Book Review- Betty Gilpin's All the Women in My Brain and Other Concerns

Thank you to Libro FM for the audio version of Betty Gilpin’s memoir, All the Women in My Brain and Other Concerns.

Actress Betty Gilpin was raised in New York by two parents, both in the entertainment industry. She recalls a colorful childhood in a warm household where delivering a good story was currency. Gilpin grew up watching her parents perform in Broadway shows and to her, being in a theatre, surrounded by theatre people was just normal life. Transitioning into adulthood, Gilpin struggled to find her place, but eventually found success in film and television. It took her awhile, but she also found romantic love and tells quite the beautiful love story.

I’m a fan of Betty Gilpin and enjoyed learning more about her. She narrates the audio book and very entertaining in her narrative. As you might gather from the title, Gilpin struggles with all of the competing voices in her brain. This is not to imply that she has a mental disorder, but that like most women, she struggles with different roles and expectations. It’s relatable.

One of Gilpin’s best roles is as Crystal in The Hunt. I had no idea that there had been so much controversy swirling around this film, controversy that lead to death threats and the film nearly being canceled. Gilpin describes her excitement over this project, including a fair bit of creative license given to her by the director. It was impossible to not feel deflated for her with the troubles that plagued The Hunt, including opening just prior to the pandemic shutdowns. That said, it is a fantastic film and I loved hearing Gilpin’s enthusiasm for her work.

The most touching part of the memoir involves Gilpin’s growth with love and relationships, including her bond with her dog, Babe. Animal lovers will need to have tissue handy.

Gilpin is just all-around fabulous and I really enjoyed All the Women in My Brain and Other Concerns.

Book Review- Lauren Graham's Have I Told You This Already : Stories I Don't Want to Forget to Remember

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Libro FM for both physical and audio arcs of Lauren Graham’s Have I Told You This Already: Stories I Don’t Want to Forget to Remember. I ended up listening to the audio version narrated by Graham.

In her second essay collection, actress and writer Lauren Graham shares more tidbits from her life, including her current television gig on The Mighty Ducks, her break-up with partner Peter Kraus, and how she handled the pandemic. Graham’s memoir is both humorous and reflective, a treat for fans, but truly a book that can be widely enjoyed, even by those unfamiliar with her work.

To me, autumn means Gilmore Girls and as we don’t have any new episodes in the works, a book from Lauren Graham is the next best thing. Graham lightly addresses the desire for more Gilmore Girls, but as she really doesn’t have more info on the subject, she doesn’t linger in Stars Hollow. Graham is expansive in her topics. I enjoyed her take on the importance of making friends both older and younger that oneself as a way to expand horizons. Graham has a very lovely friendship with Mae Whitman, who played Graham’s daughter on the television show Parenthood. Graham offers interesting insight regarding her experiences behind-the-camera, with both directing a television episode and pitching a writing project.The sweetest story involves Graham getting a new dog during the pandemic, while on location in Canada. I always love a good pet/human adoption story.

Have I Told You This Already is a mostly feel-good collection of essays that made me happy during this hectic holiday season.

Book Review- Bob Odenkirk's Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama

Thank you to LibroFM for a free audio copy of Bob Odenkirk’s memoir Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama.

Writer and actor Bob Odenkirk writes his first, mid-life memoir, sharing details from his long career in show business. Although his commercial success came about ten years ago with his role of Saul Goodman on Breaking Bad, Odenkirk has had quite a long career in show business, including writing for Saturday Night Live.

I have to confess, that I had not heard of Odenkirk previous to his work with Vince Gilligan. Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama does talk about his work on Gilligan’s projects, but those chapters come at the end of the memoir. A majority of the book is centered on Odenkirk’s early career, including his love for improv and comedy writing and his work with David Cross on Mr. Show. Odenkirk repeatedly expresses his passion for comedy writing. He also goes into great detail about the amount of hard work, rejection, and bit of luck that it has taken for him to reach this point in his career. It is no means discouraging for budding writers and actors, only a realistic look at how crazy your trajectory in this field can be, including many times that the excitement for a project can build, only to fizzle and land in obscurity.

Odenkirk narrates the audio book and hearing his voice, his inflection, really added my enjoyment of his memoir. I highly recommend this memoir for both Odenkirk fans and those interested in comedy writing or show business.