About Book Marks
Recent Reviews
Joe Hagan
Mixed The Portland Mercury \"It’s not the easiest read—I had to Google often while trudging through all the names—and with all of the backstory provided for Wenner’s family, friends, ex-girlfriends, and their family members, I had a hard time deciding if my experience was more like reading a textbook or crawling down a Wikipedia wormhole … While the book doesn’t shy away from Wenner’s many unflattering angles, and the fact that his unshakeable arrogance often made him unlikeable, I could relate to and empathize with other aspects of his identity and vision … Though it’s a dense read, as an alt-journalist with a clear slant to her writing, learning about Rolling Stone’s strong ties to the Democratic Party and how it became an influential and respected beacon for intelligent, critical culture writing was well worth the slog.\
Roxane Gay
Rave The Portland Mercury Hunger isn’t a telling of what it’s like to live in a body that’s merely overweight, obese, or even morbidly obese. Gay’s specific story is of how she came to be super morbidly obese, and all the ways it’s colored her present-day psyche, identity, and feminism, as well as her personal and professional life … I loved Gay’s analysis of the weight loss industry, framing shows like Fit to Fat to Fit and The Biggest Loser as anti-obesity propaganda that exploit people of size and tout the message ‘that self-worth and happiness are inextricably linked to thinness’ … Gay’s body memoir is unique because it makes no promises of a triumphant weight loss success story. Instead, the book offers honest testimony detailing nearly 30 years of various unhealthy relationships with food, family, friends, lovers, and self, all leading up to a breaking point that (hopefully) helps her change course.
Anna Kendrick
Positive The Portland Mercury You can almost hear Anna Kendrick’s bubbly voice as she exudes humble self-awareness and details the socially awkward moments of her normal/abnormal upbringing in her new memoir ... Kendrick’s on-the-nose relatable when discussing her personal life in her early adult years ... While Kendrick admits she has zero advice for aspiring young actresses, she does give a realistic peek into what happens when you opt out of college and instead fully commit to pursuing performance.