Sometimes, I find myself going down a rabbit hole of similar books. I just read books about Stuckey’s and Howard Johnson’s, and now I just finished this one about the founder of Dunkin’ Donuts. I enjoyed learning about his background and all of his jobs. He was driven to be successful, and surrounded himself with…
Tag: Memoir Book Reviews
A History of Howard Johnson’s: How a Massachusetts Soda Fountain Became an American Icon – by Anthony Mitchell Sammarco
This was actually an interesting book, as I learned a lot about the Howard Johnson legacy. Not only did this book dive into a wonderful history of the company, but also about perfection as everything that was done had to be performed a certain way. I, for one, had no clue it got started as…
UnStuck: Rebirth of an American Icon – by Stephanie Stuckey
I got this book from Netgalley so I can read and review it before it’s published. I must admit, and tell you, I have never heard of Stuckey’s, but the general description of the book intrigued me. Without any experience as a CEO, Stephanie Stuckey purchased Stuckey’s Corporation, which was originally founded by her grandfather…
Drums & Demons: The Tragic Journey of Jim Gordon – by Joel Selvin
I have read quite a few music books lately, and Jim Gordon, a drummer has been mentioned. So, when I saw this book about him, I was definitely intrigued and wanted to learn more about him. He ended up being the best studio drummer, and I had to stop reading the book quite often and…
The Spamalot Diaries – Eric Idle
I got this book from Netgalley so I can read and review it before it’s published. Now, I have seen Spamalot twice (once in NY and once locally in town), and it’s one of my favorites (right along the same line as The Producers). This book is written in a diary format, and I truly…
Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant – by Curtis Chin
I had a gift certificate for Barnes and Noble and last weekend, the three of us had lunch at The Cheesecake Factory and just a few steps away was a Barnes and Noble. I actually had a few minutes to browse the books without having to chase my 8-year-old son around the store, and telling…
Bits and Pieces: My Mother, My Brother, and Me – by Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi’s mother passed away in 2010, and her brother Clyde passed away in 2015. This book is about the influence they both had on her. Let me rephrase, it’s primarily about her mother and her and their life growing up together. I did enjoy reading about how she got discovered; Mike Nichols first and then…
Time to Thank: Caregiving for My Hero – by Steve Guttenberg
I have read a small handful of books about fathers and sons, and this one is one of the best. Steve Guttenberg tells the story of him, his wife, his sisters, and his brother-in-law taking their dad to dialysis. Steve drives from California to Arizona to be with them, and shares a lot of stories…
Above the Noise: My Story – by DeMar DeRozan
I got this book from Netgalley so I can read and review it before it’s published. When I saw this book, I was immediately interested as I knew he had played for the San Antonio Spurs for a few years, and being a Spurs fan, I wanted to learn more about his life before, during,…
Furlosophy: Beyond the Mascot: Insights into Life and the NBA – by Rob Wicall
I didn’t even know about this book until Monday morning when a friend of mine from Facebook told me about it. See, I was asking this friend some questions about his time with the San Antonio Spurs and asked if he knew anybody else whom I can ask questions to about there job in the…
You Never Know: A Memoir – by Tom Selleck
You will never know that I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. That’s primarily because it’s about Magnum P.I. and I never watched it. I did a have a Magnum P.I. tray for food when I was younger, so I put a lot of stuff on his face and mustache….
Knock! Knock! Knock! On Wood – by Eddie Floyd
I wouldn’t have known who Eddie Floyd was had it not been for my 7 year old son. Let me quickly explain… He likes music as much as I do and somehow, he ended up with a song called Big Bird by Eddie Floyd in his library. He likes the instruments and the song itself….
Locker Room Talk: A Woman’s Struggle to Get Inside – by Melissa Ludtke
I got this book from Netgalley so I can read and review it before it’s published. In 1977 at the World Series, Melissa Ludtke, a writer for Sports Illustrated was denied access to the locker rooms by the Commissioner of Baseball, Bowie Kuhn. You mustn’t go in as there may be naked players, but you…
CABIN: Off the Grid Adventures with a Clueless Craftsman – by Patrick Hutchison
I got this book from Netgalley so I can read and review it before it’s published. When I read the description, I was intrigued. Patrick buys a cabin in Index, WA for $7,500 and then he spends time and money in fixing it up. Even though he had no clue about anything, he read a…
What a Fool Believes: A Memoir – by Michael McDonald with Paul Reiser
I got this book from Netgalley, so I can read and review it before it’s published. I knew who he was, and then had to check on Paul Reiser to make sure it was the comedian or somebody else with the same name. Yep, the comedian. Ok, so a pretty nifty combination. I am in…
The Punk-Rock Queen of the Jews: A Memoir – by Chef Rossi
I got this book from Netgalley so I could read and review it before it’s published. I will admit and tell you the only reason I was interested in this book was because of the title. So, basically, I went in blind and I came out in color and already have another book of hers…
Elvis and Me: The True Story of the Love Between Priscilla Presley and the King of Rock N’ Roll – by Priscilla Beaulieu Presley
I was scrolling through the autobiographies at the library, and this one popped up and I was intrigued. I know they got married, and had a daughter in Lisa Marie. I also have a book on my wishlist co-written by Lisa Marie and her daughter, Riley Keough. Riley had to finish it after Lisa Marie…
A Good Bad Boy: Luke Perry and How a Generation Grew Up – by Margaret Wappler
When I saw this book as an upcoming release a few months ago, I was intrigued and threw it in my Amazon wishlist, so I could purchase it later. A few days ago, I saw it was on Netgalley, and I requested it and they approved it. I enjoy getting books from them as I…
It’s Hard for Me to Live with Me: A Memoir – by Rex Chapman
I knew Rex Chapman as an NBA player, but I had no clue about his dad being a basketball coach, his playing days at Kentucky, and his addiction to pain medications and gambling on horses. He started his NBA playing days with the expansion franchise, the Charlotte Hornets. Also on that team was Del Curry,…
My Mama, Cass: A Memoir – by Owen Elliot-Kugell
I got this book from Netgalley so I can read and review it before it’s published. You can definitely call me stupid for not knowing that Cass Elliot had a daughter. And, when I saw this book written by her, I was immediately intrigued. Being a fan of 1960’s music, I definitely know the Mamas…