Tag: 4 stars

Book Review | Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry

Posted March 5, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry

“Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead.”

So begins the riveting story of acclaimed actor Matthew Perry, taking us along on his journey from childhood ambition to fame to addiction and recovery in the aftermath of a life-threatening health scare. Before the frequent hospital visits and stints in rehab, there was five-year-old Matthew, who traveled from Montreal to Los Angeles, shuffling between his separated parents; fourteen-year-old Matthew, who was a nationally ranked tennis star in Canada; twenty-four-year-old Matthew, who nabbed a coveted role as a lead cast member on the talked-about pilot then called Friends Like Us. . . and so much more.

In an extraordinary story that only he could tell—and in the heartfelt, hilarious, and warmly familiar way only he could tell it—Matthew Perry lays bare the fractured family that raised him (and also left him to his own devices), the desire for recognition that drove him to fame, and the void inside him that could not be filled even by his greatest dreams coming true. But he also details the peace he’s found in sobriety and how he feels about the ubiquity of Friends, sharing stories about his castmates and other stars he met along the way. Frank, self-aware, and with his trademark humor, Perry vividly depicts his lifelong battle with addiction and what fueled it despite seemingly having it all.

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing is an unforgettable memoir that is both intimate and eye-opening—as well as a hand extended to anyone struggling with sobriety. Unflinchingly honest, moving, and uproariously funny, this is the book fans have been waiting for.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge
2024 Audiobook Challenge
2024 Library Love Challenge

The Reason

I’m a fan of the TV show Friends, and Chandler was always my favorite character. I don’t read a lot of biographies, so I didn’t feel a need to read this one when it came out, especially since there were some less than great comments about it. But there were also some good reviews, and after he passed away last year, I thought I should give it a chance.

The Quotes

“When someone does something nice for someone else, I see God. But you can’t give away something you don’t have. So, I try to improve myself daily. When those moments come and I am needed, I’ve worked out my shit, and do what we are all here for, which is simply to help other people.”

“I’m not the biggest fan of confrontation. I ask a lot of questions. Just not out loud.”

“I am me. And that should be enough, it always has been enough. I was the one who didn’t get that. And now I do. I’m an actor, I’m a writer. I’m a person. And a good one at that. I want good things for myself, and others, and I can continue to work for these things. There is a reason I’m still here. And figuring out why is the task that has been put in front of me. And it will be revealed. There is no rush, no desperation. Just the fact that I am here, and I care about people, is the answer. Now when I wake up, I wake up curious, wondering what the world has in store for me, and I for it. And that’s enough to go on.”

“And have you ever stood on the water’s edge and tried to stop the wave? It goes on regardless of what we do, regardless of how hard we try. The ocean reminds us that we are powerless in comparison.”

The Narrator

Matthew Perry himself. It was nice to hear him tell his story in his own voice. I thought he came across very honest and genuine.

My Thoughts

Matthew Perry is Chandler. They both have the difficult childhood, the addictive personalities, insecurities with women, the need for attention and to be the funniest guy in the room. The difference is that Matthew never got the happy ending Chandler did, and all the things they went through might’ve been funny on a sitcom, but not so much in real life. Matthew’s addictions were also bigger and more terrible.

There were many instances in the book where Matthew came across as a not so good guy, but what I liked about it was that he was honest. He didn’t like himself very much a lot of the time, and he also regrets a lot of the things he did, but he was true to the story of his life, and he bared it all in this book.

My Feels

I feel so much compassion for him. He was in so much pain throughout the course of his life from such a young age, and even at the peak of his career, he never found peace. The book ended well, with a lot of hope for the future, and I feel like he didn’t have a lot of time to see that through. He wanted to be remembered as more than his role in Friends, and even though his work in Friends is what I loved most about him, this book has allowed me to get to know the real him a little more. I see you, Matty. Thank you for being a Friend.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | All Systems Red by Martha Wells

Posted March 5, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 4 Comments

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

In a corporate-dominated space-faring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. For their own safety, exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids. But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern.

On a distant planet, a team of scientists is conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid–a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, Murderbot wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is, but when a neighboring mission goes dark, it’s up to the scientists and Murderbot to get to the truth.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #36: Has futuristic technology)
2024 Audiobook Challenge
2024 Library Love Challenge

The Reason

I’ve been seeing so many recommendations for the Murderbot Diaries everywhere, and always in conjunction with a few other books I’ve loved. Everyone who talks about it says how much they loved it, and it just got to a point where it seemed like everyone has read it except me. So I got on the bandwagon!

The Quotes

“I liked the imaginary people on the entertainment feed way more than I liked real ones, but you can’t have one without the other.”

“Yes, talk to Murderbot about its feelings. The idea was so painful I dropped to 97 percent efficiency. I’d rather climb back into Hostile One’s mouth.”

“You may have noticed that when I do manage to care, I’m a pessimist.”

“All right,” she said, and looked at me for what objectively I knew was 2.4 seconds and subjectively about twenty excruciating minutes.”

The Narrator

Kevin R. Free. He did a great job! No complaints there. My only issue with this being an audiobook is that I often don’t get the characters’ names, and/or location names, mission names, etc., but that’s a common issue with scifi and fantasy and made-up names. I heard the series was good on audio, so I’ll continue it on audio, but I might check out a print copy just to see the names written out.

The Characters

The Murderbot – I don’t think we ever find out its name, unless I missed it. But I love it! It may be a murderbot, but it’s one of the funniest, most relatable characters I’ve ever read about, and ironically, so humanly-flawed! I love it!

The other characters are interesting too, or rather, have the potential to be interesting. Their personalities are quite distinct, but we don’t find out a lot about them. Some readers have criticized this aspect of the book, saying that the characters fell flat, but to me, it seemed like a deliberate decision. We see the story through the Murderbot’s POV, and the Murderbot tells us repeatedly that it doesn’t care to know anything about the other characters. I thought it made perfect sense.

My Thoughts

I’ll be honest and say that half the time I had no idea what was going on in terms of plot. The beauty of this book is in the Murderbot’s thought processes, and again, the Murderbot admits it has no interest in information about the crew or their missions, or anything to do with why it’s there, and it certainly shows through how the story is told. I think that it’s just brilliantly written, how Martha Wells managed to write a story where we don’t get a lot of clear information, but we get to know the Murderbot, and how invested we can become in a story like that.

My Feels

I want more. I started the book knowing that it’s the first book in a series, and I think I might not like it as much if it stopped here because while I enjoyed getting to know the Murderbot, I feel like this book was just an introduction and I need to see its character develop and grow. So I’m looking forward to the next books!

My Rating

4/5 stars. I’m hooked, but I need more!

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit

Posted February 12, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit

Doomed to—or blessed with—eternal life after drinking from a magic spring, the Tuck family wanders about trying to live as inconspicuously and comfortably as they can. When ten-year-old Winnie Foster stumbles on their secret, the Tucks take her home and explain why living forever at one age is less a blessing that it might seem. Complications arise when Winnie is followed by a stranger who wants to market the spring water for a fortune.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #9: A character-driven novel)
2024 Audiobook Challenge
2024 Library Love Challenge

The Reason

This is one of those books I’d heard about but never read, and it was immediately available on my library’s catalog and only four hours on audio, so I thought, why not?

The Quotes

“Don’t be afraid of death; be afraid of an unlived life. You don’t have to live forever, you just have to live.”

“The way I see it,” Miles went on, “it’s no good hiding yourself away, like Pa and lots of other people. And it’s no good just thinking of your own pleasure, either. People got to do something useful if they’re going to take up space in the world.”

“But dying’s part of the wheel, right there next to being born. You can’t pick out the pieces you like and leave the rest. Being part of the whole thing, that’s the blessing.”

“You really have to love words if you’re going to be a writer, because as a writer, you certainly spend a lot of time with words.”

The Narrator

Peter Thomas. Everything was just perfect, I have no complaints!

My Thoughts

Look, I’m just going to ignore the whole kidnapping thing, Stockholm Syndrome thing, possible grooming of a 12-year-old girl by a 17-year-old boy, or a 104-year-old man, depending how you see it. I’m taking it at face value, and it’s such a sweet story. Bittersweet. Scary too, if the bad guy had gotten his way.

Personally, if there was a spring that could grant me immortality, I would go for it. I might regret it because there’d be no way out if I wanted to die, but if so, then I’d spend my life looking for a way to die, and then I’d have a purpose to live! Ironic. But seriously, I love the idea of living forever and staying the same age. Of course, I’d prefer to become immortal when I was younger, but heck, I’d take it at this age. I’m not completely decrepit yet!

I do understand the thought processes that Tuck and his family has about their immortality though. It would be hard to never be able to stay in one place long, to never be able to have lifelong friends, to never be able to progress in life, get married and have kids, and grow old with them. I know that I would only take immortality if my husband lived forever with me. I would never choose it if he couldn’t come with me. I did feel like Miles could’ve tried again, but that’s a moot point by the end of the story.

My Feels

It’s a sad and lonely existence, the way the Tucks lived. They could’ve done much more with the gift, or the curse, they had. I loved what Miles said, about being useful if you’re going to take up space in the world. They may or may not like being immortal, but if you’re there, you may as well do something good with it.

Spoiler
I was also sad that by the time they came back, Winnie had grown old and died. It’s sad to me that she never got to see them again. And I’m not exactly sure what happened to the spring, but it’s implied that it’s no longer there. I feel like the Tucks could’ve shared it with trusted friends and loved ones over the years, so that they wouldn’t be so alone, and I’m sure some people would love to have that opportunity as well. But if the spring is gone, then that chance is lost forever.

My Rating

4/5 stars. It gives me a lot to think about.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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