Review: Only Tim Sent Flowers by George Kaplan

Only Tim Sent Flowers
by George Kaplan


Description:
Mary Louise, a bookish, redheaded, freckle-faced, eighteen-year-old virgin, who is unaware she has Asperger’s Syndrome, dispenses with Tim, her loving but far too serious and conventional high school boyfriend, then thrusts herself, groin first, into the 1960s sexual revolution, pioneering concepts such as friends with benefits and serial monogamy, while earning two college degrees in statistics. Nicknamed Tookie by her doting father, she engages in often humorous escapades with innumerable unsuitable lovers, whom she seduces with her oral virtuosity. But through it all, the one thing she really wants escapes her—a man who will truly love her, despite her faults, and give her a daughter.


My Review:
Only Tim Sent Flowers reads like a memoir. The main character, Mary Louise, or Tookie, becomes obsessed with experiencing and learning everything about sex.

I actually thought her relationship with her first boyfriend, Tim, was kind of sad. He’s very sweet and respectful, and he loves her, but it isn’t enough for Mary Louise. She loses interest in him when her attempts to get him to be her first fail. I kind of wanted her to get back with him, but the story is true to both her own and Tim’s personalities. He needs more and she wants less, or perhaps just different. It’s just too bad.

Anyway, that set aside, a good chunk of the book is Tookie cycling her way through as many fellows as humanly possible, studying and applying what she learns exuberantly. Some of her actual relationships are pretty interesting side stories, but again, I found them sad. Her sense of accomplishment and self-worth come at a cost I don’t think she realizes. She wants love, but only knows one variable in the formula.

I thought the fact that she has undiagnosed Asperger’s Syndrome added an interesting dynamic. Her behavior and preferences seem over the top until you take that into account. This characteristic is only overtly mentioned in the book’s description and the author’s note at the end, but it defines her.
As for the sexual encounters, well, nothing is left to the imagination. It’s very straightforward and detailed. One is left without a doubt about every one of Tookie’s likes and dislikes, and why. Some of the Asperger’s characteristics seemed to come out in these as well, which I thought showed some pretty good attention to detail. It is definitely meant for adult readers as there is a nearly constant stream of sex and sexual pursuit.

As for the storytelling, it comes across as rather factual and direct, a style typical of memoirs. This book should not be mistaken for a romance.

Overall, I thought this was a really good book, though it can be sad at times. I think the book might appeal to adults who enjoy fictional memoirs.

I received an ARC of this book from the author.


About the Author:
After a career of chasing, and being chased by, spies and assorted thugs across national monuments while being mistaken for Cary Grant, George Kaplan hung up his shoulder holster and used the money to buy a computer to serve as his word processor. Although well versed in writing after-action summaries, Kaplan had no experience with writing fiction, other than his expense reports. Government repercussions about modeling characters after his cohorts and enemies would have been far too risky, so he fabricated a heroine who has qualities he'd seen a few of on each of a number of women he'd rubbed shoulders (and sometimes more) with, during his long career undercover. Kaplan's first novel, Only Tim Sent Flowers, launches his Tookie series about an undiagnosed Aspie girl who perseveres through numerous unexpected adventures.
Author's website https://blackopalbooks.com/george-kaplan/

Other links:
Book Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAHvbJ7MEac
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Only-Tim-Sent-Flowers-Revised/dp/1626947295/
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36176303-only-tim-sent-flowers

New Release: The Totally Unscientific Study of the Search for Human Happiness by Paula Poundstone

The Totally Unscientific Study of the Search for Human Happiness
by Paula Poundstone

Publisher: Algonquin Books

Description:
Is there a secret to happiness? Beloved comedian Paula Poundstone conducts a series of “thoroughly scientific” experiments to find out, offering herself up as a guinea pig and recording her data for the benefit of all humankind. Armed with her unique brand of self-deprecating wit and the scientific method, in each chapter Paula tries out a different get-happy hypothesis. She gets in shape with taekwondo. She drives fast behind the wheel of a Lamborghini. She communes with nature while camping with her daughter. Swing dancing? Meditation? Volunteering? Does any of it bring her happiness? And more important, can the happiness last when she returns to the daily demands of her chaotic life?

The results are irreverent, laugh-out-loud funny, and pointedly relevant to our times. The Totally Unscientific Study of the Search for Human Happiness is both a hilarious story of jumping into new experiences with both feet and a surprisingly poignant tale of a working mother raising three kids. Paula is a master of her craft. Her comedic brilliance, served up in abundance in this book, has been compared to that of George Carlin, Tina Fey, Lily Tomlin, and David Sedaris.

My Review:

If I were asked to pin a moral to this story, I’d say that trying new things can result in unexpected adventures. Sometimes those adventures are fun, sometimes aggravating, and sometimes rewarding. This book is a lot of fun, but I think there is real meaning among the gags, the embarrassments, the moody teens, and the cats.

And even more surprisingly, I found this book to be somewhat scientific despite the tongue-in-cheek disclaimer in the title and the heavy use of ironically scientific report headers throughout. After all, what is science but testing out an idea and documenting your results.

This book is the result of seven years of intense personal research, and the results of the experiments are mixed. Some worked, some didn’t, and none were predictable, even within the same experiment. To tell you the truth, I’m impressed with the author for putting herself out there and jumping right into some things that were very much out of her comfort zone.

I loved the chapters that give the results in a running, time stamped log. The movie day one was hilarious. The mortifying foray into swing dancing was another favorite, both because of the humor, but also because the experience highlights another interesting result, that happiness is complex.

Anyhow, I really liked this book. While it wasn’t as over the top as I’d expected from a book by a comedian, it was real, it made me laugh, and near the end there, if I’m honest, it made me cry a little, too. I’d totally recommend this to folks who enjoy memoirs with a good dose of humor and also to those who want the inside scoop on finding their own personal brand of happiness.

I picked up the advance review copy of this book from NetGalley.

About the Author:
Heralded as one of our country’s foremost comics, Paula Poundstone's quick thinking, unscripted approach to comedy makes for the perfect fit as a regular panelist on NPR’s #1 show, the screwball weekly news quiz show WAIT WAIT...DON'T TELL ME! where she holds the record for game losses. "The others cheat," she says magnanimously, "you wouldn't think NPR would put up with that."

Paula tours regularly, performing standup comedy across the country. Writes Nick Zaino with the Boston Globe: "You know she’s a great comic the way you know any fine performer when you see one -- there's a disarming ease in her craft, an immediate sense that she's so quick on her feet you need never worry about the possibility of something going wrong.” Paula’s interchanges with the audience are never mean or done at a person’s expense. She even manages to handle politics without provoking the pall of disapproval received by less artful comics. "With the exception of that one time," Paula claims.

For more info: 
www.paulapoundstone.com
twitter.com/paulapoundstone
facebook.com/paulapoundstone
youtube.com/paulapoundstone                

Books by this Author:




Audio CDs by this Author:

Humorous Memoir Review: Holly Jolly Nothing by Vincent Daniels

Holly Jolly Nothing
by Vincent Daniels

Description:
Detroit native Vincent Daniels delivers a hilarious retelling of his absurd childhood as a mixed-race Jehovah's Witness whiz kid in an all-white Catholic-dominated community. Add in some energetic cult conventions, a neighboring halfway house, an unhealthy dinosaur obsession, a couple zealous, quirky parents, and a doozy of an imagination, and you've got one hell of a funny memoir here. This essay-style collection of stories is a great choice for fans of David Sedaris, Jenny Lawson, Allie Brosh, and Justin Halpern.

Daniels' sharp wit, fearless humor, and penchant for shining in even the strangest fiascos keeps his book consistently fun and relatable. In addition to a laugh-out-loud peek into what it's like to be a holiday-avoiding, door-to-door mini preacher, Holly Jolly Nothing sends you on a grandiose trip back to childhood, complete with first crush freak-outs, sleazy after-school jobs, grade school victories and debacles, head-scratchingly odd neighborhood kids, and other coming-of-age awesomeness - all penned with a strong dose of warmth, wonder, and belly laughs.

Don't let the idea of childhood nostalgia fool you though. These stories aren't mild salsa. There's enough spicy adult humor here to set up a lifetime of Judd Apatow movies. And for fans of Daniels' first book, Meaty Balls, don't worry - the author's voice-of-the-people, gleefully-less-than-PC perspective is present on all levels, as is his self-targeting, sincere humor. Daniels' musings are on par with the best Louis C.K., Aziz Ansari, or John Mulaney stand-up comedy. In summary, if you think laughter is the best medicine, don't walk, RUN, to get yourself a copy of Holly Jolly Nothing!

My Review:
As with Meaty Balls, the author’s description is boastful, but spot on. Loved every moment of it.

These memoirs are hilarious, but also relatable.

There’s no shortage of adult humor and irreverence, and I found both to be delightful. It’s insane how it works so well within the context of a childhood memoir. I recommend following every footnote as they appear. Very funny, especially the challenge that’s revealed in the very last one. I particularly loved the toy cowboys and indians story and the dinosaur know-it-all story. Oh, and the science fair debacle had me rolling. They sort of bounce around in the timeline, but they still flow.

Now, these memoirs are humorous, but there are some serious bits in there. If you want to know what it’s like to be a kid and have to abstain from the pledge or avoid holiday everything or preach to your neighbors and friends (or even your paper route customers), the author nails it. I experienced much of the same, and to me, the accounts come across as honest and accurate, though not painted in the rosiest of lights. That being said, I don’t think my JW friends or family would like it, at all.

Overall, I loved this book as much as I did Meaty Balls, which is to say, a lot. I strongly recommend this to folks who love witty, humorous memoirs with a good dose of potty language. Not for the easily offended.

I purchased this book from Amazon.
            
Author Links (in this case, almost as entertaining as the books themselves):
Twitter @quite_meaty
Goodreads Vincent Daniels
Facebook Page Author Vincent Daniels


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New Release: Holly Jolly Nothing by Vincent Daniels

Holly Jolly Nothing
by Vincent Daniels

Description:
Detroit native Vincent Daniels delivers a hilarious retelling of his absurd childhood as a mixed-race Jehovah's Witness whiz kid in an all-white Catholic-dominated community. Add in some energetic cult conventions, a neighboring halfway house, an unhealthy dinosaur obsession, a couple zealous, quirky parents, and a doozy of an imagination, and you've got one hell of a funny memoir here. This essay-style collection of stories is a great choice for fans of David Sedaris, Jenny Lawson, Allie Brosh, and Justin Halpern.

Daniels' sharp wit, fearless humor, and penchant for shining in even the strangest fiascos keeps his book consistently fun and relatable. In addition to a laugh-out-loud peek into what it's like to be a holiday-avoiding, door-to-door mini preacher, Holly Jolly Nothing sends you on a grandiose trip back to childhood, complete with first crush freak-outs, sleazy after-school jobs, grade school victories and debacles, head-scratchingly odd neighborhood kids, and other coming-of-age awesomeness - all penned with a strong dose of warmth, wonder, and belly laughs.

Don't let the idea of childhood nostalgia fool you though. These stories aren't mild salsa. There's enough spicy adult humor here to set up a lifetime of Judd Apatow movies. And for fans of Daniels' first book, Meaty Balls, don't worry - the author's voice-of-the-people, gleefully-less-than-PC perspective is present on all levels, as is his self-targeting, sincere humor. Daniels' musings are on par with the best Louis C.K., Aziz Ansari, or John Mulaney stand-up comedy. In summary, if you think laughter is the best medicine, don't walk, RUN, to get yourself a copy of Holly Jolly Nothing!

My Thoughts (not a review):
Well, I haven't read this yet, but I plan to buy and read it, and soon. Why? Because Meaty Balls, the first book I read by this author, is my absolutely favorite memoir, ever. I remember reading it in public and laughing out loud anyway. Check out the original review of Meaty Balls here.

This one promises to be just as funny and every bit worth buying for those who want a good laugh based on real, and really funny, events. Not for the easily offended, I'm guessing, based on the other one. 

I happened across Vincent on Facebook some time back, and his posts are just as irreverent and grin inducing. Anyhow, when I saw the new book come out, I sent him a message telling him I'd like to feature his new book and asked if he'd like to share anything personal for the post. Here is what he said:

You're literally too good to be true, Trish! So, first, obviously I appreciate this. Second, I can't think of much to add book-description-wise in addition to the Amazon write-up I "meticulously" crafted a few days ago. A link to my personal Facebook page would be cool though. I'd love more internet friends so I can feel meaningful in our cyber-culture.
As far as a personal message goes, how's this: When I finished Holly Jolly Nothing, I realized the best two things about moving out of my parents house years ago have been: 1) Being able to write just-shy-of-PC, non-PG-rated books that poke fun at religion and rules, because what I write would've never flown in the strict religious household I grew up in, but I'm having an awesome time doing it! And 2) Never having to eat canned green beans again. To even out the list, I'll add that the worst thing I've noticed about moving out is that I'm late for everything without Mom and Dad there to wake me up. And while that may make me sound like a kid, to set the record straight, I'm actually more of a kid-man-robot sentinel.

Also, feel free to add my recommendation that your blog readers can show their appreciation for your kind personality and book reviewing ways by knitting you soft mittens and cozy socks and mailing them to you, perhaps with candy. You can tell them this was solely my idea, not yours. 

Thanks again, Trish! I look forward to seeing the blog!

I like the sound of that cozy socks and mittens thing. Candy couldn't hurt either, lol.

About the Author:

Ok, so one of the things that made me pick up his first book was his over-the-top profile. So, here it is, right from Amazon, the author bio of Vincent Daniels:

Hi, I'm Vincent Daniels, author of Meaty Balls - a collection of essays, expositions, and insightfully elegant potty humor (which I heard you like). It's got like a million chapters (thirty, actually). I also just released a new book titled Holly Jolly Nothing. It's a memoir recounting absurdities from my religiously-stymied childhood along with other awesome coming-of-age stuff. If you have any semblance of a heart, I think you'll dig it. Even some of you heartless A-holes will get a kick out of it too.

If you're asking, "What makes you so special that you get to write hilarious books that I'll love forever?" Here's why: I was raised as a Jehovah's Witness and was out preaching to strangers about Satan's hooves as a nine-year-old. I wasn't allowed to celebrate birthdays or holidays but went to a public school where that stuff made up half the curriculum. Plus all the wonky beliefs and cult conventions are funny, in retrospect. Also, I'm half-Asian, which isn't intrinsically funny in itself, but being the only foreign-looking kid in an all-white hillbilly suburb is funny, also in retrospect. Additionally, I was married into a Puerto Rican family and gained two hundred spicy in-laws who swear enough to make Martin Scorsese blush.

In addition to those balls-out hilarious things about me, I now live in Detroit, which has a large black population and a lot of crime. I'm certainly not insinuating the two are related, I'm simply stating those things because that's what people usually think of when the think of Detroit. Though both are true, I've never been mugged or murdered by anyone black (or any race). Okay, this is coming out all wrong. One of my best friends is actually black! I'm tempted to rewrite this paragraph because it sounds suspicious, but I told myself I'd write this once and not edit it. This is getting wordy, so I'm going to list the other reasons I'm capable of writing a funny book without as much explanation:

5. Starting with "5" because technically there are four "Reasons I'm Funny" written above. I'm going to start a new "Number Five" because this one got ruined by this explanation.

Real 5. After being married to the Puerto Ricans, I got divorced...and divorce is hilarious! (After you've moved on, lost weight, and bought a bigger TV.)

6. I'm an auto-industry stooge who gets paid to design auto parts while actually writing essays in a word processor minimized in the bottom corner of my screen. Don't tell my boss. (That includes you, PC-monitoring IT guy!)

7. I go to dive bars and drink a lot. I look foreign. I'm divorced. I have a black friend. We have sweet hip-hop dance moves. Antics ensue.

8. I'm a part-time musician who plays guitar, writes mushy love songs, and says, "Yeah, I've sold a bunch of MP3s," even though I've only sold ten over the past five years and barely made enough money to buy a combo meal at Taco Bell.

9. I have a gigantic collection of rocks & fossils, comic books, '80s toys, movie memorabilia, weapons (non-functioning replicas), old-school video games, dinosaur books, hockey jerseys, lawn equipment, and button-up shirts that I never wear. The point being, I'm an expert on everything and exceptionally geeky in a sexy and sophisticated way that'll make you feel pretty cool.

So my advice is this: Nab a copy of Holly Jolly Nothing and/or Meaty Balls like the good-for-nothing nabber that you are, and live the remainder of your life, or at least a few measly days, in a cozy, orgasmic reading bliss. Let's cuddle after!                

Author Links:
Twitter @quite_meaty
Goodreads Vincent Daniels
Facebook Page Author Vincent Daniels

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Intrigued, pick both up on Amazon!

Read it Again! Cinnamon Twigs by Darren Freebury-Jones

Cinnamon Twigs
by Darren Freebury-Jones

Read again in July 2016:
Gosh, I think I love this even more! I had to up my star rating. Anyway, bought my copy for this go around since I don't hang on to the read for review copies. Highly recommended for folks who love memoirs (this one's fictional, but feels real) and stories that really suck you in.

Original Review from June 2013:
Intelligent, poignant, believable...

These are the three words I'd use to describe Cinnamon Twigs. This fictional memoir follows the rise and fall of Daniel Mace from childhood, through college, love, loss, fame, and finally redemption. Daniel falls in love with drama as a child, and this early love molds his life and guides him towards greatness as an adult. His memories of youth include best friends Lisa and Elliot, making home movies, and playing small parts in school productions. Not all is perfect even then. His friend Lisa's father is abusive and violent, his mother is bipolar, his own father abandoned him and his mother.

From there, the story progresses into his teen and college years. Daniel meets best friend, Michael, and their adventures play out in the youthful illusion of invincibility. His love of theater matures at this stage of life, and romantic love also blooms. However, as in real life, the path to true and lasting love isn't an easy or direct route.

Even after he hits it big, success isn't all he'd expected it to be. The people are fickle and easily swayed by the tabloids and press. This works in his favor when these institutions paint him in bright rosy colors, but when they turn to darker shades for the sake of a better story, his life takes a turn for the worse. A disintegrating marriage, self-destructive social life, and growing addiction lead him to a drastic solution.

Having recently read a few non-fiction memoirs, I must say the author has pulled off the format and feel in Cinnamon Twigs. While reading, I kept having to remind myself "this isn't real." So much insight, feeling and personality filter through from the narrator, that it's easy to forget. Though most of the story is told in linear fashion, an occasional detour into the past or a glimmer into a future yet unknown to the younger Daniel give the feeling that a real person is behind the words, that these things truly happened.

This leads to one of the things I most enjoyed about the story: guessing just how much of it comes from the author's personal experience and how much comes from his imagination. One of my guesses is that he is exploring an alternate branch that his own life may have taken had he decided to follow his dreams rather than finish his PhD or had he made other, equally life-altering decisions. The author's take on the power of the press to guide and control public thought and opinions, the futile quest for immortality through pursuit of fame, and the intertwining natures of love and loss flow naturally from Daniel's experiences, the people he meets, and the path his life takes. The line between fiction and non-fiction is delightfully blurred.

Another thing that I found both challenging and enjoyable was the quality of the writing. This story is written at a reading level much higher than I'm used to and I found myself whipping out the virtual dictionary and Google Translate with some frequency. I'm pleased to say most of my contextual guesses for both the unfamiliar English vocabulary and the multi-linguistic phrases were at least somewhat correct, but I'm glad I decided to check behind them. I took notes for quicker reading next time.

All in all, I enjoyed this book. Cinnamon Twigs forced me to think, broadened my perspective, and entertained me. And, though challenged by the sophisticated language and writing style, I was not overwhelmed by it.

I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy literary fiction, contemporary fiction, social commentary shrouded in fiction, and fictional memoirs. Besides that, I recommend having your dictionary and a translation application of choice handy.


I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest, non-reciprocal review.


View all my reviews

Review of Historical Memoir: Night by Elie Wiesel

Night by Elie Wiesel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Night is a personal account by the author of his experiences during the Holocaust. His village was far from the worst of things, sheltered and apart from the growing horrors. No one in the community believed the one man who had witnessed their fate and come back to warn them.

Elie recounts everything from being confined in a ghetto in his home town, to being processed at Birkenau, the reception center for Auschwitz, to being used for work, to the final march ahead of the Russian forces, to his father, to the final image of himself, little more than a corpse, looking back at him through a mirror. The story spans his fourteenth and fifteenth years.

This book, wow. My heart hurts. That this could happen, did happen, is beyond tragic. Survival, shattered faith, loss, suffering. And his father, so close! I feel like crying.

I borrowed the trilogy from the library, but I don't know if I have the heart to keep reading the others. I need to think about it.

View all my reviews

Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan

Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness

by Susannah Cahalan

Description

A gripping memoir and medical suspense story about a young New York Post reporter’s struggle with a rare and terrifying disease, opening a new window into the fascinating world of brain science.

One day, Susannah Cahalan woke up in a strange hospital room, strapped to her bed, under guard, and unable to move or speak. Her medical records—from a month-long hospital stay of which she had no memory—showed psychosis, violence, and dangerous instability. Yet, only weeks earlier she had been a healthy, ambitious twenty-four year old, six months into her first serious relationship and a sparkling career as a cub reporter.

Susannah’s astonishing memoir chronicles the swift path of her illness and the lucky, last-minute intervention led by one of the few doctors capable of saving her life. As weeks ticked by and Susannah moved inexplicably from violence to catatonia, $1 million worth of blood tests and brain scans revealed nothing. The exhausted doctors were ready to commit her to the psychiatric ward, in effect condemning her to a lifetime of institutions, or death, until Dr. Souhel Najjar—nicknamed Dr. House—joined her team. He asked Susannah to draw one simple sketch, which became key to diagnosing her with a newly discovered autoimmune disease in which her body was attacking her brain, an illness now thought to be the cause of “demonic possessions” throughout history.

With sharp reporting drawn from hospital records, scientific research, and interviews with doctors and family, Brain on Fire is a crackling mystery and an unflinching, gripping personal story that marks the debut of an extraordinary writer.

My Review:

This story, which really happened, catalogues the horrific illness that befell the author some years ago. It played out just like an episode of House, as mentioned in the description, though the real life House in this didn’t come on the scene until Susannah’s team of doctors realized they had nothing left to give. Particularly terrifying and heartbreaking is the fact that Susannah lost a part of who she was from this. It seems that she’ll never quite be the same, despite that her recovery in itself is miraculous.

What I really liked about this book was how thorough it was in portraying the progression of the disease. I found the snippets of Susannah’s notes, the catalogues of her behaviors and footage of videos taken while she was hospitalized, and the documented points of view of her friends and family fascinating. What’s even more amazing is that she had to turn to these. The disease pretty much warped or wiped her memory during the worst of it.

That being said, this reads more like a journal or extended account of facts, rather than a story. It isn’t a narrative. The timeline unfolds, the disease’s symptoms emerge, and Susannah battles her way through to the other side and beyond, but it still reads like someone else’s account. There’s also some jumping around. It isn’t quite a chronological timeline, and certain data and interview results are sprinkled in much later in the book than their related events, sometimes repeating from another perspective. Still, it’s a gripping read.

Overall, I really liked this story. It was a chilling account of a real life medical mystery that very nearly could have sent Susannah into a mental institution for the rest of her life, which likely would have been short due to the progression of the disease. Folks who enjoy non-fiction or stories where someone overcomes great odds will likely enjoy this one.

I borrowed the review copy of this book from the local library so that I could read it for my book club.

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 Intrigued? Pick up a copy at Amazon.com and let me know what you think of it.