This has been on my to-be-read list since we got it. I didn’t know Maria Bamford, don’t remember her Target Christmas ads — altho I learned in this book that she was on Arrested Development so I did know her a little after all. Maria’s stand-up act is, according to the book, based a lot on her family and her struggles with mental illness. And that’s what this book is, too. She talks about when her intrusive thoughts began as a pre-teen and the OCD habits she started to combat them. Then her teenage eating disorder. Which lead to her first 12 step program (she joined several). She’s very candid about her mistakes — with people, money, work, medications. If you’re close to someone who’s been in a 12 step and/or therapy for years you’ll recognize the required total honesty. It really is a helpful read for anyone struggling with mental illness and anyone who loves someone with mental illness.

Excellent, honest memoir that’s truly inspirational with the hope of true healing

Interesting book though repetitive at times. Learned so much about Prohibition & the resulting crime wave

Really interesting book. Had no idea Larry Hagman was always horrible on the set of Jeannie. And, boy-oh-boy was Barbara the object of lust of a lot of men in Hollywood. She needs more counseling to help her deal with her son's drug overdose death. It's not her fault. It was his choice to do drugs.

#7 in the Murderbot Diaries series. Murderbot’s mental illnesses continues to grow since it attained full self-awareness. Still stuck on the abandoned colony planet, it stressed out, experienced a false memory of its encounter with the alien contamination, and suffered a brief system collapse. The combined Preservation and university crews are trying to destroy the contamination remnants while helping the colonists avoid corporate wage slavery, but Murderbot doesn’t trust itself. Obviously start with the first in the series. Then read as fast as you can to get to this one.

It was emotional, both happy and sad at the same time.

The author spent over 200 pages of a 400-page book talking about everything other than the body she was on-scene to investigate. It should not have taken that long for the main character to examine the body. Sheesh!

Lucy Delaney's memoir is the only firsthand account of a freedom suit. Lucy's mother, Polly, and several other free black citizens of Illinois were kidnapped, taken to Missouri, and sold as slaves. Polly married the valet of the man who bought her and they had two daughters. After the death of the owner and his wife, Polly's husband was sold "down south." Polly remembered growing up free and encouraged her daughters to always look out for the chance to run away. Lucy's older sister did make it to freedom in Canada. Polly ran away, but was captured in Chicago by slave hunters. She sued for her freedom, proving she was born free. Polly sued for Lucy's freedom, too, on the basis that a slave could not be born to a free woman. The jury agreed. Polly (laundress) and Lucy (seamstress) worked and saved, finally having enough to visit Lucy's sister in Canada. Polly died without ever knowing what happened to her husband. After Emancipation, Lucy located her father in Virginia. Lucy was a leader in the black churches, social, and political organizations of St Louis.

Entangled Life is not a quick read, but went faster than I expected. I don’t know much about mushrooms, lichen, etc. This is very sciency, but clear. I can promise how much I’ll remember. The chapter on radical mycology — using fungi to help break down litter like used diapers, cigarette butts, even some plastics — is probably the most worth reading.

Having read The Taking of Jemima Boone I was familiar with the details of the charges brought against Boone. This book is told from the view of the trial & the US court system struggling to develop their own codes as distinct from the British system. Boone does a brilliant job of defending himself& explaining what really occurred