The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir by Bill Bryson

Genre: Memoir

Published: 2006

Audiobook, 6 cds

Review: 3/5 stars

Even though I considered abandoning this book a few times, I ended up enjoying much of this audiobook. Bill Bryson tells stories of his childhood in the '50s and '60s growing up in Des Moines, Iowa. His memories seem remarkably clear for events that occurred when he was only 5 or 6 years old. It seems like many of these stories must have been exaggerated and enhanced a bit but they do make for pretty funny stuff. I laughed out loud many times.

There's also quite a bit of history including the testing of nuclear weapons, the witch hunts for communists, and the opening of Disneyland. These parts were interesting to some degree but could also get a little lengthy. He always somehow made these tangents applicable to his memories but they could have been a little less detailed.

This was an interesting view of a slice of life in America during the 50's and 60's. There were several laugh-out-loud moments but I didn't care for the spattering of harsh profanity and his sometimes obsessive quest to get his hands on pornography. If it weren't for those things I could recommend this book but, sadly, I can't. Also, if I had been reading this book instead of listening to it I think I probably would have abandoned it. It wasn't really compelling even though it did have some funny parts. I know this review is flip-flopping quite a bit so here are a couple of good reviews if you're interested.

• Book Nut's Review
• Library Queue's Review
• So Many Precious Books, So Little Time

Rating: 3.1.5 Includes several f-bombs.

Still Life With Rice by Helie Lee

Rating: 2.4.3
Category: Memoir
Published: 1997, 320 pages
Review: 4.5/5 stars

Still Life With Rice by Helie Lee is the kind of book that can be a little difficult to read. The accounts of suffering due to war and child abuse are hard to read but without them the book would not give an accurate account of a strong, brave, faithful woman.

This book is written by Helie Lee but mostly in the voice of her grandmother. In the first chapter Helie writes about her frustration with her mother and grandmother who think that Helie has become too Americanized and should be more Korean. Even though she disagrees with them she decides to go back to Korea where she was born. There she meets relatives who revere her grandmother and she can't quite understand why. She decides to find out more about her family history and that is how her grandmother's story comes to be told in this book. After the first chapter the narrative switches to the voice of her grandmother and it begins with her birth in what is now North Korea.

I've mentioned before that I was a missionary in South Korea so this book was especially dear to me. I wish that I had known more about Korea's history before I went over there. They are a very humble but strong people and after reading this book, I can understand why. Though this book doesn't always seem to be really well written, I thought the content made up for it. I really enjoyed learning more about the history and culture of this divided nation but the truly compelling part of the book was the relationships of the family members.

I have friends that have told me that they just can't read a book with child abuse in it and if that is the case for you, I don't recommend this book. That part is just in the beginning but it is heart-breaking, so be forewarned. If you liked Wild Swans or The Good Earth, I highly recommend this book. I thought about both of them as I was reading Still Life With Rice.

Review Catch Up

There are still books that I read in 2008 that I haven't reviewed yet so I'm going to have to play catch-up with one long list of reviews. I prefer to post one review at a time but desperate times call for desperate measures. :)

After the Funeral by Agatha Christie was my second mystery by this legendary author. I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first one I read but it was still pretty good. I do like mysteries. Sometimes I try to guess "who dunit" and sometimes I just enjoy the story. So far with Agatha Christie's novels, she has kept me guessing til almost the end. That's fun for me.

Audiobook

4/5 stars

I found The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck to be a very sad book. I'm glad I read it but it was not a happy book. It made me think a lot about money, pride, greed, women's rights, love and family. I think this would make a good book club selection.

Audiobook

Rating: 2.3.1

4/5 stars

Hallelujah by J. Scott Featherstone was our book club's selection for December. It probably wasn't the best choice for that month because it is a chunkster and only a few of us were able to finish it. We were not very impressed by the overall writing of this book. It's a little too sentimental and fluffy in parts as well as being repetitive but I did still like it quite a bit. Despite it's problems, I really liked learning about Handel and especially about The Messiah oratorio.

Rating: 1.1.1

4/5 stars

I listened to this audiobook while traveling. French Women Don't Get Fat is a book I'd heard quite a bit about a couple of years ago. I thought it would be interesting and it was. If you are the kind to be easily offended about the stereotype that most Americans are fat, then this book is not for you. When I listened to it I felt inspired to try to look at food in a different way. The author has some great ideas and I can see how they could be effective in weight management. They don't really work for me but that's not saying a lot.

Audiobook

3/5 stars

Our book club read How Angel Peterson Got His Name together with Hatchet by the same author, Gary Paulsen. In Angel, Paulsen tells several stories of his growing up in a small mid-western town where he and his buddies pulled some really crazy stunts. This is the kind of book that pre-teen and teenage boys love but makes their parents worry. All I can say is that Gary Paulsen is lucky to still be alive today. It was interesting to read these books together to get an insight into the author's life.

3/5 stars

Trespassers Will Be Baptized by Elizabeth Emerson Hancock

I am reposting this review because I am going to get another copy to give away. Just post a comment to be entered. (If you have already commented, you don't have to do it again. You are already entered.) This second drawing will end on July 31st. Good luck.

Rating: 1.1.1

Recommended audience: Teen and up

Category: Memoir, Christian, Inspirational

Review: 4.5/5

It's finally here--the giveaway post for this gem of a book! I really enjoyed this "Unordained Memoir of a Preacher's Daughter". Hancock writes the stories of her childhood in a vivid, funny, and touching way. She tells what it was like growing up in Kentucky as the daughter of a Southern Baptist preacher. Her perspective on the world and her role in it as a PK (preacher's kid) made me laugh out loud at times and made me pause to think at other times. One of my favorite lines is in the first chapter when Hancock's father tells her, "The Southern Baptist philosophy rests largely on the principle that all God's glorious, perfect children are also dumb as dirt." That might make it sound like this book really bashes Southern Baptists, but it doesn't. It is just a look at life as a Southern Baptist through the eyes of a very bright, inquisitive child. I definitely recommend it.

Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculee Ilibagiza

Rating: 2.3.1
Recommended audience: Mature teen to adult
Category: Memoir

Review: 5/5

Left to Tell is one of those books that everyone should read. It is both profoundly sad, yet uplifting and inspiring as you read about the triumph of the human spirit. I listened to this book on CD's and even though Immaculee did not read it, I felt like she was speaking to me and telling me her story. Immaculee Ilibagiza begins by telling the reader (or listener, in my case) the story of her idyllic childhood, how she was raised by a loving family in a beautiful country. She had no sense of the racial tension that was running through the society because her parents taught her to respect all people. She did run into discrimination as she got older and wanted to go to high school and university but was able to overcome it. Before she could graduate from university, though, chaos erupted in Rwanda. That was in April 1994. Her story is horrifying and miraculous at the same time. I highly recommend this book. Just as the title says, Immaculee believes that she was preserved, "left to tell" her story, and it is one that should be heard.

Inside the Kingdom: My Life in Saudi Arabia

Rating: 2.1.2
Recommended audience: Adult
Category: Memoir





We read this book at the recommendation of one of our book club "sisters" and I have to admit that I was a little hesitant about reading it. I am so glad we did. Carmen Bin Ladin married into the Bin Ladin family in the 70's (yes, the Osama Bin Ladin family) and she tells what it was like living in Saudi Arabia. This book describes her daily life while living there (she was able to get out in 1988). Even though this book only tells what it is like for wealthy women in Saudi Arabia, it was still a real eye opener. I knew that things were hard for women there but I didn't know it was like this. I definitely recommend this book. It's an easy read and except for a little discussion about homosexuality it is very clean.

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang

Rating: 2.3.2
Recommend audience: Adult
Category: Historical, memoir



This is the story of three generations of women and their struggles and triumphs through the very difficult 20th century history of China. It is truly a remarkable story and I learned so much about the history of communism in China and the rule of Mao Zedong. It is not an easy read with all of the Chinese names that are so unfamiliar, but so worth the effort. I definitely recommend this book but be warned that the subject matter is often heart-wrenching. I will never think of China in the same way again.