i’ll be there for you

Generation Friends: An Inside Look at the Show That Defined a Television Era – Saul Austerlitz

Friends, television series, nonfiction.

Rating

Many failed ideas finally led to a good one, Friends, was a huge risk and took a lot of time just producing the show idea. Creating the premise as well as the plot of the show was complicated and involved a lot of rewriting. The producers of the new show were given a green light to write a pilot script and later be screen tested with network companies to see if Friends was going to be a good investment for television broadcasting. Casting the perfect actors to portray the six friends wasn’t easy either, there were many actors to consider the roles of each character. These risks that they took had a great outcome. They still had to figure out tweaks and kinks in the characters and the plot, but they all put in a lot of effort. As time goes on, the show grows as well as the actors who played these iconic characters that are to be remembered by many audiences. From the iconic catchphrases and scenes, the show producers and cast created an incredible nostalgic show to be enjoyed by the masses.

I love the television show and my boyfriend knows very well of my unhealthy strange addiction to the show. I could find nothing new ever and somehow yearn to rewatch another Friends episode. My best friend and her family got me into this obsession, and I can’t say much other than I love them for introducing me this great television show. After reading this production like book I have a more appreciation for the show. This show, like many other shows, had gone through a long and strenuous process. Casting wasn’t easy either and I am intrigued by the process of making a show. I do recommend reading this if one is a fan of Friends.

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Life Changing Journey

The Perfect Predator: A Scientists Race to Save Her Husband from a Deadly Disease – Steffanie Strathdee and Thomas Patterson

Disease, life altering, life threatening, survival, nonfiction.

Rating 9/10

While on vacation, Steffanie and her husband Thomas, were having a great time and enjoying themselves. Unluckily her husband had contracted a disease that was not easily treatable at first. Further into the story, they go to hospitals and this disease that was contracted was untreatable and this was going to end with her husband possibly dying. All was a race to survive this disease but along the way, Steffanie never felt less of her husband nor left his side. She stayed by his side through thick and thin.

I found this nonfiction book to be very compelling as well as a page turner. My heart swelled and I had gotten goosebumps throughout reading this work. I thought, at first, that this was going to be bland and boring. I was happy I was wrong about my speculations of this work. I do recommend to read this nonfiction work if one is intrigued to hear survival stories and other accounts of survival told through other’s perspectives. This helped gained some knowledge but as a warning, do not self-diagnose and go see a doctor, no matter what the condition may be.

“This is the end, my only friend”

No One Here Gets Out Alive: The Biography of Jim Morrison – Jerry Hopkins and Danny Sugarman

Jim Morrison, musicians, biography, nonfiction.

Rating 9/10

To say that Jim Morrison’s younger years, before his band life career, was uninteresting will be wrong. Jim Morrison, son of an admiral, had to travel place to place constantly. Morrison had lived in numerous places and hadn’t maintained long term friendships but when he did, he got into mischief. Morrison joined a band during his film school life. Jim Morrison and Sam Kilman discussed starting a rock band, but Jim did not want to be the lead singer. Venice, California is where The Doors began. After some convincing tactics, Morrison was now confident to sing. Slowly as the newborn band get shows, Morrison did have some lovers along the way to fame. Records went higher and higher as The Doors band was gaining more popularity. Sadly, currently, Morrison was doing hardcore drugs. Like every other band, the bandmates had their bickering conversations and had them resolved. Until he and Pamela took a trip to France, that is where his story ends.

I am a huge fan of The Doors, mostly Jim Morrison. I had been hunting down this biography for a long time, only to find out that this nonfiction book was in my grasp. I had asked my best friend’s brother, who he is also a fan, if I can borrow this book to read. I am thankful he let me borrow this book. Online biographies only have so much about Morrison, this book had a lot from Morrison’s childhood to his end. Some information, I had already known prior to reading this biography. Other information such as his father was in the army and they had traveled a lot. Another fact was when Morrison was in his youth, he was a troublemaker with his friends and sort of weird. Who isn’t? Overall, I enjoyed learning more about my favorite band’s lead singer. Praise the Lizard King.

A True Tale of Survival

Educated – Tara Westover

Family, Idaho, homeschooling, survivalism, women colleges, victims of family abuse, subculture, Christian biography, rural conditions, Tara Westover, memoir, nonfiction.

Rating 8/10

Tara Westover wrote a memoir about her life from a young girl to the woman she became. However, the journey was not easy for her as her start was from a family in a rural area. Her family was disconnected from society and the only education Tara had was readings from a bible. Medication and treatments of wounds was with herbal medicine. Tyler, one of Tara’s brothers, had went to college and brought back the textbooks. From that, Tara in between chores had become an autodidact, teaching herself from the college books. Tara wanted out of this survivalist life and did what she could to get out as necessary.

I was recommended this nonfiction book. I thought this memoir was really meaningful as reading about a woman fighting to survive and to get out of a bad situation. Its sad to see that this sort of thing does happen all around the globe, not just in the United States, but everywhere. Education and modern accessible health care should be a top priority. Extremist religions do annoy me, but their thinking processes are different because of their faith and their faith doesn’t allow much freedom to think of other possibilities. I do recommend to read this memoir at least once in a lifetime because this memoir made me grateful.

The Young Life of Trevor Noah

Born a Crime: Stories from A South African Childhood – Trevor Noah

Trevor Noah, comedians, United States, South Africa, Television personalities, nonfiction, memoir.

Rating 8/10

Trevor Noah shares his childhood in this nonfiction novel with vital stories of his upbringing. The main importance of this memoir was the fact he was never meant to be, only because his parents, during an apartheid, had sexual relations. Trevor Noah tells about the laws that were in place to keep the races from intermingling of necessary. Noah shares his active childhood that was troublesome and involved a lot of activities to keep him entertained. Trevor Noah also recounts his school life and the crushes he has had.

As I had read this collection of stories from Trevor Noah’s childhood, I wanted to cry and laugh but mostly I had anger about the whole racism stuff. I enjoyed learning more about one of my favorite comedians especially this one. I would highly recommend to read this memoir and to watch the Trevor Noah Netflix specials too.

An Incredible Survival Tale

A Sucky Love Story: Overcoming Unhappily Ever After – Brittani Louise Taylor

Survival, dating apps, human trafficking victim and survivor, memoir, nonfiction.

Rating 10/10

YouTube personality, Brittani Louise Taylor, shares how her innocent Tinder date that led to her and her baby son, Rex, to be involved in some sort of human trafficking scheme in a romance gone wrong. Taylor met Milos on Tinder and they both were mutually interested in each other. As time progressed, they became closer and she allowed him to move in with her. Even though she did not want anything to do with him, but nonetheless he persisted and pursued her. Her and Milos had ups and downs like any other relationship. Things immediately took a dark turn when Taylor found out she was pregnant with Milos’s child. The mother of Milos was being utterly creepy and terrifying, Taylor had to put her foot down and told Milos he and his mother had to leave the house. When Milos came back, he said he had some form of cancer, pulling the ultimate scam to make Taylor feel utterly sorry for him until she saw a flaw in his very lame lie. She had to break up with him and take Rex with her. The police had to get involved after an incident and Milos landed in jail. She found out the hard way that she and her son were about to be human trafficking victims but survived without going through the horrors.

I am a fan of the YouTuber Brittani Louise Taylor and had always loved her unique style and form of entertainment she produced on that platform. I had always wondered about how mysterious her videos became to be and this was the answer in the form of a memoir. I had seen also Shane Dawson’s conspiracy video he included her in, and I had cried. I feel so bad that such an amazing human being went through this. I am glad that she, her mom, and Rex are safe and sound. No one should ever go through that. Be careful whenever one is looking for a date on these dating apps. It can go south easily.

Learned Something New Here

The Real Lolita: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner and the Novel That Scandalized the World – Sarah Weinman

Sally Horner, kidnapping, United States, Case Studies, Child Abuse, captivity, Nonfiction.

Rating 10/10

In this examination case study of Sally Horner, this is a timeline of her life from beginning to her untimely end. Sally Horner was a young schoolgirl trying to impress her friends and was caught by a person. That person told her she should meet his requests, so she doesn’t end up in jail. Horner was given instructions and asked her mother for permission to leave to do some business in another neighboring city. The man had kidnapped Sally Horner and took her far away from home. From eyewitness accounts, one had said that the little girl claimed the man to be her father. This man went by the name of Mr. Warner, but he was Frank La Salle by the FBI. Frank Le Salle is a child molester and he was sent to prison for a while but was released. During the time of Sally Horner’s disappearance, her mother didn’t expect nothing much of the disappearance at all and was merely indifferent about it. Eventually it was six weeks before any serious actions were taken place and even then, Sally Horner was long gone from that city. During this time, Sally Horner’s family was devastated, and investigators were doing research as well as using whatever they had to try to find Sally Horner. Frank Le Salle had made lies, acclaiming that Sally Horner was his daughter but the truth was kept from the light for so long. It wasn’t until a woman by the name of Ruth to help Sally Horner in the dire time. Frank Le Salle was imprisoned, and Sally Horner was saved. After all the trauma, it is seen that Sally Horner had a passion to live and thrive. Not long after, Sally Horner was killed in a car accident. This is not a fiction story. This was a story of a girl who faced horrors beyond the imagination. When Vladimir Nabokov learned about this case, he was already currently writing the novel Lolita which is eerily like this case. When he published Lolita, the case of Sally Horner was pushed from the minds lest was forgotten.

I typically do not read nonfiction literature, but I had to make an exception with this one because of how the title captured my attention. I had vaguely known about Lolita, but I had no clue that there was an actual case study that did happen at the same time. My heart broke when I read the synopsis and the introduction. As I had continued to read this case study, I had found myself wanting to know more about what happened to Sally Horner and I wished that she didn’t die prematurely the way she did. The details that the author goes in depth left me astonished and amazed. The way Weinman constructed and wrote this felt like a fictional novel, except it really wasn’t all fiction. This was all facts with evidence and eyewitnesses. I hate pedophiles and honestly the way this guy was sent to prison for a long time satisfied that part of the case. However, the lesson remains is that always be safe and stay safe. I enjoyed learning about this case and made me want to read more nonfictional literature.