Nerd Alert! Simon Pegg's Autobiography

Even if you are not a fan of Simon Pegg, chances are you've seen in him in one of his movies - Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Run Fatboy, Run and, most recently, Paul. As a particular fan of his work, I was super-excited to see that he had written an auto-biography, but hesitant because the vast majority of biographies that I have read usually turn me off of that person. Happily, this is not one of those. Pegg has written a poignant, sweet, and funny tale of his life thus far.

Born into a middle-class family in western England, Pegg's mother was an amateur actress and his father a musician, so his creative apple didn't fall far from the tree. Growing up in the 1970's and 80's, he details his triumphs and tragedies, first loves and bromances, and throughout it all his adoration of science fiction and other nerdy pursuits. He even includes the autobiography he WISHED he could write, interspersed with the factual accounts, detailing his superhero-like prowess, rugged handsomeness and robotic sidekick.

I don't believe this book will broaden Pegg's appeal beyond those who are already fans - but if you are interested in reading more about him and his background, give this bio a try.

House of Prayer No. 2

Mark Richard gives us a thoughtful and provoking gaze into his spiritual awakening in his memoir, House of Prayer No. 2.

Born with a physical ailment in his hips, Richard is operated on and bedridden frequently during childhood, only to be told that he will be wheelchair-bound by the age of 30. Written in second person, you immediately feel as withdrawn and disconnected with the people around him as Richard does growing as a "special" child in the South.

In the book, Richard takes us along on his life journey while he experiences the horrors of the Children's Hospital he is operated in and dabbles in a multitude of occupations on his way to becoming a writer and, lastly, finding God. We are with him as he searches for meaning in his life as a deckhand, photographer and journalist (along with a slew of other jobs). We travel with him as he stands up to his abusive father in protection of his mother and sister. And we celebrate with him as he achieves his dream of becoming a writer, builds a life with his wife and sons, and achieves some spiritual clarity, realizing his call in life.

Oddly enough, the second person writing that makes us feel so disconnected in the beginning of the book ends up making us feel the complete opposite by the end of the book. As Richard finds more clarity and meaning in his life, it seems we, as the readers, develop a closeness with the meaningful people and events in his life. Richard's writing is warm in some places and witty in others, making the overall experience of reading his life an enjoyable one.

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah

Ishmael Beah was a 12-year old boy growing up in his village in Sierra Leone when his world was shattered forever by civil war. After fleeing the area for safer ground, he and a group of boys his age survived by roaming the countryside under the radar of both the rebel front and the army, while scavenging or stealing whatever food they could. Eventually, his luck runs out and he is "recruited" by the army, where he is drugged, brainwashed, and molded into a trained killer.

The life Ishmael leads as a soldier is difficult to read about, especially knowing that he is a young boy perpetrating and witnessing unspeakable horrors on other human beings. He is a leader among his peers and gains his lieutenant's attention with both his soldiering abilities and his love of Shakespeare. At the age of 15, he and a handful of his compatriots are removed from the front and taken to a rehab center sponsored by UNICEF, where he eventually overcomes his drug addiction, begins the healing process and is welcomed into his uncle's home as a son. When he is selected to travel to New York for a United Nations conference on children and war, it is a trip that again changes his life.

This book, while heartbreaking, is an important and eye-opening look at the realities of life for children and families around the world. Ishmael was so fortunate - many of his friends returned to the war after rehab because they had nowhere else to go. While this is a book about war and the damage it causes, it is also a testament to love and hope of a better way. This is a book I would highly recommend to both adults and high school students - it is a story that will stay with them long after they have finished reading.