Thrillville, USA

This book was so intense from the start and I freaking loved it.

Thrillville, USA is a collection of daaaaaaark short stories that tie together in a round about way. It's really just stories about self-destruction. There's drug and alcohol abuse, death, infidelity, unemployment, homelessness, and really just the nitty gritty underside of life that no one really seems to want to talk about. It kind of reminded of Devil All the Time. Life was just constantly kicking the shit out of these guys while they were just trying to make the best of it.

Thrillville, USA is actually the dying amusement park where a lot of these stories take place. It's hard to pinpoint what exactly made me love this book as much as I did. It's not thrilling like the title suggests but it is depressing and messy and real.

WarholCapote

It's not a secret that I'm obsessed with all things Truman Capote.

 

But I'm also obsessed with Andy Warhol.

 

So when my sister handed me this book, I immediately jumped right into it and finished it while I was on my weekend trip.

 

Rumor has it, Andy and Truman had been talking about recording their conversations and turning all their drama and gossip into a Broadway show. A show I definitely would have wanted to see. When Rob Roth caught wind that there might actually be tapes recorded between these two icons, he jumped at the chance to find them. The Warhol Foundation confirmed there are almost 3,000 tapes in their possession that can't be shared until 50 years after Andy's death. So yeah, 2037. A handful of these tapes were released to Roth and he decided to re-imagine their conversations into a "play" of sorts, which resulted in this book.

 

These two men are absolutely icon in my eyes.

I will be not so patiently waiting for the next 14 years for those tapes to be released.

 

Looking for other books by or featuring Truman Capote?

In Cold Blood

Other Voices, Other Rooms

The Grass Harp

Breakfast at Tiffany's

The Complete Stories of Truman Capote

Music for Chameleons

Answered Prayers

Marilyn Monroe: The Last Interview

Tru & Nelle

No Saints in Kansas

For You and Only You

This was honestly one of my least favorite books in this series.

It just feels like Joe isn't Joe anymore?

If that makes sense.

Maybe I'm just stuck in a world where I wanted Forty to be alive and for Love to be his endgame. But here we are.

For those of you who watch the show, this book veers kind of off track. Yes, he's at a prestigious school and writing a book. But that's like.....the only similarity. But honestly, I hated the newest season of the show too. It just felt like Joe was losing himself. I know that sounds crazy to say about our favorite fictional serial killer, but that's how it feels.

I don't know, but this book just was not for me.

Looking for the rest of the series?

You (You #1)

Hidden Bodies (You #2)

You Love Me (You #3)

 

The One and Only Ruby

This is honestly one of my favorite series.

I love getting to know the stories of each of these animals. We started with Ivan, the gorilla trapped in a roadside attraction. Then we got to know Bob, the dog who became Ivan's unlikely pal. But Ruby really hit home for me. Ruby is a young elephant who experiences loneliness, growing up, and finding her herd. She takes us back to her life in African and what it was like watching as the poachers descended on her family. How lost she felt until ending up in a sanctuary.

It was heartbreaking. I wasn't expecting her story to resonate so much with me but it really grabbed me and it's not letting me go. It took over a month for me to even find these few words for my review. It's just a great little read and might be my favorite of the series.

Looking for the rest of the series?

The One and Only Ivan

The One and Only Bob

Con/Artist

I love a good true crime story, but I was so unprepared for Con/Artist.

This was amazing.

Tony Tetro wrote Con/Artist about his time as an art forger. His attention to the most minuscule detail is why he's considered the world's greatest art forger. He was passing off hundreds of his paintings as "lost art" for some massive names like Dali, Rembrandt, Chagall, even Rockwell. He even went so far as to forge a Ferrari. Yes, like a real ass Ferrari and he actually did it.

Reading about how and why he got into this life of crime was so interesting because the man has immense talent. But what struck me as the most interesting part is that his first forged art sale he actually sold under the guise of another art forger. He created a piece, signed a known art forger's name to it, and sold it almost as a novelty item.

This was just absolutely insane to read and I loved every second of it.

BadAsstronauts

This book was comedic gold.

BadAsstronauts was originally published under the title, Occupy Space. But last year, Grady Hendrix revamped his first self-published book and re-released this absolute masterpiece.

Grady is known for his quirky, campy, horror books and this is not that at all. This book has all the quirky elements of his horror books, mixed with his firsthand knowledge of the south. That being said, I understand why this book didn't take off the way he wanted it to in 2012. I also know that I am 100% his target audience for this book. So do with that what you will.

This novella is only about 160 pages of pure southern anarchy.

Local boy turned astronaut, Bobby Jr., gets stuck in space. NASA isn't really doing anything to help bring him home. But dammit, his South Carolina family will find a way to bring him home to his Momma. A ragtag team of almost astronauts, community college students, and extreme couponing grandmothers are determined to bring Bobby Jr. home....they just have to figure out how to build a rocket.

This was just so absurdly realistic. The Redneck NASA, the small town police, the acres of ramshackle land for their launch site. It was just hilarious and exactly what I would expect if a group of normal ass people were attempting to shoot one of their own into outer space.

Looking for other books by Grady Hendrix?

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires

My Best Friend's Exorcism

Horrorstor

The Final Girl Support Group

We Sold Our Souls

How to Sell a Haunted House

Dear Freedom Writer

I was in grade school when I first learned about The Freedom Writers. Every since then, I've been obsessed with reading published journals and diaries. Every single person has a story to tell, they just need somebody to listen. That's what Erin Gruwell and The Freedom Writers set out to do in Dear Freedom Writer.

 

Dear Freedom Writer features letters from people all over the world. They began writing to The Freedom Writers with their issues, ranging anywhere from sexuality, to covid, to wars going on in their own backyard. The Freedom Writers wrote back to each of these people with their own experiences. They offered advice, forgiveness, and a shoulder to cry on. Many of the letters were written by people who were just kids when Ms. Gruwell started teaching in Room 203, which quickly became a sacred oasis for many.

Some of these stories were hard to read, but all of them needed to be heard.

Looking for other books by The Freedom Writers?

The Freedom Writer's Diary