Review of "The World According to Fannie Davis: My Mother's Life in the Detroit Numbers" by Bridgett M. Davis

The World According to Fannie Davis: My Mother's Life in the Detroit Numbers by Bridgett M. Davis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In this memoir by Bridgett Davis, she focuses the story around her mother Fannie Davis and her numbers business in the city of Detroit. The numbers was a term for a daily underground and technically illegal lottery played mostly by the black community. I was unaware of this term or business before reading this book. I found this story very interesting and somewhat inspiring. It is a tale of a woman's initiative to create a business out of nothing and make her own money. Especially in the time period of this memoir, it's an extraordinary tale of female empowerment. I also loved the dynamic between Bridgett and Fannie, mother and daughter. Recommended for fans of memoirs of strong women and mother/daughter stories. Also, recommended for current or former residents of Detroit; you'll be able to relate to this story or understand it more deeply than others.

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Review of "The Latte Factor: Why You Don't Have to Be Rich to Live Rich" by David Bach

The Latte Factor: Why You Don't Have to Be Rich to Live Rich by David Bach
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first personal finance book I've read in this particular format. David Bach tells a parable of 27-year old Zoey who feels lost and seeks guidance for her future. Zoey travels from Brooklyn to the Freedom Tower in Manhattan everyday for work. Her job demands around 50 hours a week but it doesn't ever seem to pay enough to keep up her lifestyle. She doesn't live extravagantly; she has a roommate, she doesn't have a car, she doesn't travel, etc. However, she still has a mountain of debt in credit cards and student loans. Whenever she finds something she'd love to do like traveling or purchasing a beautiful piece of art, she spits out the common refrain, "I can't afford it". She ends up meeting a man of seemingly humble means who teaches her the three simple lessons to financial freedom.

I believe I had first heard about David Bach on one of my favorite podcasts, "HerMoney" with Jean Chatzky on Episode 63 about his 18-month sabbatical. I didn't quite relate to that story of his, but this parable of Zoey did speak to me. While I am not 27, I am close to that age and she has many of the same spending habits that catch me up when trying to save. Bach lays out three very simple keys to success. They seem commonsense but many many people don't realize they aren't doing these things and they should!

I'm a huge fan of personal finance books and I would highly recommend this fast but motivating book. Fans of Jean Chatzky or Gaby Dunn would love this book. Honestly, immediately after reading the galley, I pre-ordered the book and signed up for follow-up materials on Bach's website. I also checked out two of his previous books, "The Automatic Millionaire" and "Smart Couples Finish Rich", from the library to read next. No more lattes for me! ;)

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Review of "The Power" by Naomi Alderman

The Power by Naomi Alderman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is a fascinating social commentary on gender roles and role reversal. Adlerman begins and ends the book with correspondence between Naomi and her friend Neil. Naomi has read Neil's manuscript on the history of life before the cataclysm and she's providing feedback. The meat of the book is split up into chapters by the different main characters; Margot, Allie, Roxy, & Tunde. Alderman introduces us to this dystopian world where woman are finding a power within themselves. A power to create electricity from their body and use it (essentially) as a weapon. Quickly, the world becomes a completely different place as women can fight back against sexual and physical aggressors. Ultimately, the world becomes an unrecognizable place. A wonderfully plot-driven work with intertwining character stories. Fans of The Handmaid's Tale will enjoy the way Alderman's book makes you question all your thoughts on the "war between the sexes". Highly Recommended.

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Review of "I'm Just a Person" by Tig Notaro

I'm Just a Person by Tig Notaro
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love Tig's dry, sardonic humor. I was aware of her prior health problems from her comedy specials and she prominently displayed her double mastectomy on her HBO special "Boyish Girl Interrupted". However, even her stand-up specials didn't tell the full extent of the horrors that she endured in 2012. This book details everything and most importantly, we are able to learn her feelings throughout. The title of her book perfectly encapsulates what I feel her intentions were in writing this book. The media lifts celebrities up on pedestals and one could even compare how we treat them to how we worship the gods. BUT, Tig is making it clear that she is just a person, like you and me. Even celebrities can get sick, have cancer, lose a loved one, go through a breakup. We usually don't get to hear these personal stories, nor should we unless the person feels that they should share. Tig's story is truly heartbreaking, and yet she proved to keep her sense of humor throughout. Even when she dealt with debilitating depression, she would find her way back to humor. It's an inspirational story to anyone who is currently going through a life-threatening illness, "battling" cancer and/or mourning the loss of a parent or other loved one. Her story can speak to so many people and she is a beautiful person for sharing it with the world.

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Review of "Life Will Be the Death of Me: . . . and You Too!" by Chelsea Handler

Life Will Be the Death of Me: . . . and You Too! by Chelsea Handler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'll start by stating that this book is extremely different from any other Chelsea Handler book I've read in the past. I've read all her earliest books and loved those. Her sense of humor is wonderful and she's so blunt and honest. I'm also a fan of her Netflix shows/documentaries. I've been following her career for a while. This book took me by surprise. A pleasant surprise.
Chelsea Handler produced this crossover memoir/self-help book about her journey with her therapist, Dan Siegal, into letting herself grieve for her brother who died over thirty years ago. She uncovered a side of herself that her fans have not heard yet. This is her most forthcoming and honest work thus far. I was touched reading this book. Uncovering the band-aid from this huge loss she suffered as a child, she exposes the wound and does the work to heal herself. She recognizes that it is a process and she'll be working on learning new behaviors for a long time. If anyone has worked with a therapist specializing in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, you'll see the techniques used with Chelsea throughout this memoir. This book is recommended for fans of Chelsea Handler (although major heads up that it is NOT a humor book), those who have suffered the loss of a sibling at a young age or in adulthood, or those who are grieving a death of any sort. This is my favorite piece of writing of Chelsea's and I look forward to seeing her upcoming documentary with Netflix on white privilege.

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Review of "Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love" by Dani Shapiro

Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love by Dani Shapiro
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My boss recommended I read this book after mentioning my new found interest in genealogy and my holiday gift of a DNA test. Being a half-jew myself, hearing Dani Shapiro's story was especially interesting. Shapiro found out that, after being raised Orthodox Jewish by her two very prominent figures of the Jewish community, she was only half Ashkenazi Jewish. The other half of her DNA was a mish-mash of Western European heritage, essentially a reasonable explanation for her coloring that surprised most people who learned she was Jewish growing up. A blonde, blue-eyed woman isn't typically assumed to be Jewish, let alone Orthodox. Dani may have felt different growing up but she never faulted in knowing her heritage. Yet, this DNA proved that she indeed did not know her heritage at all.
This story was both fascinating and haunting. One hopes to never have the same results that Dani Shapiro received from Ancestry.com. Her memoir is an investigation to find her true heritage and ultimately, what really constitutes as your origin story. Who is your family? Those who raised you, or those who created you? Anyone who has ever wanted to do an DNA test, was adopted, or questioned their parentage should read this book. Shapiro does an amazing job putting the reader in her shoes and allows her reactions and emotions to seep through. This story both breaks your heart and warms it.

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Review of "Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine" by Gail Honeyman

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

We are introduced to Eleanor's quirks right from the beginning. She is a self-proclaimed loner. Stating "I don't need anyone else --there's no big hole in my life, no missing piece of my own particular puzzle. I am a self-contained entity." However, from that moment on, we discover that her life is more complicated than she presents and she needs more than she asks. Honeyman's story is of a scarred woman, inside and out, who slowly is able to make the changes in her life to let people in. She finds an unlikely friend in her coworker, Raymond, who supports her throughout the novel to become stronger and stronger. Eleanor proves that anyone can overcome a terrible past and build a strong community around themselves. This novel also proves the argument that you are able to choose your family.
I found Honeyman's debut novel to be both endearing and heartbreaking. While laugh-out loud funny in some moments, she also introduced heart-wrenching moments that caused me to well up with tears. While distinctly different than Fredrik Backman's writing style, fans of A Man Called Ove will enjoy this book starring another curmudgeon. I'm very much looking forward to whatever Gail Honeyman brings us next!

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