Bogormen

Title: Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing
Author: Matthew Perry
Genre: Memoir
Rating: 4/5
# pages: Audiobook ~9hrs
Date read: June, 2024

“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.

I had a hard time rating this book. It wasn't well-written - but it was captivating. It wasn't what I'd consider "a good book" - but it was riveting, fascinating and heartbreaking. I loved hearing about being part of "FRIENDS" and (especially) the shooting of "The Whole Nine Yards" (one of my all-time favourite movies), but had no idea just HOW tough Matthew's life had been.

I'd thought that Matthew Perry was one of the numerous famous guys who couldn't handle being famous, and turned to drinking and drugs because of it. This was very much NOT the case, and in fact, I think being famous (and being on "FRIENDS" especially) actually may have saved his life more than once. Yes, it meant that he had the money to get the drugs he craved, but it also meant that he had money for the rehab, and that his drug habit didn't mean he ended up on the streets. Addiction is a horrible, horrible thing, and my heart broke for Matthew more than once while reading his memoir. It ended up on an optimistic note - which was all the more heartbreaking because of what we now know would happen just one year later :-(

The book hits very differently being read after his death. The very first sentence is, “Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead.” - and all I could think was, "And you are! ;-( ;-( ;-("

At the end of the day, I'm glad I've read it - and I'm VERY glad that I chose the audiobook version of it. Hearing it in Matthew Perry's own voice definitely added something to it, and he did an excellent job of narrating it.

Title: Deadline (Newsflesh #2)
Author: Mira Grant
Genre: Dystopian
Rating: 4/5
# pages: Audiobook ~15hrs
Date read: June 2013, June 2016, October 2020, June 2024

DO NOT READ THE SUMMARY OF "DEADLINE" ON GOODREADS UNLESS YOU'VE READ "FEED"!!! HUGE SPOILERS!!!

... trying to make this a spoiler-free review though, so I'll leave out the summary for this one...

Very obviously the middle book of a trilogy and therefore really cannot stand on its own. It had me totally hooked from the very beginning, and was as action-packed as I could have wished, but the story was definitely action-driven and character-driven rather than plot-driven... some major twists were thrown at us, but nothing resolved.

I'm still really impressed by the world-building, and how Mira Grant so effortlessly switches between Shaun and George's voices - making both equally believable. I thought the revelations about their relationship more than a little unnecessary though... it makes sense, but I'm not sure that it was necessary for the story... but perhaps that will be revealed in the next book.

Title: Squire
Author: Tamora Pierce
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.5/5
# pages: 339
Date read: August 2007, October 2010, January 2019, June 2024

14-year-old Keladry of Mindelan is ready to begin training as a squire after undergoing four grueling years as the first girl to be officially educated as a page. Disappointed at first that Lady Alanna does not choose her, Kel is delighted when gruff, good-natured, down-to-earth Lord Raoul takes her on. The next four years prove to be tough but happy, for the most part, as Raoul and most of the others in the King's Own (a corps of 300 men--299 now, plus Kel--that enforces the law and helps local nobles deal with problems such as centaur attacks and forest robberies) treat Kel as an equal. Throughout, Kel is physically and mentally preparing herself for the final test in the Chamber of the Ordeal, in which fourth-year squires must successfully face their greatest fears before becoming knights.


A bit repetitious, especially as we're told 5 or 6 times thoughout the book just *why* Kelandry is no longer petrified by heights. I think we got it after the first time, thanks!

Still a charming book though, and a quick and pleasant read. Probably my favourite of the lot as it's more diverse than the others.

Reread 2019: I actually didn't find it repetitious this time around... maybe I just knew that it was coming, so it didn't bother me.

While I did miss reading about Kel's life at the palace, there was so much to love in this book - Kel getting Raoul as her Knight-Master, the tilting, the Yamani, Cleon - and of course, Kel finally meeting Alanna. I don't think I'd claim it my favourite any longer, because the two first ones are excellent as well, but it certainly is very, very good :-)