Nobody writes like Susan Orlean. Seriously, *no one*. If you've ever read anything by her, you know exactly what I mean. It's like she's got this secret sauce, a way of turning the mundane into pure gold. "Joyride: A Memoir" is no exception. It's not just a memoir; it's a masterclass in observation, storytelling, and just plain beautiful writing. If you're looking for captivating book reviews or just a great read, pick this up. Susan Orlean is in a league of her own.

What a joy it is to read Susan Orlean’s thoroughly entertaining memoir, "Joyride: A Memoir," about her life as one of America's leading nonfiction writers. She's been a staff writer at The New Yorker for decades and has also written some best-selling books, including "The Orchid Thief" (which became the quirky Spike Jonze movie *Adaptation*) and "The Library Book," about Los Angeles’ legendary central library and the devastating arson fire that ravaged it in the '80s. While the details about her...

I absolutely adored this memoir. "Joyride: A Memoir" is such a gift to writers and book lovers alike. I loved the way Susan Orlean wrote about her writing process—both the magical, inspired moments and the disciplined, nail-it-down aspects—and how she has embraced her life as a writer (hence, JOYRIDE), and how she seamlessly wove in details about other aspects of her life. If you're looking for insightful book reviews, definitely check this one out.Two of my favorite quotes from Susan Orlean's "...

Susan Orlean proves that real lives can be just as fascinating as fictional ones. She's penned profiles for the NY Times, Vogue, Time, and The New Yorker. She's known for delving into the lives of others: a 10-year-old boy, a religious cult, Rin Tin Tin the movie dog, the history of libraries, and more. Her book, *The Orchid Thief*, was even adapted into the Academy Award-winning movie "Adaptation," with Meryl Streep playing her. But *Joyride: A Memoir* is her own story, chronicling her struggle...

It's right there in the title – "Joyride: A Memoir." But it's really a behind-the-scenes look at how Susan Orlean writes her articles and books. How she comes up with ideas, how she researches, how she finds a theme for each article, how she develops an irresistible lede, the first few lines that determine whether the reader skips to the next article or keeps reading. Susan Orlean is on my short list of "immediately read this" non-fiction authors, along with David Sedaris and Jill Lepore. I love...

A wonderful writer's memoir, but not quite for me.Pre-Read Notes:I picked this up because it's a writer's memoir, and I always find those so interesting!"The swinging eraser of time moving across experience and obliterating it terrified me. Time moving forward made me sad. Writing protected me. It made things last forever." p25"As Virginia Woolf once wrote to Vita Sackville-West, ‘Style is a very simple matter: it is all rhythm.’" p36Final ReviewI don't know why I feel this way, but *Joyride: A ...

In the final chapter of *Joyride: A Memoir*, Susan Orlean writes about how uncomfortable she was writing a memoir. That discomfort is palpable in the first third of the book, especially when she delves into her complicated relationship with her parents and her early days as a writer. But then she shifts to discussing her non-fiction work, and the Susan Orlean that I adore truly shines through, brimming with captivating anecdotes and fascinating factoids about her subjects, herself included. Thi...

As a red-headed Jewish girl with a pixie-like face, Susan Orlean always stood out. That she has been able to write about people (and animals) of all types and stripes from every social strata is also a testament to how well she blends in. Her secret weapon: engaged curiosity. Orlean is drawn to two kinds of stories—“who knew?” and “hiding in plain sight.” In her 2018 bestseller “The Library Book,” she found both: the arson fire in the Los Angeles Public Library on April 29, 1986, was the largest...

Susan Orlean is a master of narrative nonfiction, whether in books like *The Library Book* or *The Orchid Thief*, or in her long-form magazine pieces for *The New Yorker* and others. In *Joyride: A Memoir*, she writes about her life and her writing, letting the reader in on her process and research, and most fascinatingly, how her ideas arrive. And happily, she includes some of the pieces she writes about in an appendix. Entertaining and hard to put down. If you're looking for compelling author ...

I absolutely adored this – I was completely captivated by every story Susan Orlean shared. I predict a surge of renewed interest in her other books after "Joyride: A Memoir" hits shelves. I was also secretly hoping she'd include the story about that drunken night she had on Twitter during lockdown, and she did!

Long live index cards! A truly great memoir and a must-read for fans of Susan Orlean.