I guess I’ve been having a thing for memoirs.
First came Matt Logelin’s Two Kisses For Maddy which I devored in two days. As in started it on Friday night & finished in Saturday. His was one of the first blogs I followed & back when I started reading three+ years ago recently after his wife Liz died, I read back to the beginning & broke into the ugly cry. Y’all know the ugly cry right ~ crying so hard & so long that you’re read faced & can barely breath much less talk. I was barely two chapters in when the ugly cry began. Matt wrote the book similarly to his blog style which made me feel like a friend right there with him for the journey through the first year of Maddy’s life. Just to put it out there, his use of language is also the same, so be prepared for a few eff bombs.
I loved the book & definitely recommend it, especially if you’ve followed his story or really even if you haven’t. I’m so glad I used my Christmas Amazon giftcard to pre-order this book. Unlike most purchased books that immediately after finishing go to paperback swap, this one is already in my “keep” book shelf. I’d love it if he started writing a follow up for what he’s been up to recently. Oh & I was so excited to find it was even featured in the current People magazine I was reading last Saturday. {I took the photo with my cell & tweeted it to Matt!}
I’d received Wesley the Owl by Stacey O’Brien via paperback swap a while ago. It had sat in my TBR pile for a bit until that photo of the super cute owl cover got me. I read the majority of it while waiting for husband to sell then buy the new Evo. Stacey is a scientist & wild life lover who adopted a baby owl. Wesley considered her his mom, only friend & eventually his mate. Some hilarious, scary & touching events ensue. By now y’all probably know I love owls. I was a little afraid learning so much about them would change my love. While all the mouse eating is gross, if anything, I respect & admire owls even more after reading Stacey’s book. A definite good read for any animal or owl lover.
I preordered Ree Drummond’s The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels at the same time as Matt’s book & they shipped together. I started reading Black Heels on the way down to OIB for Easter weekend. In three hours, I got about a third of the way through. It was both a quick read & also, I couldn’t put it down. I finished it Saturday afternoon while laying out in the sun.
I love Ree’s voice. After reading her blog for years & meeting her last May, I’d felt like I “knew” her. This book, her first memoir, takes you in even further. I loved the romance, her humor, & the poignant retelling of her parent’s crumbling marriage while hers began.
This book too now sits on my keep shelf. I’m hoping Ree’ll make another NC book tour & I can have her sign it & Charlie to match my signed cookbook. 🙂