A Million Little Years Ago

I'm just a few years late on this one, but it's ok. And my picture (from realsimple.com) doesn't really have anything to do with this post, except I think it's what James may have looked like in rehab. Well, plus a few bruises and stitches and scowls.

Anywho, I'm talking about A Million Little Pieces and My Friend Leonard, both by James Frey. Yes, he lied about some of his experiences in rehab. Yes, Oprah first endorsed and later lambasted him. But he also survived a very dangerous lifestyle. His first book is about his addictions to every kind of drug and alcohol imaginable and how he made it through rehab. The second one is about his best friend from rehab, an intriguing character that he calls Leonard.

At several hundred pages each, the books may seem intimidating at first, but I promise that they're pretty fast reads. It's difficult to say much without stating the obvious or giving anything else away, but I recommend trying them out. If you're offended by f-bombs and run-on sentences, then you should look elsewhere. Honestly, though, these books are stories of survival, and they're moving and funny while having tons of heart. Although he should not have embellished his story, I'm glad he shared the gist of it with us.