Book Report

 

Lots of memoirs. Lots and lots of memoirs, three of which are written by dudes, and a fourth written by someone who uses he/they pronouns.

 

You Gotta Be You by Brandon Kyle Goodman – This was a nice, “light” memoir about a Black, nonbinary person and their journey to acceptance, along with a lot of good wisdom and encouragement for readers. Grade: 7

 

One Jump At A Time by Nathan Chen – A memoir by the Olympic Champion figure skater. And before beginning this, I digress. Fandom is such a weird thing. I spent 1994-1998 obsessed with a pair of Russian figure skaters. When they became Olympic Champions in 1998, I thought I might remain a fangirl (of them and of figure skating in general) but oddly I just kinda lost interest. Always thought I’d go back to it someday. Never did. Part of that was because I didn’t have TV for a long time, and VCRs stopped being a thing, so it’s not like I could record skating competitions and rewatch them like I used to. So it was funny reading Chen’s memoir. I’d been away from this fandom for like a quarter of a century. Some of the names of coaches and choreographers were names I knew, others weren’t. So much had changed about the sport. Anyway, this book is a pretty easy and nice read. I wanted a bit more personal stuff from Chen but he does talk about anxiety, injuries, fear of COVID, and having to set boundaries with his mom. He was rightfully very concerned with COVID and even wore a mask when he slept, at the 2022 Olympics! One of his teammates got COVID and had to withdraw; I know that’s devastating since you don’t get another shot at an Olympic medal for four more years, which is longer than many skaters’ careers. Grade: 7

 

Miss Memory Lane by Colton Haynes – I watched all seven seasons of “Arrow” though I never got remotely fannish about it. This is a memoir by one of its stars, who portrayed Roy, AKA the Red Arrow. And yep, I was drawn to read it largely because Haynes is gay. I can’t even begin to go over everything that has happened in his life, but he grew up without much family stability, got into all sorts of trouble, left Kansas (literally!) to become a model and actor, was on Teen Wolf and then Arrow (the latter of which he tells us he left because he couldn’t stand a costar but doesn’t say who), had some issues with depression and substances, got married (to a man) and divorced (and per their settlement, he can’t discuss it publically), he came out publically and saw his endorsements and career drying up, and had to face the death of his mother. (And he’s still like only 35). Well, the book is never remotely boring! Grade: 7

 

The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See – Historical fiction. On a Korean island, there is a tradition of female divers and a somewhat matrifocal society. This novel is set within that, and it largely focuses on friendship and betrayal. I listened to it on audio and it was good enough, though at times it felt more like a nonfiction work about the “sea women” rather than a story with a compelling plot. I guess I wanted a more intriguing plot and less on the day to day lives on this island. Grade: 6

 

Work With What You Got by Zion Clark – A memoir by a young man who was born without legs and who languished in the foster care system. He experienced various forms of abuse, sometimes by white families in which he was the only Black child. But Clark finds his passion in sports, first in wrestling and then wheelchair racing. It’s a good memoir but it sure is infuriating to think of kids who are trapped in bad foster families with no good way out. Grade: 6