I will admit and tell you that it took me a few times to get into this book as I couldn’t get past the first few chapters. But I finally decided to skim through them really quick and start from where his parents met. I enjoyed reading about his life, his musical influences, what his…
Author: Mark
Nina’s Niko Notes
Wow, how about that for alliteration. Yeah, I know, unique! Okay, enough about the English language. Wait, I have one more thing to say on the English language, and that is Niko often asks us about homophones, words that sound the same but are spelled differently. Our explanation is always the English language is weird….
Uphill: A Memoir – by Jemele Hill
Before Niko was born in 2016, I was a sports fan; not the biggest and flashiest, but a fan in general. I was a frequent viewer of ESPN, and that is how I know who Jemele Hill is. I didn’t know about her controversial Tweets that got her in trouble a few times, I didn’t…
After Happy Ever After – by Adam Fletcher
After the 3rd book ends, Adam and Evelyn make a drastic decision to move to Istanbul for a few months to enjoy the scenery and to test their relationship. Well, this book, tells us what happened, and just like his other “weird travel series”, I really enjoyed this one. With all of his books I…
Candles, Girl Scout Cookies, Markers, Lego’s, and Pizza
No, this isn’t the title of my unpublished autobiography, but it could very well be. I like everything but candles! One of my many fun names that Nina calls me is Marker! Nina, can you please provide my readers with all of my nicknames? Actually, please don’t. Thanks. No, this is way better than that….
Tuk-Tuk for Two: Escape to India with two strangers, in the unforgettable race of a lifetime – by Adam Fletcher
This is the 3rd book by Adam Fletcher in his “weird travel series.” And just like the first two, I really enjoyed this one. Yes, I googled an image of a Tuk-Tuk, just to have a better idea of what they were dealing with. So, it is indeed a story of two strangers, and of…
Don’t Come Back: a travel adventure of bad-tempered baboons, black magic, and breakups – by Adam Fletcher
This is the 2nd book in his weird travel series, and just like the 1st, I really enjoyed it. He asks a lot of interesting questions to the locals and engages them in conversations about their particular country. I like his style of writing and am now reading his 3rd book in the series.
Love, Pamela – by Pamela Anderson
Unlike other memoirs of celebrities that I have read recently, I knew who Pamela Anderson was. She had a rough childhood but became well known for her body very quickly. She talked about her very fast rise to fame, her marriages (and her infamous sex tape with Tommy Lee), her kids, and her animal rights…
Niko and Dad VS Sweets
I try my best not to eat all the sweets in the house, because I know that Niko also likes them. But I always tell him, if I do eat them all, we can get more. Nina is smart, and she takes her stash upstairs. Sometimes, Niko will hide some in the pantry so I…
Don’t Go There: From Chernobyl to North Korea – by Adam Fletcher
I was intrigued by the title, and when I researched who Adam Fletcher was, I knew this would be right up my alley as I do like funny and autobiographical travel books. I enjoyed everything he wrote about his travels to interesting places in the world where normal people like me wouldn’t travel to. I…
My Trip Down the Pink Carpet – by Leslie Jordan
I already read his 2nd book, and afterwards, I really wanted to read his 1st book. Well, I enjoyed it very much. Nothing was off limits for him as he wrote about his homosexuality, drug and alcohol abuse, and his passion for helping AIDS patients. He also had a lot of funny stories about being…
Howard Hughes: The Secret Life – by Charles Higham
I have read a few books this year, where Howard Hughes is mentioned. Not really knowing much about him, I sought out to find a good biography of him, and this one didn’t disappoint me. Charles Higham provided an excellent background of Howard and his family, how he made money, all the romantic relationships (with…
Niko Talks
From the moment Niko wakes up to the moment he goes to bed, he is constantly talking. I wonder where he gets that from? You guessed correctly if you said Mark! In the evenings and especially during bed preparation, it’s a lot of WHAT IF questions and ask me questions about school. I leave his…
How Y’all Doing? Misadventures and Mischief from a Life Well Lived – by Leslie Jordan
I don’t think I have seen anything Leslie Jordan has been in, but I knew that he was a comedian. I also knew that he recently passed away. I was due for a funny book, and I am glad I read this one. This was a very quick and fun read for me. He told…
Legends and Lipstick: My Scandalous Stories of Hollywood’s Golden Era – by Nancy Bacon
For most of the book, she discussed in detail her romantic and sexual encounters with lots of celebrities in the 60’s and 70’s. She also wrote about her alcoholism and double mastectomy. In addition, she was a pinup model, starred in some movies, and was a writer. I will say that I enjoyed the autobiography…
So L.A.: A Hollywood Memoir – by Staci Layne Wilson
As soon as I read the words daughter of a rock star and a pinup model in the description, I knew I had to read it. After reading further, I learned that Dan Wilson from the surf rock group The Ventures was her dad. The 60’s are my favorite music period and I know a…
Happy Hour
Happy Hour in my house is from 4 pm to 7 pm. But it’s not what you think. It’s actually better and it doesn’t cost me anything. I can have as much as I want, and nobody will kick me out at closing time or take my keys away from me. Oh, also, nobody is…
Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes – by Stephen A Smith
Stephen A Smith is known for his honest opinions, mostly on sports. I actually knew who he was because before my son was born in 2016, I was a sports fan and was a frequent viewer of ESPN and NBA basketball – that is where he held court. I enjoyed learning about his childhood upbringing,…
pOpshelf
I had no clue what pOpshelf was, but last weekend, I took Niko to one because he kept seeing commercials on the television. We did the same thing with Living Spaces a few weeks ago, but I knew what that store was. I am not completely out of the loop. The pOpshelf store itself was…
Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad
I don’t normally like to read books about somebody being sick and what they go through on a day-to-day basis. But, after I read the first page of this one, I wanted to know more about her journey. Nothing was off limits for Suleika as she provided lots of good and bad stuff. I felt…