Manson in His Own Words by Charles Manson

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Title: Manson in His Own Words

Author: Charles Manson

Genre: True Crime

Length: 256 pages

Published: 1994

Publisher: Grove Press

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) We have called him a devil and quarantined him behind such labels as "the most dangerous man alive." But Charles Manson remains a shocking reminder of our own humanity gone awry. This astonishing book lays bare the life and the mind of a man whose acts have left us horrified. His story provides an enormous amount of new information about his life and how it led to the Tate-LaBianca murders, and reminds us of the complexity of the human condition. Born in the middle of the Depression to an unmarried fifteen-year-old, Manson lived through a bewildering succession of changing homes and substitute parents, until his mother finally asked the state authorities to assume his care when he was twelve. Regimented and often brutalized in juvenile homes, Manson became immersed in a life of petty theft, pimping, jail terms, and court appearances that culminated in seven years of prison. Released in 1967, he suddenly found himself in the world of hippies and flower children, a world that not only accepted him, but even glorified his anti-establishment values. It was a combination that led, for reasons only Charles Manson can fully explain, to tragedy. Manson's story, distilled from seven years of interviews and examinations of his correspondence, provides sobering insight into the making of a criminal mind, and a fascinating picture of the last years of the sixties. No one who wants to understand that time, and the man who helped to bring it to a horrifying conclusion, can miss reading this book.

My Review:

I give this book a 4 out of 5. 

Charles Manson has long been a name synonymous with fear. In this book, compiled by Nuel Emmons, Manson finally tells his story: from his youth to the events that led to the murders perpetrated by members of his "Family" which he currently sits in prison for. 

I found this absolutely fascinating. I've always been intrigued by the Manson Family murders, and even read Helter Skelter in my early teens. I was legitimately horrified by some of the stories from his youth and even found myself incredibly saddened by the way he had been treated. All of those events led to him not trusting authority, and living the free love lifestyle he and his "Family" lived. He did eventually become extremely paranoid and this paranoia (and the fact that one of his followers killed a man) led him to allow his followers to perpetrate the murders that he eventually became convicted of. 

If you find true crime and memoirs as fascinating as I do, this book is definitely for you. From my understanding, none of the proceeds of this book go to Manson. 

You can purchase Manson in His Own Words through Amazon in either hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Manson in His Own Words? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

The Quiet Room: A Journey Out of the Torment of Madness by Lori Schiller

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Title: The Quiet Room: A Journey Out of the Torment of Madness

Author: Lori Schiller

Genre: Memoir 

Length: 288 pages 

Published: 1996

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) At seventeen Lori Schiller was the perfect child -- the only daughter of an affluent, close-knit family. Six years later she made her first suicide attempt, then wandered the streets of New York City dressed in ragged clothes, tormenting voices crying out in her mind. Lori Schiller had entered the horrifying world of full-blown schizophrenia. She began an ordeal of hospitalizations, halfway houses, relapses, more suicide attempts, and constant, withering despair. But against all odds, she survived. Now in this personal account, she tells how she did it, taking us not only into her own shattered world, but drawing on the words of the doctors who treated her and family members who suffered with her. 

In this new edition, Lori Schiller recounts the dramatic years following the original publication -- a period involving addiction, relapse, and ultimately, love and recovery.

Moving, harrowing, and ultimately uplifting, THE QUIET ROOM is a classic testimony to the ravages of mental illness and the power of perserverance and courage.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

Lori Schiller was a smart, outgoing and perfect child. Then one day she began to hear voices in her head. They told her hurtful things, told her to kill herself, kill others, etc. She spent many years in and out of hospitals before she finally accepted that she was ill and was able to rise above her illness. 

This was a powerful book. It gave a view into the depths of Lori's illness from not only her perspective, but that of family, friends, and psychiatrists. I really enjoyed reading various people's perspectives on Lori's illness and treatments, including Lori's own. Mental illness is something that is so often not talked about, and yet is so very important for people to try to understand. I definitely recommend this book for those interested in a good memoir about schizophrenia. 

You can purchase The Quiet Room: A Journey Out of the Torment of Madness through Amazon in either hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read The Quiet Room: A Journey Out of the Torment of Madness? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer

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Title: The Naked and the Dead

Author: Norman Mailer

Genre: War Fiction

Length: 721 pages

Published: (version I read) 2000

Publisher: Picador

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Hailed as one of the finest novels to come out of the Second World War,The Naked and the Dead received unprecedented critical acclaim upon its publication and has since become part of the American canon. This fiftieth anniversary edition features a new introduction created especially for the occasion by Norman Mailer.

Written in gritty, journalistic detail, the story follows an army platoon of foot soldiers who are fighting for the possession of the Japanese-held island of Anopopei. Composed in 1948, The Naked and the Dead is representative of the best in twentieth-century American writing.

My Review:

I give this book a 4 out of 5. 

I wasn't sure that I was going to care for this book. While I often read fantasy novels that usually include epic battles, this was a little different for me since it included more modern warfare (well modern to the World War II era that is). I found myself having to look up what "wound tablets" were and found it pretty interesting (Everything you want to know about wound tablets and use of sulfa in WWII for wound treatment can be found here.) In school, history classes always focused more on what happened in Europe during World War II and not much was said about the battles in the Pacific beyond "the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, eventually the U.S. dropped the bomb on Japan". So I really enjoyed that the war campaign happened in the Pacific instead of in Europe. 

As I don't know much about the military, it took some getting used to the terminology used, and even the ranks, because I can never remember the hierarchy with Lieutenants, Sergeants, Corporals, and Majors correctly. However, the author did a phenomenal job in explaining some of the tactics used, and some of the other terminology.

The book centers around the members of an intelligence and reconnaissance division. You get little tidbits of each major character's life before the war randomly throughout the story in what Mailer calls the "Time Machine". It's definitely nice to learn a little more about the soldiers as the story progresses, so you can learn why they are in the Army, and why they have become the men they are.

Eventually the I&R platoon gets sent on a recon mission to find a back way into the Japanese front. This comprises the final half of the book, as you watch them struggle through the jungle, deal with the losses of some members of the platoon, and deal with a tyrannical sergeant who does some rather shady things.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. It was long, but the characters were decent, and the ever-present threat of a Japanese attack was always right there. If you're looking for a good war novel centering around World War II, I would definitely give this one a shot.

You can purchase The Naked and the Dead through Amazon in either hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read The Naked and the Dead? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

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Title: The Metamorphosis

Author: Franz Kafka

Genre: Classic Literature

Length: 201 pages

Published: 1972

Publisher: Bantam Classics

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) "As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect. He was laying on his hard, as it were armor-plated, back and when he lifted his head a little he could see his domelike brown belly divided into stiff arched segments on top of which the bed quilt could hardly keep in position and was about to slide off completely. His numerous legs, which were pitifully thin compared to the rest of his bulk, waved helplessly before his eyes." 

With this startling, bizarre, yet surprisingly funny first opening, Kafka begins his masterpiece, The Metamorphosis.
It is the story of a young man who, transformed overnight into a giant beetle-like insect, becomes an object of disgrace to his family, an outsider in his own home, a quintessentially alienated man. A harrowing -- though absurdly comic -- meditation on human feelings of inadequacy, guilt, and isolation, The Metamorphosis has taken its place as one of the most widely read and influential works of twentieth-century fiction. 

As W.H. Auden wrote, "Kafka is important to us because his predicament is the predicament of modern man."

My Review:

I give this book a 3 out of 5. 

First, I'm going to admit that I only read the story. There are over 100 pages of essays by other people discussing the story. I chose to skip over those. 

This wasn't a bad tale. It was comical at first, and then slowly morphed into a horrible tragedy. Poor Gregor Samsa wakes one morning as a giant insect. He can understand his family, but they can not understand him. In their fear, they keep him locked to his room, opening it only twice daily to feed and clean the room. I did enjoy it for the most part, but the ending was fairly dark, though Mr. and Mrs. Samsa, as well as their daughter, Grete, are happy at the outcome. 

You can purchase The Metamorphosis through Amazon in hard copy format. 

Have you read The Metamorphosis? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Stuart Little by E.B. White

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Title: Stuart Little

Author: E.B. White

Genre: Children's Fantasy

Length: 131 pages

Published: 1945

Publisher: Harper Collins

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) This is the first children's book by the distinguished author, E. B. White. Stuart Little, the hero, is a mouse in the family of the Frederick C. Littles and is a pleasantly debonair little character, with a shy, engaging manner and a somewhat philosophical turn of mind. He is a great help around the house, and everybody except Snowbell the cat likes him a great deal. In spite of his small size, Stuart gets around a good bit in the world, riding a Fifth Avenue bus with some aplomb, racing (and winning in) a sailboat in Central Park, teaching school for a day, and so on. His size - just over two inches - does give him some trouble now and then, like the time he was rolled up in the window shade, or when he got dumped in to a garbage scow. But on the whole his life is a happy one. His great adventure comes when, at the age of seven, he sets out in the world to seek his dearest friends, Margalo, a beautiful little bird fern. It is on this search, after several amusing experiences, that we leave Stuart, going North in his little car, sure he is heading in the right direction.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

There are a ton of classic children's books which I am now realizing (at age 30!) that I have never read. Stuart Little is one of them. I've seen the movies, but never actually read the book. Considering how much I read as a child, I'm really surprised that this one never made it onto my list of books to read.

It was amusing to read about Stuart's adventures. I highly recommend it for the child in your life.

You can purchase Stuart Little through Amazon in hard copy format. 

Have you read Stuart Little? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo

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Title: The Tiger Rising

Author: Kate DiCamillo

Genre: Children's Fantasy

Length: 116 pages

Published: 2002

Publisher: Scholastic

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Walking through the misty Florida woods one morning, twelve-year-old Rob Horton is stunned to encounter a tiger - a real-life, very large tiger - pacing back and forth in a cage. What’s more, on the same extraordinary day, he meets Sistine Bailey, a girl who shows her feelings as readily as Rob hides his. As they learn to trust each other, and ultimately, to be friends, Rob and Sistine prove that some things - like memories, and heartaches, and tigers - can’t be locked up forever.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

This was an amazing story about friendship, grief, love, and regaining happiness. Rob has buried the sadness of his mother's death deep inside, and his father refuses to speak about his mother. Sistine is the new girl, who is adamant her cheating father (that her mother left) is coming to get her. She spends her days fighting because she's so incredibly angry.

The two become friends because of a secret they share: there is a tiger in a cage in the woods. Sistine wants to free the tiger, and Rob is worried that by doing so something horrible will happen. The story ends in a way that you may or may not expect. Yet, good comes of it. I'll let you find that out for yourself. 

You can purchase The Tiger Rising through Amazon in either hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read The Tiger Rising? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

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Title: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

Author: Kate DiCamillo

Genre: Children's Fantasy

Length: 200 pages

Published: 2006

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) "Someone will come for you, but first you must open your heart. . . ."

Once, in a house on Egypt Street, there lived a china rabbit named Edward Tulane. The rabbit was very pleased with himself, and for good reason: he was owned by a girl named Abilene, who treated him with the utmost care and adored him completely.

And then, one day, he was lost.

Kate DiCamillo takes us on an extraordinary journey, from the depths of the ocean to the net of a fisherman, from the top of a garbage heap to the fireside of a hobo's camp, from the bedside of an ailing child to the bustling streets of Memphis. And along the way, we are shown a true miracle — that even a heart of the most breakable kind can learn to love, to lose, and to love again.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

This was a delightful children's tale about love, and how you can go from loving to losing your love, to loving again. It is a sweet story about a china rabbit who is loved and then lost by his little girl, Abilene. You follow the story of Edward as he is found by a fisherman, then tossed in the dump and picked up by a hobo and his faithful dog. Eventually he ends up in a doll shop and waits for years to be bought again. 

You can purchase The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane through Amazon in either hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Goodnight Bush: A Parody by Gan Golan & Erich Origen

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Title: Goodnight Bush: A Parody

Author: Gan Golan & Erich Origen

Genre: Political Satire

Length: 48 pages

Published: 2008

Publisher: Little, Brown, and Company

Brief Synopsis: A parody of the children's book, Goodnight Moon, which highlights events from George W. Bush's presidency.

My Review:

I give this book a 4 out of 5. 

A short, poignant summary of George W. Bush's time as President of the United States. It was an adorable little parody. 

You can purchase Goodnight Bush: A Parody through Amazon in either hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Goodnight Bush: A Parody? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Monthly Update - June 2013

Hello June! 


I reviewed 10 books last month! And I actually read all but two of those during May. My reading list for June is pretty long, but these are all books 400 pages or less, so I should hopefully be able to work through them all. Hopefully. My hours were cut at work in May, but now I'm picking up a part time (15-20 hours per week) work at home job which will take up a lot of free-time. Hopefully I can still dedicate a ton of time (when I'm not outside playing with my kid and enjoying summer) to reading and this blog. 

First things first, my Currently Reading list: 

• X0 by Sherrie Cronin
• The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer
• Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (Honestly, I haven't touched this since February, but it remains as one of my current books. I will be working on this as soon as I finish The Naked and the Dead.)

Next up:

• The Demonologist by Andrew Pyper
• The Other Typist by Suzanne Rindell
• The Honest Toddler: A Child's Guide to Parenting by Bunmi Laditan
• The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
• The Quiet Room: A Journey Out of the Torment of Madness by Lori Schiller
• Schindler's List by Thomas Keneally
• The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
• The Family by Ed Sanders
• Manson in His Own Words by Charles Manson
• The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo
• Stuart Little by E.B. White
• Goodnight Bush: A Parody by Gan Golan and Erich Origen

Hopefully I can get through most of these! If there's ever anything in particular you'd like me to read and review, either leave me a comment here or send me an email at theprintedwordbookreviews@gmail.com.