Review: Andrew Jenks - My Adventures As A Filmmaker

Andrew Jenks: My Adventure As A Filmmaker
Author: Andrew Jenks

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)


Meet the filmmaker who is the voice of his generation!

Behind the camera, Andrew Jenks has captured the attention of young adults everywhere with his innovative MTV documentary series, World of Jenks. When asked about his inspiration for the show, Jenks said, "I want to tell the stories of my generation. I want to be a filmmaker that is able to capture what my generation thinks, how they act, and what they ultimately stand for."

Now fans of all ages will be able to discover everything they’ve ever wanted to know about Jenks, from growing up to becoming a renowned documentary filmmaker in this comprehensive photo-biography. How did he do it? By following his own rules for success-always be flexible, fake it till you make it, and never accept no.

MY THOUGHTS

As most of you know, I am not a big fan of memoirs or biography.  Non-Fiction is usually not my cup of tea.  On a rare occasion,  I will read one if it is about someone that I have heard of or want to know more about. So when Scholastic sent me this book,  I was really hesitant on dedicating my time to it.  I have never heard of Andrew Jenks.

Now that I have read this book,  I am still on the fence about it.  The author came across as stuck-on-himself and it didn't really interest me much.  Maybe it is because I never have heard of him before reading this, or maybe it is my usual aversion of these books that turned me off to truly enjoying it.  I also want to state that with this being an ARC copy, most of the photos that go along with the story were still missing and it left some holes in the story that a photo could have helped to tell it.

With that being said, if you are a budding filmmaker -- or one who is planning to be in this field -- then you might have a better time with this book.  Others might recognize Andrew Jenks and be fascinate with learning his journey.  I was not a big fan, but this might be a perfect fit for someone studying the making of film.

MY RATING

       

I did not like this book at all!

GOODREADS / AMAZON

Life's That Way: A Memoir by Jim Beaver

Life's That Way
A Memoir
Author: Jim Beaver
Source: Library Loan
Genre: Memoir
ISBN: 9780399155642

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)


A special book about the end of one life and the beginning of another.

Life's That Way is a modern-day Book of Job. In August 2003, Jim Beaver, a character actor whom many know from the popular HBO series Deadwood, and his wife Cecily learned what they thought was the worst news possible- their daughter Maddie was autistic. Then six weeks later the roof fell in-Cecily was diagnosed with stage-four lung cancer.

Jim immediately began writing a nightly e-mail as a way to keep more than one hundred family and friends up to date about Cecily's condition. Soon four thousand people a day, from all around the world, were receiving them. Initially a cathartic exercise for Jim, the prose turned into an unforgettable journey for his readers.

Cecily died four months after being diagnosed, but Jim continued the e-mails for a year after her diagnosis, revealing how he and Maddie coped with Cecily's death and how they managed to move forward. Life's That Way is a compilation of those nightly e-mails. Jim's experience is universal for anybody who has lost a loved one. But Life's That Way is not solely about loss. It is an immediate, day-by-day account of living through a nightmare but also of discovering the joy of a child, of being on the receiving end of unthinkable kindness, and of learning to navigate life anew. As Jim says, these are hard-won blessings. But then again, life's that way

MY THOUGHTS

As most of you know, I am not a big fan of memoirs or biography.  I usually pass on them because I have enough going on in my life that I don't need to read about someone else's.  When I saw this book on a search for books about autism, I looked over the summary and realized it deals with much more than just a child with a disability.  This is a story of strength, hope, death and most important -- love.  Then I looked further and realized the author was an actor on one of my favorite shows.  I immediately checked it out from the library and started this painful journey with an amazing and gifted actor.

After a hard time conceiving a child, Jim and Cecily finally welcome a daughter and name her Maddie.  While Maddie is young, they learn that she has autism. Six weeks later Cecily -- who is not a smoker -- is diagnosed with stage four lung cancer.  After making many calls to family and friends, Jim sits down at his computer and decides to email everyone daily updates on Cecily and Maddie.

Jim describes this as the roof falling in.  With the heartfelt and heart wrenching details that Jim gives us, I can understand how he felt this way.  While reading about his journey though, you see him handle it with dignity and with great strength.  He slowly rebuilds that roof one piece at a time after the death of his wife. She may have lost her battle with cancer, but she has left him with a piece of her that shines in the eyes of their child.

I will warn readers though,  have the tissues handy.  One box of tissues later, I hugged my daughter -- who has autism as well --and didn't want to let her go even with her pushing me away.  Life is short, but there are also lights to keep us warm when things become cold and empty.

This is one memoir that I am glad I picked up and one that will stay in my thoughts for a long time to come.

MY RATING

Outstanding book that will stay on my bookshelf for rereading!

BUY FROM AMAZON