to a very fulfilling life. I did like hearing about the other players on the tennis tour, especially when she got to ones I recognized (say around the 1980s), and I did enjoy hearing her view on her personal and professional battles.

It’s not my usual read, but I liked it well enough.

War and the American Difference

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by Stanley Hauerwas
First sentence: “Ten years and counting.”
It’s out of print, so you can’t support your local independent bookstore (unless they can procure used books, like ours does), but you should buy it at Alibris, instead of Amazon.
Content: It’s super academic. It’d be in the theology section of the bookstore if it wasn’t out of print.

On the 10th anniversary of 9/11 and the War in Iraq, religious and political philosopher Hauerwas (my husband’s read some of his other stuff!) published a collection of essays/papers/speeches about the connection between war and American Christianity. 

But Melissa, you say, this is not your usual reading. And you’d be right. I usually don’t tackle works of religious and political philosophy; I leave that to the professor in the house. However, I’ve started following Pastor Ben Cremer on Instagram and signed up for his weekly newsletter/sermons. There was one a while back (maybe around the 4th of July?) about why the idea that Americans worship war is wrong, especially as Christians, and he recommended this book. As someone who at the very least is uncomfortable with the idea of war, I thought I’d give it a shot. 

I’ll admit a lot of this book was over my head. That said, the parts I was able to grasp/understand, I found fascinating. Hauwerwas talks about the need for local churches, involved in the work of building the kingdom. He talks about rejecting the idea that countries are only meant to conquer. He laments that Christianity became connected to the Roman empire, and on down to the founding of America. He talks about how America’s true “religion” (in the absence of a state religion) is war and the sacrifice that war brings. And that if we truly believe that Christ has conquered death, we would be more willing to be killed than to kill others. All things to think about. And his conclusion is probably the most striking: “Let the Christians of the world agree that they will not kill each other.”

So, no, I probably didn’t get everything I could have out of this book, but it did make me think. Which is something I appreciate.

Beyond the Story: 10-year Record of BTS

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by Myeongseok Kang, translated by Anton Hur, Slin Jung, and Clare Richards
First sentence: “Korea’s busiest crossroads is in Seoul’s district of Gangnam, near Sinsa station.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Content: There’s some talk of drinking and depression. It’s in the Music section of the bookstore.

At some point, maybe 5 or 6 years ago, one of my daughters got into BTS. She wanted to share with me, showed me tons of videos, and tried to get me to remember their names (I still get Jung-kook and Jin mixed up), and wanted to share her love of this K-pop group with me. I was more than happy to listen to and appreciate her enthusiasm. I think it’s faded over the past couple of years as she’s found other things to be enthused about (futbol, figure skating, Formula 1), but BTS has a special place in my heart because of all the time I spent with my daughter, who was gushing over them.

And, while I’m not sure you’d call me a fan, I can appreciate the work that these young men have put into their group. So, when this book came out, I thought why not see what the “official record” had to say.

First: it’s not an elegantly written book. I’m not sure if it’s the translation or if it’s the way it was originally written, but the sentences themselves are often clunky (and sometimes super fan-girly). But there’s a lot of interesting information there. It charts BTS from the beginning when all seven were in training to debut, and how Big Hit Entertainment struggled with their launch. It charted the rise of BTS and the role their fans played (they are very grateful to their and!). The coolest thing was the QR codes as footnotes, linking to videos, many of which you wouldn’t have seen unless you were a super die-hard fan. I watched a ton of them and was fascinated with the growth of the group.

So, why get this book? Well, for someone interested in learning their history, it’s honest and revealing, especially about the mechanics of a K-pop group. For the die-hard fan, it’s got interviews with the members of BTS (I’m not entirely sure if the interviews are original, but I suspect so), lots of photos, and is a lovely collectors edition. So, it’s a win for everyone.