The Upside: Abdel Sellou

Published:Perseus Books, Weinstein Books
Date: February 6th 2018
Format: e-ARC
Pages: 224
Genre: Memoir
Source:Little Bird Publicity via NetGalley
Rating:
                  

The story of Abdel Sellou's surprising friendship with aristocrat Philippe Pozzo di Borgo has been told and retold around the world-most recently in the major motion picture with comedian and movie star Kevin Hart portraying Abdel and his edgy charm. In this appealing memoir, Sellou shows us the real man behind Kevin Hart's smiling face. The book takes us from his childhood spent stealing candy from the local grocery store, to his career as a pickpocket and scam artist, to his unexpected employment as a companion for a quadriplegic. Sellou tells his story with a stunning amount of talent, humor, style, and-though he denies that he has any-humility.

I have not seen the documentary or the movie that have recounted some of Abdel Sellou's activities, however I didn't need to, reading The Upside was complete in itself. Although if I got the opportunity to ever view the other media I would.

I couldn't help but become fascinated by Abdel Sellou's story.  It would seem the world came to know him first as an aide to wealthy Phillippe Pozzo di Borgio -  a tetraplegic.  They are well suited to each other.  Abel Sellou is irreverent, fun-loving and sure to shake up the household. He arrived in France when he was four, given to an uncle and aunt as is often the custom in Algeria. 

He tells his story of those days - of how he learned to live on the streets, steal and break laws until the age of eighteen when he can be held responsible for his actions. And so he has a little stint in jail. If there is one word that describes this character for me - it is resilient. He may have escaped a formal education by mainly just not turning up, but in many other ways he was smart.

His childhood underlined for me what happens when a child has no boundaries and is allowed to do what he likes. His new parents loved him, but didn't know how to raise him, he raised himself. 

However his friendship with Phillippe Pozzo di Borgio gradually educates and grows Abel Sellou.  While this man is more in the background in the memoir, he himself is very inspiring. What abides with me as I finish the book is the power of a deep friendship that enriches two lives.

This memoir was well worth the read.

Peggy and Me. Miranda Hart

Published: Hachette New Zealand
Date:  11th October 2016
Format: Paperback
Pages: 294
Genre: Memoir
Source:Thank you to Hachette NZ
Rating
           

For years Miranda viewed dog owners with some suspicion.  She was bored by the way they only talked about their pooches, alarmed by their light coating of dog hair and troubled by their apparent comfort around excrement. But that all changed when, nine years ago, Miranda met Peggy.  She was exceptionally cute (the dog), very smart (again, the dog) and they bonded from their first meeting.

Since then, Miranda's life has had its ups and downs - when they first met there was no such thing as a sitcom Miranda - and she candidly charts this in the book. No one has been more surprised than Miranda herself that it's been her wonder dog who has taught her the best life lessons, taken her on hilarious adventures and become her smart talking but utterly loyal and loveable best friend.

Multi- talented, writer and actor, Miranda Hart has now written a book about herself and her experience of becoming a dog owner. In her own inimitable style she documents the sometimes rocky but always love-filled road with Peggy.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching some of the Miranda sitcom shows, and found while I was reading the book I had to go to You Tube to re-experience some of those very funny moments. 

Miranda Hart must be very tenacious, she already had this book written in 2013 and then lost it in a house burglary. Imagine the heart ache of losing something like that, hour upon hour of work. But... she began again and here we have the chronicles of Peggy and herself.

Miranda began out unsure of whether she wanted to be a dog owner, but nine years on, she totally loves Peggy and dreads the day that all pet owners face, the day their beloved pet dies. However Peggy is still very much alive and bringing much joy to Miranda.  I would love to see Miranda Hart in a debate for Dog versus Cat. She would of course take the dogs are best side of the argument and would be very convincing and funny. Cat owners you would have a very difficult time putting your side across!

I laughed out loud so many times while reading this book. Mostly something funny would come out of the blue and I would just find a chuckle escaping. I cannot believe the escapades Miranda found herself in, along with poor Peggy who just sometimes had to put her paw over her eyes!

When Miranda first obtains Peggy, she is still unknown - (Miranda that is), and it is in the following years that she becomes more of a well known name for her comedy and acting in both Miranda and Call the Midwives.  She shares with us her vulnerabilities, her worries, her joys. Along the way with Peggy she learns and grows and becomes a bit of a philosopher as well.

I am not a pet owner - for the very reasons of some of the 'disasters' that Miranda details in her book, and  she is a braver woman than I. However I love the bond that she forms with Peggy and I do get the joy that pets can bring. 

Full of great humour, personal sharing and lessons about life, I found Peggy and Me  a really enjoyable read. Also loved the little illustrations sprinkled throughout by Jenny Meldrum, totally adorable.

Speed Date Book Review: The Year of Yes. Shonda Rhimes.

Year of Yes
Shonda Rhimes
Published: Simon & Shuster Audio
Date: 2015
Format: Audiobook
Length: 7 hrs 4 min
Narrator: Shonda Rhimes
Genre: Memoir
Source:Own book
Rating:
           

The megatalented creator ofGrey's Anatomy, Scandal and executive producer of How to Get Away with Murder chronicles how saying yes for one year changed her life - and how it can change yours, too.

With three hit shows on television and three children at home, the ubertalented Shonda Rhimes had lots of good reasons to say no when an unexpected invitation arrived. Hollywood party? No. Speaking engagement? No. Media appearances? No.

And there was the side benefit of saying no for an introvert like Shonda: nothing new to fear.
Then Shonda's sister laid down a challenge: Just for one year, try to say yes to the unexpected invitations that come your way. Shonda reluctantly agreed - and the result was nothing short of transformative. In Year of Yes, Shonda Rhimes chronicles the powerful impact saying yes had on every aspect of her life - and how we can all change our lives with one little word. Yes.

I listened through this in less than a week, which is a little unheard of for me and an audiobook. I think any introvert is going to identify and enjoy this book, and let's be honest many of us are. The blurb tells you what it is about and really that's it.

Shonda Rhimes speaks honestly, I am sure she brings her writer embellishments to it, her sense of drama, her timing. I really enjoyed listening to her, and I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much just reading it. A couple of her speeches are included - and they are live. You hear the audience.

The part that I liked the most - her growth into her sense of who she is and speaking her truth. In her year of yes there is room for her yes to no. No to what she is not. I sure liked that bit.

I came away feeling enriched by her sharing - and a renewed interest in her TV shows!

Running Like China. Sophie Hardcastle

Running Like China
Sophie Hardcastle
Published: Hachette Australia
Date: 25th August 2015
Format: Paperback
Pages: 275
Genre: Memoir
Source: Thank you Hachette NZ

Most of the time we don't notice the darkness... not until we're in the thick of it. It was like that for Sophie Hardcastle, as the joy she'd always known disappeared. She was constantly tired, with no energy, no motivation and no sense of enjoyment f

In this brave, bold and beautifully told memoir, Sophie lays bare her story of mental illness - of a teenage girl using drugs, alcohol and sex in an attempt to fix herself; of her family's anguish and her loss of self. It is a courageous and hopeful story of adaptation, learning to accept and of ultimately realising that no matter how deep you have sunk, the surface is always within reach.

Running Like China is a memoir of a young woman in Australia, that held my attention all the way through.  Her book is a gift of herself - her story to each and every reader. Her hope is that it will help others who are experiencing the depths of mental illness that may lead to suicide. That it will encourage them to hang in there in the down times and to remember all there is to live for. 

It is a very moving, articulate, insightful piece of writing and it gave me some understanding of what it can be like for someone living with bi polar 1 disorder.  I was astounded and in awe at her experience. I stand and admire her strength, courage, wisdom and intelligence, and passion for life. Her passion for writing.

I loved how she shared about those who were there for her, her family, a few close friends, a boy with ice blue eyes, a school counsellor, a white bearded psychiatrist. And for some reason a surf maker -"the coffee -coloured, coffee scented man with shorts as short as the seventies", who helped her back to the enjoyment of something important to her.  

I wondered about those who do not have such support, and those who for some reason are unable to give that support.  It is obviously very difficult for family and friends to hang in there with a person suffering with such a disability.  It is painfully distressing. This book may not always reach those who have bi polar when they need it, but if this book gives an understanding to family and friends of the person, then it has achieved so much.   I came away realising support is so important.

It cut at my heart that some of her peers in their ignorant youthfulness said horrible things about her on social media.  We live in an age where petty gossip and drama can be blown up hugely. With such cruel results.  

I was saddened by the misdiagnosis to begin with that I think caused much suffering in the beginning. Drugs that weren't helping and had terrible side-effects.  Of course bi polar is a chemical imbalance and when the right drugs are used and the person can underscore that with responsible living then drugs are another support for the person.

I feel inadequate in responding to this book. It is powerful, it is important reading. Read it. It's one I know I will pick up again and reread.

Sophie Hardcastle is an exciting young writer, determined to help change the lives of young people living with mental illness. She is working with Batyr and Headspace, agencies that train young people with mental illness to visit educational institutions, to share their experiences and dispel the stigma surrounding mental illness.

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