"I no longer dreamed solely of the day I would become a cast member of my favourite Broadway show. I dreamed of a life where the art didn't stop just "I no longer dreamed solely of the day I would become a cast member of my favourite Broadway show. I dreamed of a life where the art didn't stop just because I left the stage."...more
Although I do like a few of Madison Beer's songs, I was ultimately not the audience for this book. It read more like a self-help book than a memoir, eAlthough I do like a few of Madison Beer's songs, I was ultimately not the audience for this book. It read more like a self-help book than a memoir, especially with the journal prompts and the 'Dear Madison' sections. Needless to say, she was very brave in writing this, especially discussing the private video/pictures that got leaked online when she was 15, her struggles with addiction and self-harm. I wish she had gone into more detail about her life and some other experiences in the music industry as it started to feel repetitive halfway through the book. Additionally, a lot of the discussions about misogyny and cyberbullying felt surface-level to me. However, that doesn't mean what she had to say wasn't important or true, I do think that this book could serve as an introduction to those topics for younger readers who may just be reading this as a Madison Beer fan. Overall, I recommend reading this if you are a fan of Madison Beer, otherwise, I think it is a celebrity memoir that you can skip. ...more
This was an interesting first read of 2024, to say the least. I picked this up through Libby because I am a casual fan of Eli's content on TikTok, howThis was an interesting first read of 2024, to say the least. I picked this up through Libby because I am a casual fan of Eli's content on TikTok, however, I quickly came to realize that I was not the right audience for this book. Having been with my boyfriend for over 6 years now, I don't need any dating advice. That was my bad, I didn't look into the topic of the book before picking this up and assumed it was more of a memoir-type read. Regardless, the dating advice was sub-par, and I wouldn't recommend this book or advice to help any of my single friends looking for a book on dating advice.
The format and organization of the book were frustrating for me. Each chapter focuses on a different topic, and Eli lists 10+ rules to start off the chapter. I found the rules to be vague and repetitive, she should have focused on 3-5 per topic instead of listing off 10+ that ultimately went in one ear and out the other. She then shares stories, experiences, and advice that have to do with the topic and rules, but I found these sections hard to follow because she doesn't share these stories in any kind of chronological order, and often jumps to different men she dated and years of her life with little rhyme or reason. She did have chapters focused on friend love and self love, which I enjoyed more than the rest of the topics since it was more relatable to me, however, the advice was still very surface-level. I can appreciate what Eli was trying to do with this book, but overall I think the execution was poor. I truly think the only people who will have a good experience with this book are die-hard Eli Rallo fans, so I wouldn't recommend checking this one out unless you're a part of that niche group....more
"Freedom to me is never feeling like I have to conform myself to the demands of others to feel loved and seen. All of my life I had to conform to fit
"Freedom to me is never feeling like I have to conform myself to the demands of others to feel loved and seen. All of my life I had to conform to fit what others wanted me to be... For thirty-two years all I ever wanted is to be loved, to be me." Pg. 170
Like many others, I have followed this case since 2015, so I was very intrigued to dive into this book! I already watched and enjoyed her docuseries, and I liked how this book gave some additional information that was not mentioned in the TV show. This was mostly comprised of interviews between Gypsy-Rose and Melissa via phone call as she awaited her release, which is why I only rated this 3 stars. However, she said in the book that she is working on her full memoir which will be released later this year, and I will definitely be reading it once it comes out!...more
"The problem is that public outrage has a short memory... So rarely do the ramifications of cancel culture extend past an internet connection. And whe
"The problem is that public outrage has a short memory... So rarely do the ramifications of cancel culture extend past an internet connection. And when they do, it is important to remember that they usually result in an incredibly privileged person temporarily experiencing slightly less privilege than they were accustomed to, which is still a very high baseline of privilege compared to the rest of the world. Personally, I long to be a canceled rich man because that is just a vacation." Pg. 78
This was a witty and insightful collection of essays by comedian, writer and talk show host, Ziwe! It had an element of memoir in it as well, as Ziwe shared many personal experiences from her youth, time in college, and at the start of her career. It was a very perceptive and thought-provoking collection, that not only fans of Ziwe should read, but that people, in general, could learn from, especially since the humour aspect and format make it very accessible.
The problems I had with this book were the footnotes and the grey boxes of text. The footnotes took away from my focus almost every time. I didn't find they gave enough context to things mentioned in the essays to be fully necessary, and there were just far too many in each chapter/essay. There were also many personal anecdotes via the footnotes, that I think would have served more of a purpose if they were just included in the essay rather than having to flip to the footnote every time. Additionally, the grey boxes of text seemed very unnecessary and really took me out of the essay every time they were included. If they were put in between chapters/essays they would have been less of a bother, but adding them within the essays just felt like an interruption.
Overall, I am happy I read this collection of essays, especially since I love Ziwe's talk show. I would recommend it to any fan of hers, especially because it is a short, but lively read....more
“My father shoved aside my bowl of receipts, setting up his things on the bar. “I just want to let you know,” he said, “I call the shots. You sit righ
“My father shoved aside my bowl of receipts, setting up his things on the bar. “I just want to let you know,” he said, “I call the shots. You sit right there in that chair and I’ll tell you what goes on.” I looked at him with a growing sense of horror. “I’m Britney Spears now,” he said.” pg. 182
Britney Spears, The Princess of Pop, is arguably one of the most mistreated people in Hollywood, and especially after the events in the past few years, I was highly anticipating this memoir. It was equal parts happy, because Britney is finally able to share, in her own words, what she went through the past 15 years, and equal parts horrific because the abuse she experienced isn't something anyone should be put through.
“The saddest part to me was that what I always wanted was a dad who would love me as I was—somebody who would say, “I just love you. You could do anything right now. I’d still love you with unconditional love.” pg. 23
Although The Woman in Me does not explain everything, it gives context to a lot of the situations that the media focused on throughout the 2000s, including her relationship with Justin Timberlake, the shaved head/hitting a paparazzi car with an umbrella incident (which I don't think anyone will ever forget), and her marriage to Kevin Federline. Most importantly, she discussed her experience with the conservatorship, which as we know was perpetrated by her dad, Jamie Spears, for 13 years! It was heartbreaking to read about the enablers of the conservatorship, including her mom, Lynne Spears, and how much everyone, including the court system, misled and took advantage of her during these years. She is so brave for making the final 911 call which ultimately led to the end of the conservatorship. Wendy Williams said it best...
“Why was it so easy for everyone to forget that I was a human being—vulnerable enough that these headlines could leave a bruise?” pg. 100
The memoir felt more authentic than I anticipated, even though she worked with ghostwriters (like most celebrities do when writing memoirs), which pleasantly surprised me! I personally have fallen down the rabbit hole of Britney Spears conspiracy theories multiple times in the past few years, and I am not sure if this memoir convinced me that she is 100% safe. I was hoping she would talk about her marriage with Hesam Asghari, and their "wedding" (If you know, you know. If you don't, look it up on TikTok LOL), but from the sections where he is mentioned, it seems like she wrote this when they were still together. Overall, it was a really enjoyable read, I would recommend it not only to fans of Britney Spears and celebrity memoirs but to anyone looking to pick up a quick read because Britney deserves for her truth to be heard. #FreeBritney ...more
Jinger Duggar Vuolo makes it very clear at the beginning of this memoir that it is not a tell-all, so I went into it without that as an expectation. HJinger Duggar Vuolo makes it very clear at the beginning of this memoir that it is not a tell-all, so I went into it without that as an expectation. However, this book still fell flat for me. I can acknowledge that I am probably not the right audience for this book, but as someone who grew up watching 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On I couldn't resist this read.
"I was afraid to say the wrong things - to confess my inner desires even in a diary. Rather than serving as a true chronicle of Jinger Duggar's inner life, my diary was yet another place of performance: a tool where I practiced projecting the version of myself that I wanted one - parents, siblings, friends, fans of the show - to see." Pg. 17
The Duggar family grew up in the Institute of Basic Life Principles (IBLP) a cult that describes itself as a nondenominational Christian fundamentalist organization. Most of this memoir explores Jinger's, the 6th Duggar child, relationship with the IBLP growing up, and her journey to disentangling her faith. I am proud to see how far Jinger has come, and you can hear the happiness and freedom in her writing as she talks about her current relationship with her faith, Jesus, her husband and her church community in California, where she now lives with her husband and two daughters. The book fell flat for me because I wanted more! She touched on some really interesting areas of her upbringing, such as the IBLP's beliefs about having children (as many as physically possible, even if it puts the mother in danger), The Umbrella of Authority, modesty, etc. I wanted her to dive deeper into these topics, her marriage, motherhood, and wearing pants!!! Jinger was the first Duggar woman to do this, and she barely touched on the subject. Additionally, she touched on the social anxiety she has as a result of her upbringing and the strong, strict rules she endured in the IBLP, and I wish she discussed it more.
"If life consists of moving from one script to the next, then life itself becomes a performance. That's essentially what Gothard taught me life should be. This lack of authenticity makes developing close relationships incredibly difficult. If I am worried about saying the wrong thing, of stepping out of my role in the drama of life, then I can't get to know someone, and they can't get to know me." Pg. 138
Regardless, I enjoyed my time reading this book, and highly recommend it to any fans of the Duggar women. It makes me proud to see how far they've come, especially Jinger and Jill, as they have both released memoirs about their upbringing where we have been able to learn more about what they went through. Her husband Jeremy clearly loves and supports her as an individual as well as his wife, and it is great to see her thriving with her little family! As always, I highly recommend Counting the Cost by Jill Duggar to everyone, not just Duggar fans! ...more
"You want to know why I'm crying?" My voice was cracked, my eyes burning. "It's that you think I'm some kind of horrible person just because I wear pa
"You want to know why I'm crying?" My voice was cracked, my eyes burning. "It's that you think I'm some kind of horrible person just because I wear pants and have a nose ring, and yet you see the girl outside and praise her. That's why I'm crying, Daddy. I'm evolving and changing, just like that girl out there, but you can't see it. You treat me like I'm a prodigal who's turned her back on you. You treat me worse than you treat my pedophile brother." pg. 268
Like many others, I grew up watching the 19 Kids and Counting TV show on TLC, not because I am religious, or a part of the IBLP, but because I thought the family was so interesting. I watched live as Josh Duggar's involvement in the Ashley Madison scandal came out to the public, and when the information about his abuse toward his sisters came out, I watched the Jill and Jessa interview with Megyn Kelly. By then I knew the family was not healthy, and to some extent abusive but I continued watching as Jill and Jessa: Counting on was on TLC. Over the years it has become clear that Job-Bob was abusive and controlling to his children in many, many ways, however, the Shiny Happy People documentary that was released earlier this year really put the abuse into perspective for their wider audience and even the general public.
"I was blind to it at the time, but eventually, I would see just how dangerous and toxic IBLP's teachings about authority were in my life." pg. 74
Although Jill's memoir covers similar topics that are discussed in the Shiny Happy People documentary, (which she was a part of) what I really enjoyed about this book was hearing it from her perspective, and in her words. You could tell through her writing how empowered she was to be finally telling her story, and I know this book will reach and inspire hundreds of people to find their voice and do the same. If not, it will be validating to people in similar situations of familial abuse and control, whether there are ties to religion or not, and without a doubt in my mind will help many leave similar situations.
“It seemed to me that he was realizing that he was losing control of me. He’d text verses reminding me to “honor thy father and mother,” and every conversation we had just heaped more guilt on me, leaving fear gripping my throat even tighter. Often he would text me and apologize, but the messages were often followed up by more words condemning our actions or calling us out. His apologies felt insincere and invalid. Hardly a day would go by without some barbed message from him—either directly or from one of my siblings—and it got so that I didn’t want to talk to him anymore." pg. 210
Overall, as a fan of Jill Duggar as a little girl, and as a big fan of her now as an adult, all I have to say is that I am so proud of her. The fact that she named the things Jim-Bob (and sometimes Michelle) were doing to her as abuse, and called her brother Josh a pedophile, are two of many clear signs in this book that she's been able to break out of the cult control of the IBLP, Bill Gothard's 7 basic life principles, the umbrella of authority, the abusive control of her parents, and deprogram and grow from all she's been through. It was also encouraging to read about how many of her siblings (whom she doesn't name, which I respect so much) now have come to her for advice on how to ensure Jim-Bob does not infiltrate, dictate, or influence their marriages, and how others have followed in her footsteps of wearing pants, drinking alcohol, using birth control, etc. She is such a huge role model, and if the rest of the kids see through her that freedom from the control their under is possible, hopefully, it will be easier for them if they decide to follow in her footsteps. I am so happy she was able to find a husband and partner as supportive as Derrick and wish nothing but peace and happiness for her, Derrick, and their 3 beautiful children.
If you are a former fan of the 19 Kids and Counting TV show, the Duggars in general, religious cults, or celebrity memoirs I highly recommend reading Counting the Cost by Jill Duggar. It was real, emotional, and extremely impactful. It is definitely one of my favourite celebrity memoirs I've ever read, and I wouldn't be surprised if it makes my top 10 books of 2023 list at the end of the year!...more
"In Hungary I left my journal with its secret handwriting, and also my first poems. I left my brothers, my parents, without any warning, without sayin
"In Hungary I left my journal with its secret handwriting, and also my first poems. I left my brothers, my parents, without any warning, without saying farewell or goodbye. But above all, that day, that day at the end of November 1956, I lost forever my sense of belonging to a people." pg. 35
Simple, emotional, and honest, The Illiterate is Ágota Kristóf's memoir of her childhood, her escape from Hungary in 1956 during the Hungarian Revolution, her refuge in both Austria and Switzerland and her journey to becoming an author. Alongside chronicling her life, she explores the topic of language, literacy, and illiteracy, which was very interesting since she grew up as a big reader and writer, but was then thrown into an unfamiliar language at 21, not by her own choosing.
"I have spoken French for more than thirty years, I have written in French for twenty years, but I still don’t know it. I don’t speak it without mistakes, and I can only write it with the help of dictionaries, which I frequently consult. It is for this reason that I also call the French language an enemy language. There is a further reason, the most serious of all: this language is killing my mother tongue." pg. 28
The Illiterate was a really impactful read for me because my Great Grandparents, Nana and Great Aunt escaped from Hungary during the Hungarian Revolution in 1956. They seemed refuge in Austria, same as the author and many other Hungarians at the time, and spent time in the Eisenstadt Refugee Camp run by the Red Cross before immigrating to Canada. Additionally, as I write this review I am in Budapest, and I visited the 1956 memorial outside of the Hungarian Parliament building, which was really moving. Ágota Kristóf actually attended a girls boarding school in Szombathely, Hungary before the Revolution, and that is the town my family is from, which I thought was an cool connection!
"How many victims did he have on his conscience? Nobody knows. In Romania, the deaths are still being counted; in Hungary, there were thirty thousand in 1956. What we will never be able to measure is the pernicious role the dictatorship exerted on the philosophy, art and literature of the countries of Eastern Europe. By imposing its ideology on these countries, the Soviet Union not only obstructed their economic development, it also tried to stifle their national culture and identity." pg. 31
I highly, highly recommend adding The Illiterate to your to-read list. It is a unique and touching read, highlighting a revolution that is not commonly known or talked about in the Western world. It is only 56 pages, but she is able to convey so many experiences and so much feeling in such a short memoir, it does not surprise me that so much of her work has been translated into English and many other languages over the years. I am really looking forward to reading her most notable work The Notebook in the future!
"What would my life have been like if I hadn’t left my country? More difficult, poorer, I think, but also less solitary, less torn. Happy, maybe." pg. 38
i just love how much tom felton loves harry potter... because same. i read this via audiobook the past few days at work and it was SO good! i really ei just love how much tom felton loves harry potter... because same. i read this via audiobook the past few days at work and it was SO good! i really enjoyed tom felton's narration, it made it really personal. i also really enjoyed hearing more about his childhood and what it was like to be on the harry potter set! you could really tell how much he appreciated the opportunity to have been in harry potter, and how much the relationships be made with everyone impacted his life positively. it was so cute how he had a chapter talking about emma, rupert and daniel individually, and i don't care what he claims, him and emma watson are in love!!!
one thing i really appreciated was that i actually learned quite a few things. growing up i was the kid who had seen every single extra scene, behind the scenes video, etc, for harry potter, but there were actually things that surprised me in tom's memoir! *minor spoilers* i had no clue he had been to rehab multiple times, or that he had dated jade for so long!!
overall, my only complaint is the god awful cover. otherwise, this is a great read for all wizards, witches, and muggles ...more
this is by far one of the best celebrity memoirs i’ve read! i really enjoyed jennette’s writing style, when the book was talking about her childhood ithis is by far one of the best celebrity memoirs i’ve read! i really enjoyed jennette’s writing style, when the book was talking about her childhood it almost felt like 11 year old jennette was telling me about it and then as she got older in the book it was like adult jennette was telling me about it which i thought was really cool.
i highly suggest checking the content warnings before reading this though! there is very sensitive and upsetting topics like child abuse and eating disorders (!!!), but if you’re okay reading about that definitely pick this one up! ...more
okay this book took me 5 months to finish but ONLY because the second i got home from europe i lost it in my house! i recently refound it thankfully (okay this book took me 5 months to finish but ONLY because the second i got home from europe i lost it in my house! i recently refound it thankfully (hidden behind one of my bookshelves) and had the chance to finish it over the past 2 days.
i read most of this at the airport and on my flight home from paris this past summer, because i bought this restored edition of a moveable feast at shakespeare and co while i was there. i remember immediately enjoying it more than i had anticipated, and found it really enjoyable to read since a lot of places i had just visited were being mentioned.
i really enjoyed hemingway's descriptions of and interactions with other authors like sylvia beach who owned shakespeare and co (which at the time was a bookshop and library - so cool), gertrude stein, f scott and zelda fitzgerald and more! and omg hemingway pointing out that zelda was pissed about fitzgerald's writing i was like hmmmm maybe cause gatsby was her idea (im a zelda truther lol) i also really loved hearing about hadley!
another really interesting part about this edition was the additional material included. there was a forward by patrick hemingway, enest's son, and then an introduction by séan hemingway, ernest's grandson which gave some more insight on hemingway's life, and how they organized the memoir since heminway passed away before it was complete. there were also some pictures in the middle of the book, along with extra chapters and fragments of hemingway's writing at the end of the book! the extra chapters were really interesting and seeing the fragments he wrote, especially certain paragraphs that are written a couple different times, but slightly different was so cool! i feel like you could see his thought process behind what he wanted to say in these fragments a lot. a lot of his original handwritten work is in the john f kennedy library in boston so i hope i can visit there one day and see the writing in person. overall a moveable feast was a great memoir and anyone interested in hemingway, paris in the early 1900s and even f scott fitzgerald, should pick it up!...more
wow this memoir was amazing. it discusses the authors experience being adopted by a white canadian family, her experience returning to korea as an aduwow this memoir was amazing. it discusses the authors experience being adopted by a white canadian family, her experience returning to korea as an adult to meet her biological family, and the impact it has on her life for the 10 years following her initial visit. it was so eye opening and educational for me because this is an experience that i have never and will never have.
in addition to the heartbreaking but touching story, i also connected to it on a deep level through her relationship with her sister. being an older sister myself i felt really emotional reading those parts of this book!
the writing was also so beautiful and poetic. this book is definitely being added to my favourites shelf and if you are a fan of memoirs in general, or specifically a fan of “on earth we’re briefly gorgeous” i definitely recommend this!...more
Beautifully written and heartbreaking, Crying in H Mart is one of my favourite books of 2023 so far. The real and raw emotions surrounding family, carBeautifully written and heartbreaking, Crying in H Mart is one of my favourite books of 2023 so far. The real and raw emotions surrounding family, career paths, growing up, and grief are balanced out by descriptions of food that leave your stomach grumbling and mouth-watering. It is a unique and powerful memoir that, in my opinion, is a must read.
Written by Michelle Zauner, who is the lead singer of the pop band Japanese Breakfast, Crying in H Mart takes the reader through Michelle's upbringing, into adulthood where her mother is diagnosed with terminal cancer, and then through the grief of that experience, before her band took off internationally. While reading, I was constantly underlining quotes, and it's safe to say that they speak for themselves.
Here are some of my favourite quotes:
"My grief comes in waves and is usually triggered by something arbitrary." pg. 5
"We caught up with each other's postgraduate lives. He had just finished a cover story on Lana Del Rey and when I pressed him for details on the interview, he told me she chain-smoked through its entirety and recorded the whole thing on her iPhone to guard against misquotes, which endeared me to her." pg. 42 I love Lana ...more
noelle gallagher on youtube read and raved about somebody's daughter last (i think?) month for her memoir of the month so i decidedread via audiobook!
noelle gallagher on youtube read and raved about somebody's daughter last (i think?) month for her memoir of the month so i decided to pick it up on audiobook this week! i did not expect to love, let alone connect to it so much, and i really enjoyed that it was ashley c ford narrating the audiobook herself.
i really loved the topics and themes explored in this book through the experiences in ashley's life. two of the main themes - estrangement from her father and the onset of anxiety as a kid were both things i really relate to. her description of the onset of anxiety as a kid hit really close to home for me because how she described it really mirrored my experience with it. she also often talked about her life as a series of events "before" and "after" and about leaving home as an oldest sister with younger siblings you have to leave behind, and her depiction of that was spot on to my feelings around having the same experience.
i wasn't always able to stop and write down quotes as i was listening so i think im going to have to pick up a physical copy of this to annotate! i highly recommend this to memoir lovers <3...more
Emma Griffioen
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