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The Light Years
The Light Years: A Memoir | Chris Rush
16 posts | 9 read | 22 to read
The Light Years is a joyous and defiant coming-of-age memoir set during one of the most turbulent times in American history Chris Rush was born into a prosperous, fiercely Roman Catholic, New Jersey family. But underneath the gleaming mid-century house, the flawless hostess mom, and the thriving businessman dad ran an unspoken tension that, amid the upheaval of the late 1960s, was destined to fracture their precarious facade. His older sister Donna introduces him to the charismatic Valentine, who places a tab of acid on twelve-year-old Rushs tongue, proclaiming: This is sacrament. You are one of us now. After an unceremonious ejection from an experimental art school, Rush heads to Tuscon to make a major drug purchase and, still barely a teenager, disappears into the nascent American counterculture. Stitching together a ragged assemblage of lowlifes, prophets, and fellow wanderers, he seeks kinship in the communes of the west. His adolescence is spent looking for knowledge, for the divine, for home. Given what Rush confronts on his travelsfrom ordinary heartbreak to unimaginable violenceit is a miracle he is still alive. The Light Years is a prayer for vanished friends, an odyssey signposted with broken and extraordinary people. It transcends one boys story to perfectly illustrate the slow slide from the optimism of the 1960s into the darker and more sinister 1970s. This is a riveting, heart-stopping journey of discovery and reconciliation, as Rush faces his lost childhood and, finally, himself.
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blurb
Soubhiville
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For #titlesandtunes #sexdrugsandrockandroll my book choice is The Light Years by Chris Rush. It‘s his memoir of his teenage years steeped heavily in drugs. And the most rock and roll song I can think of is Immigrant Song by Led Zeppelin. The opening cry and riff are so iconic.

Can‘t wait to put on the playlist to drive my housework this afternoon!

BarbaraBB Enjoy the drive home. I added your song! A lot of Led Zeppelin on the list! 1y
Cinfhen I LOVED this memoir!!! It was SOOOOOO GOOD!!! Great choice!!! 1y
dabbe @BarbaraBB They are the EPITOME of “sex, love, and R&R!“ IMHO 🤣🤣🤣 1y
Megabooks Love Zeppelin! Reminds me of driving around with friends in high school…we had a serious 70s thing going on in the 90s. Freebird was our class song. 😂🤘🏻 1y
45 likes4 comments
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Soubhiville
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Pickpick

“Insanely Entertaining.” Says John Waters on the front cover.

It is that, at first in an amusing “you crazy kids” kind of way, but it grows more and more disturbing.

In the late 60‘s and early 70‘s Chris came of age, experimenting with drugs, skipping school, traveling. His parents are strangely detached and it‘s hard to believe how much they let him make decisions and ignored problem behaviors starting so young.

Soubhiville It‘s one of those books that make you wonder how some people make it out alive on the other side. Kind of a train wreck, but also a compelling read. 2y
AmyG That‘s kind of when I grew up. I‘d be curious. And he is from NJ, like me. I see Venkman there! (edited) 2y
Soubhiville @AmyG a large portion of the book takes place in NJ. If you‘re interested I‘ll send this to you! 🐈‍⬛Venkman loves being talked too, he can be very attentive. 🙂 2y
AmyG Why thank you! I‘d love to read it. 😘 2y
66 likes4 comments
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kelli7990
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Mehso-so

Here‘s my review for a book I just finished listening to. I‘m counting this book for 2 reading challenges that I‘m participating in this year.

☑️Read a book with 4 or more colors on the cover - #tbrknockout
☑️ A free book from your TBR list (gifted, borrowed, library) - #popsugarreadingchallenge2021

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Chelsea.Poole
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Pickpick

An outrageous, drug-addled, free-range, coming of age memoir. As a parent, I just can‘t imagine the apathy Chris‘s parents displayed in his life. An entertaining, yet sad story.

86 likes1 stack add
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Chelsea.Poole
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Currently reading! This has been on my list for a while but @Megabooks reminded me of it and it has moved to the 🔝

Megabooks Awesome! Enjoy! 4y
85 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Megabooks
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Pickpick

Chris was a bright kid thriving in childhood until he was introduced to psychedelics & pot by his older sister at age 12 in the late 60s. This began years full of drug-fueled wandering throughout the Western US as he explored his bisexuality. Often not welcome in his NJ home, he latched onto a series of dealers and hippies through his teens & 20s. A sad look at the treatment of LGBT boomers.

Very compelling, but difficult read. #audiobook ⬇️

Megabooks ⬆️ I think this was supposed to be funnier, and maybe it‘s my current mood, but I felt really sad Chris got mixed up with such shady characters and received very little care and compassion at times. Definitely severe trigger warnings for homophobia and drug use. (edited) 4y
Cinfhen This book was WILD!!! I agree, his parents blatant neglect was so sad. I was just enthralled with the audio from start to finish 🎧 4y
Megabooks @Cinfhen I agree. Very enthralling audio. Well done memoir. I just reflected on it for several hours and realized I felt a lot of sympathy for all he went through, and I found myself wondering, “what of he hadn‘t taken that acid? What if his parents had been more accepting?” I think those are the impressions I was ultimately left with. 4y
See All 7 Comments
Cinfhen Yes, it‘s amazing how one act can potentially sway the rest of your life. Is it destiny or choice? Fate or birth? This book was just very memorable, as I read dozens of memoirs #MemoirGals 👯‍♀️ 4y
Bookwormjillk Age 12!! 😳 4y
Megabooks @Bookwormjillk right?!? So young! 4y
Reviewsbylola I bailed on this early on. I just wasn‘t in the mood. I need to try again. 4y
99 likes6 stack adds7 comments
review
Cinfhen
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Pickpick

“Wow, you‘ve had a really weird life”
Understatement of the year!!!!!
Chris Rush writes the most hilarious, heartbreaking memoir of family dysfunction, sisterly love and a childhood that seems unimaginable. Drug hazed years, cross country road trips, dangerous encounters & woeful neglect amounts to one of the whackiest memoirs I‘ve EVER read. Such vivid writing and captivating storytelling. Dragged a bit but still highly recommended. #AudioWalk

britt_brooke Dang, my library doesn‘t have the audiobook, but I‘m putting it on my Audible wishlist! 4y
Cinfhen I read it via #Scribd @britt_brooke 🎧Hopefully it‘ll be a daily deal 🤞🏽 4y
TrishB Great review and great pic 👍🏻 4y
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Cinfhen Drove to the beach with hubs and then I walked the promenade while he had a business meeting @TrishB It was so nice to be outside with my audiobook 4y
Megabooks Gorgeous pic! Sounds like an interesting book! 4y
Megabooks Thanks for the tag 😘😘 4y
TrishB Sounds like lovely day ❤️ 4y
Megabooks I just randomly saw this cover on the Libby app, and thought...hmmm...that looks familiar, I‘ll just check it out. Things are tough here. Mom has a shingles outbreak now, and Dad got a bad evaluation from PT and may get fewer, if any, visits approved. We‘ve finally accepted help from the church and they‘re going to bring meals, which is nice. Anyway that‘s today‘s craptastic update. 💜💜 4y
Cinfhen I‘m glad you found the book but I‘m sad about your hellish situation. Very happy to hear your church is stepping in. Has dad just given up or is he physically unable to progress? It looks like you are facing some very challenging decisions. I know anything you decide will be done with love and wisdom. You are strong & brave. I support you even if there is a wide ocean separating us #LoveAcrossTheMiles (edited) 4y
Cinfhen Book is FANTASTIC 4y
Megabooks With dad, it‘s 6 of one half dozen of another. It‘s gotten harder to make big progress therefore he‘s trying less. He made the huge gains and was the star pupil, but he‘s not really putting in the grind to make the harder gains. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I can‘t want it for him. He‘s 72, and even though he was in good shape for his age before the stroke, he can‘t rehab like a 55 year old. And I can relate, I‘ve had 17 surgeries from age 20-39, and recovery ⬇️ 4y
Megabooks Gets harder even through your 20s and 30s. 4y
Megabooks And thank you so much for your support and love!!! You are very much appreciated!! 😘😘🥰🥰 4y
Cinfhen I understand ☹️it‘s a frustrating cycle. And it‘s sucks that it‘s your dad. 4y
Megabooks It does. I love him and want to support him, but I just don‘t know what more I can do. 4y
84 likes15 comments
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Cinfhen
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“Growing up we only spoke about three things; drugs, Jesus and music”
You can‘t make this shit up!!!!
Beyond, crazzzzy
A coming of age memoir that makes Glass Castle seem like a Disney fairytale 😜

Reviewsbylola I‘ve got a Libro.fm credit. Maybe I‘ll use it on this! 4y
72 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Cinfhen
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This book is 🍌👖Definitely getting David Sedaris vibes....a coming of age memoir. A wild ride...#TruthIsStrangerThanFiction

britt_brooke 💚 4y
76 likes1 comment
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Cinfhen
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My friend Samantha suggested this memoir when I told her I thought David Sedaris was hilarious. Have you read it @Megabooks @britt_brooke @Reviewsbylola ??? I just started the audio.... it‘s really funny 😁

britt_brooke Nope, but I‘m willing to give it try! 4y
Megabooks Nope but I‘m stacking! Tag me in the review, if you can! 4y
Cinfhen I think you‘re both gonna like this one @britt_brooke @Megabooks but there are some dark disturbing moments. I‘ll tag you both with my final review 4y
Reviewsbylola Beautiful cover. I‘ll give it a shot! 4y
90 likes5 stack adds4 comments
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LauraBeth
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I did a dis-service to this beautiful book cover by not capturing it all but the BFG takes up a lot of space. Those were the words uttered by the pet sitter when we got back from vacation: “Your um, cat? He um, takes up a LOT of um, SPACE.” 😹

MicheleinPhilly BIG. FAT. GUY. 5y
britt_brooke 😆 5y
litenthusiast He is really cute! 😻 5y
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LauraBeth @MicheleinPhilly he‘s the KING 👑 5y
LauraBeth @britt_brooke the pet sitter wasn‘t wrong 😹 5y
LauraBeth @litenthusiast He knows it! 😹 5y
Leftcoastzen 😻😹so funny ! He is king of the castle, everyone should take note! 5y
LeahBergen Oh, BFG! 😆😆😆 5y
MemoirsForMe 😹😹😹 5y
LauraBeth @leftcoatzen the name he came with from the shelter was “King“. We probably should have just left it because it fits! 😹 5y
LauraBeth @leahbergen, @uwannapublishme he's a 15 lb love bomb 5y
Mdargusch I used to have a cat that “took up a lot of space” 😂 5y
112 likes1 stack add12 comments
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kelli7990
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I still haven‘t read this book. #haulrevisit

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Heystad
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Pickpick

Chris Rush‘s story of growing up in a complicated, affluent family is hard to put down. His struggle with his identity is ongoing, made even more unclear with excessive drug use and emotionally abusive, homophobic father. I really enjoyed Rush‘s writing. It was quick, slightly humorous and emotional. Also, I would warn that there is LOTS of drug use referenced in this book.

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Erinreadsthebooks
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So far, so good 👍

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Erinreadsthebooks
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Choices, choices, choices, choices, choices, choices.

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Lauren.Archer
Pickpick

This is the memoir of the artist Chris Rush that starts at age 11 and takes him through his young adult years. This covers the gamet of topic, sexuality, religion and drugs. As I read this book I ran through many emotions. Lots of laughter and many thoughtful moments throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. It might have been the book that got me out of my rut.

69 likes1 stack add