Good evening, my bookworms! Well, it’s Monday, and we know Mondays are just the worst. Today was no exception. For me, it was one of those days where every little thing went wrong, so I’m glad it’s close to being over. I’m thoroughly exhausted, but I’ve been stewing on an idea for a bit so I wanted to drop a bit of an update and give you a review. Just bear with me, because like I said, I’m super sleepy (lol).
Yes, a review, but here’s the thing, it’s not new. I’m reaching into the vault on this one for a few reasons. One, I have four books and one audiobook going right now, so it might be a few minutes before I get some of those out to you guys. Two, because while I do read a lot, and I thoroughly enjoy it, I haven’t given you guys enough variety. Yes, I’m an avid lover of a solid romance. They’re sexy, sweet, filled with tension and chemistry, and teach you lessons on love and life that lead to the ultimate happily ever after. However, it’s just in my bones to read almost anything I can get my grubby paws on, so I need to start doing a better job in diversifying The Blabbing Bibliophile, and I’m going to begin tonight with one of my favorite reads.
One of my top genres is the biography. Go under that umbrella to find autobiographies, memoirs, and tell alls.. whatever you want to call them. To an extent, I’m a nosey person and love to find out what drives people to success. I’m not talking nosey in an obsessive “I must go buy tabloids to find out all the things” kind of way. I like learning about people I look up to in order to learn from their accomplishments. Maybe it’s just the success of putting pen to paper (or fingers to keys) and giving a little slice of your soul away to the public. I have a pretty hefty pile of life stories stacked on my overflowing shelves, but tonight, I’m going with one of the ultimate people who can not only make me laugh, but who also reminds me to kick a*s and live my life for me (which I need to do more of, honestly). I’m bringing you back aways to introduce you to Craig Ferguson, author of the book, American On Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot.
IT’S A GREAT DAY FOR AMERICA, EVERYBODY!
So, if you don’t know who Craig Ferguson is already, I highly suggest you meet him ASAP. Beware though, because your face WILL hurt. While he has since retired from his Late, Late Show on CBS here in the states (James Corden has served as his replacement), you can see his panel show, Join or Die, on the History Channel, or his stand-up comedy on Netflix. Of course, there’s always YouTube, and he does have a new show coming to Sirius XM Satellite Radio at the end of this month as well. I’ll give you an intro before I continue. He’s quirky, Scottish, and is a massive Whovian, so I’m not really sure what else you need to know. He sounds awesome, right?
Anyway, I’ve been a massive fan of Craig’s for years, so when his book came out, I was chomping at the bit to read. It’s rare that a book makes me show visible emotion as I turn the pages. It’s not because a story isn’t good, but more because I’m a bit of an ice woman when it comes to displaying my feelings. With Craig’s story, I remember lounging outside on my deck just laughing my butt off to no end. I should have been used to it after seeing his stand-up in person numerous times, but still, I clearly wasn’t prepared for the hijinks of his youth in Glasgow.
(AN: I seem to be going with a Scottish theme on this site lately, but I think I’m just going to run with it, because it was not done on purpose, I assure you.)
If you can’t tell from the clip above, Craig is a Scotsman, but became an American citizen in 2008. American on Purpose tells that journey. He’s seemingly had such an off-kilter life that I couldn’t help but admire. Power to him because personally, I’ve had a few areas of my life where I floundered and felt a bit lost in my choices (though not due to drugs or alcohol), and it was hard to see the humor in it all, so I adored his take on milestones in his young days and how it all led up to a driven career in Hollywood.
Whether he was antagonizing his siblings, playing in his punk rock bands (with friend and future Doctor… Mister Peter Capaldi.. yes, that’s a Doctor Who reference), getting help for his drug and alcohol addiction, or being rambunctious in school, Craig not only found the hysterics and made this reader have a hearty giggle, but he also taught me something. I not only adored how he persevered, but how didn’t shy away from the truth. That’s quite a brave thing to do when, in this day and age, everyone is a critic.
Even in his stand up, he’s always been no nonsense and all about brutal honesty. I know most comedians are, but Craig has a way of not sugar-coating things and being very “in your face” about his life, while somehow keeping you from being offended because he makes his stories borderline absurd.
He’s ridiculous, high-energy, dirty, sarcastic to the ultimate degree, and you can tell that even among the pages in pure black-and-white. Also, as a bonus, he has the most contagious laugh. Don’t believe me? Try to watch this without cracking a smile. I dare you.
Lastly, I thoroughly appreciated Craig’s take on America, maybe not even America, but more his process of becoming a citizen. His idea of it, and his faith in it as a nation. No, I’m not getting political or crossing into that kind of territory, but I suppose as a reader, you can take what he says and apply it to almost anywhere you want or do call home. His journey may have been challenging, but he accomplished his childhood dream with a sense of pride. His ethnicity will always be Scottish, but as he says, his allegiance and opportunity is all American. It was interesting to hear and learn about in a more modern era, especially since it’s something I’ve never experienced myself. Here’s a bit more insight.
I know I’ve rambled quite a bit on this post, and basically just made this a huge, “I Heart Craig Ferguson” post, but in all seriousness, if you want to learn about a new life story while having frequent laughs and learning some valuable life lessons at the same time, read Craig’s book. It’s always refreshing to experience the ups and downs of someone’s life when they can master telling it all with a sense of humor. In other words, he’s my hero.
My Final Rating: five out of five stars
