Book Review- Katarina Bivald's The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend

Thank You to Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with an advanced copy of Katarina Bivald's The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend, in exchange for an honest review. 

PLOT - Sara loves books and until recently, she worked at a bookstore in Sweden. When her store closes and she finds herself at a career crossroads, she decides to take a summer trip to America. Sara had spent years corresponding and sharing books, with her friend Amy, a resident of Broken Wheel, Iowa. Amy has invited Sara to be her house guest, for as long as she cares to visit.

When Sara arrives, she finds out that Amy has died a few days earlier. Amy had lived alone and the town makes the collective decision to allow Sara to stay in the house, rent free. Not only does she not have to pay rent, but the people of the town won't let her pay for anything. In efforts to repay the town, Sara comes up with the idea to use an abandoned store to open a bookshop, where she will sell Amy's enormous book collection for the benefit of Broken Wheel. 

Broken Wheel is not a big town, nor is it one populated with readers. It seems that this bookstore will be a failure, but that's because people have underestimated the impact that their visitor is making on their fractured town. The question soon arises, who needs who more? Does Broken Wheel need Sara, or does Sara need Broken Wheel?

LIKE- I was originally drawn to this book, because Bivald is a Swedish author. My step-children are Swedish and when possible, I like to learn about their culture. Although the story is set in America, it does have Swedish touches, with the main character being from Sweden. I believe Broken Wheel is a fictional town, but it is set in a part of Iowa where the maternal side of my family is from, another aspect of the book that drew me to read it.

Sara is a plucky character and she loves books. The story is absolutely filled with book references, most of which I got, but a few eluded me. It's so filled with these references, that I think the story would not appeal to non-book lovers. The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend is a book-geek paradise. 

The town of Broken Wheel is a bit like the Gilmore Girl's town of Stars Hollow, but a economically depressed version. Even with its unemployment and boarded-up main street, this is a fictional town that I wish that I lived in, because of its strong sense of community. It doesn't ring true to any town that I've ever visited, but it makes me wistful, hoping that places like this really do exist. This dream town is part of the pleasure of reading Bivald's story.

DISLIKE- The last third of the story is odd. There is a plot line where the town tries to get Sara to marry a fellow resident, so that she will get her VISA. This outrageous adventure distracts from the deeper issues.

RECOMMEND- Yes. The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend is a relatively light, sweet story. It will require a hefty dose of suspension of disbelief, but it's filled with memorable characters and it gave me the "warm fuzzies". As a bonus, Bivald even writes in a line about all of the Swedish books being so dark and depressing...The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend totally bucks that stereotype. 

Book Review- Tina Fey's Bossypants

Continuing with my summer-vacation, female comedian books, I read Tina Fey's memoir, Bossypants on my trip to Europe. 

PLOT - Tina Fey recounts her childhood in Pennsylvania, including her awkward beginnings in high school theatre. She transitions to her start in improv, leading to her work on SNL and 30 Rock. A large chunk of her memoir deals with her thoughts on balancing work and home; being a wife, mother, and boss. 

LIKE- As any of her fans would guess, Bossypants is hilarious. What I found most funny, was the subtle observations, the way that she describes the people that populate her world. She's a keen observer and has a quirky sense of expressing those observations. I giggled many times while reading, causing people to give me funny side-glances on the plane. Awkward! In particular, I liked her high school drama adventures and the story of her father, Don Fey. Funny stuff. 

I liked Fey's thoughts on "having it all". Always busy, Fey especially struggled to find balance while working as a showrunner on 30 Rock. She was working insane hours, at the helm of a hit show and trying to be present for her family, including a young child. The conclusion? You can "have it all", but you may need to let some things go. In Fey's case, it was cutting herself some slack when life doesn't go as planned. It was letting go of some of the perfectionism and control. I thought this was solid self-care advice that most people should listen to. 

Having just taken a cruise, I got a kick out of Fey's honeymoon story...the cruise trip from hell. It cracked me up and made me feel better about the less-than-ideal parts of my own cruise vacation.

DISLIKE- Nothing. Bossypants was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I laughed, but also found her ideas to be thought provoking. Fun, but not fluff.

RECOMMEND- Yes. Bossypants is definitely a must for Fey fans or fans of her shows, as she gives an interesting insider look into SNL and 30 Rock. It's also a strong pick for women. Fey is a great role model and dispenses solid advice/observations on women in business, body image and perfectionism. Fey just might change your definition of what it means to "have it all". 

Book Review - Sophie Van Der Stap's The Girl With Nine Wigs

My TBR pile is sky-high, but I still can't resist perusing titles on NetGalley and when I saw Sophie Van Der Stap's memoir, The Girl with Nine Wigs, I had to read it. Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advanced copy of Van Der Stap's novel, in exchange for an honest review.

PLOT- Dutch college student, Sophie Van Der Stap, is only twenty-one when she is diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer. Her life changes immediately, as she must set aside school and spend weeks living at the hospital, undergoing tests, chemotherapy and, radiation. Throughout her illness, Sophie struggles with her identity. She uses a variety of wigs to create different personas, these new characters are part Sophie and part an identity that she wants to exude. Do blondes have more fun? Are redheads a bit sassy? Sophie is battling her cancer, but she is able to use these new characters to embolden herself and even have some must needed fun.  

LIKE- I dare you to read The Girl with Nine Wigs and not completely fall in love with Van Der Stap. She's a strong woman, not afraid to be honest in her writing and brave for telling her story. Plus, she comes across as such a fun-loving, life-loving person, that it is impossible to not root for her to overcome all of her challenges. Her attitude towards life, will make you reexamine your own outlook. 

Van Der Stap's memoir doesn't just focus on her medical issues. It goes to deeper, as she explains, how it feels to have a possible death sentence, just as your life is starting. Van Der Stap longs to just be a normal college student and with her wigs, she is somewhat able to achieve it, if only for a night. One example, is a man that she flirts with and picks up at a nightclub, never telling him about her diagnoses. It's a fling for one night. This fling makes her feel nearly normal, although, when the night is finished, the entire situation is tainted with sadness. Van Der Stap must come to terms with the cancer forever changing her life, both in good and bad ways. This is a story about shifting and lost identities.

As much as I fell in love with Van Der Stap, I also came to feel care and concern towards the friends that she makes in the cancer ward. I was tense reading the last couple of chapters, waiting to find out what happens to these friends.

DISLIKE- Absolutely nothing. I couldn't put this memoir down. 

RECOMMEND- Yes! Put The Girl with Nine Wigs on the top of your TBR pile. Van Der Stap has an incredibly compelling story to share, but she is also a strong writer, making this memoir a must-read. 

Also, you have to look up Sophie Van Der Stap. I always like to see a picture of authors, especially if I'm reading a memoir. I had already falling in love with her on the page and, then I saw a picture. Van Der Stap is stunningly gorgeous. I was so blown away, that I had to immediately show my husband.