2011: Book 12

My Incredibly Wonderful, Miserable Life: An Anti-Memoir by Adam Nimoy


304 pages

Completed 2/14/11

The son of Spock, Nimoy presents his memoir in simple, but enjoyable short chapters, revealing a not-so-surprising life of a Hollywood star's son. A recovering alcoholic and addict, Nimoy's year following his separation from his wife, and subsequently his two children, is full of self-discovery, recovery, and making amends. Confronting his shaky relationship with his father, also a recovering alcoholic, and dealing with the emotions that come along with the new changes in his life, Nimoy is likable and well-written.

His relationship with his children is most touching. If nothing else comes through to the reader, Nimoy is definitely a good father, despite his past faults. I do wish that more attention had been paid to his unsalvageable marriage, as I was unclear what really went on. All in all, a not-so-miserable memoir.

LIZ: Book #16

Tweaked by Patrick Moore

215 pages

Completed 3/27/10

Another addiction memoir; this one not as intriguing as most I've read. More of a focus on his 10 year sober life, Moore didn't really succeed at making me connect with the story. After losing his lover to AIDS in the early nineties, and already in love with drugs, Moore spiraled into the world of meth. Now, having escaped NYC to California and moonlighting as a drug addiction counselor, he tends to flashback to some moments in his addiction-fueled life, but just not enough, in my opinion.

The most interesting parts of the book, for me, focused on Moore's relationship with his grandmother. Early in life with her idiosyncrasies, and later in life as she's dying. Her character left me wanting more, as opposed to Patrick's story.

To summarize, this memoir simply left me underwhelmed.

LIZ: BOOK #12

Symptoms of Withdrawl: A Memoir of Snapshots and Redemption by Christopher Kennedy Lawford

416 pages

Completed 3/3/10

The Kennedy family seems to intrigue many people; I myself tend to focus more on Jackie O.'s fashion sense than the family 'curse'. But when I stumbled across this memoir of the nephew of JFK, I figured it was worth a shot. I actually began this book as an abridged audio; I was not only bored, but also felt that I was missing a lot of important things that had not been included, so I picked up a physical copy of the book.

This memoir ended up being more of a recovery-discovery set in a notorious family dynamic, rather than a tell-all. Yes, there were some dirty details and fascinating details, but all in all, this was a depressing memoir. Overdoses, deaths, broken relationships - you name it, Lawford writes about it. And not very well, in my opinion.

All in all, I say that this is an account to skip. Someone I had spoken with regarding this book was intrigued by the name-dropping: Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, Sammy Davis Jr., and of course, the immortal Kennedy's, all make an appearance. But, in my opinion, this is not enough to carry this book.