Book Club Mondays: "Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang"

 

The only reason why I read Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang in the first place was because the Kindle I'd rented from the Milwaukee Public Library was pre-loaded with memoirs, and it seemed like an interesting book to try out.

I have never watched Chelsea Handler's show, and would not even consider myself a fan - she just has a great way of putting words together in an entertaining way - and I'm sure that she wouldn't be a celebrity if she didn't, right?

In any case, Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang is a collection of essays, all humorous, about certain parts of her life from childhood to a hilarious wedding date - each story more vulgar and entertaining as the last, although once you get pretty far in, it seems like it wouldn't be possible to laugh out loud anymore.

One thing I can say about Chelsea Handler after picking up this book and knowing barely anything about her is that she can write an interesting book with her hands tied behind her back, basically - I was thoroughly entertained with each page I turned in the book, and hesitated to put it away each night when I was done reading, even though I was ready to pass out most nights.

Look out for a review of another of Chelsea's books, My Horizontal Life, coming soon!

Book Club Mondays: "Running With Scissors"

 

Since getting a Kindle of my own as a birthday gift from my parents back in December, I have found a new appreciation for e-book reading that I never thought I would have. Of course, life has a way of screwing us out of the best laid plans so I haven't been able to use it much, but I'm attempting to get back into it. Prior to that, I'd rented an older version Kindle from our local library and read several books, both old and new, and figured it was a good enough time as ever to get back into a normal posting schedule, as well!

Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs is one of the most well-known novels of my time, at least, and spawned not only eight weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, but many conversations about how some individuals treat their children, which I believe is what was intended. The book tells the story of his downright bizarre childhood, in which his mother sent him away, to live with her psychiatrist. It was good enough to spawn a film, which was released in 2006.

For me, Running With Scissors is the kind of book I could (and have) gone back to two times, even three times, and still enjoy every second of reading. There is always something new to find out, and a different facet to the story. I believe that's a big reason I keep going back to it - as an adolescent (the first time I read the book), I could see myself in the same position - granted my mother was a crazy person - and I believe that's what has always made the book that much more real to me.

If you want a story that can put a chill in your bones and a thought in your head, look no further than Running With Scissors or any of Burroughs' other novels.

Book Club Mondays: "The Haunting of Hill House"

While a great deal of the reading I do on a regular basis is new literature by younger writers, once and awhile I get the itch to read a classic. For horror fans, The Haunting of Hill House is definitely one of those books. It spurred two films - if you've seen The Haunting, this is the book it was based on. And yes, that scene where Owen Wilson gets his head taken off by the marble lion is still one of my favorite crappy horror moments.

The story centers around Dr. John Montague inviting four individuals to stay at Hill House, which is a haunted house Dr. Montague rents for the summer, and everything that happens caused by Hugh Crain, the original owner of the house. It is still hailed as one of the best literary ghost stories of the twentieth century, and for good reason. It explores fear in many different ways, including themes of possession, which aren't usually discussed in modern horror.

If you're one of the individuals that has only seen the films the book was based on, take a few hours of your life and read. The book, though old, has many characteristics that new horror doesn't - mostly, being one of the first explorations of psychological horror. As you read, you feel Eleanor, the main character, being pulled farther and farther away from the others, and very nearly possessed by the house itself.

Book Club Mondays: "I Don't Care About Your Band"

Julie Klausner's "I Don't Care About Your Band"

This summer, I have been reading a whole lot thanks to an adult summer reading club at one of my local libraries that could lead to glamorous prizes like tickets and gift cards! If I'm going to read the books anyway, why not - maybe - get a return? In any case, I finally finished reading Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire Mysteries novels (the books True Blood is based on), and picked up something an adult would read.

I Don't Care About Your Band is one of those books I happened to pick up on the new shelf of the library. I read the back, thought it would likely be funny (a glowing review from one of my favorite comedians, Patton Oswalt, definitely helped), and checked it out. It sat on my kitchen table until a few days ago, and it was such a quick read, it only took a few days to get through!

The book chronicles Klausner's funniest adventures in dating, from the total psycho who may or may not have lived in his bathrobe to the guy in a band she couldn't stand spending five minutes with. Each chapter was a story in itself, and boasted yet another story of dating hell in a cute, entertaining way. I laughed out loud several times while I read it, and I'm not typically the type to laugh at a book.

From the back jacket:

This is not a book about successful relationships. This is a book - and a very, very funny one - about the humiliations we endure to find love and the lessons that can be culled from the wreckage. 

As someone who has never been incredibly lucky in relationships, it definitely rang true for me. Now that I'm finished reading it, I'm very glad I took the time to, and hope you will as well - lucky in love or not!