Biography, Autobiography, Memoir discussion

I just heard on the radio that it is already New Years Day for our friends in New Zealand and Australia so I thought I better get the new 2019 discussions ready to go. I sincerely hope everyone has a great year and lots of time to read.

Thanks Koren yea I was thinking you had beat me to it. Shes a bit early :-) yes I'm into my summer beach/picnic reads now.

Selina wrote: "Thanks Koren yea I was thinking you had beat me to it. Shes a bit early :-) yes I'm into my summer beach/picnic reads now."

I am jealous. It is suppose to get below zero here tonight and right now we have blowing snow and visibility is poor so putting a damper on people's New Years plans. I'm staying home and trying to finish one more book for this year. Have about 90 pages left. Summer will soon be here! The days are getting longer.

Just started my first book of the year, the long-awaited Hey I'm Alive. It's about 2 people who survived 49 days in the Yukon after a plane crash injured them both. Sorry, gorehounds, nobody got eaten in this one.

I was very surprised by something that happened in the book right after the crash that was definitely not in the movie version. The pilot -- who apparently knew his passenger, the author of the book, before the plane trip and spent time talking with her about God -- informed her that the plane crashed "because you reject Christ." (He's a Mormon and she's Jewish.)

Yeah, Ralph, that's gotta be it. Not the fact that you flew into a snowstorm without knowing how to fly on instruments. It's because Helen's Jewish.

Another Place at the Table by Kathy Harrison
4 stars



This is about a family that takes in foster children that are more difficult than some. There are good moments and bad and the author readily admits mistakes she made and moments where she maybe didnt do the best thing. After reading this, you can see why the states have a hard time finding good foster homes. It is not an easy job. This would be a good book for someone who is thinking about becoming a foster parent. I liked that the author touched on the abuse and/or neglect the children had endured but didnt dwell on it. The author has taken in over 100 foster children over the years but she mostly dwells on a few of them.

Over 100!? Most of the foster parents I hear about -- and I hear about many in my job -- are lauded as saints if they take in more than a dozen over the years.

Hey I'm Alive, Helen Klaben with Beth Day
4 solid stars

This was a short, sweet, uplifting read about Helen Klaben's experience surviving a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness. She and her pilot, Ralph Flores, survived for 49 days despite some nasty-sounding injuries, temps close to 50 degrees below zero, and no survival supplies of any kind. I saw the movie version years ago but the book was completely different, largely because of the religious themes. Helen used this experience to completely rethink her relationship to life. At Ralph's urging she read his Bible all the way through while they were waiting for rescue and allowed it to change her thinking. She and Ralph Flores should stand as a model of the kind of cooperation and mutual support it takes to get through a tough situation like this. The fact that they never got ugly about their religious differences astounds me -- it was the elephant in the room all through their ordeal. The movie adaptation had Ed Asher and Sally Struthers snarling at each other; in reality, Helen and Ralph grew a lot from knowing each other and nobody ever screamed, as much as they might have liked to. Nice story with a super happy ending.

Mister Owita's Guide to Gardening: How I Learned the Unexpected Joy of a Green Thumb and an Open Heart by Carol Wall

Carol is one of the snobbish clientele that most gardeners for hire encounter -- she wants a nice garden, but doesn't want to do any of it herself. At first I had mixed feelings about her point of view..but on learning she's battling cancer I had a bit of sympathy for her. Mr Owita, a Kenyan who's recommended by her neighbour ends up teaching her a thing or two about gardening. And life.

I just gave 5 stars to I, a Squealer: The Insider's Account of the "Pied Piper of Tucson" Murders by Richard Bruns, a guy whose life was ruined because he did the right thing and turned a serial killer over to the police. It's short, but well written and packed with information that was new to me, even though I've already read 2 previous books about this case. Richie Bruns is a true hero who saved who knows how many lives by doing what he did. We need more people in this world like him.

Blue Sky July: A True Tale of Love, Light and 'impossible Odds' by Nia Wyn
4 stars


The author has a baby, who soon after birth is diagnosed with severe Cerebral palsy. She is told he will never walk or talk or even know who she is or his own name and that he is blind. She does not except this outcome and devotes all of her time to working with him. The progress is inch by inch but eventually they find out that the doctors were wrong. If she had given up on her son the outcome wouldn't have been as good as it was. Her story reminded me of a patient I worked with who was an elderly lady but she also had cerebral palsy and her parents didnt think she could learn and kept her home and didnt send her to school. So she ended up being an old lady that was basically on the mental level of a preschooler. Some thought she was mentally retarded but I always thought she was just uneducated. She has passed on now and would be in her 80's if she was still alive but that was the way it was back then.

The writing has a lyrical quality to it. Almost seems like poetry and yet is more like a diary. It moves rather quickly and is only 190 pages so I started it one night and finished the next.

Fishface wrote: "Hey I'm Alive, Helen Klaben with Beth Day
4 solid stars

This was a short, sweet, uplifting read about Helen Klaben's experience surviving a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness. ..."

When my friend and I went to see "On the Basis of Sex" we saw a preview for a movie that sounds like it could be a remake of this. I can't remember the name of it and can't find it on Google.

The Last Man Across the Atlantic
Paul Heiney

3 Stars = I liked the book. I'm glad I read it

If you're looking for a book filled with hair-raising moments, and death defying feats, pass this one up. But if you like reading about a 56 year old man who is not a racing sailor but joins a race anyway, you've found the right book.

He joined the race because he wanted to sail the Atlantic single-handedly ... and he did. He doesn't drown the reader in a lot of sailing lingo. It is mostly a book about his thoughts, his feelings, his disappointments, and his joys, while at sea. I liked the book 'cause I don't mind a slow, easy book ... kind of like having a leisurely cuppa with a friend.

Sid Vicious: No One is Innocent, Alan Parker
3 stars

Yes, another biography of Simon Beverly, aka John Ritchie, aha Sid Vicious. This was a good read. The author took me back through the old familiar story and added more pieces I haven't read about elsewhere. I feel more sure than ever of what happened in Room 100 at the Chelsea Hotel, but less sure of what happened in the apartment where Sid died. I feel sure, though, that some of his informants had a great deal to hide, so probably there is far more out there to learn...

Lady ♥ Belleza wrote: "Fishface wrote: "Hey I'm Alive, Helen Klaben with Beth Day
4 solid stars

This was a short, sweet, uplifting read about Helen Klaben's experience surviving a plane crash in the Cana..."

How was On The Basis Of Sex?

Fishface wrote: "Sid Vicious: No One is Innocent, Alan Parker
3 stars

Yes, another biography of Simon Beverly, aka John Ritchie, aha Sid Vicious. This was a good read. The author took me back throug..."

Interesting. One wonders that he was able to sit still long enough and play nice with the writer. Is there much one-on-one, or is the book more investigative?

Koren wrote: "How was On The Basis Of Sex? "

Very good. 10/10 would recommend it.

Nicholas wrote: "Fishface wrote: "Sid Vicious: No One is Innocent, Alan Parker
3 stars

Yes, another biography of Simon Beverly, aka John Ritchie, aha Sid Vicious. This was a good read. The author to..."

By "he" who do you mean?

Five Came Back: A Story of Hollywood and the Second World War
Mark Harris
5/5 stars
This is the amazing true life story of some of the greatest Hollywood film directors who were asked to film events during WWII and produce training films for the soldiers while putting aside their careers. John Ford, George Steven, John Huston, William Wyler and Frank Capra were the ones asked to give up their Hollywood jobs to work with the government. A few stayed to make instructional films to train soldiers; others accompanied troops to war torn regions putting their lives in danger while filming. This was a page turner for me from the beginning to the end!

Morgan Freeman: A Biography by Kathleen Tracy

I dont know that much about Morgan Freeman other than he seems to play God in a lot of movies! This was a quick read about his career and also his personal life, but its mostly gleaned from what hes said about himself and the movies hes been involved in. I was interested in his background and it did say he was originally from Mississippi, but many Blacks migrated to Chicago, but growing up in the urban jungle was not easy. Actually it was easier and more familiar to go live in the South!
He also says acting is a job that's really easy, it comes naturally to him and is basically just pretending and showing off. Its finding the work thats the hard part. I imagine for many actors that are independent the danger is they get typecast in roles, when naturally an actor wants to try out different roles. Unlike the old studio system when actors were contracted to a company eg MGM and given regular work, salaries and groomed to be a star, freelance actors or as he calls himself 'journeyman actor' just have to find their own jobs (even with an agent) and be lucky to be called.

Freeman's stock in trade is 'gravitas' but he does complain hes never called to play romantic leads. The bio does touch a bit on race relations as well, being a person of colour..but as far as I can tell I dont know that Black americans are under represented in film or not, considering they may be minorities in some states and not others.

I think with many bios of actors its hard to follow when they just go from one acting role to the next esp if you hadnt seen most of what they are in. The ones they are famous for, in Morgans case shawshank redemption and Driving Miss Daisy...outshine all the other movies and tv he did that disappeared without a trace. So maybe it isnt even down to the actor's talents but the script and whether the casting and production is right.

Patient Zero and the Making of the AIDS Epidemic, Richard McKay
3 stars

This big, thick trade paperback proved to be quite a short read because so much of every page -- sometimes more than 3/4-- was citations and footnotes. A great deal of it was frankly confusing blathering about epidemiological research methodology that wasn't irrelevant, but could have been a whole lot shorter and clearer. It wasn't until nearly page 300 that we finally got to what the ad copy told me was the meat of the book: a true biography of Gaetan Dugas, separated out from the layers of hateful scaremongering nonsense painted over a life cut cruelly short. It was only when we got there that I started to see why the author spent so many pages explaining what Randy Shilts got wrong in his book, where he seemed to get it wrong intentionally in order to promote himself, and what effect his errors had on the public perception of the AIDS epidemic. I came away with a whole new image of Dugas and most of the other people mentioned in here. I'm very glad I read this one.

Fishface wrote: "Patient Zero and the Making of the AIDS Epidemic, Richard McKay
3 stars

This big, thick trade paperback proved to be quite a short read because so much of every page -- sometimes m..."

Do you think it’s worth the buy? I’ve neen thinking about getting this book for a while...

It was worth reading but I, personally, am glad I got it from the library instead of buying it. 3/4 of the book was just a slog.

Cottage on a Cliff
Author: Derek Tangye

5 Stars = Exceptional. It made a significant impact.

Another of Derek Tangye's wonderful books. This book includes tales of their cat, Lama; their donkeys, Penny and Fred; another cat, Felix, who 'visited' for awhile and, of course, many wild animals that inhabit the countryside, and are a part of their daily lives. Derek knows how to describe those small pleasures that make his time at the cottage so rewarding. He, and his wife, Jeannie, never take their wonderful new life among the joys of such a beautiful natural setting for granted.

Derek was a newspaper columnist (during WWII he worked for MI5) and his wife was a hotel PR executive, before they gave it all up to move into a simple cottage on a clifftop, and raise daffodils. Their home was near St. Buryan, in Cornwall, England.

This book is one of many he wrote about their life.

Good to know. Thank you!

Fishface wrote: "It was worth reading but I, personally, am glad I got it from the library instead of buying it. 3/4 of the book was just a slog."

Meranda wrote: "Fishface wrote: "Patient Zero and the Making of the AIDS Epidemic, Richard McKay
3 stars

This big, thick trade paperback proved to be quite a short read because so much of every pa..."

More Cats in the Belfry
Author: Doreen Tovey

5 Stars = Exceptional. It made a significant impact.

I love all of Doreen's books. She has new cats, Shantung, and Saphra ... who become known as Tani and Saph. They are quite the handful. As always, the tales she tells are amusing, interesting, and heart-warming.

This one was written after the death of her dear husband, Charles. I'm sure being alone, after all their wonderful years together, changed her in many ways. She never remarried, and spent almost 30 years on her own.

This book was originally published in 1995, and re-issued in 2009. Sadly, Doreen died in 2008, at the age of 89.

Jell-O Girls: A Family History
Allie Rowbottom
4/5 stars
Jell-O was invented prior to 1899 and Rowbottom’s great-great-great uncle bought the patent and manufactured it. The book details her family’s lives living in privilege and how the so called “Jell-O” curse affected their lives. The book also details the history of Jell-O over the years and touches on the story of a group of girls from LeRoy, New York, who came down with a Tourette-like syndrome which was blamed on the manufacture of the product in the area. Interesting!

Diane wrote: "
More Cats in the Belfry
Author: Doreen Tovey

5 Stars = Exceptional. It made a significant impact.

I love all of Doreen's..."

Added this to my list!

Julie wrote: "
Jell-O Girls: A Family History
Allie Rowbottom
4/5 stars Jell-O was invented prior to 1899 and Rowbottom’s grea..."

Added this to my to be read list! Thank you.

A Gull on the Roof
Author: Derek Tangye

5 Stars = Exceptional. It made a significant impact.

Another great Derek Tangye book. He has written several books about leaving the rat-race in London for a flower farm in Cornwall, England. The series of books began with A Gull on the Roof.

“My apprehension that evening was in reality an ally of the caution I had discarded, for in the morning we had set in motion our decision to leave London in favour of the bathless, paraffin lit two-roomed cottage called Minack and six acres of uncultivated land on the coast between Penzance and Land’s End. ... Our livelihood now depended upon the creation of a flower farm from this desolate, beautiful; country, aided not by any practical experience, but only by our ignorance as to what lay ahead."

If you've ever longed for the bliss of a life full of nature, and simple pleasures, you'll definitely want to read Derek's books.

Out Of Darkness: A Memoir
Author: Zoltan Torey

3 Stars = I liked the book. I'm glad I read it.

Zoltan was born in Hungary in 1929. In this book he talks about growing up there, how he managed to escape when it came under Soviet control, and his eventual move to Australia. At the age of 21, in Sydney, Australia, he was involved in an industrial accident that blinded him, and injured his vocal chords to such an extent that he could only speak in a whisper. After he was blinded, rather than rely solely on his other senses for input, he developed the ability to generate and manipulate images thereby constructing a very real world inside his mind.

" It is interesting that the visual cut-off point of my accident was not a break in continuity, only a temporary dimming in the clarity of the tract. For a short while there was a dream-like vagueness, but once my visualisation increased, the memory tract became even more robust and coherent than before my accident. The upgraded quality is not hard to explain. My inner vision involves a process of 'active seeing' and this is more enriching than the 'passive immersion in light' for which it substitutes. The latter is the normal, the often lax way we use, or underuse, our sense of sight. As against this, my substitution calls for effort and active brain participation, a creative routine that fills my life.

Rather than depending on input from out there, my thinking hung unanchored in this now charcoal-grey visual space - a screen suspended in fog. I began to project. My sense of disorientation began to be replaced by an inner focus, firmly fixed on what my brain, in lieu of my eyes, was looking at. Hesitant at first, tentative with a dream-like blur, over time this weird mental substitution grew into a formidable source of generative imagination.

Hand in glove with this projective reconquest of 'vision', an inner voice of common sense cautioned me to anchor the new mental magic to validating data from all my remaining senses and later to carefully evaluate second-hand data from trustworthy people. The distinction between fact and fiction became vital, the murky interface of opinion to be carefully assessed."

He has also written The Crucible of Consciousness: A Personal Exploration of the Conscious Mind.

An Owl on Every Post by Sanora Babb

A memoir of childhood in the Colorado Plains in a lonely dugout/homestead claim. Sanora went on to become a writer/journalist but her memorable childhood years from 7-11 were spent on the prairie. This book got to be a little tedious near the end because, well, nothing much happened since her family lived in such isolation and starved for company that even strangers passing by wanted just to have someone to talk to. Her dad finally decided to move to town where she could go to school, but it was her grand dad that taught her the ways of the plains life where they were literally dirt poor because of the drought. Her mother even pawned her wedding ring so they could have food. But Sonora as a child was quite unaware of how poor they were and just took it as most children do, as an adventure. I think people living out on those plains grow to love them even though the living is really hard. Something about the majesty of the sky and the lack of people.

I think I would go stir crazy if not for the company of animals...and many people actually did.

The Coming of Saska
Author: Doreen Tovey

5 Stars = Exceptional. It made a significant impact.

I love all of Doreen Tovey's books. In this one they go on a trip to Canada, hoping to see some grizzlies! When they return home, their Siamese cats reign supreme ... Shebalu, Seeley, and a new addition, Saska.

If you enjoy nonfiction about life in the country, Siamese cats, and many other various animals, you'll enjoy these books.

Sun on the Lintel
Author: Derek Tangye

5 Stars = Exceptional. It made a significant impact.

Another great Derek Tangye book. In this one Derek makes some New Year's resolutions, but as we all know, resolutions have a funny way of not turning out quite as we had hoped. They still have their cats, Ambrose and Oliver, and their donkeys, Penny and Fred.

I like the quote in the blurb. "The most enchanting thing about these books on the Cornish flower farm is that both Derek Tangye and his wife Jeannie are themselves completely enchanted with their way of life and this is communicated very forcefully to the reader." - Stella Frank, Sunday Times This is absolutely true. One thing I enjoy about these books is how Derek pauses to do a bit of deep thinking and shares it with the reader. It's not just a case of "The cat did this, and then the donkey did that." This is a thinking man and his thoughts are well worth taking note of.

If you like nonfiction about living in the country; cats, donkeys, and various other animals; small town people; and the running of a flower farm for the local markets, you'll enjoy Derek's books.

Rat Scabies and the Holy Grail: Can a Punk Rock Legend Find What Monty Python Couldn't?, Christopher Dawes
3 solid stars

What a loopy story this was! The true tale of how Rat Scabies, punk rock drummer formerly with The Damned, moved in across the street from the author and unexpectedly took him on a real, live Grail quest. The author describes how Ratty's box of books on the subject led them from pillar to post looking for something that it turned out not a few, but hundreds of other people were looking for too. What we really find out about as the quest proceeds is a very strange subset of humanity -- and many of the more interesting corners of France. A really intriguing travel book full of odd characters and interesting places.

Tiny Titan - One Small Gift by Ann Yurcek
5 stars

Our library has a winter reading challenge and one of the challenges is to re-read an old favorite. I think this is the third time I have read this book. I think it is more a favorite because I went to school with the author's husband and met the author at a class reunion. His father owned a hardware store in our little town when I grew up and his mother was a nurse in the delivery room when I had my first baby. The book is a memoir of their journey with their daughter that has Noonan's syndrome. Noonan's syndrome is a genetic disorder that causes many birth defects and many babies do not survive. Their daughter spent the first months of her life in the hospital and at one time was on life support. Even after she came home she had 24 hour home nurses. The book is mostly about how a special needs baby can effect a family who is already teetering on the brink of financial disaster. I love how resourceful the author was in searching for ideas on stretching a dollar. She searched garage sales and thrift shop sales and to repurpose beautiful clothing and toys for her 5 other children. They went through times when they couldn't pay their mortgage or utilities but they made it through and a miracle would always happen to help them. The husband ended up losing his job because his employer didnt want to pay for medical insurance due to the high cost of the baby being on the insurance but again another blessing- he went to medical school and became a doctor. They later went on to foster and adopt other special needs children. I can tell you, they really are as nice as they come across in the book.

Angel in Aisle 3: The True Story of a Mysterious Vagrant, a Convicted Bank Executive, and the Unlikely Friendship That Saved Both Their Lives by Kevin West

Well the title pretty much sums it up, for those who are faithful, it's an encouraging true story about who God puts in our lives and how friendships can transform people.
Like the Mr Owita gardening memoir, this is written as a tribute to the friend that passed away...there must be more inspirational and uplifting memoirs like this not just of friendships with famous peoples.

A Home for Rose: How My Life Turned Upside Down for the Love of a Dog
Author: Jon Katz

3 Stars = I liked the book. I'm glad I read it.

Jon has written many books about his life on Bedlam Farm in New York, USA. He is one of those thinking men that I enjoy reading. He knows how to weave all the parts of his life into a very readable book. He has dogs, of course, and this one is, obviously, about Rose ... and 16 sheep, 2 more dogs, and 2 donkeys. He learns a lot about himself, as he learns how to handle Rose ... or more to the point, as she learns how to handle Jon! ... lol

"I believed Rose had a secret plan for the farm, a detailed map in her head that showed exactly where all her ewes and lambs and humans ought to be. Though I was nominally the herder, I wasn't privy to the map. My job was mostly to latch and unlatch the gates, the rest was up to her."

Just Between Us by Mario Lopez
3 stars



I mostly remember Mario from when my son was a huge Saved By The Bell fan. This memoir seemed to be more about his sex life than anything else, which was really a lot more than I needed to know. It seemed the main purpose of the book was for him to shake that squeaky clean image. He did not dwell on the Saved By The Bell years and it is mostly complimentary of the other cast members and saying how wonderful they were to work with. The book has a lot of name dropping but not really anything earth-shattering. He seems to like and get along with everyone he worked with. His childhood was wonderful and he spends a lot of time talking about his 'jock' years. It seems his teenage years were mostly sports and girls. Throughout the book I wondered what his family must have thought when they read about all of his teenage sex stories, which started when he was 12. Ho hum! Unless you are a big fan, I would skip this one.

Koren wrote: "Another Place at the Table by Kathy Harrison
4 stars



This is about a family that takes in foster children that are more difficult than ..." Thanks, Koren--this looks interesting!


Diane wrote: "
Cottage on a Cliff
Author: Derek Tangye

5 Stars = Exceptional. It made a significant impact.

Another of Derek Tangye's wond..."

Girl at the End of the World: My Escape from Fundamentalism in Search of Faith with a Future
Elizabeth Esther
4/5 stars
This is the true story of Elizabeth Esther who grew up in a very physically and mentally punishing religious cult and the efforts she took to try and remove herself from their influence. Very compelling!

The Most They Ever Had by Rick Bragg
5 stars


An excellent look at what it was like for factory workers, specifically textile workers, in the South in the early 1900's until the middle of the century. Some things haven't changed. The rich got rich and the poor got poorer. The workers owed their souls to the company store and died from the fibers that filled their lungs.

The Line: A Man's Experience; A Son's Quest to Understand
Authors: Arch Flanagan, Martin Flanagan

3 Stars = I liked the book.

This was an interesting approach to the relating of a POW's experiences working on the Burma Railway. The telling of Arch's life is shared by Arch, through his four contributions, and his son's commentary and thoughts on his father's life.

I've read several books by POWs who worked on the Burma Railway. This was not the very best of the lot, but it was still worth reading.

It Takes Two: Our Story by Jonathan and Drew Scott
4 stars



If you like the show Property Brothers you will like this memoir by the twin brothers who star in the show. They are energetic, hard-working, positive, and if they want something they go after it. They are as clean cut as they appear in the show although sometimes their halo gets a little bent. As you might expect, they have some sibling rivalry going on, although they think of it more as a friendly competition. The book is written the way you might expect them to speak- they take turns talking but often interrupt each other. My favorite part of the book was towards the end when they go behind the scenes of their show. Oh, and the pictures. There are tons of pictures. When you pick this book up it seems lengthy, but it is actually a quick read because their are so many pictures. I liked that fact that they are interspersed throughout the book instead of all bunched together in the middle.

Wolfman: The True Story of Serial Killer Robert Howard, Robert Webb
2 stars

This was an interesting case, but I came away feeling as if I hadn't read the story of this man's life yet. There was no sense of how many crimes he committed, how many rapes or murders, how he made his living (honestly or dishonestly?), why he moved when he did, what his relationships were like or anything else. Did he get along with his bosses? Did he have friends? How did he meet his wife? The author says Howard was obviously psychotic but gives no evidence of that at any point. And he kept getting regular prison, not treatment of any kind. There is not a scrap of information about his trial, and all the book says about his police interviews was that they were surprised at how pleasant and normal he seemed. Tell me more!!!

Fishface wrote: "Wolfman: The True Story of Serial Killer Robert Howard, Robert Webb
2 stars

This was an interesting case, but I came away feeling as if I hadn't read the story of this man's life y..."

The book I read was Wolf Man: The True Story of Francisco Arce Montes - The First Global Serial Killer, not the one you read. Different killer.

Where Shall We Go For Dinner?
Author: Tamasin Day-Lewis

3 Stars = I liked the book.

Tamasin, and her companion, Rob Kaufelt (American cheese connoisseur), spend a year traveling the world eating all manner of foods, and then Tamasin deftly describes them for us. I found the bits about the food to be interesting, but not so much the bits about her private life. She includes recipes at the end of each chapter.

Diane wrote: "Fishface wrote: "Wolfman: The True Story of Serial Killer Robert Howard, Robert Webb
2 stars

This was an interesting case, but I came away feeling as if I hadn't read the story of ..."

Oh, I sent for both books knowing they were different. The killer's name was in the title in both cases. Wensley Clarkson is frankly not my favorite author but I'm sure Wolf Man: The True Story of Francisco Arce Montes - The First Global Serial Killer will be far, far better than Wolfman: The True Story of Serial Killer Robert Howard.

Fishface wrote: "Diane wrote: "Fishface wrote: "Wolfman: The True Story of Serial Killer Robert Howard, Robert Webb
2 stars
Oh, I sent for both books knowing they were different. The killer's name was in the title in both cases. Wensley Clarkson is frankly not my favorite author but I'm sure Wolf Man: The True Story of Francisco Arce Montes - The First Global Serial Killer will be far, far better than Wolfman: The True Story of Serial Killer Robert Howard."

Ah, okay, glad to hear that. :) With Montes, I just couldn't get over the way he committed his crimes .. and how often he got away with them. Yep, Clarkson isn't a favourite of mine either, but it was the killer, not the writing, that reeled me into that book.

October Sky
Homer Hickam
5/5 stars
This was a wonderful book on the early life of Homer Hickman, living in a coal town along with the stress of that, while he and his friends were being inspired by the space race and wanting to be a part of it. He did eventually become a NASA engineer but not without the help of his friends and the town that supported him.

Julie wrote: "
October Sky
Homer Hickam
5/5 stars
This was a wonderful book on the early life of Homer Hickman, living in a coal town along with the s..."

The movie was pretty good too.