Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain by Portia De Rossi

Rating: 8/10 (B+)  GREAT!
Extremely good read! Had many awesome, memorable moments, and really kept my interest throughout! I warmly recommend it, and look forward to reading more from the author. Probably wouldn't mind reading it again one day!  

• ISBN-13: 9781439177785
• Publisher: Atria Books
• Publication date: 11/1/2010
• Pages: 308

Portia De Rossi seemed like a woman that had it all. She is model beautiful, with a movie star life.  But this autobiography of her life with an eating disorder reveals more of this actress than you could ever imagine.  I have always been a big fan of Portia, I loved her in Ally McBeal and I have always thought she was beautiful and talented.  One of those actresses you want to grow up to be.  When I heard she had a book out I instantly wanted to read it, wanted to know more about her life.

In the beginning I wasn't sure I really liked Portia all that much, she seemed like a whiny spoiled actress who looked down on everyone else. But then you start to realized that although in the beginning she may have looked down on others, she was hardest on herself and this was all part of the emotional turmoil that has her down the path of Bulimia and then Anorexia.  After a few chapters you see more and more into the mind and feelings of Portia and you begin to feel for her.  You also begin to see how relatively easy an eating disorder could occur under the right set of circumstances.

For me, I related to this book much more than I ever thought I would.  I have never had an eating disorder but in my path to lose weight and get healthy over the past year and a half I recognized some of the "crazy" habits that Portia had and started to see how things could easily get out of hand.  At the end of the book there are pictures of Portia in her Bulimia and Anorexia days and I have to say they are shocking.  Watching her on Ally McBeal I didn't see how very thin she had gotten.. I don't remember her weight fluctuations and it makes me want to go back and watch the series again and see the changes as they occur.

I really felt for Portia and was very glad I read this book.  I enjoyed it very much and I definitely recommend it.  I would have like to have more of the story of her and Ellen's relationship, but maybe that's another book all together.

I read this for the WoWO.

Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans

The Prisoner of Cell 25 (Michael Vey Series #1) (CD)
Rating: 7/10 (B)  ENJOYABLE A solid B. Very enjoyable read. It was engrossing and held my attention. I would recommend it, and I'm absolutely open to more from the author. This was a satisfying book.

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio/Mercury Ink
• Publication date: 8/9/2011
• Format: CD
• Sales rank: 141,965
• Age range: 12 - 17 Years
• Series: Michael Vey Series , #1
• Read by: Fred Berman

Michael Vey is a 14-year-old boy who has Tourette Syndrome in a small town in Idaho.  He seems normal enough for a teenager even with the Tourettes, he's bullied but always seems to be the one getting detention and doesn't have many friends - he's seems to be a typical awkward teenager.  Michael pretty much tries to keep to himself and get through the day.  Michael however is very far from normal.  Although he doesn't know how or why Michael can shock people with electricity running through his body.  He has tried hard to keep this hidden from everyone with the exception of his mother and his best friend, Ostin, who is a genius. One day Michael can't take the bullying anymore and he accidentally shocks his bullies in frustration.  This wouldn't be an issue, because who really would believe the bullies if they said Michael shocked them with electricity, they would seem crazy.  The problem is there was a witness, A cheerleader named Taylor.  It turns out that Taylor also has similar electric powers and they soon learn that they are being searched out and collected with other teens that have electric type powers, but their intentions are far from innocent.

I tend to enjoy Young Adult reads when they are done right and this one definitely was.  I really enjoyed meeting Michael and his friends and getting to know the characters as the story progressed.  There was a bullying theme through the book and it was interesting to see the "Bully's side of the story" in a way.  I am very happy to see that it's actually a series and I will definitely continue reading it.

As noted above this was an audio book and the narrator did a really good job.  I liked his voice and different inflections for all the characters and he kept me engaged in the story.  Between the story and the narrator I never felt my mind wander to other things as audio books sometimes do for me.

The only reason that I did not give it an 8/10 rating is because i probably wouldn't re-read it.

All in all, it was a good solid read.

The Books in the Michael Vey Series:
The Prisoner of Cell 25 (Michael Vey Series #1)

• Rise of the Elgen (Michael Vey Series #2)
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• This was a Book Club read for The Reading Cove.