Last Chance Texaco by Rickie Lee Jones

 I finished Rickie Lee Jones' autobiography last weekend, Last Chance Texaco.

I wasn't all that familiar with her personal life outside of some real generalities so this was so very insightful and interesting. Some of the writing was so poetic I felt like I was reading song lyrics in the making. 

I have to say as someone that grew up when I did (which was much later than Ms. Jones' formative years) reading about her youth made me very uncomfortable. The narrative takes up about half the real estate of the book.   I am not saying that her choices were bad, I mean really I think that they were her choices and I am in a way grateful for her openess and seeming giving nature to write about them. But... and here is my big but... reading about how basically she was a teenage runaway at 14 made me really sad for her childhood.  She writes very openly about it.  So many risks, so many chances and so many drugs.  I don't want to dismiss that.  It was really difficult to read for me at times. I had to set the book aside more than once.  

The bulk of the book does to me read like a teenage road memoir and in that way it's interesting but for others it may not be.  It wasn't triggering for me like it could be for others.  I want to say this one more thing about that... her parents must have been so completely exasperated by that behavior and it really shows their deep love for their daughter to come and get her from where she landed as many times as they did.  She was very fortunate.  I don't want to say that she seemed ungrateful but she never outright says "wow was I glad my Dad drove from Arizona to California to get me when I called". That was sad to me.  

Her career and musical highlights crammed to the end and her later life really was what I think I was more familiar with.  But of course only small elements of it so it was interesting to her side of the industry. The last part of her life (say the last 15 to 20 years) was jammed into the last chapter.  No fault of the author, life sometimes just happens that way.  

A few years back we were fortunate enough to see Rickie Lee Jones on tour performing some hits.  Some I knew, others I didn't.  At that time the book was supposed to be released and was not.  So I have to think that the book was reedited and maybe the first part of the book was what would have been released.  The very last chapters seemed like an afterthought, maybe it's because it's more about the present?  I am not sure.  

I so enjoyed hearing about her desires (from men to getting her publishing and owning her songs outright - musicians out there.... take a very valuable lesson here) and navigating the harsh and vicious music industry. She is a VERY strong woman, with a very individual voice that comes through.  She has shared a life that many of us can not even remotely understand.  It was fascinating.  I also have to say when I finished the book, I called my parents and let them know how grateful I am for my time as a kid and how supportive they were.  I was inspired by that so I had to call and say" thank you" because that seemed missing in this book.  I may have missed it in my frustration not sure to be candid.  

I was also a little bummed out that some credit wasn't given to photographers.  Ms. Jones references a VERY well known photo and doesn't give credit to the photographer... so I will do so now... His name is Adrian Boot.  His photography is amazing. Check him out too.  

I so very much appreciate being provided with the preview copy... and I did enjoy the book enough to buy a hard copy for our library.  

It is a recommended book.  If anything to go back to a time that I don't have any life experience with.  I watched her SNL appearances, I revisited the first album and I have learned so much more about an artist that I didn't know much about.  It's a beautiful read about some difficult subjects that I know I will want to reread again.  

What's on the deck to read for April and May?

 Really the only reason why I am putting this list together is to keep myself accountable for the books that I have on deck (and one in progress right now) to read.  I am finding that with the days getting "longer" and my personal life getting a little more out of focused on reading fiction I need to make myself a check list.

By the way, I love a checklist.  ALOT.  I honestly have over four going all the time.  I think it makes me feel productive.  I have actually geeked out so much that I am actually seriously considering making my personal life and these precise things live on a Trello Board.  Project Manage my personal life.  I am that much of a dork that I would even poise myself to do that.  It's very much a consideration. I think it would be great fun.  In the meantime I have a document that I print out on Sunday's with some standard todos, a meal plan and a monthly goal all separated into separate sections.  I don't have a to read list on there... which is why I am putting it here.  I may update my sheet and add a book section now that I have worked through this here. 

So here is this books for April and May :

Oh most of the links are from the publisher or Goodreads so that you can find the place to purchase on your own :)

Last Chance Texaco

I am actually currently reading this and am just about over the halfway point.  I am really holding my breath the entire time I sit down and read it.  I knew a little about Ms. Jones.  Now I know a lot more.  I was so unbelievably fortunate to see her perform the last time she toured and came through town.  I will write more about it, but this book is really good and totally worth the wait.  I have an ARC and have a hard copy of the book as well that I preordered because I knew that it was something that I would want in my library over a year ago when I heard it was being published.  I was not wrong.  

I.M. by Isaac Mizrahi

I started to read this at the beginning of the pandemic last March.  I promise to finish it... I loved what I reading and it was so funny and charming. All the things that I know Mr. Mizrahi is.  I think I stopped reading it because I was reading it before going to sleep in bed and I was giggling too much that I wasn't getting sleepie.  This is the month that I finish it. I love him so much and I am ashamed that I didn't complete it during the past year. 

Emotional Intelligence 2.0

Ok I am going to be re-reading this as a refresher.  At work a couple years ago, one our our leaders started this book as a workbookclub book. There was not a lot of interaction as far as a bookclub goes but I remember getting a lot out of the process in the book.  I learned a lot about my reactions, how I am perceived and being better about what I do in this world and how it is perceived.  Since I haven't been in "the office" for the past year... and hopefully that will be changing soon... I am looking forward to taking the survey again, rereading the book and refreshing my base and EQ levels.  I remember being super surprised by the outcome of the survey.  I am quite sure that I will be again since I haven't been part of a 1:1 communication circle in a while.  

Hollywood Park by Mikel Jollett

This has been on my to read list for a year.  I started it.  I got through half of the book and got sidetracked.  It was great. I don't know why I didn't finish it.  I got an ARC and Mr. Jollett's book tour was the very first one virtually that we attended.  It was so great and he was so engaging, I think I put it down because I was so sad for his childhood after his online tour being so really great.  He is a joy and I need to finish this book.  

and one more, I don't want to get too ahead of myself....and this one is going to be my May book.

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

I bought the kindle edition maybe two years ago.  It's been on my list THAT long which is ridiculous.  So I am going to make it happen.  

So there you are.. that is what I am going to be working on.  I hope!  That and my Trello Board.