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vegprincess's review against another edition
3.0
This was almost a 3.5 star book for me. It wasn't as good as I hoping it would be. I really enjoyed the parts where Josh talked about reading and what his days are like working as a librarian, but I had a difficult time connecting with him when he discussed growing up as a Morman and his hobby of weight lifting. I do think Josh is an interesting person, and he's a good writer, but I would have enjoyed the book much more than I did if it was more about books, reading and his career.
ir_sharp2's review against another edition
3.0
Not a bad story, and I made it through an entire non-fic, but..... I found it quite scatter-brained. I'm also susceptible to suggestion so I found myself feeling hectic when things weren't going well in his life and sluggish when he was depressed. This book was a bit of a roller coaster for me, and the last couple chapters left me unhappy. Being a fiction reader I like my stories to have an ending that ties things up in a bow or at least end happily or dramatically.
aquint's review against another edition
2.0
Perhaps my expectations were too high but this book fell short.
emerygirl's review against another edition
5.0
One of my dear friends told me about this book. Her brother in law is Josh Hanagarne. Josh’s brother (who has a few brief mentions in the book) is my LDS bishop. With all of the connections, I had to read this book. I was expecting a few fun moments when people I have met showed up in the book, but I was not expecting how quickly I would devour Josh’s story.
I don’t know a lot about Tourette’s. I do know a lot about faith and the power of family. I loved how Josh started each chapter with a funny or touching story from the library and then transitioned to his growing up years. I picked up this book because I knew the Hanagarne family, but I really enjoyed it because it was so well written. And when I grow up I want to be Linda Hanagarne!
I don’t know a lot about Tourette’s. I do know a lot about faith and the power of family. I loved how Josh started each chapter with a funny or touching story from the library and then transitioned to his growing up years. I picked up this book because I knew the Hanagarne family, but I really enjoyed it because it was so well written. And when I grow up I want to be Linda Hanagarne!
k_thompson's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.0
alappin's review against another edition
2.0
This book was interesting at the beginning but then slowly got more and more boring. Some parts were just random ramblings about weight training or religion that were kind of out of nowhere. Other important parts were breezed over (e.g. trying and trying to get pregnant and then barely mentioning when it actually happened). Some parts felt detached and devoid of feeling. It seemed he was telling what happened in a simplistic way without accompanying emotions. I know that all books are not chronological, but I was confused by the timeline and organization of this book. Josh seems like a person who would be fun to hang out with in person but it didn't translate well to writing. There were moments that piqued my interest and were entertaining but they were far and few between.
ldextre's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
3.75
I thought, as a librarian, that it would be more about his experiences in the profession. Although there are some references, most of it is his struggle with Tourette's syndrome. There is also a lot of time spent on Living as a LDS in Utah.
rgag86's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this enough, but I wish there was a bit more on his library work than all the religious bits. However, Hanagarne is a very interesting individual and I will be following his blg from now on.
debs4jc's review against another edition
4.0
The author relates the details of his life--and what a strange, quirky life it has been. Raised in a Mormon household and diagnosed with Tourette's Syndrome while a child Josh faced many challenges. I became absorbed in hearing how he struggled to deal with the ticks outwardly ravaging his body while inwardly he struggled with doubt vs. faith in his childhood religion. Josh's humor shines through at times - such as when he called his ailment "MIss T. and so personalizes all the ways that she tries to mess with is life. He finds solace in relationships, weightlifting and libraries and tells many odd and interesting stories about each. He is truly a unique personality and I wanted to know more even after the CD recording of the book was done so I had to look up his blog. I definitely recommend this, especially to those who enjoy unique life stories.