Review: Backstage Passes & Backstabbing Bastards: Memoirs of a Rock 'N' Roll Survivor

Backstage Passes & Backstabbing Bastards: Memoirs of a Rock 'N' Roll Survivor by Al Kooper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dear Lord, how had I never heard of this guy? I guess I wasn't paying attention. Kooper shows up at key places in rock and roll history, Zelig-like. From writing "This Diamond Ring" to hanging around a recording studio and lucking into playing organ on Dylan's "Like a Rollin' Stone" to producing and playing on Lynyrd Skynyrd albums and the Tubes albums to starting Blood, Sweat and Tears, Kooper has been behind many of the songs I have loved throughout my lifetime. His story seems unbelievable, which is the one thing that made it a little uncomfortable reading -- were you being fed a line of bull, or is it possible a guy got this much exposure to the rock world for twenty years (with a name that didn't ring a bell). I guess I believe. Very fun read, lots of rock and roll anecdotes. Kooper is a big name dropper, he mentions many in the rock and roll, folk, jazz, and blues worlds. And he shares pictures with many of these other stars. Again, very Zelig-like. A fun read.

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Review: Help Thanks Wow: The Three Essential Prayers

Help Thanks Wow: The Three Essential Prayers by Anne Lamott
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Lamott tries very hard to write a pithy sermon here. I liked the basic concept. I didn't like the style -- Lamott kept using examples where one or two of the examples were so off the wall compared to the rest that it didn't add to the understanding, those were obviously there to look edgy.

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Review: Mind Hacking: How to Change Your Mind for Good in 21 Days

Mind Hacking: How to Change Your Mind for Good in 21 Days by Sir John Hargrave Sir
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

If you've read those self help books that suggest different ways to think, this is another one. The concepts I've seen many times before. But as I often like refreshers, I happened to read this at the right time, and i found it useful. The author uses some computer programming references that resonated with me, but might not with the non-tech reader. He comes across as a bit goofy. On the audiobook version of this, the author goes through his text, then he turns the audiobook into a kind of collection of podcasts with an episode for each of the 21 days he says it takes to change your thinking. Each episode lasts about 5 to 10 minutes, and often repeats a thought or an anecdote from the book, followed by guided meditation, often with 5 to 10 minutes of quiet time per episode. These reminded me greatly of an NPR podcast, as the narrator's voice and enthusiasm and use of music felt very familiar. I ended up fast forwarding through much of the quiet space. I could see how this might be of use as guided meditations, but as I listened mostly in the car -- bad idea.

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Review: Memoirs of a Geisha

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I found long stretches of this story were there to relate historical research by the author, not necessarily to advance the story. At times it read like a Wikipedia article. The story was fine and memorable, but I'd have liked it more if it didn't feel like I was getting a lesson.

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Review: The Man Who Fell To Earth

The Man Who Fell To Earth by Walter Tevis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Like "War of the Worlds", (view spoiler)[but with the alien (singular) succumbing not to smog but to gin and governmental overstep (hide spoiler)]. My second Tevis book, and I find his writing likable, though feeling a bit askew, like you are looking at things slightly differently than normal, at an angle. Not your father's dystopia.

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Review: Dance Dance Dance

Dance Dance Dance by Haruki Murakami
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I found this a more familiar story from Murakami, with shades of a mystery novel through parts, though with Murakami's normal surrealness. And as with most of his stories, I had to stop in the middle to try out some mentioned music, in this case Freddie Hubbard's "Red Clay". Needed a touch more sheep.

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Review: Somebody's Fool

Somebody's Fool by Richard Russo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed Russo's early books, including "Nobody's Fool". The characters, the situations, the towns were all so familiar to me from growing up in a small town that had the same kinds of characters and the same characteristics. I was expecting the same kind of nostalgia-tinged trip with Russo's new Fool book. That's not how it went down. This one felt closer to who I am now, more adult. Very enjoyable trip.

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