Searching for John Hughes audiobook

I guess I'm biased.

I always say that I don't miss being a kid because I actually got to be a kid, something I'm often very grateful to God for. I enjoyed being young, playing outside, arguing with my sisters, sharing a room with my younger sister, sleeping on bunk beds, making up games. Then, as I got older, it was going to the mall with friends, leaning against the second-floor railing to look for boys, calling my mom to pick us up on a payphone, watching She's All That, Bring It On, Save the Last Dance, and 10 Things I Hate About You on VHS, waiting for the "Top 9 at 9" to play on K104, so I could tape my favorite songs then listen to the cassette on my Walkman. Then, it was being in college, skipping class with my friends to walk to the bakery in town and talk about life, guys, school, and family. In my twenties, it was traveling to Europe with my sisters, volunteering at the local hospital, interning at a small publishing house, going out for drinks with friends, dancing (or in my case "dancing"), and working multiple part-time jobs while going to grad school. In the midst of that, there were difficult times. A lot happened in my childhood that was not idyllic, and even though there are many things I loved about being a kid, there were hard times too. My parents fought a lot, and I had bad arguments with my sisters and got teased for being a "goody goody" and for having hairy arms (I'm Italian and Puerto Rican). I am a middle child, so I did feel that "syndrome" my older and younger sister say isn't real but definitely is. I was always quiet, and they even teased me sometimes for crying all the time. I was (and still am) very sensitive. What helped me through those parts of childhood were books. Books like Ann M. Martin's Babysitters Club series, Nancy Drew books, later The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. Fantasy, contemporary, the classics. I also loved teen dramas on TV, especially One Tree Hill. That was my favorite--it premiered in 2003 when I was a junior in high school, basically the same age as the characters, and it ran until 2012, when I was just finishing up grad school, which seems pretty perfect. What else helped me, and still helps me, is my own writing. That sounds arrogant, but writing helps me express myself. I used to keep journals and diaries, but I don't do that anymore. My characters teach me how I'm feeling, and I can use them to voice my thoughts and concerns. I can let them be sensitive for me. When I read back what I write, I'm surprised by how much of me is in my characters, even the ones who seem nothing like me. I started a series when I was 11, and I've been writing it since, changing it and improving it as the years go by. I've added characters and changed plot lines, I've written books from the children of my original characters' points of view and now contemplate writing about their children. My sister said my made-up town is my second home, and she's right. The fact that my heart swelled when she said that proves it even further. It's strange how much influence the various media have on our lives but also how much impact our own creations can have on our lives.Now, I come to my review of this book that Jason Diamond wrote. It's really sad. I knew there would be hope at the end because it's a memoir, and I figured it wouldn't end with everything crashing down around Diamond, and fortunately, like the Hughes movies that shaped his childhood, Diamond's book ends with a lesson learned and optimism for the present. But the journey was tough to get through. I felt sorry for Diamond and what he experienced growing up. When he acts like a jerk or talks about his depression, I understand because of course what he went through would shape who he became. There were times I cringed at some of his words and actions, partially because they reminded me of stories my ex-boyfriend told me about his life, and he's an ex for a reason, but also because of my own morality. However, I always understood where Diamond was coming from and what led him to act the way he did and treat people the way he did. I like this book because I like Diamond's voice. He's funny, he writes well, and he's not self-deprecating, exactly, but he definitely knows where he went wrong and when things happened through no fault of his own. I enjoyed the crafted version of his life he tells. The order in which he presents information works really well. I also enjoy the way he incorporates biographical information about John Hughes, the director whose movies shaped his childhood and gave him hope, with autobiographical information. It makes the book flow and gives it more impact and interest.Overall, this book works for me even though I can't identify with most of what Diamond experienced or with the life he lived and does live because I can identify with the power pop culture has to shape our experiences. I can identify with your hometown being more than just a place you live but becoming a character in your own life (I was born in the town I still live in, and I love it--I even have an Instagram page dedicated to my town, for which I take photos of restaurants, landscape, historic buildings, etc). I can identify with Diamond's love for writing and need to write. Like Diamond, I've worked and worked on a project for years that I've had such high hopes for but that I've eventually had to accept might not be the great writing I thought it was or hoped it could become. But giving up on a project, accepting that it's not going to be published and praised, doesn't mean giving up on yourself, your writing, your dreams. It means being realistic, freeing yourself, so you can have hope for something attainable. And it wasn't a waste of time either because without those years of writing, editing, revising, deleting, tossing, you wouldn't be able to write the things that do get published and make an impact. I recommend this book to Hughes fans, memoir fans, and people who love books that incorporate pop culture into stories of everyday life. *Side note: My sister bought me this book because we enjoyed reading A Week in Paris together (a Dollar Store find that she loved and bought a copy of for me), and she wanted us to read another book at the same time. I came home from work last month and saw two copies of this book on the landing. My dad buys and sells used books, so I thought they were his, that he had bought them and was going to sell them. I got mad at him because, of course, the title caught my eye, and I wanted a copy. Then, I entered the living room and saw my older sister sitting on the couch. She came up from Florida for a surprise visit. I screamed and hugged her. Then, she told me the Hughes books were for us to read together, so I got to keep a copy, after all.

I feel like many of the low ratings for this book are because people wanted a different book than the one this is. This is a solid, heart-breaking memoir about an abused, abandoned kid who longs for the comfortable life portrayed in John Hughes movies. He gets the idea to write a book on Highes, spends years chasing that dream, then figures out that embracing real life is better than chasing after the imaginary one represented by Hughes. This is not a bio of Hughes or a deep dive into his films. Its Jason's tragic story with a happy ending, one with a lot less John Hughes than many readers seem to have wanted. Read it as a very good Gen X memoir with lots of Hughes info and related pop culture, and you'll get what you came for.

** spoiler alert ** This could have been called "Searching For Jason Diamond" as it's mostly a coming-of-age memoir about the author's own broken homelife and the many moments he self-sabotages his life until the subject of his fascination (John Hughes) dies just days before he's finally about to meet him. After all these struggles--many of them heartbreaking, some of them with a nice chunk of humor--Jason realizes that he's missed some valuable lessons and the chance to say goodbye to some important people in his life. I'm glad that my mental rooting-on of Jason pays off and he ends up happy. The book is a little bit of a tease when it comes to the John Hughes angle--a book about the director that Jason works on for years is eventually deleted from his computer. I wished to see more thoughts and stories from all that work. Still, this is a really fun book and a pleasing look at a working class writer (Jason) learning about life.

Between the title and the aggressively pink cover, you'd be forgiven for thinking that this book is some kind of light, frothy confection, but it's not. Jason Diamond was once a kid with a laundry list of psychiatric diagnoses whose father beat him and mother abandoned him. Somehow he made it to adulthood, partly by imagining that he could have a life like the kids in John Hughes movies, kids like Ferris Bueller or any of the characters Molly Ringwald played. When he decided he wanted to become a writer, naturally he focused on John Hughes and decided to write a book about him.This is not that book. Instead, this is the story of all the changes Diamond went through while trying to write that book. He's very candid about his struggles with angst and depression. As he lurches back and forth between Chicago and New York, just hoping to find someone that will care about him and give him a reason to settle down, one can't help but feel that he is his own worst enemy and that things are never really as bad as he imagines them to be. Along the way, he learns a lot about John Hughes and a lot more about himself.Although Diamond eventually jettisoned the monstrosity of a book to which he devoted five years of his life, I can't help feeling that he did accomplish his goal. While this isn't a scholarly biography of John Hughes, he peppers the text with loads of information he picked up along the way. I went into this book thinking I knew nothing of the famous director, but by the time I was finished, I knew quite a lot. Jason Diamond did write a book about John Hughes, but he wrote an even better one about himself.(Note: I received my copy of the book through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.)

4.5First, a warning. Don't pick this up expecting a light, nostalgic trip through Hughes' films. That's not what it is. Yes, the films are a big part of the story, but they're not THE story. This is very much a memoir of Diamond's early years, living in the same area Hughes captured in his movies, but it is a story with a much darker undercurrent. Diamond shares the ugly side of those perfect looking suburbs that align with his experience of neglect and abuse. It's not all darkness and despair, it's terribly funny at times as much as it's poignant and painful at others. Really, it's a memoir that effectively does what I usually look to fiction for - tells a story of trying to reconcile your current self with your former self while trying to simultaneously push yourself to be who you think you want to be. It's a great read, especially for anyone who harbors their own ambitions of being a writer someday as it's ultimately about Diamond coming to terms with the story he was best suited to tell. In this case, his own.

4.5 stars. My only problem with the book is that it beleaguered at times and was a bit long. Seriously an enjoyable book if you're a fan of Hughes, or not. A serious dose of realism in this memoir I wasn't prepared for but deeply identified with.

An impressively realized book about coming of age that heads into some incredibly dark places, had me eager to revisit a whole lot of John Hughes film, and–maybe most impressively of all–captures the gulf between the idea of creating something and the actual process of creating something.

Jason Diamond's debut memoir of growing up lost in the Midwest is sweet, sad, angry, hilarious and totally relatable. I couldn't put it down.

It's pretty impossible not to have been entertained, influenced or both by the movies of John Hughes if you fall into the Generation X world, or even if you are younger/older and don't immediately recognize the name, you are bound to recognize many of the titles from his teen films--Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Breakfast Club, Some Kind of Wonderful, and Pretty in Pink to Mr. Mom, National Lampoon's Vacation and Christmas Vacation, Uncle Buck, the Home Alone series, Miracle on 34th Street, 101 Dalmatians, Planes, Trains and Automobiles... the list goes on and on. I walked into my local coffee house carrying this book and my favorite barista asked me what it was about and as I explained it was memoir of a writer who was trying to write a book about the filmmaker John Hughes, she wrinkled her (barely 21-year-old) nose and said, "I have no idea who that is!" It only took about three movie names for her to decide she loved John Hughes's movies. But, as much as I could go on and on with my fondness for Hughes and his films over the years and I start quoting good sections of them, this book is definitely not a Hughes biography--instead it's the coming-of-age story of writer/editor Jason Diamond in which his obsession with Hughes's movies and the man behind them shaped his life. If you took time to read the Publisher's Blurb about the book, I want to object to the fact that they called this a "hilarious memoir." It has funny moments for sure but for me, Jason Diamond's story leans firmly to the poignant side rather than the funny. This guy had a pretty crappy childhood with two people who did not deserve to have children. His father was both physically and mentally abusive and although his mother did gain custody of him and stop the visits with his father, she was distant, refused to speak to him as punishment, and ended up moving away and leaving him virtually homeless and hanging out in diners all night or sleeping in friend's closets and on couches while he was in high school. Diamond used John Hughes movies as a way of escaping, relating to their suburban Chicago backdrops and tending to identify with the more quirky and misfit characters in the films. "I wanted to live in a John Hughes film. I wanted everything to turn out just right, and I wanted to feel as though no matter what, if my parents forgot my birthday or if a principal was trying to hold me back, that everything would be fine." Ultimately his English teacher gives him a place to live and helps give him a love of books, reading and writing. Later, Diamond leaves Chicago for New York, intending on becoming a writer and comes up with a plan to write a biography about Hughes, a process he spends years on that while not resulting in the book he planned, helps him sort and clarify his life and do some growing up. Although I signed up for this tour mainly for the John Hughes angle and the humor, I found myself pulled in and often deeply touched by Diamond's story. There are enough quotes, stories, and facts about John Hughes, his films and the complicated man that he was to keep me entertained, along with firmly rooting for Diamond to stop writing what was sounding like the worst biography ever and find his way. Even when bogged down with depression and struggling to get by, Diamond preservers and there is a good message in that. A great book if you grew up in the '80s and '90s and are a fan of John Hughes work, but also just a good, touching (but with some humor) and relatable memoir overall. You can see my review and a recipe for Magnolia Bakery's Banana Pudding on my Kahakai Kitchen blog post: http://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/20...Note: A review copy of "Searching for John Hughes" was provided to me by the publisher, Harper Collins and TLC Book Tours. I was not compensated for this review and as always, my thoughts and opinions are my own.

Searching for John Hughes: Or Everything I Thought I Needed to Know about Life I Learned from Watching '80s Movies by Jason Diamond is a very highly recommended coming-of-age memoir about growing up in Chicago and New York, and a poignant look at following your dreams.After viewing his first Hughes movie, Jason Diamond was hooked. He felt as if the writer/director understood him and he knew through Hughes' oeuvre that, in the end, after all the angst and anxiety, everything would turn out okay. Growing up in Chicago, Diamond also closely knew the areas, homes, and life John Hughes portrayed as the writer and/or director for many of his classic '80's movies. Hughes movies include, in part: National Lampoon's Vacation ('83), Mr. Mom ('83), Sixteen Candles ('84), The Breakfast Club ('85), Weird Science ('85), Pretty in Pink ('86), Ferris Bueller's Day Off ('86), Some Kind of Wonderful ('87), Planes, Trains, and Automobiles ('87) She's Having a Baby ('88), Uncle Buck ('89) and the Home Alone movies ( '90, '92, '97)In reality Diamond's life was anything but a Hughes movie. He was an abused kid from a broken home. As a teen, his mother left him in Chicago, alone and homeless, and he went through some horribly difficult trials. Through all of it, even in adulthood, Diamond could make sense of his life and the social castes in high school thanks to Hughes's movies. After high school, Diamond went to NYC where he worked various low-paying jobs, telling people that he was a writer. However, once he started claiming that he was writing the unauthorized biography of John Hughes, he devoted himself earnestly to that project for years. He may have been delusional and his methodology for writing the biography illogical, but he put his heart into it. Needless to say, no book resulted in his years of work.This is a well-written, intelligent, heartbreaking memoir with an abundance of self-deprecating humor. Simultaneously, it is an exploration of how one man's movies influenced his life and choices. As I read, my heart went out to Diamond. I supported him, wished him well, and wanted him to succeed. Diamond proves within these pages that he is a writer. Perhaps he could have written the definitive biography of John Hughes, but what Jason Diamond truly succeeded at was showing how, while struggling through his 20's, he learned his craft, found a purpose for his life, let go of his tragic past, and grew up. I enjoyed this memoir immensely.Disclosure: I received an advanced reading copy of this book from HarperCollins.

I actually enjoyed this book quite a bit, but the pink color really belies the darkness of the memoir. It's not a fluff book about John Hughes by any means. It meant a lot to me because I was actually a big fan of John Hughes back in high school as well--not to the same extent as the author was, but I had LiveJournal icons of The Breakfast Club quote "When you grow up, your heart dies" (I think I made it myself, too), and quoted his movies a lot, so I was still a legit fan! I could also relate a lot to his "teenage angst"--and I quote that because, like he said in the book, teen angst is still legitimate no matter how people (aka I) like to dismiss their (aka my) days of tears, AIM convos, and Hot Topic shirts. Though my family wasn't as dysfunctional as his, I could identify with feeling like I just didn't belong, yearning to connect with people but being unable to, and resenting everyone's seemingly perfect home life. I guess this review probably isn't that interesting to anyone reading this unless they know me and care about my angst, or unless you're the author reading this and feel pretty proud that you were able to connect with a random reader. But anyway, this is first and foremost a memoir, not a John Hughes biography, so don't read it expecting something else. And I'm not a huge fan of memoirs, or at least not the type where you already know and admire the person and they're in the news for something. I read books to escape and to understand the ~human condition~, not to become inspired to be more successful or whatever. So I liked this memoir, and I could relate to him feeling the need to escape and live vicariously through teen movies, music, and books. If this sounds like you, read this book too!

I personally loved this book. It brought back so many great memories of watching all those John Hughes movies and living vicariously through the actresses in the movies. But, there is more to this book than movie references, there is a deep and meaningful story with a main character that you cannot help but root for. This book is about following your dreams and completing a goal no matter the ups and downs. It is about finding out that one path may lead to another and that we must go with the flow. Written with humor and depth of story this book is not to be missed for those who grow up watching Hughes films. You may want to reserve additional time to binge watch all the movies after you are done reading, because you will certainly want to!#FirstLine ~ I wasn't paying attention to the people waiting in the line for cupcakes; I was just looking up at a night sky dotted with flurries of snow bravely falling onto rooftops and parked cars.

I love this book. Diamond balances deep self-reflection with humor and insight, hunting for himself and his place in the world, and holding a mirror at readers, as he sees the world through the lens of one of America's most influential and singular pop culture prisms. Even if you never had a Duckie haircut, this book is for you.

The amount of effort put into the author's mentioned project astounds me as well as the hard learned lessons along the way. Also, being a huge fan of John Hughes's work, I found myself relating to almost everything. Such a good read.

Fantastic book. Very funny, and it reminded me so much of Illinois and the 80s. Recommended!