Book Report

[stormkeeper_lovedoris]

All I Ever Wanted by Kathy Valentine – Memoir by one of the Go-Go’s. I gotta say that I loved it. I was never a big Go-Go’s fan though I did like a lot of their songs. When I was growing up, they were so big and I’d thought at one point they’d be big forever. In any case, Kathy Valentine does share quite a bit about her early life (she had a single mom, lots of freedom, started drinking and drugs early, but she always loved music). She gets to the good stuff soon enough though, focusing on her life in the Go-Go’s. I loved that Valentine takes a moment to appreciate each milestone in the band’s career (the cover of Rolling Stone, the opening act for The Police, playing on SNL, etc.) It is interesting…playing in the band meant the world to her and she was pretty crushed when Jane left and then Belinda and Charlotte announce the band is over so they can start Belinda’s solo career. Also interesting – the book ends around 1991 or so when the band reunites for a benefit. Then Valentine just spends a paragraph or two saying the Go-Go’s have gotten back together and split up several times since then, including once when she herself was kicked out. (A google search seems to indicate they are officially all back together – and they also made it into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame). It definitely feels like there’s a whole story there, and I can’t decide if ending the memoir at the point she did was a good decision or not. But anyone who likes 80’s music or women in rock might enjoy this as much as I did. Grade: 8

 

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb – This was a quite enjoyable memoir. The author is a therapist, and she falls into depression when her long-term boyfriend and fiancé dumps her. She decides to go into therapy herself, not an uncommon practice for therapists. In between telling her own story, she shares some stories from her own clients – one who seems to be the most arrogant jerk, a 30-something woman dying of cancer, a 79 year old women who plans to kill herself when she is 80 unless she makes some connections in life. (Gottlieb assures us that she has taken pains to change identifying details). It was nice to get a look behind the curtain and think about what a therapist must do, as well as to read her own story of dealing with such a major loss. Grade: 6

 

One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London – In this novel, Bea Schumacher is a fashion blogger with tons of followers. She also happens to be plus-sized and nursing a broken heart over Ray, who for years has been clearly attracted to her but keeps backing away. Then she is approached to be the star in a Bachelorette-type reality show, and she decides to go for it despite worries over the fact that every other woman on the show so far has been a size 6. So yeah, the book is phluff – despite its admirable handling of size-prejudice and other prejudices too. But I really liked it; it moved at a brisk pace and was never remotely boring. Couldn’t help but to cheer for Bea, even though the outcome in terms of her love life was predictable from pretty much right after she starts the show. Grade: 6

 

Getting Off: One Woman’s Journey Through Sex and Porn Addiction by Erica Garza – Just as the title says. Erica Garza’s childhood was…okay, nothing remarkable but at some point she gets addicted to sex and porn. Her journey was interesting to read about. There’s so much to ruminate on here too. As Garza points out, porn is so different now than it was a few decades ago. You can switch to something else every 30 seconds if you’re bored. Hell, I remember porn on VHS tapes – it wasn’t as easy to move around, so sometimes I just stuck with watching something for a while. Porn is a whole ‘nother beast now, in so many ways. I did get a bad taste in my mouth when Garza goes to Thailand to partake in the sex industry. There was not word of the fact that so many of the people in it are underage and/or enslaved. Girl, where is your conscience? Well I guess being an addict mostly takes it away? In any case, it was still good to read her book and learn about her experiences. Grade: 6

 

Subtle Blood by K.J. Charles – This is the third in a trilogy about Will Darling, who fought in World War !, came home to an old bookstore left to him by an uncle, and a handsome stranger who seems to be involved in trouble. I’ve really loved this trilogy, and the author sticks the landing with this final peace. The plot might not have captured me as much as the two previous ones, but she handles Will and Kim’s relationship beautifully and realistically. She’s got other books out and I can’t wait to read them! Grade: 8