The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls by Emilie Autumn

Published in 2009 by Emilie Autumn Ent. LLC
5 Stars

Goodreads Review
Presenting Emilie Autumn's long awaited autobiographical, reality-bending thriller, "The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls." This beautifully bound hardcover volume measures 8" x 11.5" and clocks in at a massive 274 fully illustrated pages. Positively packed with hand-written memoirs, photos, and paintings, this profoundly empowering epic not only deserves a place on your tea table, it is also one of the most complete accounts of bipolar disorder ever penned, and will take readers behind the doors of both modern day psych ward and Victorian insane asylum in this true life horror tale of madness, murder, and medical experimentation.
But reader beware: It's much easier to get into the Asylum than it is to get out.

Review: I don't think I've ever read anything like The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls. It is amazing, horrifying, and both a work of magical fiction and brutal honesty. I felt like for the first time I had found someone who could understand how I feel. I identified on so many levels with this book, both physically, mentally, and emotionally. I appreciate Emilie as an artist so much more now because I realize just how much of herself she puts into everything she does. This is one of a kind, and is well worth every cent I paid and more.  


The Asylum is a book, I think above all else, about women's rights.  Women's rights to do whatever they want and have freedom over their bodies, minds, and lives.  This includes the right to harm their bodies and to even end their life.  Emilie is all about fighting like a girl and being a total bad ass, and I love watching Emily-with-a-y grow into a Victorian warrior queen.  It's just totally awesome.  


I also totally loved Emilie's story as well.  I think it was such a perfect blend of fact and fiction that I really couldn't tell what was true and what was bleeding over into Emilie's story.  The decent into madness was so slow and subtle that I found myself thinking very odd things were perfectly normal and destructive behaviors were really the only option available.  And the ending?  Amazing beyond belief.  


On a more practical note I loved the overall presentation of this book.  It is absolutely beautiful.  Every page is glossy and full colored with photos, drawings, and cut outs from journals.   It really adds to the story and makes it more than just a book.  


I cannot recommend the Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls enough.  It has so many fascinating topics.  Abuse, mental illness, historical fiction, self mutilation, suicide, friendship, women's empowerment, music, photography, art, and of course muffins, tea time, rats, and leeches.  So spread the plague little rats because, as we all know, dead is the new alive!

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Published in 2006 by Scribner
4 Stars


Goodreads Review
Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted and wrote and couldn't stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an "excitement addict." Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever.

Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded, the Walls retreated to the dismal West Virginia mining town -- and the family -- Rex Walls had done everything he could to escape. He drank. He stole the grocery money and disappeared for days. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents' betrayals and, finally, found the resources and will to leave home.

What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the guts and tenacity and intelligence to get out, but that she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.


For two decades, Jeannette Walls hid her roots. Now she tells her own story. A regular contributor to MSNBC.com, she lives in New York and Long Island and is married to the writer John Taylor.

Review:  This book made me rage! I was listening to the audio book in my car and literally yelling "you jerk! Don't give him money! Get a job! No, quit whining! OH MY GOD ARE YOU SERIOUS!?!?!" And yet at the same time part of me loved her parents. I honestly don't know how to feel about it. They seemed like such intelligent people, but without a drop of common sense. In the beginning I was like, ok they're weird but they're teaching their kids and they love them and while they might not have anything very rich, overall their life is ok.  
 

I think it was once they moved to West Virginia that things went to hell. I spent a lot of that part of the book wondering why they stayed there; surely they were all more happy in Arizona? Alcoholism is a horrible disease, and my heart just aches for Jeannette's father, because I really think if he'd never gotten addicted their lives would have all been so much happier. The mom I think was a lot more emotionally scarred than we knew. We only got the story from Jeannette's perspective, and she seemed much closer to her father. I think if Maureen or Lori had told the story we'd understand their mom a lot more.


I feel bad for Maureen, but in a way her story makes sense. The other kids had their desert childhood to remember, but Maureen only knew West Virginia and the horrible conditions of their life there.   She didn't know the lovelier parts of their lives, before dad fell completely into his disease and mom checked out.

There's a quote from Brian that really sums up this whole book.  "You know, it's really not that hard to put food on the table if that's what you decide to do."  Brian realizes that it's not too difficult to to provide for your family as long as you work hard and make the welfare of your children your first priority.  His parents sadly didn't do that and no matter how much you argue for their loving and spiritual nature makes them, in my eyes, failures as parents. 

A Little Bit Wicked by Kristin Chenoweth

Published 2009 by Touchstone
4 Stars

Goodreads Review
In this frank and funny memoir, the Tony Award-winning star of stage and screen shares her journey from small-town Oklahoma to big-time Broadway.


Review:  A Little Bit Wicked is an adorable autobiography about Kristin Chenoweth that is sure to please the fans of this Broadway diva.  This book is filled with hilarious anecdotes about the star's early career and Broadway mishaps but also has some very touching reflections on loss, faith, and love.  


I really enjoyed reading this book because I'm a HUGE musical theater fan, and in particular I am a Kristin Chenoweth fan.  I liked reading about her life and the positive outlook she has on the difficult things she has gone through and how they have made her the person she is today.  In particular I loved reading about all of the relationships she has formed with her cast mates from the various musicals she has worked on as well as parts of her life I didn't know about like her adoption and her run on the pageant circuit.  The book does a wonderful job capturing the Kristin Chenoweth's bright spirit and vivacious attitude.  There was a lot of wonderful humor in this book that was just so totally Kristin.


I was already familiar with her religious affiliation and though we d0 not agree on theology, I never felt like this book was preaching to me or trying to convince me to think a certain way.  Rather, her faith is approached as just another important factor in her life that has influenced her career and personal choices.  I found that take to be refreshing and open minded.


Overall A Little Bit Wicked is a great book for fans of Kristin Chenoweth who want get a deeper insight into the star's background or just for anyone who enjoys musical theater or reading humorous memoirs.


Sidenote:  The audiobook is read by Kristin and since the best part of Chenoweth is her voice, picking up a copy would probably be a good idea.

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Published in 2007 by Penguin
4 Stars

Goodreads Summary
In her early thirties, Elizabeth Gilbert had everything a modern American woman was supposed to want--husband, country home, successful career--but instead of feeling happy and fulfilled, she felt consumed by panic and confusion. This wise and rapturous book is the story of how she left behind all these outward marks of success, and of what she found in their place. Following a divorce and a crushing depression, Gilbert set out to examine three different aspects of her nature, set against the backdrop of three different cultures: pleasure in Italy, devotion in India, and on the Indonesian island of Bali, a balance between worldly enjoyment and divine transcendence.


Review:  I could really identify with Gilbert in this book. I have read criticism for her being selfish when it came to her divorce but I can understand why she was shocked when her ex-husband didn't let things go smoothly. She had been so emotionally checked out from their relationship that she assumed he was as well. I have had similar relationships in the past, so I can completely understand her desire to end things agreeably and then after fighting for years being willing to do anything to just make it stop.


Her Italy portion of the trip sounded like a lot of fun. I can understand her need to go somewhere and recover form the emotional turmoil her divorce had created, and I can't think of a place better than Italy. It's my favorite country to visit, and it's true that Italy has a culture that truly appreciates pleasure.


My favorite part of her three countries was India. I would love to live in an ashram to fully commit myself to my spiritual practice. I found her spiritual journey to be fascinating and similar to what I'm going through currently. I really loved Richard from Texas, he seems like such an unlikely source of profound wisdom. I wish we had experience more of him.


I have also read criticisim about Gilbert falling in love in Indonesia, saying that she hadn't learned anything and that she was still a woman who defined herself by the man she was with. I disagree however. I think she needed to first learn to love herself and to be comfortable with herself before she could be in a relationship and not worry about the implications of her relationship. I think she needed to learn to listen to her heart and love herself enough to not think she deserved to be unhappy because of her guilt. That is something I struggle with, feeling guilty and therefore thinking I don't deserve happiness.


Overall I think this book was a very interesting memoir about a major transitional period in Gilbert's life. I listened to the audio book which is also read by Gilbert. This was a treat because she was reading the book as she spoke it in her head, so we could here her emphasis and conversations as if she were talking directly to us. Also, she did a lot of accents and imitated the voices of the people she actually knew, which helped us as the readers/listeners understand the emotions behind the conversations.