Book Review - Amy Poehler's Yes Please

When picking vacation reads, I often go for light memoirs, fun stuff. With the release of Pixar's Inside Out, Amy Poehler has been on my mind, so I added her memoir, Yes Please, to my vacation reading itinerary.

PLOT - In Yes Please, Poehler meanders through her life. She pulls tidbits from her childhood, how she got started in entertainment and her life as a single mom. There is a heavy emphasis on her life in show business, detailing the general nuttiness of how Hollywood works.

LIKE - It's undeniable that Amy Poehler is a power house. Just reading about all of her accomplishments made me feel exhausted. I was glad that she referenced her insomnia, if only because it made me feel marginally less lazy. Maybe if I didn't sleep I'd be just as accomplished as Poehler? Eh, probably not. I enjoyed Yes Please, because it gave me a glimpse into the life of a strong, successful woman.

The book includes a chapter titled Sorry, Sorry, Sorry; in which Poehler explains the fallout from an SNL sketch that was not only in poor taste, but in which Poehler unknowingly referenced a real woman struggling with severe disabilities. It turns out that the wife of actor Chris Cooper had written a television movie about this woman and was very upset by the SNL sketch. The Coopers wrote a letter to Poehler expressing their feelings and she didn't respond. This lack of an apology weighed on her for many years until it came up in conversation with director Spike Jonze. Jonze helped open the lines of communication between Poehler and the Coopers, leading to a subsequent apology and also putting Poehler in touch with Anastasia, the woman who was inadvertently mentioned in the sketch. I liked that Poehler included this in her book, because it so clearly shows that 1. Everyone screws up. 2. It's never too late to own up to your mistakes.

DISLIKE - I didn't feel like Poehler's heart was in this book. Many of the chapters felt like filler, like she didn't have enough solid content to fill a book. It was unevenly interesting and not very funny. In Yes Please, Poehler mentions the importance of learning to say "No" to people, I think that she should have said "No" to the publishers, waiting until she had the time and proper energy to focus on a book. It seems like every comedian has their memoir out now, but that doesn't mean they should.

RECOMMEND- Only if you're a huge Poehler fan.

Book Review- Armistead Maupin's Mary Ann in Autumn

When I was a teenager, I discovered Armistead Maupin's series, Tales of the City and I read through all six books in a single weekend. I was ecstatic when decades later, Maupin decided to revisit the characters in Michael Tolliver Lives. Although it had the same characters, Michael Tolliver Lives was a departure from the storytelling style that he used in the original series and it was a big let-down. I loved the series so much, that I couldn't help but give him a second chance, with Mary Ann in Autumn.

PLOT - Television star Mary Ann Singleton returns to her friends in San Francisco, after discovering that her husband is cheating and that she has cancer. She moves in for an extended visit with her best friend, Michael Tolliver and Michael's much younger husband, Ben. During her stay, Mary Ann undergoes an operation and reconnects with several friends that she failed to keep in touch with during her successful life in New York. One of her biggest struggles, is reconnecting with her estranged daughter, the very bohemian Shawna. Will a much changed Mary Ann be welcomed back in her beloved San Francisco?

LIKE- Mary Ann in Autumn is a return to the format that made the original series so successful. Although Mary Ann is central to the story, there are several character subplots and plenty of intrigue and scandal. The story delves into serious topics, like aging, homelessness and gay marriage rights, but overall, it never takes itself too serious. At its core, this is a soap opera with lovable characters. It has several outlandish, but fun, plot twists.

DISLIKE - My only criticism, is that sometimes Maupin lacks subtlety. He takes themes and pounds the point, rather than finessing them into the story. On the other hand, this doesn't disconnect me from enjoying his stories, because there is nothing subtle about a soap opera, nor should there be.

RECOMMEND- Fans of the original series should love Mary Ann in Autumn. If you've not read the original books, do yourself a favor and go through the series before reading this one. A big part of the charm of Mary Ann in Autumn, is a return to the characters and a reminiscing of their days living at twenty-eight Barbary Lane.

Book Review - Steena Holmes' Stillwater Rising

If you follow my book reviews and blog, you probably already know that I participated in the Booksparks Summer Reading Challenge. In exchange for reviews, I received advanced copies of several books during the summer. Booksparks also did a Fall Reading Challenge, but due to my heavy school schedule, I had to decline participating. However, I did join in for one book, the latest from Steena Holmes, Stillwater Rising.

Honestly, I'd never heard of Steena Holmes, but Booksparks was so excited over Stillwater Rising, that I wanted to see what the fuss was all about. Stillwater Rising is Holmes' second book in her Stillwater series, which revolves around the citizens of a lakeside resort town.

The second book finds the citizens of Stillwater attempting to patch their lives back together, after a teenage gunman has killed several children and teachers at the local elementary school. The story is told through the eyes of a mother who lost her son, the mayor (who is also the wife of the elementary school principal) and a female reporter who although liked, is not a resident of Stillwater. The mother of the shooter still lives in town and Stillwater is divided as to whether they should run her out or treat her with compassion. Everyone is experiencing grief in their own way and it is ripping apart this once tight knit community.

It was fairly easy to follow the plot without having read the first book in the series, however, I urge you not to do this. This series is very much about the characters and their development. You will short change yourself if you skip the first book. I plan on going back and reading the first in the series. Holmes' ended the second book with a chapter for the third, which is a huge tease for what is coming next in the series.

What I really enjoyed about Stillwater Rising is the way that Holmes managed to write a story filled with genuine emotions and human drama without resorting to gratuitous violence or nastiness. There is a sweetness to her story without coming across as false. The characters have honest faults, but at the end of the day, it seems that the inherent good in people is what triumphs. In the midst of such a tragic circumstance, this is a feel good story.

As a selling point for Steena Holmes, when I was in the middle of Stillwater Rising, I noticed that another one of her novels was on sale through Amazon and I went ahead and bought it. It didn't take me a whole book to know that I like her style and that I'm eager to read her other stories.

On another note of personal interest, my husband and I recently bought a vacation home in a lake resort much like Stillwater. In Stillwater Rising, Holmes writes a lot about the distinction between those who live there full time and those that come for a season. This rang very true. As much as we want to insert ourselves into our new community, not living there full time always makes us feel like outsiders. I totally get the dynamic that Holmes writes about in her story.

Stillwater Rising is a very compelling drama that I highly recommend.

Here are some of the promotional pictures that Booksparks to sent to me. Reach out to them if you're interesting in reviewing their books. In addition to free books, they run tons of fun contests.

And here is a pretty press-picture of author Steena Holmes.