Book Review: Bygone Badass Broads by Mackenzi Lee

Title: Bygone Badass Broads Written by: Mackenzie Lee Published: February 27, 2018 by Abrams (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Based on Mackenzi Lee’s popular weekly Twitter series of the same name, Bygone Badass Broads features 52 remarkable and forgotten trailblazing women from all over the world. With tales of heroism and cunning, in-depth bios and witty storytelling, Bygone Badass Broads gives new life to these historic female pioneers. Starting in the fifth century BC and continuing to the present, the book takes a closer look at bold and inspiring women who dared to step outside the traditional gender roles of their time. Coupled with riveting illustrations and Lee’s humorous and conversational storytelling style, this book is an outright celebration of the badass women who paved the way for the rest of us.

I love Mackenzi and her books. I have been a follower of hers since before her debut came out. As a fellow history nerd I was so excited when she started doing a Twitter series with the amazing forgotten women of history. I tuned in every Friday to hear her trademark humor and knowledge bombs. So when I heard that she was doing a book collecting the stories I was ecstatic.

And this book did not disappoint. It is exactly what it says it is, it's a collection of 52 forgotten women who changed the world. Even though this is based on the Twitter series, Mackenzi did a great job of making this accessible whether or not you have seen the concept previously. If you are a fan of the Twitter series you will recognize a few of the women featured in this book, but there are still plenty of new ones. I knew going into it that there was bound to be some new women to learn about and I was so pleasantly surprised by just how many there were. It shows just how important a book like this is when you consider how many amazing women did and did not get featured.

Mackenzi did a great job of featuring women who are incredibly diverse. This was everything from their ethnicity and race, to their sexual orientation, and even to their specialty. There were scientists, politicians, warriors, spies, unlikely heroes. You name it and they are in this book. A few of my favorites were mentioned like Sybil Ludington and The Mirabel Sisters but I even learned about a ton of new amazing women. Every single woman and girl in this book did amazing things in the face of adversity and it's inspiring and encouraging.

One of my favorite things about this book is the style in which it is written. Mackenzi is not a non-fiction writer, and I know from the event I attended with her that she was nervous to write non-fiction. But I love that she didn't try to be technical and formal in this book. That would have been cool, sure, but the informal style makes it even better. It has plenty of humor and fun. It really spices things up a lot and feels like the perfect tone for most of these women. Not to mention it makes the book even more accessible. Even if you are not a big fan of history you will still enjoy reading this book.

Plus that style of writing makes it a very fast of read. I will say, it does take a little while to get used to the style and the way that the book is written, but once you do, you are devouring it. Most of the women have 2-3 page write ups so it's easy to read a few a day or just plow through them all. Not to mention this is a completely gorgeous book. Each women has a beautifully piece of artwork as well. You can see a few of them on the cover, but they are amazing. It adds a lot to the book and the general desire to keep reading.

I read this book as part of my historical fiction month and it seems completely appropriate that it is also women's history month. This was a fantastic book of badass women throughout history that every woman and girl should read.

I give Bygone Badass Broads by Mackenzi Lee 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. Definitely get a copy of this book. Whether or not you are a fan of the Twitter series or not, whether you are fan of history or not. Get this book for the gorgeous images. Or get this book to read some fun and interesting stories about amazing women.

Have you read Bygone Badass Broads? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Audiobook Review: Yes Please by Amy Poehler

Title: Yes Please Written by: Amy Poehler Published: October 28, 2014 by Dey Street (HarperCollins) (Amazon / Goodreads / Audible) Synopsis: Do you want to get to know the woman we first came to love on Comedy Central's Upright Citizens Brigade? Do you want to spend some time with the lady who made you howl with laughter on Saturday Night Live, and in movies like Baby Mama, Blades of Glory, and They Came Together? Do you find yourself daydreaming about hanging out with the actor behind the brilliant Leslie Knope on Parks and Recreation? Did you wish you were in the audience at the last two Golden Globes ceremonies, so you could bask in the hilarity of Amy's one-liners?  If your answer to these questions is "Yes Please!" then you are in luck. In her first book, one of our most beloved funny folk delivers a smart, pointed, and ultimately inspirational read. Full of the comedic skill that makes us all love Amy, Yes Please is a rich and varied collection of stories, lists, poetry (Plastic Surgery Haiku, to be specific), photographs, mantras and advice. With chapters like "Treat Your Career Like a Bad Boyfriend," "Plain Girl Versus the Demon" and "The Robots Will Kill Us All" Yes Please will make you think as much as it will make you laugh. Honest, personal, real, and righteous, Yes Please is full of words to live by.

I have been a fan of Amy Poehler since her SNL days. I feel like her humor just hits me in all the right places. Plus Parks and Rec is one of my all-time favorite shows. I kind of feel like I live that show in my current job as a community organizer for an environmental non-profit. It's been super surreal sometimes. Anyway, when I had heard she had written a memoir I knew I wanted to read it. And despite picking up the audiobook awhile ago, I never got around to reading it or listening to it. But as I was thinking about needing a book for the Rock My TBR challenge and wanting an audiobook I came across this one and I'm so glad I did.

For one thing this book reminded me just how much I love celebrity memoirs. A few years back these were some of my favorite things to read and listen to especially when it came to the ones by funny ladies like Tina Fey, Mindy Kalling, and Sarah Silverman. I very rarely read non-fiction but if I loved these kinds of books. I think I like them because you can see an actress or comedian and see yourself a little bit in them. They can be likable and relatable in an interesting way. But nothing backs that up more by hearing their real life stories and finding yourself in them.

That's exactly what happened here. Now obviously I cannot relate fully to Amy Poehler when she shares stories of motherhood, divorce, or working on SNL but there is still just something so relatable about her. But there is just something so fantastic about Amy's sense of humor. It's a little spastic and in your face while also being silly and intelligent. I'm not sure I laughed out loud at times like I have for some of these memoirs but I was thoroughly entertained.

Particularly I loved Amy's stories about her career. She talked a lot about her early standup days, how Upright Citizen's Brigade was founded, her time on SNL, and of course her work on Parks and Rec. I loved hearing each and every story. The stuff on SNL was so interesting because Amy definitely didn't hold back. She shared some of her best stories and things she is proud of but also some really embarassing moments. I definitely felt like she showed what it was like to be a part of all of that. I also really enjoyed her stories about Parks and Rec. There was a great chapter where she talked about the creation with Mike Shur and where she went through each of the actors on the show with her and sharing info and stories about them. As a big fan of the show it was worth the read just for that.

And of course I have to talk a bit about the audiobook. I listened to this instead of reading it and I think that was absolutely the right way to go. Amy narrates it herself with the help of people like Seth Meyers, Mike Shur, her parents, and even Carol Burnett and Kathleen Turner. It is definitely amazing in this format. You get the humor and emotion so much more when you hear Amy tell the story of her life. I know her from her acting and so hearing that voice just added so much more familiarity and fun to the book. Plus it was just amazing as an audio. If you are looking for something for a road trip I would definitely suggest this.

I give Yes Please by Amy Poehler 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. If you like celebrity memoirs especially those from funny ladies you should totally read this. And I would without a doubt recommend it to fans of Parks and Rec or Amy Poehler on the whole. The audiobook is fantastic and the memoir is fantastic. I really wish I didn't wait to read this but I'm glad I took the time.

Have you read Yes Please? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

ARC Review: The Borden Murders by Sarah Miller

Title: The Borden Murder: Lizzie Borden and the Trial of the Century Written by: Sarah Miller Published: January 12, 2016 by Schwartz & Wade (Random House) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Here’s middle-grade nonfiction that reads like a thriller. With murder, court battles, and sensational newspaper headlines, the story of Lizzie Borden is compulsively readable and perfect for the Common Core.  Lizzie Borden took an axe, gave her mother forty whacks. When she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one.  In a compelling, linear narrative, Miller takes readers along as she investigates a brutal crime: the August 4, 1892, murders of wealthy and prominent Andrew and Abby Borden. The accused? Mild-mannered and highly respected Lizzie Borden, daughter of Andrew and stepdaughter of Abby. Most of what is known about Lizzie’s arrest and subsequent trial (and acquittal) comes from sensationalized newspaper reports; as Miller sorts fact from fiction, and as a legal battle gets under way, a gripping portrait of a woman and a town emerges.  With inserts featuring period photos and newspaper clippings—and, yes, images from the murder scene—readers will devour this nonfiction book that reads like fiction.

**** I received and advance copy of this book from the published via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This fact has not changed my opinion.***

I don't read a lot of non-fiction. It's not that I don't like it, it's just not my preference. But every once in awhile I see a book that sounds so interesting I can't pass it up. So when I saw this on Netgalley I grabbed a copy.

The Borden Murders is definitely an interesting read. It's marketed as Middle Grade non-fiction and it does in fact read like non-fiction. It had a read True Crime kind of feel to it as the writer took you through the process of The Murder of Andrew Borden and his wife, then the accusation and trial of Lizzie Borden for the murder. As someone who isn't really a fan of non-fiction, I did find it a little dry at times. There were moments in fact where it even read a bit like a text book. Throughout the narratives there were asides where certain historical things would be mentioned like the fashion of the time or how the house would be set up. While it did add to the context for what they may had been referring too, as a faction fan it took me out of the larger narrative of the story. These were the moments that made me realize why this would be categorized as middle grade. However, as a history fan it was interesting to get that context. I definitely learned something about the period and I always appreciate that.

What kept me reading despite the fact that it is non-fiction was that the subject matter. True Crime kind of mysteries are so interesting that it never felt dull. This really was the trial of the century. Over 120 years later, the murder of the Bordens and acquittal of Lizzie is something still so intriguing. What I liked most about this was that it really did present an unbiased view of the case. It presented all the information and allowed you to come to your own conclusions. Did Lizzie do it? I don't know. I still don't know and that's what was so interesting. You might know that I'm a big fan of mysteries and I love being able to solve them. In the case of this book, it was kind of fun not to have an answer. It kept me questioning and wondering which was really fun. Plus like a lot of True Crime stories, it was more about the criminal justice system. It was so interesting to see that even back then, trials go a very particular way and that it's not even really about innocence but more about could someone else have done it. It definitely makes you think about the criminal justice system.

On the whole, The Borden Murders was a fast and engaging read. I'm not a big fan of non-fiction but this kept me reading from start to finish and with it's honest presentation of the trial and information surrounding the murders it kept me curious and questioning.

I give The Borden Murders by Sarah Miller 7.5 out of 10

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Borrow. If you are at all interested in Lizzie Borden, True Crime stories, or just want a different kind on non-fiction book then check this one out. It was a good read and I'm glad I gave it a try.

Have you read The Borden Murders? What did you think? What are some non-fiction reads that you have enjoyed? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!