Litsy

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Bad Fat Black Girl: Notes from a Trap Feminist | Sesali Bowen

'Twas the month of memoirs. #memoirmay

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Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick

A Chosen Destiny: My Story | Drew McIntyre

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My favorite current wrestler wrote a book and it was pretty good! If you aren't a fan of wrestling, you likely won't find much here to enjoy as he shares a lot about his passion for wrestling at a young age and his journey into that world as a young Scottish kid when the UK didn't have a large wrestling industry. Drew tells how his brother and friends got interested in the sport and how he began to make opportunities for himself. Being a fan,⬇️

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I was a bit more familiar with his early TV debut as The Chosen One and his fall from grace, so to speak. Throughout his time away from the most popular wrestling company, WWE, he continued to work his way back to the top, culminating in his headlining match at the 2020 Wrestlemania during a pandemic. He's charming and his love of the sport shows through while giving us a glimpse at the homebody behind the scenes who really likes to spend time⬇️ 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick with his wife and cats. Don't come in here looking for lots of gossip though - he's currently on the roster and doesn't ruffle any feathers.
I grew up watching wrestling and the annual events Wrestlemania & Royal Rumble are two of the times each year my brother and I get to watch together, and that's always awesome, because my brother is my favorite person. ⬇️ 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick That's why I chose this book for the #pop21 #ABookThatRemindsYouOfYourFavoritePersonPlaceOrThing
Another May catchup #bookspinbingo @TheAromaOfBooks #MemoirMay #52Books #PublishedIn2021 3y

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MaleficentBookDragon My favorite wrestler of all time is The Undertaker. 3y

TheAromaofBooks My husband grew up with wrestling so when we got married I unwillingly found myself drawn into the drama! 😂 We don't have cable now so I'm a bit out of the loop. It cracks me up how much it's like a giant soap opera in the sense that the complicated storylines are neverending!! 3y

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm @MaleficentBookDragon YES!! ❤️❤️❤️ 3y

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm I had already stacked this, but now I want to read it even more! 3y

MaleficentBookDragon @TheAromaofBooks you are so right. I tell the #manpanion that all wrestling is, is a soap opera for men. 3y

MaleficentBookDragon The #manpanion named his 🐈 Asuka. 3y

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Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick

Dancing with Myself | Billy Idol

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Fun Fact: I share my birthday with Billy Idol. Ever since I saw his birthday listed in a tabloid in the early '80s, I felt a strong affinity for the rebellious rocker. It must be that wild Sagittarius spirit and I am so glad to finally have gotten around to the book. I splurged on the audiobook honestly because his low, gravelly voice just sounds good.
Earlier in May I listened to Lenny Kravitz tell his story (well, the first 25 years of it) ⬇️

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick and if he was the good guy, Billy was the bad boy. This is a memoir of excess: sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll. However, it is also the story of a self-proclaimed voracious reader who was interested in being in the forefront of musical revolutions. From Punk to MTV Pop Rock to EDM before it was big, Billy shares stories of his youth in England, his early days in New York City, the motorcycle wreck that turned his life around (somewhat). Honestly ⬇️ 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Bad boys are gonna bad boy! Then we go up through his more contemporary life in LA, dabbling in Hollywood and enjoying his children.
A few highlight stories/anecdotes:
🎸Billy's first foray to the NYC grocer to pick up milk
🎸The significance of Mony Mony in his life
🎸The Rebel Yell inspiration
🎸Going to court for sexual deviancy
Some of the accounts shared here are what you would expect from a world-famous musician but ⬇️ 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Billy is also reflective and speaks fondly of many people who have come in & out of his life. Whether you're a huge fan or just dance along when Cradle of Love is played on the radio, there's something here to appreciate.
May review backlog #MemoirMay #BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks #Education21 #MaleBiography @Velvetfur (I swapped May & July)
#Pop21 #SharesATitleWithASong #52books #1stChapterEndsOnOddPage 3y

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5feet.of.fury That sounds like a lot of fun! I love Billy Idol! 3y

TiminCalifornia Billy Idol was my first rock concert. Saw him at Red Rocks! 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick @TiminCalifornia I'm jealous! I've seen lots of acts live but never Billy. Not yet, anyway. 🤞😁 3y

OriginalCyn620 I love Billy and loved reading more about his life! It‘s cool you share a birthday with him. I share mine with Nicole Kidman and John Taylor from Duran Duran! Another fun fact. Not that anyone cares, but I love FFs. 😂 (edited) 3y

SamAnne My stepson bought us tickets for a concert this summer! 3y

TheAromaofBooks Great review!! 3y

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Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick

Brown Girl Dreaming | Jacqueline Woodson

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Had it not been for #AuthorAMonth I likely wouldn't have picked this up, but it was a swift moving and interesting glimpse into the author's childhood in the 1960s and '70s. A memoir in verse, Woodson tells about her family's brief time in Ohio, then the years in South Carolina before moving up to New York City. Each short poem gives a few words about a person, place, thing, or feeling and though it is low on a continuous narrative, ⬇️

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick she still manages to evoke clear images of what fun and struggles, along with a sense of place, they had in the Jim Crow era.
#AAM #AAMJW @Soubhiville #BookSpinBingo @TheAromaOfBooks #MemoirMay #Booked2021 #Fall #PoetryOrWrittenInVerse @Cinfhen @BarbaraTheBibliophage @4thhouseontheleft #Pop21 #WrittenInADifferentFormatThanIUsuallyRead 3y

Cinfhen This was really beautifully done 🙌🏻❣️ 3y

sharread This sounds really cool. ❤ 3y

TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 3y

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Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick

Let Love Rule | Lenny Kravitz

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Listening to Lenny tell his life story up through the making of his first album, Let Love Rule, was soothing. We see other than his tense relationship with his father, he had a family that supported and inspired his music aspirations. Lenny continually found himself caught between two cultures: black and white, NYC and Brooklyn, and Los Angeles and NYC. Lenny's stories about his past paint him as a nice guy here and, other than squabbles ⬇️

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick with collaborators or his dad, he led a charmed life. With loving grandparents, his father a prominent, white business man, and his mother, Roxie Roker, a black actress who played Helen Willis on The Jeffersons, he had connections to the music world he desperately wanted to be a part of.
Since this book only covers the first 25 or so years of his life, we don't get a full picture of the man Kravitz is today. He tells us about his influences,⬇️ 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick the people who helped him on his journey, and his desire to make funky music that doesn't fit into one little box, just like him. We hear about his early career as Romeo Blue and the early days of his relationship with Lisa Bonet. I liked that he took advantage of the audio recording to use music to share the lyrics and feel of the music he was making at the time. I can't rave about this, as it feels incomplete and almost a little safe. ⬇️ 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Hopefully there will be a follow up that brings us current and includes a few crazier rock & roll stories. He was no saint, but a fairly zen outlook doesn't make the compelling book in a world of fame and excess.
#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks #MemoirMay #Pop21 #FavoritePromptFromPastChallenge #WrittenByAMusician 3y

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sprainedbrain Oooooh... here‘s a memoir I might actually read. Lenny 😍 3y

EvieBee Lol, it was toooo tame. I like that! 3y

TheAromaofBooks Great review!! 3y

Tera66 😍 3y

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Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick

A Very Punchable Face: A Memoir | Colin Jost

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Colin Jost is a freakin' delight! I can't say that I've seen every episode of SNL, but when I do watch them, Colin's Weekend Update with Michael Che is usually my favorite part of each one. Paired with the self-deprecating title of A Very Punchable Face, I knew I had to give this a listen. Colin narrates the book and even adds a few little ad-libs encouraging listeners to buy the book so you can SEE the pictures for yourself & you know what?⬇️

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick This was pretty great, I just might do that! Colin covers his youth in Staten Island, his time at Harvard, and the many years in Manhattan since. I love when I recognize the sights and quirks of nearby places in books, and having grown up in a small town right across the Arthur Kill from a Staten Island garbage dump, I could relate. I also like to think that Colin would appreciate that my view of his home borough was literal trash. Colin may ⬇️ 4y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick have had a rather vanilla upbringing with still married parents, close relatives, an ivy league education, and a movie-star wife, but he has also gotten himself into enough wacky situations with comical people that his story is far from boring. Sure, it helps if you like some childish humor, and I do, so very much, so this was right up my alley. If you regularly poop your pants and feel self-conscious about the frequency, give this a listen. ⬇️ 4y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick In the midst of his humor, he highlights his hero, his mother, and her role in the 9/11 aftermath. He was able to bring about a connection to Pete Davidson, who lost his dad that day, and the chapter brings some gravity to an otherwise humorous book.
Colin shares more personal anecdotes than gossiping about his co-workers and guest hosts (except a few) but I was happy to hear that some of his favorite bits & skits he developed are also ⬇️ 4y

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Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick some of my favorites - Porn Stars, Drunk Uncle, and The Girl You Wish You Never Started A Conversation With at a Party among them. Even if you're a passing fan, I suggest this book. Other memoirs by funny people have left me a bit or a lot underwhelmed, but this is a gem!
#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks #memoirmay 4y

kspenmoll Fabulous review! Makes me want to listen... 4y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick @kspenmoll Thank you! This one was easy for me to rave about. 4y

Tera66 Yes!!! Very punchable face!!! You got to it! But I must say that is the most handsome punchable face!!😍 3y

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