As I said last week, it has been a while. Oops. I have listened to quite a lot of audiobooks as I drive a lot. It will become evident that I really like to listen to celebrities read their autobiography. Let's jump right in!
The Bassoon King
By: Rainn Wilson
Narrated by: Rainn Wilson
Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing
Dates Listened: Dec 22, 2017 - Jan ??, 2018
Length: 8hrs 49mins
Source: Overdrive
Why did I read it?
I love 'The Office' and Dwight is awesome. That's all.
The Bassoon King follows Rainn's life from a nerdy Dungeons and Dragons, bassoon playing kid to The Office and beyond. It was really enjoyable to here about his time in university, his crazy times in New York City, and, best of all, his time on The Office. Rainn also talked a fair bit about his Baha'i religion and the work and organizations he has started with that. It got a little weird in there for a short time, but overall I learned about something I had never even heard of and it was Rainn so, who cares?
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommendation: If you are an office fan, go for it. If a whole chapter on Baha'i is really going to throw you off, skip it. Overall it was funny and quirky and I enjoyed it.
Scrappy Little Nobody
By: Anna Kendrick
Narrated by: Anna Kendrick
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Dates Listened: Jan ?? - March 4, 2018
Length: 6 hours
Source: Overdrive
Why did I read it?
I like Anna Kendrick.
Again, here we are following Anna Kendrick from her childhood, to her Oscar nominee, to Twilight to Pitch Perfect and beyond. Honestly, hearing about her time on Broadway as a child was likely my favourite part. I have always wondered about the kids on Broadway and we got just a little peak through Anna. A lot of it was just enjoyable stories from her life surrounded by her films. I enjoyed it.
Rating: 3/5
Recommendation: If you like Anna Kendrick, give it a listen. She's a funny gal and it was enjoyable hearing her tell all her stories. Also Broadway.
My Happy Days in Hollywood
By: Garry Marshall
Narrated by: Garry Marshall
Publisher: Crown
Dates Listened: March 7 - July 20, 2018
Length: 11hrs 6min
Source: Audible
Why did I read it?
If you ask me who my favourite director is, I'll say Garry Marshall. Do people laugh at me for that? Yes. But he has such a light, bright, magical touch and I just love it.
Every chapter in this book is based on a specific work he has done. There are a few chapters at the beginning around his childhood and then we move into him writing for TV shows (including The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Lucy Show), creating shows (like Happy Days), and directing films (Overboard, Pretty Woman, The Princess Diaries, Valentines Day, etc. etc.). Honestly some of my favourite movies are Garry's. Beaches?? If you haven't seen Beaches get out of here and go watch it. It wasn't until I was an adult that I put together all the films that he made and I loved. Every project had a chapter dedicated to it where he would just talk about how it came about and some things that happened during each project. I really liked that it was laid out like this and it allowed us, the fans, to here all about our favourite shows and films.
Rating: 4/5
Recommendation: This just may be my favourite autobiography that I have listened to thus far. The late, great Garry Marshall himself reads it. Which means you get the Bronx accent and the joy emulating through it all. I am very glad I bought it on audible because sometimes when I watch one of his films, I go back and relisten to the chapter about it. Highly recommend if you like anything he has ever made. I did not realize he had worked on so many things until I listened to this and I think everyone should know the work he has had a hand in making.
Talking as Fast as I Can
By: Lauren Graham
Narrated by: Lauren Graham
Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing
Dates Listened: March 18-20, 2018
Length: 4hrs 38mins
Source: Overdrive
Why did I read it?
I like Lauren Graham. I love both 'Gilmore Girls' and 'Parenthood' so what more could you ask for?
Again, we follow Lauren Graham through life. It is actually advertised as from Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls, which is true, but we also get a look at childhood, university, etc. Did you know she always dreamed of being on the Great White Way (aka. Broadway) and she was? Lauren was in lots of commercials and some short spoofs on shows before 'Gilmore Girls' and then 'Parenthood'. This book includes some special chapters about those shows and Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. It was a nice read.
Note: If you listen to this book, go to a Chapters and flip through and look at the pictures. It is a major con that she talks about them as though we can see them, but we cannot.
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommendation: This book is extra special for two reasons. The first, Broadway. It's enough. The second, it gives you a really special look at A Year in the Life and how magical it was to go back to the characters we love. She said that she purposefully wrote down as much as she could during that experience because she wrote nothing the first time around. This book is worth a read/listen if only for the fact that you wish you were a Gilmore. #teamJess
Uncommon Type: Some Stories
By: Tom Hanks
Narrated by: Tom Hanks
Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
Dates Listened: March 30-April 25, 2018
Length: 10hrs 5mins
Source: Overdrive
Why did I read it?
Tom Hanks is one of my favourite humans on this planet. He is America's dad and I love him.
This is the only non-autobiography on this list of things I have missed. It is a collection of short stories. I quite enjoyed them. I won't lie, there were a couple that just didn't feel right having Tom Hanks read them to you. He is like our dad and their are just some things you just don't want to hear your dad tell you (some of it is a little...PG-13 and it just felt weird). I liked how some stories came back to characters we had already met. Some were simple about a girl buying a typewriter. Some were outrageous about a group of friends building a spaceship and going to space. Some were pure entertaining like when a man bowls a perfect game and then becomes famous for it. Unlike other celebrities writing short stories, these were all enjoyable AND Tom Hanks read them to you. There could be nothing better (although I still wish he got someone to read the romantic ones about young people. Come on dad!).
Also, it is very important to note that Tom Hanks loves type writers. I didn't realize until I was pretty far in, but I think that every story has a typewriter in it.
Rating: 4/5
Recommendation: Do you love Tom Hanks? Listen to this. In fact, I would lean towards listening over reading just to hear his voice read it to me. Also, the central theme appears to be typewriters so who can complain about this?
Where Am I Now?
By: Mara Wilson
Narrated by: Mara Wilson
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Dates Listened: July 22, 2018 - January 29, 2019
Length: 7hrs 22 mins
Source: Audible
Why did I read it?
Do you remember Mara Wilson? The little girl from Mrs. Doubtfire and Matilda? Yeah, she was a big part of my childhood so when I saw her 6 year old self on the cover of a book I listened.
If you are a child of the 90s, maybe you feel a little bit like you grew up with Mara Wilson. I did. Then she disappeared for around 15 years and only resurfaced quite recently. She shares about her time on and off set as a child, losing her mom at a young age, mental illness, and what she's up to now. It was good but I found the focus a little too much on artsy/hipster stuff that I just don't know or understand. She is now based in New York doing what seems to be a lot of indie plays and playwriting.
Rating: 2.5/5
Recommendation: It was kind of nice to hear where Mara disappeared to (also learning her name because what child would know that?). It just seemed like she was trying to put her whole serious adulthood art into her childhood art which just didn't really add up to me. The stories through her childhood and teens were overall enjoyable and then she lost me a bit in her adult years. Still, 90s kids, feel free.
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