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jascolib's review against another edition
4.0
This is a 3.5 rating. Good book. Lots of laughs, but I wish there was another. As others have said, there need to be more. It feels like it stops right in the middle.
anarag's review against another edition
4.0
Fascinating read of a man with severe Tourette's...and also being a librarian, loving books, the Mormon church, his marriage, and so much more. Weightlifting, strength training, learning to approach his body in new ways. Unexpected images and writing throughout. I guarantee you have not read another book like this.
toastymaloney's review against another edition
3.0
I'd give this three and a half stars. It was a really interesting read. Well written.
rebeccalm's review against another edition
4.0
I have been wanting to read this book for a while and I'm glad I finally took the time to pick it up. It's a story about a man's journey with Tourette Syndrome and how escaping into the world of books (and weight training) helped him deal with life. It is simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming.
hmonkeyreads's review against another edition
4.0
Very unusual memoir by a funny, weightlifting librarian.
Hanagarne's love of books comes through on almost every page. It is trumped only by his love of family. He paints a lovely portrait of his childhood home and his own marriage and child. His struggles with Tourette Syndrome is fascinating and quite sad.
I miss working in the public library a lot.
Hanagarne's love of books comes through on almost every page. It is trumped only by his love of family. He paints a lovely portrait of his childhood home and his own marriage and child. His struggles with Tourette Syndrome is fascinating and quite sad.
I miss working in the public library a lot.
kaycheer2899's review against another edition
5.0
An extremely fascinating and enlightening read. I've learned so much. Josh is such an incredibly strong, inspiring, and well-rounded person. Josh and his wife's relationship made me tear up a few times because their love and the love for their son was so clear and beautiful. 12/10 recommend this to anyone looking for an upbeat, but intelligent and enlightening, read.
P.S. I have the urge to go lift now.
P.S. I have the urge to go lift now.
shelfcarewithshan's review against another edition
4.0
A fun, funny memoir about a body-building librarian who walks us through his life and journey with Tourette Syndrome. This memoir also was a more inside-look for me of the LDS Church as well as being a librarian, and his relationship with faith felt very real for me too. Though, I felt there were some instances of subtle racism that I didn't love, and I wish he spoke a bit more about (his, his father's) Native identity in a less off-hand, dismissive way. 3.5/5 stars 3.5/5 stars
aspygirlsmom_1995's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
sprucewillow's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
Slow start but I enjoyed reading about the author's adult life and his strength training to cope with his disorder.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility and Miscarriage
Moderate: Mental illness and Child death
Minor: Sexual content, Cancer, and Racism
jcpdiesel21's review
3.0
Starts promisingly, but tapers off after a while and I didn't end up enjoying this as much as I had hoped. Hanagarne has plenty to share about his love of books, experiences within the Mormon faith and Tourette Syndrome struggles, and I appreciated learning about each of these topics. However, the book doesn't come together in an entirely satisfying way and I found the writing to be a bit lacking, perhaps because Hanagarne's conversational style feels more suited for a blog. The library anecdotes that begin nearly every chapter are quick and amusing, yet don't tie to anything that the chapter covers, resulting in them feeling somewhat superfluous. I liked reading about the well-deserved victories that Hanagarne earned throughout his life, whether a brief respite from his tics or his ability to have a child. Good, but I wanted a bit more.