imyourmausoleum's reviews
1681 reviews

Cornwallis: Soldier and Statesman in a Revolutionary World by C. Richard Middleton

informative slow-paced

3.0

Charles Edward Cornwallis V was born in England in 1738. He was the eldest son of Charles Cornwallis, 5th Baron Cornwallis. His mother, Elizabeth, was the daughter of Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount Townshend, and niece of Sir Robert Walpole. His uncle, Frederick, was Archbishop of Canterbury. His brother was the founder of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Cornwallis attended both Eton and Clare Colleges before entering the military. He also became involved in politics, serving as a Member of Parliament and in the House of Lords. Cornwallis would go on to become a prominent figure in the American War of Independence. He got information from Benedict Arnold, ultimately surrendering to George Washington. After the war, he became Governor General of India, where he wound up dying.

This book was expansive on the life and career of Cornwallis. I have had this book on my Audible wish list for some time. I am glad I was finally able to get it and listen to it. I learned a lot about Cornwallis as a person and the thought behind his decisions and tactics. If you are interested in the Revolutionary War, I think this is a great book to add to your collection.

Citation: In a Class by Himself by Phil Georgeff

informative medium-paced

3.0

Citation was bred and owned by Calumet farm. He was a beautiful bay Thoroughbred, sired by Bull Lea and out of Hyperion. Citation would go on to become the 8th winner of the Triple Crown, along with many other major wins and achievements. He raced steadily in 1947 and 1948, an intermittently until 1951. A statue of Citation created by Italian sculptor Thomas Famiglietti was unveiled near the saddling paddock at Florida's Hialeah Park in 1965. During retirement from racing, he produced some notable offspring, including Silver Spoon. One funny story was that Citation was terrified of the Yorkie that lived on the farm.

This was an good book that outlined the career of one of the few Triple Crown winners in racing history. My horse girl heart was happy about finding this book at the used bookstore and I am glad I finally got around to reading it. I have several more racing books to read this year.

Historically Black Phrases: From "I Ain't One of Your Lil' Friends" to "Who All Gon' Be There?" by jarrett hill, Tre'vell Anderson

funny informative fast-paced

3.0

This was a super quick read. I listened to it the past two days on my commute, which was about four hours total. The book featured words and phrases, along with the context and meaning behind them, that are, as the title suggests, historically Black phrases. Not long ago, I learned what some phrase that I have heard and even said my entire life was extremely racist towards Indigenous people. I blame that on the education system in Tennessee, as well as generational ignorance and racism in the area I live and in my family. I believe people should strive to be better people, and educating yourself is the best way to combat ignorance, break racist habits you didn't know you had, appreciate other cultures, and learn about the history of other people. I thought this would be a neat book to read for Black History Month. A lot of these things I knew or heard before, but it was still really fun to listen to. The authors of this book have a podcast that I may check out later as well.

The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis

informative medium-paced

2.0

Michael Oher was born in 1986 in Memphis, Tennessee. He was one of twelve children born to his mother, Denise. Oher was not set up for success, living in a low-socioeconomic situation with one parent in prison and one parent addicted to substances. Oher showed significant talent in football and eventually obtained admission to Briarcrest Christian School. Oher was in and out of various foster homes when he went to live with a family that had two children attending the same school. Oher would go on to improve in school, excel in sports, and make it to the NFL.

I do not care one whit about football or sports of this nature. I only selected this book to read because Oher alleged in 2023 that the family who he lived with, Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy, tricked him into signing conservatorship papers. He was led to believe they were the same as adoption papers. This conservatorship allowed the family to make financial deals and decisions in his name, while reaping benefits, especially once he made it to the NFL. His story was sold to make a movie, that Sandra Bullock starred in, and the family received royalties from that. I do not like people capitalizing on other people's talents or hardships, and certainly not under the guise of being "good Christian people". That negates the few good Christian people out here floating around and also is detrimental to relationships between foster children and those trying to help. When you look at people who you think have your best interest at heart and they swindle you and who knows what else, it wounds your soul. At any rate, the book was interesting enough.

An American Princess: The Many Lives of Allene Tew by Annejet van der Zijl

informative medium-paced

3.0

Allene Tew was born in Wisconsin in 1872. Her father was a banker, but despite his wealth, she was solidly middle class. She became a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, but there has been some speculation that these documents were altered or faked to ensure acceptance into the higher class she longed to be in. Tew was married five times: a polo player/yachtsman, a real estate investor, a General Electric executive, a German aristocrat, and another German aristocrat. She really lived life. She died at age 82 in France. She left several properties and considerable wealth.

I had never heard of this woman, but I am trying to read more books about women this year. I enjoyed learning about the many lives she lived and her adventures and travels. I have the Audible version of this, which was about a five hour long listen. I thought it was really well done, and it kept my interest.

Hey, Hun: Sales, Sisterhood, Supremacy, and the Other Lies Behind Multilevel Marketing by Emily Lynn Paulson

informative reflective medium-paced

3.0

The author of this book was a stay-at-home mom longing for purpose and time with other adults. She was easily sucked into the pyramid or MLM scheme Rejuviant. This memoir outlines her trip through the business and all of the stress and cattiness that came with it. I was extremely concerned with the amount of drinking that went on in this book, and when the author said she questioned if she was an alcoholic I immediately said YES. To be fair, I would also have to be an alcoholic to put up with the weird vibes and constant push for perfection and image. It was really interesting to see this perspective.

This book took me ages to read only because I was reading it on the Kindle app on my phone between calls at work. I would have read this in probably one day if I had sat down and read it start to finish. The book gave a pretty good inside look into MLM schemes behind the scenes. I have never participated in or purchased from any MLM schemes, though I certainly know plenty of people on my social media who do both. I know one person in particular who has tried every one of these get rich quick schemes. Before reading this book, it had never crossed my mind that things like this were steeped in white supremacy and male dominance. I think it is easy to overlook the male dominance part, since everything is all #girlboss and #bossbabe all the time. I can appreciate the appeal of being able to make money from home and set your own schedule, especially if you have kids, and the adult interaction with other people. I can see why people get involved with these things, but they are actually extremely predatory. This was a really eye-opening book.

Saving Alex: When I Was Fifteen I Told My Mormon Parents I Was Gay, and That's When My Nightmare Began by Joanna Brooks, Alex Cooper

reflective fast-paced

3.0

This memoir reflects on the author's upbringing in the Mormon Church before being sent to live in a strong Mormon filled town in Utah, stronghold of Mormons, to endure some bizarre type of bootleg conversion "therapy" at the hands of two cruel and unqualified individuals. Nobody in this house was willing to help her. Nobody in this church was willing to help her. Nobody in this town was willing to help her...until she accidently found one. (Which I am so glad she did.) This girl's parents can heck all the way off. To be so indoctrinated (mother) and so passive (father) to PAY MONEY to have some strangers from your cult abuse your child is insane. I would have NEVER spoken to these people again unless it was through a lawyer and probably not even then. I would have seen every single one of these people who did nothing in court. I suppose the author is a better person than me, but that's just the way the cookie crumbles. The book was infuriating for so many reasons, so if you plan to read this, prepare to be enraged.

Untold Power: The Fascinating Rise and Complex Legacy of First Lady Edith Wilson by Rebecca Boggs Roberts

informative slow-paced

3.0

I went through a phase where I really wanted to learn about each US President, because often what we are taught about them are only the "good" things about them. Unfortunately, Presidents are human beings and are often flawed and fallible. I am disgusted with Presidents currently, so thought it would be nice to get to know some of the First Ladies for a while instead. This book was really in-depth and informative about the life of Edith Wilson, which I thought was wonderful. I knew nothing about her, really, other than she was the First Lady from 1915-1921. A few really neat facts about her are that she was related to Pocahontas, Thomas Jefferson, and Martha Washington. During World War I, she observed gasless Sundays, meatless Mondays, and wheatless Wednesdays to set an example for the federal rationing effort. Similarly, she set sheep to graze on the White House lawn rather than use manpower to mow it, and had their wool auctioned off for the benefit of the American Red Cross. After President Woodrow Wilson suffered a stroke, she had a strong hand in the political aspect of the White House, much to some controversy. If you are looking to learn more about her, this is a good book to start with.

Taking Mr. EXXON: The Kidnapping of an Oil Giant's President by Philip Jett

informative slow-paced

3.0

Sidney Reso was kidnapped from his driveway in New Jersey in 1992. A couple, Arthur and Irene Seale, kidnapped Reso in hopes of extorting ransom money from his family or employers. At the time, Reso was the Vice President of International Operations for Exxon. The Seale's put Reso inside a wooden box, where he died in captivity. Despite his death, they continued requesting ransom money. This book describes both the kidnapping and the motivations behind it. I do not want to spoil it for those who have not read it, but the motivation is a classic motivation for actions against a company. Also, the wife flipped on her husband and led police to the Pine Barrens to recover Reso's body. (Because of course it was in the Pine Barrens.)

This book has been on my shelf for quite a while. I am glad that I have finally got around to reading it and getting it off the shelf. My goal for this year is to finish reading all of my unread things I have purchased at thrift and used bookstores so I can free up space for moving eventually. The book was informative, as I had never heard of this case prior to stumbling across this book. If you choose to read this book, please look into what happened to the Chief Justice of New Jersey after this. It was a wild turn of events. Another update is that the wife, Irene, has since been released from prison and her supervised parole ended around 2014.

Sleep My Darlings: The True Story of a Mother Who Killed Her Children in Cold Blood by Diane Fanning

informative medium-paced

3.0

This book covers the murders of Calyx and Beau Schenecker. The children were found murdered in their home in Tampa, Florida on January 28, 2011. Police had received a call from the grandmother of the children in regard to a disturbing email sent by their mother, Julie. The father, a Colonel in the US Army, was overseas at the time of the incident. Police found Beau, 13, dead from a gunshot wound in a vehicle in the garage. Calyx, 16, was shot in her bedroom. Julie was located on the back porch, covered in blood. This book outlines the investigation of the murders and was decently researched and easy to follow.