I read my average 4 books for the month in August, so lets dive in to the details. This is a screen shot from my Goodreads account - do you use Goodreads or another app to track your reading?
Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness, Susannah Cahalan
I found this book at a Free Little Library. Very similar to a book I read last year (This Is How I Save My Life), this is the true story of a young woman who started to have mysterious symptoms that no one could diagnose. Seizures, erratic behavior, loss of movement and speech..... but yet all tests came back negative of any answers. Susannah was lucky enough to finally get a doctor who was familiar with her case which turned out to be a rare brain infection. The unsettling thing is we will never know how many other people might have had this same infection, but were simply written off as "mental patients" when no answers could be found - no chance of recovery. I read books like this because as scary as they are, they interest me and I like to educate myself should something ever happen to me or my children. It further proves that you can't always trust the medical industry, and to always get a second (third, fourth, fifth) opinion if you feel something isn't right. I see this was made into a Netflix movie, which I would love to watch someday.
Before We Were Yours, Lisa Wingate
My friend Sarah gave me a pile of books, and I was excited to see this one in it. Based on true events, this is a heartbreaking story of predators who took advantage of less than fortunate families - saw opportunities to steal their children and "sell" them to rich families who wanted to adopt in the first half of the twentieth century. Rill Foss was the oldest of her siblings, tasked to watch them as her parents went to the hospital so that her mother could deliver twins. Soon after being taken, she realizes they will most likely never see their parents again. Then she has to watch as her siblings are adopted, having no idea where they went. As with many of these type of books, there are the family members in the present who search for the secrets of their Grandparents. Avery Stafford discovers her Grandma's secret - how she was able to track down her siblings later on in life and how they would get together once a year without their families knowing. If you want to learn more about what this story was based on, look up Georgia Tann and Tennessee Children's Home Society. These are hard reads and very eye opening.
The Most Beautiful: My Life With Prince, Mayte Garcia
I picked this book up on the $5.97 table at Meijer. I don't read a lot about celebrities, but a look inside Prince's life was too appealing to pass up. Mayte weaves the beautiful story of how she met Prince and how she first started working with him as a dancer and singer. Their love was true and real, even though they lived in the crazy world of entertainment. Their biggest heartbreak, which ended up tearing them apart rather than bringing them closer together, was the death of their newborn son. I was glad to see Mayte find happiness after their divorce with her adoptive daughter. It was interesting to learn that his death was just as much a mystery even to someone who was so close to him. This book made me want to watch Purple Rain and listen to Prince songs, so it was definitely enjoyable.
Where'd You Go Bernadette, Maria Semple
I borrowed this book from the library to read before seeing the movie that just came out. It was a bit hard to get into, but I enjoyed it overall. I really loved the Seattle backdrop, and could really relate to this time in Bernadette's life. Once a genius architect, she steps away from the scene and finds herself paralyzed by projects piling around her. Her sole focus is her daughter, although she's not the typical SAHM..... in fact the opposite, trying to avoid interaction with the other mothers as much as possible. Anxiety, being awkward socially, knowing you are not the same person to your partner - yep, all mid life stuff. I was able to see the movie this past Monday and I really liked it! Cate Blanchett did a fabulous job!
In other book to movie news, we saw "The Art of Racing in the Rain" this month too. My hubby and I read the book years ago. The movie was very enjoyable, even though it was a tear jerker.
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