Memoir

 ★★★★☆ | Essays, Writing, Memoir | Audio + Digital | Own | StoryGraph | Goodreads 

I enjoy Ann Patchett’s novels, but I love her essays.  She writes with such clarity and compassion.  My first book of her essays was These Precious Days, which was written upfront as a collection of essays.  This one came together after the fact as a compilation of essays Ann had written in magazines over many years. Only later did she decide to publish them as a book. As a result, there isn’t much of an underlying theme, other than Ann herself.  I came for the essays on writing, but stayed for her views on RV life, dogs, opera, marriage, friendship, and defying all odds, the opening an independent bookstore in the post Amazon era.  Ann narrated the audiobook, which added to the personal voice of these essays.  After reading this and These Precious Days, I will basically read anything she writes.

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This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann PatchettRead More »

★★★☆☆ | Essays, Memoir | Digital | Borrow | StoryGraph | Goodreads 

I loved Lamott’s Bird by Bird memoir on the writing craft. The writing here was good, but forced. Too many similes, too many quotes from others. Great life advice: be kind to yourself & others, all we need is love, etc., but it felt repetitive to me. Her advice on sobriety and community is heartfelt and immensely quotable.

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Somehow by Anne LamottRead More »