I've been meaning to get to this book for literal years, now I finally have, huzzah!!
The audiobook was excellent, the narrator got the New Zealand acI've been meaning to get to this book for literal years, now I finally have, huzzah!!
The audiobook was excellent, the narrator got the New Zealand accent down (I think she's American?) which really helped with the immersion.
The story was, of course, compelling. I knew little about Gloriavale before picking this up, so it was interesting to learn what life was like inside, the rules they followed, and ultimately what the last straw was to make Tarawa and her family leave.
It seemed like her parents weren't all the way in, they didn't have a rebellious streak like the kids, but they were open to some things that the cult forbade. Though being out was definitely an adjustment for all of them.
We get to see a lot of the author's firsts post Gloriavale, I couldn't help but be happy for her that she got to experience it all. And if anyone ever doubted her love of shoes, well, they'd just have to read this book!! Hah.
I can't believe Gloriavale is still up and running...I mean I can, but I don't want to. Hopefully everyone who wants out is able to do so....more
Having read Tiffany's first book a couple of days ago, I knew what to expect with this one, but I still ended up being surprised at every turn.
In HigHaving read Tiffany's first book a couple of days ago, I knew what to expect with this one, but I still ended up being surprised at every turn.
In High Achiever, Tiffany covers her years as an addict, her time in jail and the rehab facility she went to, and in A Clean Mess we get a follow up, what happened after she left rehab, met her husband and got pregnant in record time.
Much like the first memoir, this one has chapters that end with mini cliffhangers so you can't help but say "one more chapter", because you want to know what's going to happen next.
There's a dual timeline, the present day (which is what hooks you initially) and the past. I was insanely curious about what happened in the present, and I'm STILL curious because we didn't get a proper resolution.
We did get something, like a hint, but it wasn't totally clear, and I don't want to assume the worst, you know? But at the same time I get that maybe Jenkins wasn't able to say all of it publicly for one reason or another.
I agree with another review that said maybe that scene should've been left out of the book, if she couldn't sum it up in one sentence.
Anyway, I liked this better than book one, it felt more honest. Tiffany described her struggles with staying sober while being a wife and mother, how she had to learn to deal with anxiety after dulling her senses for so many years, and postpartum depression which doesn't discriminate.
There's an obvious growth in between the two books, I'm sure some of that is due to everything she experienced here.
At the start of the book (in the past timeline) you can see she's still a bit insecure, unsure if she can stay on the right track with everything moving so fast, but she does!! She did that!! Even with so many things going wrong, she managed to stay sober.
The thing that surprised me the most was the ending, I really wasn't expecting that to happen, but it makes sense.
You can read this memoir without the other, but I'd recommend reading them in order so you'd have the full context. I wouldn't mind reading a third memoir somewhere down the line, if Jenkins decides to write one.
*Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*...more
I'd never heard of the author until I got sent an arc of her second book, so I decided to pick this one up to see where it all began.
High Achiever reI'd never heard of the author until I got sent an arc of her second book, so I decided to pick this one up to see where it all began.
High Achiever reads like a thriller - like fiction. It's a wild ride, that's for sure, yet I got the impression that Jenkins hasn't been entirely truthful in her recollection.
A lot of this book seemed very exaggerated, everyone she encountered was in awe of her story. While I do think she has a talent for telling it, and quite like the writing style and the humour, I found it hard to believe.
Like, she had therapists sitting on the edge of their seats to hear more, medical professionals were stunned by what she had to say, and then you actually hear the story...and it's not something I'd call particularly shocking.
Certain scenes felt reminiscent of Orange is the New Black, but it could just be that they had similar experiences.
To be clear, I'm not saying Jenkins made it up, maybe it did all happen exactly as she said it did, I'm not here to judge. But I do think it was written this way on purpose, take that as you will.
Overall, it was interesting, her time in jail and what landed her there most of all, the rehab bits less so, and there wasn't a lot of post-rehab info (I'm guessing that's what book two is for). She did overcome an addiction, so good on her for sticking to it, it clearly wasn't easy.
One last thing I'd like to mention is her descriptions of the women she met in jail, particularly those of colour. Like a few other reviewers mentioned, it read as if she was looking down on them and it rubbed me the wrong way....more
This memoir was a treasure trove of information, I'm going to need a minute to process it all. Quinn bared his soul inside, and we get to know him (anThis memoir was a treasure trove of information, I'm going to need a minute to process it all. Quinn bared his soul inside, and we get to know him (and the church) on a much deeper level. Will definitely be rereading in the future....more
After finishing Dictates of Conscience, I feel the need to give Laurie Lee a great big hug.
Reading about her journey, and the struggles she faced on After finishing Dictates of Conscience, I feel the need to give Laurie Lee a great big hug.
Reading about her journey, and the struggles she faced on the way to her transition, was, at times, really painful, bringing tears to my eyes. It was also quite insightful, and I think everyone who is a part of the LGBTQIA+ community would benefit from giving it a read.
I'm so glad Laurie is finally living her truth, I'm wishing her nothing but bright days ahead....more
I love when FLDS memoirs are long and go into a lot of detail, like this one.
Being married to Lyle was no picnic, and I often wondered how he could tI love when FLDS memoirs are long and go into a lot of detail, like this one.
Being married to Lyle was no picnic, and I often wondered how he could treat her like that, time and time again, like sir THAT'S YOUR WIFE, give her the respect she deserves!!
What I found really interesting is that Charlene had Warren's ear even while he was in prison, and wrote to him often about what was happening in their home and how Lyle was treating her compared to his other wives. And Warren actually listened and "corrected" Lyle. Not that it made him less of a jerk towards her though.
Charlene also doesn't talk about her kids as much as you'd expect, she does it the most when Pauline (Lyle's second wife) comes along and starts causing chaos in their home, or during the raid when two of her own ended up being taken away, but in the second half of the book, when she's sent away a lot to "repent", she mostly talks about how she was keeping herself busy with the sewing tasks and such.
I'm sure she missed her kids when Lyle kept them away from her, or when the other wives turned them against her, and didn't feel it was necessary to put that on every page, it was just something I noticed.
I recently read big Ammon's book, and little Ammon (Charlene's son) was mentioned in it, so it was lovely seeing him here, and confirming what big Ammon said in his memoir as well (that he was taking care of them and praying with them at the boys ranch).
I love how Charlene learned to listen to God on her own, slowly realising what she'd been taught all her life was false, and how she had a strong sense of intuition to guide her (like when something told her to keep the window open so she could get back in when Lyle was planning on locking her out of the house).
The only thing missing here is pictures (I don't know if the physical has them, the ebook did not), and more information about her life after she left. But it was still an enlightening read, one I'd like to see become an audiobook. Hopefully all of Charlene's kids will be out of the FLDS in the future, fingers crossed....more
I will never get tired of reading about this region. Or listening, since I did decide on the audiobook for this one.
I found Twilight in Hazard to be I will never get tired of reading about this region. Or listening, since I did decide on the audiobook for this one.
I found Twilight in Hazard to be really insightful, I feel like I understand Eastern Kentucky better now that I've finished it. The amount of love Maimon has for the people there is apparent, his portrayal of them and their problems never felt exploitative, and his outsider perspective was interesting.
I'd definitely reread this one in the future....more
From Under the Truck is not a typical memoir, and I'm unsure if I liked it or not.
It reads like literary fiction (which, as we all know is among my lFrom Under the Truck is not a typical memoir, and I'm unsure if I liked it or not.
It reads like literary fiction (which, as we all know is among my least favourite genres), jumps around the timeline in every single chapter, occasionally switches to third person making it unclear who the subjects of the story are...and yet, I can kinda see what he was trying to do.
I wouldn't call the book confusing, but there doesn't seem to be a common theme connecting all the stories, they are very random. If Mr Brolin's goal was to be as chaotic as possible, he succeed.
There was one story I skipped, or rather turned the volume down until it was over, I don't need to be traumatised, thanks!!
(Yes, it was the sheep story)
For the most part though, it was interesting, so I'm giving it a 4 star rating....more
I've heard of this family and their show, but I've never watched it, so I decided to listen to this out of curiosity.
The audiobook is short so I finisI've heard of this family and their show, but I've never watched it, so I decided to listen to this out of curiosity.
The audiobook is short so I finished it the same day I started it, and it was somewhat informative (to me, who doesn't know anything about them), but it doesn't really dig in deep, there's no family history like in other memoirs of this type.
It's basically just them meeting, getting married, having kids after some fertility issues and then the chaos that comes with having so many, and how Kate struggled to keep everything under control which simply wasn't possible.
They had people helping them out pretty much every step of the way, and they do seem grateful for it, but I found it so hard to like Kate.
Knowing that they didn't work out, and got divorced, makes this whole read a bit sad. I'm also not sure how truthful it was, because, about 9 months after this book came out, they announced their separation (thank you Wikipedia).
I've been meaning to read this since the movie came out last year, finally sat down to do it.
It's a straightforward account of the nine days Donn FenI've been meaning to read this since the movie came out last year, finally sat down to do it.
It's a straightforward account of the nine days Donn Fendler spent lost on a mountain (in Maine), and what he did to survive, running on no food except the occasional strawberry, and losing his sneakers and pants along the way.
It was an amazing story, honestly, when you consider he was only twelve years old and he managed to survive all on his own, despite the harsh elements, mosquitos, bears and awfully jagged rocks that cut up not only his feet, but the paws of the search and rescue dogs as well.
You can tell he was a kid, because of the words used, and the way he describes his thoughts at the time, it's incredible he managed to keep it together for so long. A lot of adults wouldn't be able to.
In the afterword, we get to see what his family and the rescue teams were doing while he was lost, and there are pictures of the mountain, and the rescue throughout the book.
I hope I'll like the movie just as much, I'd recommend this if you're a fan of survival stories....more
Absolutely loved the writing & the childhood parts, which were the most compelling. I found myself unable to stop listening until I got through the whAbsolutely loved the writing & the childhood parts, which were the most compelling. I found myself unable to stop listening until I got through the whole thing. I also cried...A LOT.
What really got me is the boots section, where she didn't understand why she had to help her dad at the end of his work day, then thought of what Jesus would do, and it was as if a dam burst open from me, I couldn't stop crying. It was such a beautiful image.
Even though the author grew up across the world from me, there are parts of her story that I can relate to, and I feel like anyone who reads this will be able to as well.
I love the emphasis on family, and the reminder that your ancestors paved the way for you, so you shouldn't take what you have for granted.
There's this one metaphor, where it sounds like she got assaulted, but even when I relistened to that part, I couldn't make complete sense of it. So if someone did understand what really happened there, please let me know.
But yeah, this was such a great memoir, I'd love to read even more stories by Mary Marantz in the future....more
I'm gonna need a minute, Children or Radium was haunting in a way that very few books are.
It was an extremely gripping read, I had a hard time pausinI'm gonna need a minute, Children or Radium was haunting in a way that very few books are.
It was an extremely gripping read, I had a hard time pausing the audiobook because I wanted to know more. I learned quite a few things that I didn't know previously. Likewise, some events were put into perspective, now that I have more information about them.
As I was listening, I kept being shocked by the things I was learning, like the radioactive toothpaste (I had no idea!), which made me dig into it deeper. I still can't believe it was actually a thing, and that people were considering it to be some kind of cure. Different times, that's for sure.
Mr Dunthorne's writing style shines through, even in the audio version, as does his humour. I found myself laughing out loud multiple times.
The research that went into this is very much appreciated, though I feel like there's even more to say, the book was far too short for such an interesting subject matter.
I'll have to get a physical copy, this is a book worth having....more
I listened to this because Jinger wrote it, not because I think I have a problem with people pleasing, but I think it will be really helpful for thoseI listened to this because Jinger wrote it, not because I think I have a problem with people pleasing, but I think it will be really helpful for those that do.
Jinger seems like she really wants to help others, and provides tips for people like her. The majority of the book is faith-based though, so if you're not a Christian, it might be a little overwhelming.
There's questions to ask yourself at the end of every chapter, so it's nice to pause and reflect, maybe write your answers down if you feel like it. You might learn something about yourself you didn't know before.
Also, this is NOT a tell-all book, so don't expect that going in, she does reference her family & IBLP, but the focus is on healing the people pleaser inside of her and the reader.
Even though I'm not a huge fan of self help books, this is one I'd reread....more
The history was indeed interesting, I learned some things I didn't know before, and the passion Jim Webb has for his heritage shows. However...I'm notThe history was indeed interesting, I learned some things I didn't know before, and the passion Jim Webb has for his heritage shows. However...I'm not so sure I'd recommend this.
There's a very obvious bias, and like, I too would agree that the English are to blame for everything ever (I'm kidding), but I'm not the one who's supposed to be objective here, Webb didn't even try to be.
I also wasn't a fan of him glossing over very obvious elephants in the room, and the fact that this felt more like him exploring his own family history than anything else.
I'm sure there are better books on the subject out there somewhere....more
You know it's a good book when there's a goat rescue included!!
This read was very much up my alley, I'm always seated for paranormal experience storieYou know it's a good book when there's a goat rescue included!!
This read was very much up my alley, I'm always seated for paranormal experience stories, especially ones from an indigenous perspective. Aside from that, we got some Navajo myths included, as well as some information on Navajo Rangers, what it is they do, and what it takes to become one.
Some of the paranormal experiences were quite spooky, and I felt as if I was experiencing them myself as I listened to the audiobook. There's no doubt in my mind that Milford saw what he says he saw, no sir.
If you're a believer, you'll probably go "aha, I knew it!", and if you're a skeptic, this might just make you reconsider, and go "well, what if?".
The care Mr Milford put into his cases didn't go unnoticed. All most people want is to be believed, and this book showed me there are people out there who are willing to listen, and who give everyone an equal amount of respect, no matter how outlandish the story may seem. He went out of his way to investigate everything, and for that, I hold him in high regard and would listen to his stories any day of the week....more
I've read both of Elizabeth's books, as well as In Plain Sight, so I thought it was time to read her parents' story and oh, I was not ready for the teI've read both of Elizabeth's books, as well as In Plain Sight, so I thought it was time to read her parents' story and oh, I was not ready for the tears.
It was such a hard read for me, because I felt Ed & Lois's emotions coming through the screen. I felt all of their pain & frustration that Elizabeth was gone, and that the police didn't seem to be doing enough, pointing fingers at the wrong man, all the attacks on their family etc. It's clear they needed to write this book to get all of that out.
I genuinely felt like Elizabeth was my sister who was missing, as I read this book. It touched me that deeply. So did Ed and Lois's belief in God and His miracles.
I know that side of the book won't be for everyone, and will probably be the main reason some put it down, but for me it was clear their unwavering faith held them together and helped them carry on while their daughter was kidnapped.
This came out right after the abduction, so it doesn't have details about what happened to Elizabeth inside, and it was her story to tell anyway. I'm still so glad they got her back and that she's thriving....more
I read this mainly so I could watch the movie, and reread A Christmas Carol with a new perspective on the author.
I must confess that I didn't know thI read this mainly so I could watch the movie, and reread A Christmas Carol with a new perspective on the author.
I must confess that I didn't know that much about Dickens before starting this, so most of the information was new to me. And there are so many details!! It was a bit overwhelming.
I did like it, and I learned something for sure, but the writing style wasn't my favourite. The pacing also wasn't the best, and the timeline could get jumpy. I also felt like this was more about publishing books in Dickens's time than the man himself. But it did have a few funny moments.
Overall, not a bad read, but could've been shorter and more to the point.
I've never watched family vloggers and I had no idea who Ruby Franke was until she got arrested, but I've been following the story since, and obviouslI've never watched family vloggers and I had no idea who Ruby Franke was until she got arrested, but I've been following the story since, and obviously had to give Shari's book a read.
It was incredibly heartbreaking and hard to listen to at times, because of what she and her siblings went through.
The book is narrated by the author, which made the listening experience more personal, and we got to see what her family's life was like pre vlogging, during vlogging and gaining popularity, when Jodi entered the picture and after everything went down.
It shows us that the abuse didn't start with Jodi, Ruby had been abusive loooong before she met her. I can't even imagine treating your own kids like that, and exploiting them for content the way she did.
I'm glad that both of them are behind bars (hopefully for a very long time) so the kids can try to heal as much as possible. And I'm grateful Shari got to share this with us, she didn't have to, but she decided to be brave it and let it all out anyway.
I'd love to see an updated memoir a decade or two down the line to see how she's doing, I'm sincerely hoping that she's going to thrive and live her best life, she deserves it....more
Irene's third (and final) book lets us know what happened after Verlan's death, which is something I really wanted to learn more about. I knew there hIrene's third (and final) book lets us know what happened after Verlan's death, which is something I really wanted to learn more about. I knew there had to be more to her story, and I was right.
I was not expecting those Lane Stubbs chapters through, and the things we found out about him...I feel so bad for all the kids.
The Hector chapters were by far the best part of the book, Irene finally got her long-awaited happily ever after. Hector seemed like a great man, who loved her as she deserved to be loved. I'm glad they managed to find each other and spend 2+ wonderful decades together.
Shattered Dreams Restored was a wonderful conclusion to Irene's story, I feel very thankful that she decided to write it all down and share it with us, and I wish her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren nothing but the best....more
This book covers pretty much everything that was skipped over in Spencer's first book, and it jumps around a lot as a result, so I'd recommend you reaThis book covers pretty much everything that was skipped over in Spencer's first book, and it jumps around a lot as a result, so I'd recommend you read Shattered Dreams before this one for a clearer picture.
The first book has a bigger focus on her own experiences, while this one focuses more on Ervil and his crimes. While I liked Shattered Dreams better, and feel like I learned a bit more from it, I still enjoyed listening to this one and will be checking out Irene's third book as well....more