

The Empathy Exams by Leslie Jamison
As is always true of a book of essays and as something I NEVER seem to learn, this book would be better digested essay-by-essay instead of as a whole. I'd say that maybe one day I'd stop being a dumbass... it's unlikely. Jamison's voice is equal parts frustrating and relatable. She relays her truth... the type of truth that most of us expend a lot of energy to hide. And that honesty was imparted within the most interesting stories. The West Memphis Three, the Barkley Moun


The Children's Crusade by Ann Packer
My first thought upon reading this book: HOLYSHITIAMTHEWORLDSBESTMOTHER!!! So while this book was a nice little boost for my self-esteem, my blood pressure was through the ROOF the entire time I was reading it. Which is a testament to Packer's ability to write a real, flawed, frustrating AF family that makes you think that your own family could star on a rerun of Leave it to Beaver. Completely reminded me of the Thanksgiving where my uncle started telling me that homosexuali


You Deserve a Drink by Mamrie Hart
You Deserve a Drink by Mamrie Hart This bitch, this bitch right here... she's my spirit animal. Mamrie Hart, for those of you living under a rock, is one-third of the YouTube "Holy Trinity" (the other 2/3 are Hannah Hart and Grace Helbig). Mamrie is a brassy, sassy broad who produces pun-riffic videos where she creates a drink for a pop culture figure based on current events. Her modern Vaudevillian humor is just such a throwback to a type of comedy we don't see that often


Howl by Allen Ginsberg
Read my review here! #howl #allenginsberg #jackkerouac #ontheroad


The Sweetheart Deal by Polly Dugan
To start off, if you haven't done so already, please read my Q&A with Polly Dugan. That will give you a pretty good glimpse into what I thought of the book. The Sweetheart Deal really surprised me. I didn't think it was going to be bad... I didn't think the writing was going to be subpar or the plot unrealistic. I just didn't think this book would be for me. In 2015, I've been attempting to branch out (occasionally) from the darker litfic that I tend to gravitate towards.


The Sweetheart Deal by Polly Dugan : Q&A with the author!
We're going to do something a little different here today at Black, White & Read Books. I was recently contacted by Little Brown & Company and asked to read a book titled The Sweetheart Deal by Polly Dugan. And I will fully admit... I was nervous. What if I didn't like it? What if I couldn't even finish it? Luckily, Polly Dugan ensured she didn't make a liar or a jerk out of me (thanks, Polly!)... as I absolutely loved the book and was excited to continue reading it each


This is going to be a long one. Sorrynotsorry.
On October 5, 2000, I decided to sit down and watch the pilot of a show I had seen promoted by the then-WB. What seemed to be a lighthearted show about two raven-haired, sapphire-eyed beauties would turn out to be a gift to me… something that has grounded me, comforted me and inspired me in so many big and small ways over the past 15 years. I clung to it while going through some pretty tough emotional times. I named my daughter after these characters that I would be honore


Self-Inflicted Wounds by Aisha Tyler
I was already in love with the gorgeous, statuesque-ness that is Aisha Tyler from her time on Talk Soup, one-third of a love triangle with Joey and Ross, and Jennifer Love Hewitt's bestie in Ghost Whisperer. I knew vaguely of her nerd life... and respected her even more for it. But I was not prepared to develop this strong of a girlcrush from listening to her book. One of my friends on Twitter had responded to a call from me for audiobook suggestions with this recommendatio