May cause insomnia

I recently read two memoirs, Crying in H Mart and Live Wire. Both are absorbing, candid and deep. One gave me insomnia. Read on for my reviews.

Crying in H Mart
This is an excellent book but literally kept me up at night. Author Michelle Zauner shares her story about growing up Asian American in Oregon and about her complex relationships with her parents, particularly her mother. Zauner's mother gets sick when the author is in her mid-twenties, trying to make it on her own as a musician. She goes home to help care for her mom and the experience is gut-wrenching. I couldn't sleep after reading the memoir in bed each night, and eventually I had to put the book down before its conclusion.

Live Wire
I picked up Kelly Ripa's book of short stories at LGA recently and I'm so glad I did. I wasn't all that familiar with Ripa; I'd never seen "Live" outside of the occasional brief snippet on Taxi TV. I loved getting to know her via her book and I admire her greatly. Ripa is open, honest and amusing. I especially appreciate her vulnerability when it comes to aging and her sage advice when it comes to parenting. I had no issues falling asleep after reading Live Wire at night; I wasn't wired at all :)

AES