Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars 

Duration: 06:42:00
Published: October 2020

Alright, alright, alright ... let me tell you all about Matthew McConaughey's memoir, Greenlights. Full disclosure - he is one of my favorite actors, and I admire his public persona and the causes he supports. I had this book on my TBR literally since it was published, and this year I am listening to my fair share of audiobooks so I snagged a copy from Audible, and it did not disappoint. 

The book is read by McConaughey, only as he can. He is, after all an actor. He makes his stories come to life just like he does on the big (and small) screen. Throughout the telling of his life, he shares what he labels as "green lights".  And while I may not have agreed with all of his conclusions, I appreciated the creativity in which these were shared. The author provides many back stories to some of his famous films like how unlikely it was for him to get cast as the lead in A Time to Kill, how Dallas Buyers Club almost didn't get made and how "alright, alright, alright" were the first words that launched his career. McConaughey does a great job reflecting back and looking forward.

My only criticism is the varying volume levels. I found that sometimes he was yelling rather than acting and it became distracting. Additionally, I think this is part of his true character; however, personally, I didn't care for all the very colorful language. I don't think it really added to the stories he shared. 

Recommendation: In summary, McConaughey has taken his passion, acting, and made a successful career of it, but more importantly he has made a well-rounded life for himself and his family. This book is another feather in his cap. I found it to be spiritual, thoughtful and methodical. At just under seven hours, it's a quick listen that provides private depth and knowledge to an otherwise very public person. I would recommend this for mature, adult listening and reading. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

Read More

The Most Likely Club by Elyssa Friedland

Rating: 4 of 5 stars 

Pages: 368 pages
Published: September 2022

When you're reading a book that's so good, you don't notice the milestone high school reunion at the center of the plot references the same year you graduated. That was me reading The Most Likely Club by Elyssa Friedland and, why yes, that is my high school graduation cap tassel in the bookstagrammable photo on this post. This is a story about four friends who were all voted a superlative their senior year in 1997 and when they revisit each other and the school 25 years later, they realized they have missed the mark. Together, they vow to capture what was once predicted for them all those years ago. (Oh my gosh ... all 25 years ago!)

Melissa Levin (Most Likely to Win the White House), Priya Chowdhury (Most Likely to Cure Cancer), Tara Taylor (Most Likely to Open a Michelin-Starred Restaurant), and Suki Hammer (Most Likely to Join the Forbes 400) in their early 40s realize adulthood is often not all it's cracked up to be. Each woman struggling with her own personal and professional challenges attempt to change the course of her life with the help of her friend group. This book is what I call realistic fiction. It's a totally made up story of situations, circumstances, and the resulting emotions that come from those events. Being exactly the same age as the characters I found the story totally relatable. However, I think someone older can appreciate the lessons learns and someone younger could possibly heed the warnings. Life is not about labels but rather living in and loving your true self, unapologetically. 

Recommendation: This was a good read that tackled some serious issues us middle-agers face (Oh my gosh ... I'm middle aged!) in an easily digestible way. There were equal parts of introspection as well as comedy. I enjoyed the book and highly recommend. However, I do not recommend the labels even though I may or may not have been Most Likely to Write an Award-Winning Book ... Does a middle-of-the-road blog count? 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

Read More

Becoming by Michelle Obama

Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Length: 19:03:00
Narrated by: Michelle Obama
Published: November 2018

Unless you live under a rock, you know that this fall Becoming by former First Lady of the United States of America, Michelle Obama, was published and has quickly become (aha, see what I did there?) a bestseller. I pre-ordered the book via Audible earlier this year and began listening as soon as it was available. 

As I was selecting keyword tags for this post, I considered choosing politics. I decided against it because this is a book about the life of Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama. While she does share behind the scenes information about her husband's politics and his successful, consecutive presidential campaigns, the book is her life story. Furthermore, she makes it very clear that she does not enjoy politics nor does she have any political aspirations of her own. During the 2018 mid-term elections, I read an article about Heidi Cruz (wife of Texas Senator Ted Cruz) and how she, at times, feels relegated to simply being the wife of Ted Cruz rather than the educated, professional, individual person she is. I think this happens to many women who are connected with high profile men - once again proving what the Obamas have often said - we are all more alike than we are different. So, if you have not read Becoming and decide to embark on Mrs. Obama's life journey thus far, please read it with an autobiographical lens that happens to include the 44th President of the United States. 

The book begins with Mrs. Obama's childhood and she works her way chronologically through her formative years, her Princeton and Harvard years, meeting Barack Obama, her struggles conceiving their children, the family's journey to the White House, pretty much through present day. It is her detailed, personal account. While listening to her masterfully read the book, I felt like she was a good friend sharing a phenomenal story. Many of the stories she shared I recalled from the not too distant past, some were new to me, and others offered a different view from the accounts by the news media. 

The aspect of Mrs. Obama's life that resonated most with me was her constant relationship with the media - traditional and social. In the book, she often mentions being under the never-ending microscope of society by way of the media. This, of course, is what politicians and their families take on in their service to their city, county, state, and country. However, as anyone could imagine, it seemed to weigh on Mrs. Obama at times. A full two years post-office, and just the other day I witnessed one of my Facebook connections refer to Mrs. Obama as an animal. It's sad. It's demoralizing, and it's not right. As Mrs. Obama noted in her book, the "office" of First Lady isn't an official one nor is it a paid position. When the current First Lady said that she is one of the "most bullied" people, her statement was met with laughter and jokes. But I don't really think she was far off the mark. Being in the public eye can be exhausting. We, as private citizens, experience that via social media (some of us to a greater degree if one's messaging is extremely controversial and goes viral). I think our society would be much better served if we all extended some grace and kindness to one another - especially to those who are serving our country in various capacities. 

While the Mrs. Obama's memoir is just over 19 listening hours, it really didn't seem that long. Mrs. Obama has a great reading voice that helps guide the reader through her life story. There is so much detail, I certainly cannot give a comprehensive review. I can just say this - many First Ladies have written a book about their time in the White House, and this one is historical and worth reading. 

Recommendation: I would definitely recommend this read, especially the audio version. It was nice hearing Mrs. Obama's inflection and tone as she recounted some interesting and funny stories. It also evoked emotion when she demonstrated her vulnerabilities, making her more relatable to African Americans, women, and, most importantly, Americans. I'm told the hard copy book has a nice inset of photos. So, maybe buy a hard copy and get the audio companion also! 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

Read More

Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Length: 341 pages
Published: May 2018

After reading journalist John Carreyrou's investigative book, Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup, I do believe truth can be stranger than fiction. How in the world did such a young lady fool so many tenured business people and politicians? This book is an in-depth look at Elizabeth Holmes and her startup, Theranos. The genesis of the book was derived from Carreyrou's October 2015 Wall Street Journal report. 

Simply put this book is investigative journalism at its finest. 

I think the prevailing theme in this book is that we, as a society, have to get back to the facts. The lies and deception have to stop. We are not better off having been persuaded to one person (or group's) way of thinking. Rather, the truth shall set us free. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the way Carreyrou presented this fact-based story. He was very detailed, explaining complex science and medical processes in a way that made it easy for this liberal arts major to understand. Having said that, some of his format caused confusion for me. The way that he interchanged the identification of key players by using their first names and last names made it difficult to follow because there were a lot of players involved. Also, I found the change of perspective midway through the book troublesome. He told the first part of the story in third person, and then when his role was introduced, he abruptly changed to first person. 

Googling "Elizabeth Holmes" will generate a plethora of articles, videos, and photos. Check out the free Way Back Machine to get some insight to the now defunct Theraonos website. I've watched some online videos, and I can certainly see the effectiveness of her persuasive communication skills. She doesn't offer up a whole lot of science, but she uses her words very well. It is easy to see how her charisma and charm won over so many people (especially older men who were ridiculously memorized by her). 

The saddest thing about this whole story is that Holmes had a good idea. Despite knowing the outcome, I found myself pulling for her technology to work. What if she wouldn't have gotten in her own way and succeeded? What if she had listened to the many voices of reason and developed a societal-changing product? She not only robbed her investors, partners, and customers but also society as a whole because tunnel vision and greed resulted in Theranos' demise. Instead, the only thing Holmes succeeded in was proving the old adage true - If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. 

Recommendation: If you want to learn more about this fascinating true story, please check out Bad Blood. This book offers so much more than what you can glean online. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful. 

Read More

BOSSYPANTS BY TINA FEY

Image Credit: goodreads.com 

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

So, Ms. Fey, about that scar? ... If you think that's what this book is going to be about, it's not. Bossypants is the autobiographical account of Tina Fey's rise to fame from humble, middle class beginnings. And it's much more than her physical appearance. In the book, Fey takes us on her journey from childhood to college to her gig as a receptionist at the YMCA before getting her big break. We learn about her as a talented writer, actor, performer and loving daughter, wife, and mother. What I took from her story is that she's more than the jokes she tells, she is, indeed, a multi-faceted woman.

In my quest to consume more audiobooks, I had the pleasure of listening to Fey tell her stories and the benefit of her tone, technique, and delivery. She was just as funny in performing the personal stories of her life as she was delivering those unforgettable Sarah Palin impressions on Saturday Night Live.

I truly enjoyed some of the motivational messages Fey provided about success, motherhood, and surviving as a working woman in America. One of my favorite quotes from the book:

"Don't be fooled. You're not in competition with other women. You're in competition with everyone." 

I appreciated Fey's quick-wit and sarcasm. I think she's an excellent actress and improvisationalist. I liked that we, as readers, get to know more about her private life. (My favorite chapter is the tribute to her dad, That's Don Fey.) Having said this, I didn't quite enjoy the book as much as I thought I would, hence the rating. Maybe my expectations were too high. I can't really put my foot on it exactly, but it wasn't as laugh-out-loud funny as some other audiobooks I've enjoyed. However, I still think it's worth a listen. I mean, it is a multi-year bestselling book.

My main critique of this book would be that at times, Fey would seem to lose her place and repeat an opening line twice. I'm not sure if that was a delivery or editing flaw. Several times throughout the book she references a PDF. I wasn't really sure how to access the file until I Google'd it. (On a side note: How did we ever manage before search engines?). Here's a tip if you use Audible.com for listening, log on to your audible.com account from the desktop site, go to your book library, then the book in question, there are all kinds of goodies there including the PDF with photos. I took a look at these after I finished listening to the book as it was nearly impossible to do so while listening as I most often listen while driving or running.

Recommendation: This book was selected by my book club, Richly Read, for a lighthearted comedic read in December. If you've followed Fey's career or enjoyed any of her skits on Saturday Night Live or 30 Rock, you will probably enjoy this hilarious behind-the-scenes peek into her life. I recommend partaking the audiobook, which is read and performed by the author herself.

Until next time ... Read on!

Read More