memoir

Review: Behind the Door: The Dark Truths and Untold Stories of the Cecil Hotel by Amy Price

~ megs14malloy

Behind the Door: The Dark Truths and Untold Stories of the Cecil HotelBehind the Door: The Dark Truths and Untold Stories of the Cecil Hotel by Amy Price
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Behind the Door: The Dark Truths and Untold Stories of the Cecil Hotel is a Memoir written by Amy Price, who was the manager of the Cecil for a decade.

I really enjoyed this. As memoirs go, I feel it was quite interesting and it kept me engaged. I completely understand why Amy felt compelled to share her story.

I’m sure many of you are familiar with this historic L.A. property. While I knew that the hotel was considered a haunted place, steeped in dark history, including as the place the Night Stalker was staying during the time of his killings, I really knew nothing else about it.

I learned so much and have a new appreciation for the complicated purpose and history of this hotel.

If you arrive with this book in your hand and you are expecting a strict True Crime story, maybe focusing on the infamous case of Elisa Lam, you may be disappointed, because that is not what this book is.

Amy was the manager of the hotel during Elisa’s stay, and she does discuss it, but it is by no means the focus of this books. It is one amongst many tragic stories that Amy watched first hand play out and relays here.

As mentioned above, I completely understand why Amy would want to tell this story. Particularly after the Netflix documentary on the Lam case released. I think it was easy for people to sort of vilify Amy as the person in charge, and say she should have done more when Elisa was exhibiting unusual behavior.

But I feel like when you hear the greater context of the hotel, its function, it’s location, the types of things that happened there on an all too regular basis, you’ll come to maybe understand that Elisa’s behavior really wasn’t that unusual at the Cecil. It was just another day.

I wasn’t reading this for the Lam case, so I didn’t mind that it wasn’t focused on. I was reading it more for the history of the hotel and what it would be like to work there.

Amy delivered those things to me very well. I walk away with a better understanding of this property that has become as infamous as The Overlook in pop culture.

Thank you to the publisher, William Morrow, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was a quick read, and a fascinating glimpse into a place I will most likely never see first hand.

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Review: The Babysitter: My Summers with a Serial Killer by Liza Rodman

~ megs14malloy

The Babysitter: My Summers with a Serial KillerThe Babysitter: My Summers with a Serial Killer by Liza Rodman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

The Babysitter: My Summers with a Serial Killer is part-Memoir, part-True Crime novel, told by Liza Rodman.

Alternating between Liza-chapters and Tony-chapters, this book tells of Liza’s early life and her interactions with the serial killer, Tony Costa.

It also delves into details of Tony’s life and crimes.

Liza was just a girl when her summers in Provincetown, Massachusetts, brought her into contact with Tony; a young man she greatly admired.

Liza’s mother frequently let her two daughters go off with Tony, a coworker of hers at a local motel, to run errands. He would often buy the girls popsicles and take them on rides in his truck to the Truro Woods.

The two portions of the book were quite distinct. Liza’s early life was troubled. She never felt wanted or loved and it felt like the sections detailing her life were somewhat of a therapeutic exercise for her.

Tony’s sections follow his life from a fairly early age, up through his imprisonment and death.

This is definitely an interesting book. I live on Nantucket, off the Cape, so am quite familiar with the areas detailed here. It sounds like the Cape of 1960s was a wild place to be.

It took me a while to get used to the alternating perspectives, the flow felt a little off, but overall, I am happy with it. I think if you like both Memoirs and True Crime, the melding of the two genres is actually quite pleasing.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I appreciate it very much!

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Review: Know My Name by Chanel Miller

~ megs14malloy

Know My NameKnow My Name by Chanel Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This has to be the most powerful memoir I have ever read. The courage and unapologetic nature of the writing brought me to tears more than once.

I am so proud of Chanel Miller, a woman I have never met, but that is genuinely what I feel; proud of her strength, as really she speaks for so many.

Before she came out to the world, Chanel Miller was known as Emily Doe. Her victim impact statement from a sexual assault trial went viral after being posted on Buzzfeed.

This book follows Chanel from just prior to the assault, through the night it occurred, the immediate aftermath and the years of struggle through both the court and healing process.

It was really heavy at times, as you can imagine since it recollects such a traumatic event, but I felt that Miller conveyed it with such honesty and grace. It’s worth the heavy heart, for sure.

I picked up this audiobook on the recommendation of a friend who had just read it. I’m so glad she told me about her experience with reading it and now I feel like it is my duty to recommend it to others. So, please pick this one up.

The writing is fantastic. Miller made her trauma relatable. She talks about things I know many women will be nodding their heads to while reading. This book is a phenomenal exploration of rape culture and the treatment of women and girls within our society.

At over 15-hours, it’s a fairly long audiobook. Initially, I couldn’t imagine how that could be, but I wouldn’t cut anything out. Every moment of this leaves an impact.

It’s truly an exceptional memoir, one that will stay with me for years to come. Highly, highly recommend!

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Currently Reading: The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton

~ megs14malloy

The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death RowThe Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton

After reading, and thoroughly enjoying, The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist: A True Story of Injustice in the American South earlier this year, my interest in wrongful conviction cases has been rekindled.

The Sun Does Shine is Anthony Ray Hinton’s memoir of his 28-years on Death Row after a wrongful conviction for two murders. After a decade of lackluster representation, Hinton’s appeal was taken on by the Equal Justice Initiative, eventually securing his freedom.

I am really looking forward to reading Hinton’s story and urge everyone to check it out as well. I have also linked the Equal Justice Initiative above, if you are interested in learning more about their organization and how you can help.

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Review: Too Much Is Not Enough by Andrew Rannells

~ megs14malloy

Too Much Is Not EnoughToo Much Is Not Enough by Andrew Rannells
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was absolutely EVERYTHING a memoir should be.


All the stars for a star!

Andrew Rannaells grew up in Omaha, far from the glittering lights of Broadway, but he always felt he was meant for the stage. He felt a pull for a life outside of Nebraska and throwing caution to the wind, made that happen for himself.

This witty and candid memoir follows Rannells from his early days of community theater, through his first days in NYC, his attempt at college, friendships, turbulent relationships, successes and losses. Along the way you feel drawn in, like you are more of a friend than a reader.

I really enjoyed this. I giggled a lot, I shed a few tears, I learned some things, felt inspired and even a bit jealous at times. I mean, he had an apartment he designed to be just like Carrie Bradshaw’s! How could I not be a wee bit jealous of that?

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Andrew’s work or even people just looking to read something about a boy, from Nebraska, taking on the world and against all odds, crushing it.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Crown Archetype, for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review. I had so much fun with it and appreciate the opportunity!

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One of the best memoirs I have ever read…

~ megs14malloy

The Milk Lady of Bangalore: An Unexpected AdventureThe Milk Lady of Bangalore: An Unexpected Adventure by Shoba Narayan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I adored this book! As memoirs go – top, top notch – super interesting and engaging!

The Milk Lady of Bangalore took me completely by surprise. I had no idea what this was going to be like and within the first few pages I was hooked. Narayan, a journalist by trade, writes in such a pleasing way. To me, it flows like you are sitting for coffee with a friend and she is telling you a very detailed story. I couldn’t put this one down and ended up reading it in three days.

This is a memoir – one of the best I have EVER read – but it is truly so much more than that. The basic gist is that Narayan decides with her husband to move back to their native-India after living for 20-years in the United States. They both have parents who are getting older and as they have two children, they want their children to know their grandparents and experience their culture. They move into a large apartment building in Bangalore and on move in day, Narayan, by chance, meets Sarala, the milk lady. This is how it all begins.

This book is a beautiful examination of culture, friendship, life, love, loss and growth. I laughed and I cried. You know you have found a special book when one brings out such a wide range of emotions – in my opinion anyway. It was interesting to read about Narayan really learning about her own culture for a second time. I could absolutely relate with a lot of her feelings having moved away from the area I grew up in, and being away for many years, going back, you see things with fresh eyes. You can appreciate how much culture varies from area to area and that can really bring forth a lot of self reflection about ones own beliefs, traditions, goals, wants, needs and really where one feels like they belong.

Now, COWS:

In this book you will also learn so much about cows – magnificent animals, they really are. This book felt to me like a microhistory of cows and their role/significance in India culture, particularly through different Hindu beliefs and customs. I absolutely adored that aspect of the book. If you are someone who enjoys that type of book, you will love this. Also, if you are a foodie, you will probably love this and should definitely read it. There is a lot in here about milk, the different types / properties of milk. I am telling you, fascinating.

Overall, I applaud Shoba Narayan for her efforts with this and I say, thank you, for sharing this part of your life with the world. It was beautiful! Also, a big thank you to the publisher, Algonquin Books, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I truly appreciate the opportunity and apologize that it has taken me so long to get to this! One of my favorite and most unique reads of 2018 so far!

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Review: Endurance by Scott Kelly

~ megs14malloy ~ 2 Comments

Publication Date: October 19, 2017

Subtitle: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery

All the stars in the universe! As memoirs go, this is top-notch! If you like science, you need to read this book. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Scott Kelly himself, and was hooked from start to finish. For me personally, I find it very hard to critique a memoir. I mean, it is that person’s story, it is up to them how they choose to tell it. This being said, even if I was a better reviewer I would have a hard time finding anything to critique within this book. Detailing everything from his childhood, his navy pilot training and career, astronaut training and numerous space missions, this book is replete with interesting facts and stories. I didn’t want it to end – I flew through it and recommend it for everyone. Scott Kelly has lived one hell of a life and you should learn about it!

Do you enjoy reading memoirs? If you do, what is one you would recommend to everyone? I want to know – comment here or send me a message – I would love to hear from you!

Cheers~