What’s the most unique memoir you’ve ever read? Without a doubt, I now answer this question with the answer, Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal. Just how can I explain the ‘experience’ of audience participation that is used throughout this book? Let me try….
I love to be a fly on the wall and read autobiographies and biographies. I find personal lives and experiences interesting…and I suppose that’s what let me into a psychology degree. I’ve been reading this genre for our library’s summer reading challenge, and when Penguin Random House emailed and asked if I’d be interested in this book, I wasn’t sure what to say. My time has been squeezed this summer…I really didn’t have time for another book…but when I looked into Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal….I still didn’t know what to say.
I was confused.
What exactly was this book?
It didn’t make sense….how could an author’s memoirs be interactive? Just how is that possible?
I was intrigued…
I had to say yes, just to find out what it was all about!
My review copy arrived sooner than expected and I dived right in. Yes, indeed, This is by far the most unique book I’ve ever read as an adult.
TAKR is laid out using chapters with names such that you’d see in a textbook….Math, Science, Social Studies, History, Romance Language, etc. So it isn’t chronological.
There’s lots of white space. a few stick-figure sketches, interesting anecdotes….a homemade pie?
To tell the truth, reading this book is a little like walking through my own brain…things are put together by topic, but they don’t always flow as well as I think they do…sub-topics jump and jive…there are random personal thoughts and questions inserted here and there….yes…I think I like it!
Some moments are quite deep and reflective. Others are fluffy and laughable. I don’t have to ‘think’ while I read, I just have to sit back, relax, and drink it all in, like a perfectly brewed cup of tea. (Which is what I was drinking while I read, thanks to a husband who makes the best tea).
Oh yes…I mentioned that this book was interactive, didn’t I? What’s that all about, you ask? Go to this website and have a little look around. It will change daily as more is added to it by readers across the USA. (Yes, my big disappointment was that I couldn’t participate in the texting element of the book due to my overseas location. Sad, but understandable). As readers come across particular parts of the book, they’re encouraged to text….
- for the chance to have Amy fly to you to do …what…for you
- have the chance to get a matching tattoo of your choice with Amy
- to send a photo of a rainbow so people looking at the website know where in the world there is one right now
- for the chance to win a FedExed homemade pie
You’ll find more of these passages on the Textbook AKR website-check it out! Now that I’ve read the book, and it’s been officially released (August 9th) the site makes ever so much more sense to me!
Now I know what Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal is about. I understand how her brain works (much like mine). And I’m left feeling a little lonely now, having finished the book that was like chatting with a good friend. Our conversation is over, my last drop of tea has gone cold, and it’s time to get some sleep.
Now that Amy and I are acquainted, I’m looking forward to reading more, in fact, I have Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life on order at the library.
Check out Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal and let me know what you think about it. How would you describe it? Chat with me in the comments below and let’s be interactive here!
If you’d like to know more or would like to follow Amy Krouse Rosenthal, you can connect with her through her website, Facebook, and Twitter.
To get you your copy as soon as possible, here are some Amazon links for your convenience:
