Book Review- Nate Staniforth's Here is Real Magic: A Magician's Search for Wonder in the Modern World

Thank you to Bloomsbury USA for providing a copy of Nate Staniforth's memoir, Here is Real Magic: A Magician's Search for Wonder in the Modern World, in exchange for an honest review.

PLOT- Ever since Nate Staniforth was a child, he had always been captivated by magic, specifically, how a magic trick can bring a sense of wonder to even the most jaded adults. Staniforth persued his dream of becoming a magician and soon found himself burned out on a rigorous national tour and loosing what he had loved about being a magician. Stanfiorth takes a hiatus and travels to India to meet with street magicians, in the hopes that he can regain the spark that he had once felt for his craft.

LIKE- I absolutely love a magic show and I'm one of those adults that Staniforth loves to have in his audience, someone who allows themselves to be swept away by the wonder. Staniforth writes about the need as a performer to never allow yourself to lose your own excitement. A few years ago, my family went to see David Copperfield in Las Vegas. Copperfield is one of the premiere magicians in the world and Staniforth even mentions a childhood trip to see Copperfield perform. Copperfield's show was the worst magic show and one of the worse live performances that I have ever seen. It had nothing to do with his talent and tricks, but everything to do with his lack of enthusiasm. Staniforth may not be as famous as Copeprfield (yet), but he knew enough to realize that he needed to take a break and reevaluate where his career was heading. I thought this was a very bold move, especially as he decided to take this risk just as his career was taking off.

I enjoyed reading about his travels in India, especially when he met with a family of magicians living in the slums. This portion of the story is very transformative, filled with sensory descriptions and self-reflection on the part of Staniforth. Staniforth is a likable narrator and it's easy to join him on his journey, including the excitement that he experiences through his travels. It truly makes you realize that "magic" isn't limited to a glitzy stage, but can be found in the every day.

DISLIKE- Nothing. This is Real Magic is a compelling, fast-paced memoir.

RECOMMEND- Yes! This is Real Magic is part memoir and part travel journal. It's a wonderful pick for readers who enjoy magic, but who also can appreciate the wonders of every day life, especially lives different from their own. 

Book Review- Shonda Rhimes' Year of Yes

PLOT- Writer and creator of several award-winning television shows (Grey's Anatomy, Scandal), Shonda Rhimes, shares how she spent a year saying yes to experiences that were outside of her comfort zone and how this quest changed her life.

LIKE- I have a confession: I've never seen a single episode of any of Shonda Rhimes' hit shows. I'm well aware of who is she is, because I don't live under a rock. Rhimes is one of the most successful show-runners on television. So, if I'm not a fan of her shows, why would I pick up her book? Year of Yes kept popping up on must-read lists and catching my eye in the book store. It's a New York Times Bestseller and when I saw a copy on the remainders table, I grabbed it. It has been on my shelf for awhile and with the new year, it seemed like the type of book that could be inspiring.

It is inspiring! Rhimes talks about her insecurities and introverted nature, all of which caused her to turn down invitations and shy away from the lime light ( which is hard to do when you're one of the most well-regarded women in Hollywood). During Thanksgiving 2013, Rhimes' sister, Delorse, makes the comment that Rhimes never says yes to anything. Rhimes took this comment to heart and made the active choice to say yes in 2014, particularly to things that forced her outside of her comfort zone.

Among other things, she says yes to giving a commencement speech at her alma matter, Dartmouth. She says yes to appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live. She gives herself permissions to cut out toxic friendships and to focus on her health. Through all of this, she discovers that she actually enjoys the previously terrifying experiences,and is becoming a happier person. 

Rhimes is intelligent, funny, and down-to-earth. She's really likable and relatable. On a personal level, I connected with her childhood dreams of being a writer and how she would escape to the pantry to create stories or read. I was that kid too Shonda! 

I don't remember the exact quote, but I love a comment that Rhimes makes about her shows, how she wants to see people like herself on television, but also people who are different from her. She wants diversity in all forms. 

DISLIKE- Nothing. Well, one thing...I now feel compelled to start watching Rhimes' shows. How can I possibly take on a decade worth of Grey's Anatomy? Where to start? Argh!

RECOMMEND- Say yes to Year of Yes. If you tend to be a bit of a introvert like me, it's the kick in the pants that will get you to embrace new opportunities. 

Book Review - Maude Julien's The Only Girl in the World

Thank you to Little, Brown and Company for providing me with a copy of Maude Julien's memoir, The Only Girl in the World, in exchange for an honest review.

PLOT - Maude Julien recounts her traumatic childhood, being raised in France by parents with a bizarre belief system that causes them to raise their daughter with extreme deprivation and cruelty. 

LIKE- The Only Girl in the World is intense and impossible to put down. Julien's parents have a belief that their daughter must be raised with strict rules and odd punishments, to make her tough and a survivalist. Her parents regulate every aspect of her life, including the precise time she wakes up, how many times she chews her food, and the exact spot she is allowed to sit on a chair.  As soon as she can talk, she is given intense lessons in a variety of subjects, with the expectation that she should naturally be able to understand subjects that are taught to much older children and adults. The ability to play musical instruments is prized and she must learn several instruments, sometimes spending up to ten hours a day studying. On top of her education, she is given manual labor tasks, working along side laborers in the gated house where she lives, a house that she doesn't leave for years at a time.

As if this wasn't mad enough, Julien is given other challenges, such as being woken up in the middle of the night and forced to sit still in a pitch-black basement with rats. Her father forces her watch the monthly slaughtering of animals on their property and when she accidentally touches an electrified fence and flinches, he forces her to hold the fence on a regular basis to toughen up.

Julien's mother plays an interesting role in this whole situation. When Julien's mother was a child, her parents were poor and Julien's father offered to buy her. He raised her and groomed her to be his wife, specifically to carry a child that she would then educate. Julien's mother is complex. She is often just as tortured as her daughter, at the receiving end of her husband's crazy ideas and anger. However, she is also envious of her daughter and willfully participates in the punishments. In the end, Julien shows forgiveness towards her mother, towards the acceptance that her mother was raised as part of this ideology and felt trapped.

Speaking of Ideology, Julien's father spouts off confusing beliefs that involve the illuminati, Nazis, and various philosophers. As a reader, it's clear that he is not in his right mind, as his ideas are not only muddled, but contradictory. Seeing it through the lens of Julien's childhood, it's easy to see how these ideas, coupled with her larger than life father, kept her in fear. It's exciting to see her realize the truth and begin to rebel as a teen. 

The most touching parts of her memoir involve Julien's relationship with her pets. This was tricky to navigate, as her parents showed cruelty to the animals as well and Julien had to hide much of her affection, so that the animals wouldn't be further punished or used as a way to hurt her. The animals and Julien's love for books and writing (activities she also must hide) are what keeps her alive.

DISLIKE- Nothing. The Only Girl in the World is often upsetting and it's emotionally difficult to read, but it's also an incredible survival story.

RECOMMEND- Yes! Julien has had a difficult, but fascinating childhood. You will be in disbelief at some of the trauma that she had to endure and you'll admire her perseverance. The Only Girl in the World is a page-turner and must-read memoir.