Welcome to Litsy!

It‘s on its way! Should see it on Thursday. I‘m so sorry this took me so long to get in the mail. 😭 Life has been hitting me hard lately so I barely do more than be at work and home. @BeckyWithTheGoodBooks thank you for your patience with me in getting this back to you. 💛

I tried emailing when I got this, but you might not have seen this. It is now unburied again from Spring Cleaning. So @BeckyWithTheGoodBooks I haven‘t read it, but I‘m sure you would like it home from a long ago #LMPBC round. Can you email me your address so it can get back to you in the nearer future? Sorry I didn‘t try this method of contacting you earlier. 😢

I loved this so much. An intimate and honest memoir of a childhood that began in a cult and then moved to the home of a narcissistic and emotionally abusive mother, the forging of family bonds with a father, stepmother, and extended family, and years of struggle, growth, and healing. It was so good and I want to talk to people about it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A raw, poetic, and inspiring memoir from a child survivor of the Church of Synanon (and lead singer of indie rock band The Airborne Toxic Event). Jollett writes eloquently about his childhood, his relationships with his family, and coming to terms with the traumas he experienced. A born writer, Jollett bravely pours himself out on every page. I was blown away by the intimacy he created and was deeply impacted by his story. A beautiful memoir. 5⭐️

Book 114
I listened to Hollywood Park, read by the author. Jollett writes about his difficult childhood, including adjusting to the world outside of the Synanon cult. It feels mismarketed as the cult isn't the central focus of the memoir.
⭐⭐⭐

#Bookreport Loved all 3 of my finished books this week. 5 🌟 reads. No Fixed Address was my #Doublespin
I just couldn‘t get into the Amy Tan. I read her earlier books when they came out and loved them. Mostly keeping up with all the buddy reads.

#WeeklyForecast. Liking all 3 of my in progress books and also need to read for Anger is a Gift #YABuddyRead

For some reason I am drawn to stories about cults - be it a documentary on TV or a memoir by the frontman of a band I have never heard of.

I found "Hollywood Park" to be less about a cult and more about survival. Surviving addiction and depression and bad parenting. And somehow having it all work together for good.

Jollett is a fantastic writer. I loved that at the center of his story is a racetrack where he and his dad dreamt and hoped.

I listened to the audiobook read by the author and it was fantastic.

A very deep dive into Jollett‘s life as the son of a narcissistic mother & the survivor of a cult which separated babies from their parents at 6 months of age. His life story was interesting, if a bit too long. Kudos for revealing so much of his thought process as he struggled to find out why he was so unable to form attachments to people. I am 100% sure this must be a fantastic audiobook. If you‘re going to check this book out, I‘d listen to it.

Truth.

Here‘s my review for a book I just finished listening to. I read this book for #theunreadshelfproject2021‘s February challenge “A Book You Got For Free”. I received a hardcover edition of this book from Facebook but I wanted to listen to it on Audible and I‘m glad I did because concentrating on reading has been difficult for me.

Mikel Jollett‘s memoir starts with him escaping from a cult with his mom he barely knew and focuses on growing up poor in a dysfunctional family.

Excited for these books! #bookspin #doublespin @TheAromaofBooks

This story is amazing! I don‘t read many memoirs but this was fascinating. The author narrates himself which makes all of the pain and loss and abuse and heartbreak that much more poignant. I especially loved the early story written as if the small child experiencing the turmoil was explaining it and I now want to read more about the cult he was born into. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 all day long! #wintergames2020 #merryreaders

This was so great!! Listening to it in Mikel's voice made it so much better than reading a hard copy. His story is just so many emotions rolled up into one. To see what he went through and to see how he ended up successful was amazing. I do wish there was more about the cult (Synanon) but I understand he was young.

Book 179 of 2020
#audiobook #scribd #nonfiction

I was so excited this was available at the library this morning because I had read so many good reviews. However, I‘m bailing because I just can‘t stand to be in a child‘s head anymore! I‘m 20% in and he‘s still 7 or 8 years old. Just no.

(To be clear, he narrates the memoir as if he‘s a child and doesn‘t understand adult concepts, not looking back at his childhood.)

Absolutely lovely memoir, perhaps a little too long if I'm being honest, but man this guy really has insight into his nuclear family. If you saw this and thought it was about growing up in a cult you'd be wrong--it's about growing up with the kind of parents who would join a cult and hand off their children to be raised in a communal living space at 6 months old. I do wish we had more insight as to why his mother left when she did....more below

Finally reading an ARC that got misplaced for several months while enjoy a mild morning outside. I‘m definitely enjoying this quiet moment.

Cant wait to tackle my tbr!!

I started reading this memoir before realizing the author is in a rock band. I looked him up and downloaded the band's latest album on hoopla titled "Hollywood Park" as well. (Songs from the album are played in the audiobook which is amazing!)
This is an emotional coming of age story about an unconventional childhood. Synanon, an addiction treatment - turned cult, and Mikel's mother's narcissism are the catalysts for many of his experiences.

Mikel grows up in poverty and confusion wondering who he can trust. He manages to attend Stanford on scholarship but that doesn‘t guarantee him a successful career. As I am more than half way through his story, you‘re aware that most of these devastating experiences occurred before Mikel was only a teen/enduring more than most would in a lifetime. He grapples with the life long demons of his extensive family history of substance abuse and prison.

My parents know I love a good book and this book, Hollywood Park is not just good, but great!!! I suggested if someone wanted to buy me this book for my birthday I‘d love them forever... I mean, I will always love them forever so... where does it go from here?

Had the Advanced ListenersARC, now own the book. Yes, it‘s that good! It‘s pure poetry, truth by trauma, overcome with the help from love of family and music.

@Clwojick @Meaw_catlady #ReadYourSign Author Birthday 5/21 ♊️ I had never heard of Mikel Jollett or his music 🎶, but his memoir is captivating. He reads the audio and places himself and the listener into the memory of his tumultuous childhood. Early childhood in a cult, unstable mother and unstable men she brought into their lives, a loving bond with his father & stepmother, motivation and drive to excel 4/5🎸s TW: Rabbits raised for food😢 ⬇️

You can feel the intensity and insanity that swallowed Mikel Jollett throughout his childhood,adolescence and adult years. His descriptions of home life with an unbalanced mother and free spirited but dependable dad had me laughing one minute and heartbroken the next. It makes sense that this sensitive child would grow into a creative artist. While unfamiliar with Mikel‘s music I have become a fan of his enormous heart and artistic soul👇🏼

Mikel‘s relationship with his dad is something magical, if not a little unconventional. It‘s really heartwarming. And he‘s such a gifted storyteller ~ if you liked Glass Castles this one falls under the same heartstrings ♥️
Heads Up : Skip chapter 9/ it‘s about raising rabbits for food and it‘s 😳😭🤢

I‘m a sucker for #parentchildmemoir and this one is haunting
Read by the author accompanied by his beautiful music 🎼
Raised in a cult the first few years of his life & living in abject poverty, Mikel Jollett is a lyrical memoirist
#Scribd
I‘m thinking you might like this @Megabooks @britt_brooke @Reviewsbylola

While her brother is in speech therapy, she sleeps and I get to read🤓
#memoirreading #hollywoodpark

Raw, intense, and emotional, Hollywood Park is a memoir that will stick with the reader long after its been read. Filled with alcoholism, addiction, violence and poverty, not to mention the infamous cult known as Synanon, Jollett‘s life and memoir shows the powerful affects these things can have on an individual. Hollywood Park isn‘t filled only with negativity and hurt however; it is also filled with love, family, perseverance and triumph.

That‘s me! I‘m Cynthia! I guess this is my 15 minutes of fame!

I do highly recommend this remarkable memoir!

An excellent memoir! Jollett is a seriously talented writer. The book was so in depth and detailed and so in the moment that it read more like fiction than a typical memoir. It reflects on childhood emotional abuse and addiction and poverty with lyrical and emotional prose, and maybe it's a little long-winded, but worth the effort, I highly recommend!
Won an #arc from #bookishfirst

Mikel Jollett's Hollywood Park memoir is full of lyrical hurt, happiness, chaotic living, anger, & downright brilliant writing. The Airborne Toxic Event lead singer tells his story of living in the infamous Church of Synanon cult until he was 5 years old when his mother takes him & his brother out of that life & moves them around the West Coast hoping to find normalcy. The Audiobook is narrated by the author. The background music is fantastic!

Thanks to Libro.fm for the ALC of Mikel Jollett's Hollywood Park, which will be published on May 26.⠀
⠀
Mikel Jollett's memoir Hollywood Park was all over the emotional spectrum for me: there were moments of joy, of sadness, of shock, of delight, of horror, of disbelief. I'm so glad I listened--Jollett reads the audiobook, which lends it great power--though I imagine I would have been able to appreciate the beautiful writing even more in print.⠀⬇️

Decided to go check the mail. Look what I found in it! #arc #hollywoodparkmemoir #celadon

“Everyone I love is broken. Or was. That‘s how we recognize each other.” ~Mikel Jollett

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3165092523

Always love my book mail especially in these days of isolating it is like having a surprise guest to cheer you up.💃💐🥰📚

“Take your pain and make it useful. That‘s what it means to be an artist.”

Today was a perfect day for surprise book mail. 📚 💞

#bookmail from Celadon! I‘m not huge into memoirs but this sounds interesting!!!

A woman in one of the Facebook reading groups I am in posted a photo of all of her bookmarks stored inside of a mug. I thought it was such a good idea so I decided to do the same! Some of my bookmarks are “on duty” but the rest are now in my Van Gogh Sunflowers mug.

If you use real bookmarks, where do you store them when they are not in use?

1. Hollywood Park, The Broken Girls, and You Can‘t Catch Me
2. My Dark Vanessa
3. Someone was kind enough to give us a 4 pack of toilet paper.

#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain

Although I am a mood reader, I feel immensely overwhelmed by all of my options, especially since I‘ve accumulated so many books within the last few years. I made up a pile of potential reads in Feb. It gave me an established set of options to choose from but I wasn‘t locked into reading only from the pile. That worked well for me so I‘m doing it again. Let me tell you about the books I added to my March stack: https://youtu.be/RhOY1GGzij4

Jollett spent his first seven years living in a cult, where kids were separated from their parents. This is less about that than life after, including his mother‘s mental health issues, family members‘ addiction, and poverty. Jollett has a close connection to his dad, including weekly trips to the track. Jollett balances the mood, opens his heart, and has a compelling story to tell.

Full review http://www.TheBibliophage.com
#thebibliophage2020

Getting started with this #ARC from #celadon today. I‘m a sucker for cult escape stories, so this is one I‘ve been anxious to read. Might use it for my #setinHollywood prompt for #booked2020 #winter. We shall see ...

I am a huge fan of memoirs but few have excited me more than this one. The opening lines are haunting. Mikel Jollett‘s writing ability is truly magnificent. And the story tells of his upbringing within a cult is one of my most anticipated reads of 2020.

Hollywood Park is due for publication on May 5, 2020 and if you haven‘t put in on your TBR list yet, please let me tempt you! Make sure you check out the compelling synopsis!

Today‘s book mail! Can‘t wait to read this!!