I only know Kenan Thompson from SNL. While I did grow up watching some episodes of All That whenever it aired, I mainly only remembered Amanda Bynes. I only know Kenan Thompson from SNL. While I did grow up watching some episodes of All That whenever it aired, I mainly only remembered Amanda Bynes.
That said, this was a decent celebrity audiobook memoir (which I listened at x1.5 speed). It was interesting learning about Kenan's experience with being a child star, and how he managed to stay relatively normal while his child star counterparts struggled with substance abuse. He shares many behind-the-scenes from his time on All That, Kenan & Kel, SNL, and the ups and downs of being part of the industry.
The parts I enjoyed the most were the sections about parenting and when he talked about his daughters. He seems like a sweet, loving father who is extremely proud and supportive of his two daughters. ________________________________ If you like the following, then you might enjoy When I Was Your Age or vice-versa:
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3.5/5 (for the audiobook, which, unfortunately, was not narrated by Tina Turner)
As implied by the title, this memoir is about Tina Turner's love life 3.5/5 (for the audiobook, which, unfortunately, was not narrated by Tina Turner)
As implied by the title, this memoir is about Tina Turner's love life - from her abusive relationship with her first husband, Ike Turner, to her loving and happily-ever-after relationship and marriage to Erwin Bach.
Aside from growing up to Tina Turner's hit songs, I didn't really know much about her. I certainly didn't know she was in an abusive relationship with a husband who constantly beat her, and controlled her career and finances. It takes immense strength to leave an abusive relationship, which she talks about at length (and it is probably why she didn't narrate the audiobook, as it may have been too painful to revisit... or perhaps she didn't narrate the audiobook due to her declining health).
I love that Tina Turner was able to find love again with a caring partner and, as a fellow Swiss, I loved that she became a Swiss citizen!
This book made me wish I watched the Tina Turner musical (which was in Toronto just a few months ago! I missed it - nooo!) [image]
Audiobook Comments: I listened to the audiobook at x1.60 speed. I was disappointed that Tina Turner didn't narrate the audiobook (she narrated the foreword, but that's it). The narrator, Heather Alicia Simms, narrated the audiobook a bit too happily, even when narrating serious and sad moments, which bothered me. I think I would prefer reading the physical book rather than listening to the audiobook in this case, seeing as Tina Turner wasn't the narrator.
_________________________________ If you liked the following, then you might enjoy My Love Story: A Memoir or vice-versa:
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Diary of a Dying Girl is a young-adult adaptation of Salt in My Soul, which I haven't read so I can't comment on any differences between the two booksDiary of a Dying Girl is a young-adult adaptation of Salt in My Soul, which I haven't read so I can't comment on any differences between the two books (although the afterword for Diary of a Dying Girl is probably new, as it includes some reflection on Salt in My Soul).
This book, along with its predecessor, were published posthumously and are based on journal entries written by Mallory Smith spanning nearly a decade (from 2009 when Mallory was 16 years old, until Mallory's death in 2017 when she was only 24 years old) with the hope that her story will help others living with, or those who knows someone living with, cystic fibrosis, invisible illnesses, and/or chronic illnesses.
Mallory lived with a chronic illness for most of her life, but it never stopped her from living her life to the fullest - her goal was always to pursue happiness and focus on love because life is short. She was an avid swimmer and (aside from her frequent visits to the hospital) her early diary entries as a teenager dealt with fairly normal teenage stuff like boys, feelings of belonging, and her struggles with body image (and the constant fight between maintaining good health and a desirable body). She would detail her goals and dreams, her plan on achieving these, and her frustration when things don't go as planned. She was very intelligent and it was made evident by how introspective and reflective her diary entries were, even as a teenager.
There is a level of maturity in her writing (even when she discusses teenage-y issues like boys) that is surprising, but which is likely attributed to her constant battle with her illness and her limited time left on this earth.
As Mallory grew older, her health worsened and the diary entries from the two years leading up to her untimely death was distressing to read. The details about being on the transplant list - including the stress and uncertainty was emotional, and the added journal entries from Mallory's mom and boyfriend as Mallory was undergoing and recovering from surgery added another emotional layer to reading experience.
Finally, I want to acknowledge the beautiful afterword written by Mallory's boyfriend, Jack. It made me happy that Mallory got to experience love and had someone who loved her so dearly during the final years of her life. This afterword appears to be a new or different afterword from the original book as Jack reflects on the reception and questions that he's received from the first book.
On a general note, this book includes a lot of medical terms that I was unfamiliar with so I would have appreciated it with the book included a glossary or additional explanations about CF and the treatments that Mallory underwent (although for the most part, details of Mallory's hospital experiences were provided in great detail).
Audiobook Comments: I listened to the audiobook at x1.4 speed. But audiobook narration was good, but I would've preferred if they had different narrators read Mallory's mom and Jack's journal entries.
They say the five stages of grief are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. In the case of Jessica Waite, I'd argue that she experiencThey say the five stages of grief are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. In the case of Jessica Waite, I'd argue that she experienced six stages of grief: denial, betrayal, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.
Imagine this - you're grieving the death of your husband and soulmate who died of a sudden heart attack. While going through his things, you find out that he's been cheating on you for the past few years and has been hiding a completely different side of himself from you during your entire relationship. This is exactly what happened to Jessica, whose husband, Sean, passed away unexpectedly while away on a business trip.
How does a devastated spouse forgive a dead one?
While mourning the death of Sean, Jessica unearths evidence of his affairs, debts, and pornography addiction - things that Jessica had no clue about before his passing. Shocked by the number of secrets her husband had kept from her, Jessica struggles to grieve for Sean as she starts questioning all the memories she had of him and all the red flags that she had missed when he was still alive.
This memoir recounts Jessica's journey of moving past her feelings of betrayal while grieving for Sean.
The first half of the memoir explores various emotions that Waite experienced - the shock from finding out about her husband's death; the panic of how she'll tell her son and raise him without Sean; the stress of telling Sean's family, planning a funeral, figuring out the family finances and waiting for the life insurance money to come in; recounting the happy memories of their marriage where Sean seemed like a real green flag; remembering the darker moments of their marriage, where it seemed clear that Sean needed psychiatric help or therapy; recalling all the red flag moments where, in hindsight, it seemed clear that Sean was hiding something and was being unfaithful; and finally, the anger from feeling betrayed and being left with cleaning up Sean's mess.
The second half of the memoir focuses on Jessica's spiritual journey towards finding closure for Sean's death and betrayal, as well as figuring out life as a widow.
This was an interesting memoir and I appreciated that it highlighted both the pretty and ugly sides of Jessica and Sean's marriage and the complexities that come with the process of grieving. No relationship is perfect and Jessica and Sean's marriage was no exception - they had their ups and downs, especially since it seemed like Sean suffered from bipolar disorder. This book also offers fascinating insights into the author's complicated feelings towards Sean as she reconciles her feelings of love, grief and betrayal.
I enjoyed the first half of the book and wanted to grab my popcorn as I read the juicy drama of Jessica's widowed life. The second half of the book wasn't as exciting but it details Jessica's healing process (and all the different methods that she's tried - some with success, and others that were complete failures). I thought this was still an important journey to share as it effectively highlights that everyone's path to healing looks different.
*All quotes are taken from an Advanced Readers Copy and may change before the release of the final copy.*
**I received a physical ARC from the publisher for review consideration, but all opinions are my own.**
_____________________________ If you like the following, then you might also enjoy The Widow's Guide to Dead Bastards or vice-versa:
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I read the first few chapters of this book before putting it on pause and picking up Becoming Nicole (which I've reviewed here).
Note: You do4.5/5
I read the first few chapters of this book before putting it on pause and picking up Becoming Nicole (which I've reviewed here).
Note: You don't need to read Becoming Nicole before reading this memoir because there's a lot of overlap.
Whereas Becoming Nicole was mostly about Nicole Maines's parents learning how to raise a trans child and the behind-the-scenes details about the landmark case of Doe v. Regional School Unit 26 (in which Nicole was the anonymous plaintiff), this book covers most of that but instead, is told from Nicole's perspective with more personal details.
"...Becoming Nicole was never a book about me, really, or even my transition. It is about how my transition was an opportunity for my family and community to change and challenge the gendered expectations society places on people and our belief in gendered social norms."
If you've already read Becoming Nicole, you'll find that the first half of It Gets Better...Except When It Gets Worse pretty much paraphrases everything from the previous book but is told in a fresher, more entertaining and humorous way.
Going into this book, I knew it would be a fun read (despite the anger and frustration that often emanates from the pages - more on that later). I follow Nicole on social media and love her fun personality and the balance that she strikes between being a down-to-earth geek and a sassy Hollywood diva. She's a fantastic storyteller and I love her sense of humour and how she's able to inject some of that humour into this book despite the frequent angry rants about trans rights.
This brings me to my next point - the anger and frustration. I suppose a memoir written by a trans author wouldn't be complete without being packed with information and research about trans issues and a ranting session about internet trolls and bigots, politics, and all the anti-trans legislation that has been popping up across the USA. [image]
I would also like to applaud Nicole for getting personal when describing her range of emotions when it came to portraying Dreamer on Supergirl. Most of all, she did a great job expressing her disappointment at the fandom's critique of the show.
"I was so excited to come on this show and to get to be excited about these characters with all the other queer fans, and instead I'm just watching them say all this awful shit in the name of queer rights! ...When it comes to queer fandom, I really hope that folks learn that being gay does not excuse you from ever being in the wrong. You can absolutely still be the asshole."
Full disclaimer, I loved Nicole on Supergirl and fully agree with her that Dreamer's arc could have been explored in even more detail on the show! But portraying the first trans superhero on television comes with its challenges including dealing with feelings of 'imposter syndrome' and managing the expectation of fans and the queer community, which were all huge burdens to carry.
Getting to portray Dreamer was undeniably an honor, it was just one that I continually felt I didn't deserve to hold.
Nicole also gets personal and vulnerable when discussing her transition, getting the surgery, and revision surgery.
She also touches upon the infighting within the queer community (and even within the trans community), expresses her disappointment, and calls out on people's hypocrisy.
"...and she's like, 'A trans person can't be transphobic.' And I'm like, 'Woman, stop. At the very least you're being an asshole.'
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My only complaint is that I was hoping for more details about Nicole's relationship(s). She does provide some information about her relationship with her ex-boyfriend Nate, but I was really hoping for more. At the end of the day, I fully understand her desire to maintain her privacy. She probably only felt the need to mention Nate because they had a pretty public relationship.
Overall, this was a very self-aware, introspective and reflective memoir told in a fresh and humourous way while also emphasizing and explaining the importance of trans rights. I would have loved more personal details about her familial and romantic relationships (spill the tea, girl!) but at the end of the day, I'll probably still read (and love) anything that she writes.
I hope there will be an audiobook version narrated by the author because I'm almost 100% positive that it will be a really fun and engaging one to listen to.
*All quotes are taken from an Advanced Readers Copy and may change prior to the release of the final copy.*
**I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for review consideration, but all opinions are my own.**...more
September 17, 2024 - Pre-Review Happy Publishing Day!
I've been following JoJo on instagram (@iamjojo) and following her journey of writing, recordSeptember 17, 2024 - Pre-Review Happy Publishing Day!
I've been following JoJo on instagram (@iamjojo) and following her journey of writing, recording and promoting her memoir, and I can't wait to get my hands on the audiobook! [image]
June 25, 2024 - Pre-Review:
Another celebrity memoir to add to my TBR!!
JoJo was just a few years older than me when she became famous and I remember my friends and I being OBSESSED with her debut album (and Hilary Duff’s Metamorphosis album), which were the only songs we listened to and sang along to that year.
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To be honest, I haven’t really followed JoJo’s career much after her early teenage years so I’m intrigued to learn more....more
Disclaimer: I've never actually ever watched Drag Race so I'm unfamiliar with RuPaul's work and personality.
Although he has certainly lived an i2.5/5
Disclaimer: I've never actually ever watched Drag Race so I'm unfamiliar with RuPaul's work and personality.
Although he has certainly lived an interesting life, he somehow manages to make growing up in the 60's and 70's, his adolescent years of partying and taking drugs, his pursuit for fame, and his career in drag all seem fairly dull. He narrates his life in a very detached way and really glosses over important life events without digging deeper and sharing any emotional vulnerability. The dispassionate narration made it very difficult for me to connect with or feel inspired by his stories.
I went into this audiobook with no knowledge of who Becky Lynch was, and with zero knowledge or interest in the world of WWE.
Needless to say, I 2.5/5
I went into this audiobook with no knowledge of who Becky Lynch was, and with zero knowledge or interest in the world of WWE.
Needless to say, I was not the target demographic for this book.
With that being said, I've read many celebrity memoirs (and even sports memoirs of sports I have no interest in) that were very well-written, engaging, informative, and fascinating.
Unfortunately, I felt like this memoir was written with the assumption that the reader already knew who Becky Lynch (Rebecca Quin's stage/wrestling name) was, or is a fan of WWE. Quin details her life experiences in a very surface-level way with a primary focus on her wrestling career. While Quin does provide some behind-the-scenes information about being part of WWE, this memoir could have benefited from more details, explanations and introspection.
Audiobook Comments: The audiobook was well-narrated by the author (she was a very enthusiastic narrator and I do love the Irish accent). I listened at x1.25 speed.
This memoir mostly consists of Whoopi reminiscing about her mother and brother who have both passed. She shares a lot of wonderful memories and t3.5/5
This memoir mostly consists of Whoopi reminiscing about her mother and brother who have both passed. She shares a lot of wonderful memories and the audiobook (which I listened to at x1.3 speed) is told in such a way that it feels like you're listening to a friend talking about their loved ones and their fondest memories.
It's a joy listening to Whoopi talk.
----------------------------------------- Other celebrity memoirs with similar vibes (light and entertaining, with very conversational narration):
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This was an incredibly eye-opening and shocking memoir.
This book recounts the author, Sara Glass's, experience living in an extremely strict OrthodoxThis was an incredibly eye-opening and shocking memoir.
This book recounts the author, Sara Glass's, experience living in an extremely strict Orthodox community (the Gur Hasidic sect) while grappling with achieving her dreams for higher education, becoming independent, and coming to terms with her own sexual identity while also fighting to maintain custody of her children.
I was captivated by Glass's story from the first few pages. I could feel, from the first chapter, the author's guilt, fear, regret and heartbreak, when she spoke of her first girlfriend, Dassa.
Dassa was almost twenty-one and I was nineteen. The only path forward was marriage, to a man, and lots of babies. We would follow the single mold created for adolescent Hasidic girls. Our thing was just a test to be overcome. We never said the worlds out loud. Lesbian, gay, bisexual - those words described sinners, not us.
And so, Glass fought against her attraction to other women by entering into a loveless arranged marriage at the age of 19 and becoming a mother of two shortly after.
I had no justifiable reason to say no. So my answer was yes, because that was what everyone expected of me. Yes, because I needed to get married to meet my mission on earth as child of God. Yes, because no man was ever going to replace Dassa anyway, so why delay the inevitable. It would only become more painful over time. And yes, because he seemed gentle and had nice blue eyes and seemed to really want me to be his wife.
Marriage, however, was not like what Glass imagined. From the uncomfortableness of sex, to the awkward and isolating niddah period (during the monthly cycle when men regard women as impure and untouchable), to her decline in mental and physical health, Glass eventually divorced her husband (which was a battle in itself) at which time she was compelled to sign an agreement promising to raise her children according to Halacha and that if one party is not raising the children according to this strict religious regiment, "custody will be transferred to the other biological parent".
With the constant fear of having her children taken away from her, Glass continued to hide her sexual identity and even remarries - this time to a "Modern Orthodox" from Five Towns.
On the spectrum of Jewish identities, from Hasidic (the most right wing) to secular (far left), the Five Towns was somewhere in the middle/right, what some described as "Modern Orthodox".
But the further Glass moved away from the far right of Orthodox Judaism, the more she started questioning and discovering her own identity and working towards becoming more independent and free. The only thing left was for her to fight for her children.
This was an impressive memoir and I commend Glass for her courage to pursue her dreams of obtaining a PhD, embarking on a journey of self-acceptance, surviving trauma and loss, and slowly distancing herself from the oppressive influences of her ultra-conservative religious upbringing.
This book was not only full of vulnerable thoughts, emotions and experiences, but it also provided very interesting information about Hasidic Jewish practices. Prior to reading this book, I had very little knowledge about the Hasidic Jewish community aside from a New York Times article I came across last year regarding the Hasidic private schools' failure to provide basic education. I also had zero knowledge about ultra-Orthodox Jewish practices. So, I was shocked to learn about the author's extremely conservative and oppressive upbringing in modern America. It was also shocking to me how Glass's ex-husband was incapable of making any decisions on his own and relied on his rabbi to help make all of their life decisions (including when to use contraceptives, when to administer an epidural during pregnancy, and whether or not Glass was permitted to pursue higher education).
This was honestly one of the best memoirs I've read. It was very well written, provided great background information for people like me who know next to nothing about Hasidic Judaism, was introspective, and it did not shy away from sharing what I'm sure were highly traumatic memories.
*All quotes are taken from an Advanced Readers Copy and may change prior to the release of the final copy.*
**I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for review consideration, but all opinions are my own.**
This book offered a very interesting glimpse into what life was like in the Playboy mansion and being married to a narcissistic man more than tri4.5/5
This book offered a very interesting glimpse into what life was like in the Playboy mansion and being married to a narcissistic man more than triple the author's age.
I wanted more details from this book but even the basic details about the Playmates’ role in the mansion (like the curfews and the ritual of begging for an allowance) was disturbingly fascinating. Honestly, if I didn't know what Playboy was, or if I had never heard of the Playboy mansion, I would've thought everything that the author described was something straight out of pornographic story written by an old man... which I think is exactly what Hugh Hefner (or Hef, as Crystal calls him) was trying to achieve - a place for all his young, blonde girlfriends to live and party and fawn over him in the hopes of gracing the pages of his magazine. It's clear that Hef used his fame, money, connections, and 'glamourous lifestyle' as a way of manipulating and maintaining control over his Playmates and young wife.
As much as I enjoyed this audiobook (which I listened to at x1.35 speed), I feel like the author skimmed over many personal details. She never quite acknowledges why she stayed at the mansion and married Hef (I'm sure there were certain aspects of the lifestyle that drew her in and kept her there) and that she most likely had Stockholm Syndrome. I wish the memoir explored the evolution of their relationship in more detail as I believe it to be more complex than she lets on (I mean, why did Hef marry Crystal and not any of his other girlfriends? Also, this is the longest relationship she's ever been in. Surely there are more details and analysis to be made about their time together!).
In many ways, it's rather fascinating how Hugh Hefner was able to maintain his lifestyle and treatment of women for so long (although Crystal Hefner did point out that the #MeToo movement came about after his death). I'm now curious about other Playboy Playmates' experiences. ________________________ If you liked the following memoirs, then you might enjoy Only Say Good Things or vice-versa:
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As a Chinese-Canadian millennial, this book made me feel seen.
When you grow up the way I did - torn between Asia and Am
May 10, 2024 ARC Review:
As a Chinese-Canadian millennial, this book made me feel seen.
When you grow up the way I did - torn between Asia and America, trying to shed what you are, trying to be what you're not - the world can make you feel worthless. You're not Asian enough. You're not American enough. You're not smart enough. You're not talented enough. If you're an Asian man, you're not attractive enough. And then, louder than all the rest: You don't belong here. You hear that one all the time. Everywhere.
Jon M. Chu is a well known director, particularly amongst the Asian American and YouTube community (circa 2008). Chu's journey to becoming a filmmaker, from growing up surrounded by emerging cutting edge tech in Silicon Valley to garnering Stephen Spielberg's attention right out of college was fascinating and reminded me a lot of Spielberg's movie, The Fabelmans.
But what made me really connect with Chu were his stories about his parents, his Chinese-American upbringing, his work ethic and passion for storytelling, and finding his community amongst other Asian Americans. Although Chu and I lived in different parts of the continent with very different career paths, I found his childhood stories and insights and struggles with being Asian in America extremely relatable.
I've been a long time fan of Chu's and reading this book made me realize that I had a lot in common with him (and I'm sure many other Asian Americans/Canadians will feel the same way). Our childhoods, family dynamics, exposure to Asian American YouTubers and dance crews, and perfectionism and work ethic, all felt so familiar. I loved that he gave a shoutout to OG Asian American YouTubers Ryan Higa, Wong Fu Productions, and Kina Grannis (I would also like to mention other favourites of mine, including KevJumba and Happy Slip) and shoutout to OG ABDC Asian dance crews like Jabbawockeez and Kaba Modern (he forgot about Quest Crew!)
Without a central organizing force, one video at a time, Asian Americans began shifting the way they were perceived by American society - and by one another. Watching those videos, reading the comments, gave me something I'd never had before: proof that other people could relate to my in-between identity. YouTube soothed my still-unresolved cultural identity crisis, the feeling that I didn't fit in with other Asians - or other Americans - that had dogged me since I was a kid. I began to understand that many, many other young Asian Americans were proud of their family heritage and eager to immerse in mainstream American culture. They - we - didn't pit one side of themselves against the other but yearned to reconcile the two.
In many ways, I think this sparked Chu's path to making sure that Asian-Americans were represented in mainstream media, which led to the worldwide blockbuster movie, Crazy Rich Asians.
It was time for the Asian Avengers to assemble.
I'll be honest - Crazy Rich Asians was one of those books where I thought the movie was way better. Learning some of the behind-the-scenes of how the movie came together really made me want to rewatch the movie.
There was a lot that I loved about this book but most of all, I loved that this book was very introspective and focused a lot on Chu's personal growth and his outlook on his career and Asian-American identity. Overall, this was a fantastic memoir that I urge other Asian-Americans/Chinese millennials to read.
My only complaints with this book is: 1) Chu mentions in passing his disappointment with how poorly Jem did but doesn't really go into any details (I would prefer more details, or no mention of it at all - his mentioning of it in passing has sparked my curiosity and now I want to know more about how he feels about it and lessons learned!) I suspect Chu still hasn't fully healed from his experience with Jem and doesn't want to dwell on it. 2) the ebook formatting includes random 'blurbs' sprinkled throughout the book which throws me off whenever they appear because they disrupt the flow of the book (I also kept mistaking the blurbs as chapter headings and the mark of a new chapter...)
*All quotes are taken from an Advanced Readers Copy and may change prior to the release of the final copy.*
**I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for review consideration, but all opinions are my own.**
------------------------------ If you like the following, then you might enjoy Viewfinder: A Memoir of Seeing and Being Seen or vice-versa:
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April 1, 2024 Pre-Review:
I'm so excited to have received an ARC of this book!!!
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I can count on one hand the number of Hollywood movie directors I can name, and Jon M. Chu is one of them (the others are Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, Tim Burton, and James Cameron). I think the fact that he's a successful Chinese director who made it big in Hollywood has kept my interest - not to mention that I love his works.
I've been following Jon M. Chu's work since ~2008 (The Adam/Chu Dance Crew vs. M&M Cru YouTube Dance battle was EPIC - also, 2008 was the peak for creative YouTube content imo and this dance battle is proof of that), I loved Step-Up 2 and 3D (I had a huge crush on Adam Sevani) and I was obsessed with The League of Extraordinary Dancers. I also thought Crazy Rich Asians was one of the rare movies that ended up being way better than the book (thanks to Chu, no doubt). Not to mention that I am beyond excited for the movie adaptation of Wicked to come out later this year!
As you can tell, I'm a fan and I can't wait to get started on this book....more
Rebel Wilson has lived a pretty interesting life and offers some interesting tidbits and behind-the-scenes information about the movie industry a3.5/5
Rebel Wilson has lived a pretty interesting life and offers some interesting tidbits and behind-the-scenes information about the movie industry and the movies that she's been in (seeing as I've watched The Bridesmaids,Pitch Perfect,Isn't it Romantic (which I LOVED), and Senior Year, I definitely enjoyed listening to Rebel recount her experience filming these movies).
I learned quite a bit about Rebel including her upbringing in Australia, her time spent in South Africa (kind of wild), her experience in Hollywood (including her not-so-great experience with Sacha Baron Cohen - whom I was never a fan of anyways), her romantic relationships, and her coming out. Most of all, I was impressed with her work ethic, although it also left me concerned with how hard she pushed herself (i.e., working despite having a concussion).
She also touches upon her struggles with her image, romantic life and sexuality (being a rather late bloomer - no shame in that!), and her experience with freezing her eggs and opting for surrogacy.
Overall, I liked getting a glimpse into Rebel's glamourous life and learning how hard she worked to earn her current lifestyle.
Audiobook Comments: I listened to the audiobook which was narrated by the author (as it should be) and it was a great listening experience.
To be honest, everything I know about Barbra Streisand is from Glee (which is to say that the only think I knew about her was that she was the st3.5/5
To be honest, everything I know about Barbra Streisand is from Glee (which is to say that the only think I knew about her was that she was the star of Funny Girl and is Jewish).
This memoir is definitely intended for die-hard Streisand fans (aka Rachel Berry) because it goes into incredible detail about all of Streisand's works (99% of which I was unfamiliar with lol). She provides a lot of behind-the-scenes information and critical analysis of her work that are quite interesting and definitely made me more curious about her early movies (none of which are available on Netflix or included in Prime... boo).
Even though I wasn't familiar with most of Streisand's work, I admire her worth ethic and passion. She also provided a lot of insight on what it's like being a female director and a director with acting experience.
Streisand has had a very impressive career and it's clear from this memoir that she's incredibly proud of everything she's worked on (as she should be!)
Audiobook Comments This is probably the longest audiobook I've ever listened to (48 hours!!) Somehow, Streisand made this audiobook feel shorter than it actually was. This is probably because she narrates the book in such a candid way that I was never bored. This audiobook also include many snippets of her songs as well, which made the listening experience more enjoyable.
I did find her narrating to be quite slow and had to listen to the audiobook at x1.75 and x1.85 speeds, while switching back to regular speed or x1.25 for the songs.
Reading Advice If I had to re-read/re-listen to this book again, I would probably take my time with it and take breaks in between to watch one of her movies or listen to one of her albums before she dives into it (each chapter usually marks the work that she'll discuss in detail).
DNF 3 hours and 39 minutes of 36% into the audiobook
I'm sure Maria Ressa was a great journalist, but she's not a very good memoirist. This is less of DNF 3 hours and 39 minutes of 36% into the audiobook
I'm sure Maria Ressa was a great journalist, but she's not a very good memoirist. This is less of a memoir and more of a boring text spouting facts and opinions about the role of social media in spreading fake news.
Although Ressa does mention her childhood upbringing, career, and accomplishments, it was done so in a self-congratulatory way with no introspection or self-reflection. ...more
This was a depressing but very well-written memoir about sisterhood and losing a sister. It didn't shy away from the bad and ugly parts of loving and This was a depressing but very well-written memoir about sisterhood and losing a sister. It didn't shy away from the bad and ugly parts of loving and being there for your family. In fact, this book is full of anger, frustration, love, grief, and pain. It's a raw and vulnerable memoir that made me feel all of these emotions.
It is such a special sort of pain, to love someone you don't like very much.
The author, Kelly S. Thompson, has always had a rocky relationship with her older sister Meghan. To be fair, Meghan has been through a lot - survived cancer as a child, went through drug addiction as a teen, was a recovering addict as an adult, was in an abusive marriage, and then was diagnosed with cancer again. Every time you think things can't get worse for the Thompson family, it gets worse. A lot worse. This barely scratches the surface.
PCOS is nothing, considering your husband is in a war zone and your sister has cancer and a newborn and your mom has MS and your dad is a prostate cancer survivor and this is fucking nothing.
I really admire how both the author and her sister showed such strength and courage in handling some of the most difficult situations that life threw at them.
Overall, this was such a heartbreaking story and the author did a great job navigating through a range of complex emotions and traumatic life events. This memoir and Thompson's story of sisterhood covered a range of topics including learning to reconnect and forgiving her sister, dealing with her sister's abusive relationship, and struggling with the emotional toll it takes to become a caregiver for a family member.
Although I don't have a sister, I found Thompson's writing to be very moving. There were parts that I found relatable as well - In particular, the details provided about caring for her sister when she was sick reminded me so much of when my family took turns caring for both my grandpas (who both passed from cancer).
A must-read for any aspiring writer, regardless of whether or not you enjoy any of Stephen King's other works.
Although I'm not a particular fan of KinA must-read for any aspiring writer, regardless of whether or not you enjoy any of Stephen King's other works.
Although I'm not a particular fan of King's novels (I've only read Everything's Eventual, The Shining, and Dreamcatcher so far, and didn't particularly like any of these stories), this memoir and guide to being a writer was great. I enjoyed learning about King's life and his writing journey (and love how much he emphasized the role of his wife in supporting and helping him with his work). Most of all though, this book offers some great grammar and writing advice.
If I ever feel inclined to write a book (tempting, now that I've read this one and feel like I know where to start), I'll probably come back to this book as a guide.
This book (or at least the 20th-anniversary edition audiobook that I was listening to) also included contributions from King's two sons - Owen King and Joe Hill.
Audiobook Comments: I enjoyed listening to this audiobook. I listened to most of the audiobook at x1.5 speed but I did have to slow it down to x1.3 speed at the end because Hill speaks pretty quickly.
On that note, the live interview recording at the end of the audiobook between Hill (King's son) and King was so entertaining and a whole lot of fun to listen to - if I didn't know better, I would've thought they both wrote comedy.
I'm not familiar with actress Minka Kelly but I'm a sucker for any kind of celebrity audiobook memoir so I decided to listen to this book.
This wa3.5/5
I'm not familiar with actress Minka Kelly but I'm a sucker for any kind of celebrity audiobook memoir so I decided to listen to this book.
This was a very introspective memoir that mainly focused on unpacking Kelly's childhood trauma and dysfunctional relationship with her mother who worked as a stripper, struggled with addiction, and bounced around from place to place as she tried to make ends meet. Because of this, Kelly went through a lot growing up but was somehow still able to pull herself out of her trauma-filled past to become a surgical nurse, and then a fairly successful actress. Her journey of healing and forgiving her mother was tough but it seems like she came through stronger than ever. Kudos to her.
I listened to the audiobook at x1.45 speed.
_____________________ If you liked the following books, then you might also like Tell Me Everything or vice-versa:
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The World Record Book of Racist Stories is a continuation of the first book (readers will probably want to read the first book before this one, as there are a number of references to the previous book) with more stories about the microaggressions that the authors' family have faced in Omaha.
I can't quite put a finger on why I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first one. I think it might be because this second book seemed to try much harder to be funny but the delivery just wasn't as good as the first book.
Audiobook Comments: Although I read a physical copy of the previous book, I knew the alternative POV and conversational tone would be great in audiobook format so I decided to listen to the audiobook version of this book. The audiobook narration was just as entertaining as I thought it'd be, complete with singing, laughter, and a very friendly and conversational tone. I listened to the audiobook at x1.15 speed, which still felt a bit fast - the talked really fast throughout the audiobook.
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