Josh Hanagarne

2.5 stars, generously rounding to 3. My son volunteers at our local library, and I often have to wait for him when picking him up. This is a happy thing, because I could easily spend hours browsing library shelves and come home with stacks of books. This is one that caught my eye while waiting one day. Librarians, Tourette Syndrome, faith, and bodybuilding? Color me interested. The book was engaging to start, but as it went on I struggled with what it was really about. Hanagarne touches on so many topics, never really delving into much and never really weaving anything together. His stories of early family life and the strength of his family bonds were sweet. The library anecdotes were fun and amusing. I learned a little about Tourette Syndrome. I learned a little bit about the Mormon faith. He discussed infertility and the adoption process. He talked about finding a wife and a bit about early marriage, but then his wife faded into the background as he pursued his own interests. By far the strangest part of the book was the discussion of training with a friend who happened to be on the autism spectrum. The training sessions were partly about body building and partly about finding a path to healing from Tourette's. It made little sense, and was the weakest part of the book for me.… (mer)

I was more engaged in the beginning of this memoir, when he wrote about his childhood and the eventual diagnosis of Tourette's. I learned a lot about the disease I didn't know before, and the way he described what the tics feel like was well done. I could also relate to a lot of what he said about his faith and his religious upbringing, even though my own wasn't Mormon or as strict (although I sure thought it was strict at the time). The anecdotes from working in the library were interesting, probably what I liked most about the book. After reading this, I'll probably check out his blog.

He started to lose me a little toward the end, with the weight-lifting stuff and some recreated dialogue with his wife that made me cringe to read. The naming and personification of his disease bothered me too, and it really grated by the end of the book. I feel guilty saying that last, but since it affected how I related to and rated the book, I should probably include it.

It was an honest and eye-opening memoir. While I didn't personally like every part equally, I thought it was worth reading.… (mer)