The World's Strongest Librarian: A Memoir of Tourette's, Faith, Strength, and the Power of Family

I love a book that takes me out of my world and plants me right into a new world, and teaches me something I didn't know that I needed to know. This book delivers, I'm so glad it was written and that I read it. Laugh out loud funny, poignant and truthful. Can't get much better than that.

There have been some great personal memoirs written lately by people who walk amongst us, not rich, famous, or powerful, but simply people who share their lives. In comparison to some autobiographies I've read written by famous people, I have to say that the regular folks who have written their stories have written better books. (Well, with the exception of William Shatner . . . he writes a pretty good memoir)

Josh Hanagame writes gracefully and humbly of his life and sometimes it is painful to be with him as he shares less-than-graceful moments, but other times I burst out laughing, and felt twinges of pride and triumph for him too.

Books give us a chance to squeeze more experiences and thoughts into one lifetime, and I feel enriched by what Josh shared of his life.

The narration by Stephen R. Thorne is perfect - he has a kind voice with a quiet undertone of humanity and humor.

Near the top! I love books, fitness, and libraries. I knew very little about Tourette's, and Josh has such a hilarious and introspective way of looking at life that I ate this book nearly whole and started recommending it after only half an hour!

Josh was raised Mormon, but wrestled with very real questions about God and his church. he has a very blunt way of describing his faith journey - the highs and the lows - without either preaching or disrespecting it. it added a terrific illuminating aspect to the book.

He was AWESOME! He "became" Josh. he was funny, angry and poignant in the appropriate places. He could even READ IN ALL CAPS! I will most definitely check out more of his books!

I hope Josh Hanagarne has another book in him. Many things have changed in his life since the publication of this book, and I hope to read more about his life as a librarian, a weight lifter, a father, a husband... Keep it up, Josh; the world has more to learn from you!

I enjoyed hearing about living with Tourette's from the first person viewpoint. The Mormon aspect added a depth of faith, familial dynamics and introspection that I enjoyed.

The author is an interesting person who has had an unusual and fascinating life. His struggle with Tourette's is a big part of the story - at times heartbreaking, at times heartening. Also a revealing account of the struggles of Mormon missionaries as well as Josh's struggle with the Mormon faith.

The narrator was so good I tended to forget he wasn't the author.

A good listen and a nice change from my usual murder mysteries!

Yes, the narrator had a pleasant voice that did not detract from the story. This was a book I looked forward to reading at every opportunity & hated having to pause.

Yes, he is well read and has a great vocabulary.

Yes, I thought so.

No. I liked the way it played out n my imagination even though it was baded on real events.

Josh H. was diagnosed with Tourette’s in his youth. I felt I should know more about Tourette’s given my training as a nurse. I have always worked in the Ob/gyn area and never encountered a patient with Tourette’s. Josh’s candid explanation from the patient’s perspective was enlightening. I am not an expert, but I think the odds of embarrassing myself if I encountered a Tourette’s patient are much lower. Reading about his faith and growing up as a Mormon added to my interest. I cannot deny I had preconceived notions about the Mormon faith. I learned a lot from Josh’s narrative. He was not preachy, he simply explained the Mormon premise and how they act on it.

Josh’s lifetime love of books was easy for me to understand. As he became a librarian I felt a pang of jealousy. I would love to be around books all day and get paid for it. I know I do not make use of the local library nearly as much as I should. I spend way too much on books when I could be going to library. Librarians are underappreciated.

I can understand if the reasons I found this book interesting may not appeal to others. Perhaps there is some other element that will make others like it for different reasons.

I found the story irresistible because I too have always felt the library to be my second home. As a mental health professional I was also very curious to learn more about Tourette's from a first hand account. As an active Latter-day Saint, I could also identify with his experiences within our faith community and was moved by his honesty and compassion when describing his struggles with family and faith. His style and unique way of organizing his experiences through the Dewey Decimal system was fresh and intriguing. He is a funny guy, whether describing himself or the quirky patrons of the Salt Lake City Public Library.
I gave the narrator only 4 stars because he didn't do his homework in pronouncing the unique Book of Mormon name, "Nephites,' using a short "E" sound rather than the proper long sound. A small mistake but grating and it could have been easily avoided. Other than that, I loved his
voice, pacing and style and felt that Josh could have been telling his own story, without that darned Tourette's, of course!
I recommend this story to anyone who, like Josh, is passionate about the power of books to change lives, and loves a memoir that allows you to really see a life well-lived through the eyes of another very human being,

I really enjoyed every aspect of this book. I didn't give it five stars simply because I reserve that rating for my favorite books only -- of which there are only 8-10 out of the 400+ I've read.

I knew little about Touretts, so that was interesting; not much about the LDS church, so I also learned things there; and the writing was often very funny. Most important to me, though, was that every character in this book was someone I wouldn't mind meeting and befriending. Don't hesitate about spending a credit on this book!

This is such a wonderful memoir I read it first as a library book and I'm delighted to have it in my audible collection. Josh Hanagarne is 6 foot 7 inches, weighs 260 pounds, was raised Mormon, has extreme tourette's and tells a great story about love, family and more. Stephen R Thorne is an excellent narrator.

I save 5 stars for things that completely rock my world and this fell just short, but I would totally recommend it.