My Favorite Reads 2019 - Biography Edition
Do you find that some years you just gravitate more to one topic? I don't think I have ever read this many biographies in one year before. Most were (a bit trashy) celebrity autobiographies, of comedians, actors, and TV personalities. Some where outstanding, some where fine, and others were mediocre at best.
Of the 19 I read here is a list of my favorites this year. You can find my complete year wrap up here.
This lists is only in chronological order of how I read the books this year, not which I loved the most.
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| Photo Credit ALX Community |
I was not overly familiar with Phoebe before I picked up this book. I knew she was a comedian, that she had a pod with Jessica Williams from The Daily Show (2 Dope Queens) and that was about it. This book had me manically laughing - on the train. There were weird looks all around. I listened to this on audio because I prefer to listen to people who read their own stories.
Phoebe is obsessed with Bono, is frank about racism, and women, and is all kinds of Hilarious. She doesn't degrade or use others to make her jokes, she is just pure, good, wonderful (and often raunchy) funny.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life - Jane Sherron De Hart
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| Photo Credit Democrat and Chronicle |
A caveat to this book - This is not a book for someone not interested in law. Many case studies are related with much detail. That is Who RBG is, and what she does. I actually read 1 biography on her last year, and 2 this year. This one by De Hart was the best. It is a doorstopper at 752 pages, but it covers all that the others did and more. I was not bored, and I feel I learned a lot of how RBG was shaped by and how she shaped the law and this country. If you have never read a biography by her she has a fairly hard life, and she continually rises up and pushes forward. She is an inspiration.
At 912 pages one could wonder is it enough, or too much of a life? I was impressed by Blight's ability to be both in awe of Douglass, and also fairly critical. I have to admit that I did not know much about his personal life, and only had vague notions of his public persona. In this not only do we get a good look at Douglass, but also of the other abolitionists, the presidents, and the climate of the country at the time. I only recently learned that John Brown was a real person, but even if you know a lot about US history, this book is dense and filled with critiques and things to reflect upon. I was impressed that the book, even though the size and content might seem overwhelming, reading it never felt that way. My one criticism of Blight is that the Douglass' first wife was not given her due, she should have been discussed in more detail.
Like the Robinson book, I went into this one not knowing what to expect. Union is an actor, who married a basketball star, and who seems cool. I had a few people mention how much they really enjoyed the book, but I was not expecting the depth, the laughter, and heartache this book would create. Union tackles deep seeded racism that she faced growing up in a predominantly white California town, she talks about how that shaped the image she created of herself, and how she still struggles with that image. She talks about highs and lows of life - and one particularly hilarious event where she wildly spends an evening on the phone with a friend trying to treat a yeast infection with yogurt. I was blown away by her grace and depth.
Trigger warnings for this book - Rape; suicide
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I am a huge Elton John fan. Tiny Dancer is my favorite song. I have always admired his unapologetic determination to be himself, and his philanthropy. This book is a no holds bar account of his life. I read a review on Goodreads that complained about drugs and name dropping. You are reading a book about Elton John. That is a good portion of his life. That being said, the book is fascinating. I was so excited for this book, I got a physical and an audio copy. Taron Egerton who plays Elton in this years Rocketman reads the audio and he does a wonderful job. There is leagues of things I did not know about his life, and there is a feeling throughout the book of his utter raw honesty. Elton has had an incredible life, why not learn and celebrate it while he is still with us?
Educated - Tara Westover
This book has been getting a lot of praise. And all of it well worth it.
It is truly incredible what Tara and her siblings lived through growing up with staunch Mormon-survivalist parents. This book is filled with physical, verbal, and emotional abuse that the Westover siblings went through. But this story is more a story of resilience, and a story of kids who were denied an education but of which a few went on to break out and get Ph.Ds. It is truly remarkable what they were able to accomplish, and Tara has a gift of storytelling. I am sure this will not be the last we hear from her.
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