Biographies
My reading list has taken a turn in the last month or so. Instead of the usual exciting fiction I was reading, I turned my attention to biographies.
My first one was by Denise Jackson, It's All About Him. It was a very fascinating read on the life of Deni
se and her famous husband Alan. I actually related to some of the stuff she went through. ( ... even though my husband might be mistaken for Payton Manning by some people, we haven't quite made the celebrity list). No, the real life stuff, the struggling with people and relationships stuff.
The next one I made it through was Julie Andrews' Home: A memoir of my early years. She has always been one of my favorite actresses and I was curious about her life before The Sound of Music. Boy, were my eyes opened. We think we "know" a celebrity, but then they tell it in their own words and I come to realize I have no idea who this person really is/was.
From there I moved on to Carol Burnett, One More Time, a memoir - very somber but funny too. I think I would like to have her as a friend. I tried to find one on Grace Kelly, but our library was limited.
So I checked out Audrey Hepburn next. She also is one of my most favorite actresses. I wish I could dress like her, but alas, my short legs don't do so well in her fashions. Her biography was another eye-opener. I had no idea about her eating habits and problems. She was full of insecurities, which I am discovering to be a recurring them in some of these bios I read.
Somewhere in here I read one on Steve Irwin, written by his wife Terri (a native Oregonian). Steve and Me was a gripping read -- maybe because it happen
ed recently, maybe because I could visualize and hear the voices, having watched him on TV, maybe because of his tragic ending. I had tears pouring down my face by the end of the story.
And right now, I am in the midst of a bio on Danny Kaye. I recall him in the black and white movies I would watch with my mom and how funny he was. The author I am reading is not quite as compelling as if it was Kaye's own writing, but I might plow through and finish it.
Why am I so into bios now? Fiction had become too predictable. Biographies offer quite a diversity. I am not sure who I will delve into next. I will probably try to find Grace Kelly again at the library. But if not ... hmm... any ideas?
My first one was by Denise Jackson, It's All About Him. It was a very fascinating read on the life of Deni
se and her famous husband Alan. I actually related to some of the stuff she went through. ( ... even though my husband might be mistaken for Payton Manning by some people, we haven't quite made the celebrity list). No, the real life stuff, the struggling with people and relationships stuff.The next one I made it through was Julie Andrews' Home: A memoir of my early years. She has always been one of my favorite actresses and I was curious about her life before The Sound of Music. Boy, were my eyes opened. We think we "know" a celebrity, but then they tell it in their own words and I come to realize I have no idea who this person really is/was.
From there I moved on to Carol Burnett, One More Time, a memoir - very somber but funny too. I think I would like to have her as a friend. I tried to find one on Grace Kelly, but our library was limited.
So I checked out Audrey Hepburn next. She also is one of my most favorite actresses. I wish I could dress like her, but alas, my short legs don't do so well in her fashions. Her biography was another eye-opener. I had no idea about her eating habits and problems. She was full of insecurities, which I am discovering to be a recurring them in some of these bios I read.
Somewhere in here I read one on Steve Irwin, written by his wife Terri (a native Oregonian). Steve and Me was a gripping read -- maybe because it happen
ed recently, maybe because I could visualize and hear the voices, having watched him on TV, maybe because of his tragic ending. I had tears pouring down my face by the end of the story.And right now, I am in the midst of a bio on Danny Kaye. I recall him in the black and white movies I would watch with my mom and how funny he was. The author I am reading is not quite as compelling as if it was Kaye's own writing, but I might plow through and finish it.
Why am I so into bios now? Fiction had become too predictable. Biographies offer quite a diversity. I am not sure who I will delve into next. I will probably try to find Grace Kelly again at the library. But if not ... hmm... any ideas?
*Anything by David McCullough
ReplyDelete*Bruchko, by Bruce Olson
A Chance to Die, the biography of Amy Carmichael
ReplyDeleteLion of God, A biography of John G. Mitchell
Through Gates of Splendor, Elisabeth Elliot
The Saving Life of Christ, by Major Ian Thomas - http://www.amazon.com/Saving-Life-Christ-Major-Thomas/dp/0310332621 - not a biography so much, but I met him, heard him preach many times - and his message was his life - and his message changed my life, and the lives of many others.