Review: Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi

Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders by Vincent Bugliosi

Published: 1974

Publisher: W.W. Norton Company

Format: via audiobook

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

The prosecuting attorney in the Manson trial, Vincent Bugliosi held a unique insider's position in one of the most baffling and horrifying cases of the twentieth century: the cold-blooded Tate-LaBianca murders carried out by Charles Manson and four of his followers. What motivated Manson in his seemingly mindless selection of victims, and what was his hold over the young women who obeyed his orders? Here is the gripping story of this famous and haunting crime. 50 pages of b/w photographs.

My Thoughts

I’ve always been fascinated by true crime stories and the one that has had me for as long as I can remember is The Manson Murders. From their evil mastermind of a leader, Charles Manson to his royal and true followers their whole story is haunting yet their story is one that decades later still has people wanting to know more.

In Helter Skelter, we get detail by detail of the Manson murders and their victims. We get how Manson and his followers decided to pick their victims and how they came together to become part of Manson’s evil cult. While we have grown to know this wickedly gruesome story but to read this book I still found out some things I didn’t know before. This is a really good book from someone close to the original case and if you're a true crime junkie like myself I’m sure you will find this book as interesting as I did.

Mini Review: Era of Ignition by Amber Tamblyn

Era of Ignition: Coming of Age in a Time of Rage and Revolution by Amber Tamblyn

Published: March 5, 2019

Publisher: Crown Archetype

Format: via audiobook

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

A passionate manifesto with personal stories, anecdotes, and opinions from the front lines of modern American womanhood from actor, filmmaker, and activist Amber Tamblyn

Amber Tamblyn is one of the most talked-about feminist voices today. Through her fierce op-eds in media outlets such as the New York Times, Glamour, and Hollywood Reporter and her work as a founder of the Time’s Up organization, Tamblyn has tackled subjects including discrimination, sexual assault, reproductive rights, and pay parity, among others.

Now, Tamblyn examines the very paradigm our society is built on, pulling at the threads of the ingrained patriarchal and misogynistic fabric. Tamblyn presents her insightful and pointed take on the current state of feminism and expertly weaves together her own experiences and opinions with the larger movement. In her late twenties and early thirties, Tamblyn experienced a crisis of character and a gradual awakening–her own era of ignition–that enabled her to take back the power in her own life and find her own voice as a bold, outspoken, and respected advocate for women’s rights.

My Thoughts

Era of Ignition is a well-written novel by Amber Tamblyn who lays out a few her own stories and her involvement with the #MeTOO movement and feminism overall. I love how she is passionate and her involvement with women issues and how she doesn't back down with things she has done in her life and how she owns her shit. I also like how she invited other people into the conversation on topics she felt she didn't know a lot about. Some people find vocal women as hard and unlikeable but I applaud anyone who puts themselves out there and stands up to others and what they believe in. This is a mash-up of lots of things but one book that you can definitely learn something from.

Review: You Always Change the Love of Your Life by Amalia Andrade

You Always Change the Love of Your Life by Amalia Andrade

Expected Publication: December 31, 2018

Publisher: Penguin Books

Format: via publisher

Ratings: 3.5/5

Synopsis

A broken heart can feel like the end of the world, but the bestselling author and illustrator Amalia Andrade knows this simply isn't true. Change is not a defeat or a surrender, but rather a promise. Because if the "love of your life" doesn't work out, there is always a chance for something new--a new love, or a new life.

When Amalia was faced with her own heartbreak, she knew she couldn't let herself get lost in despair. With her sunshiny outlook, electrifying energy, and unique sense of humor, she constructed the ultimate first aid kit: an interactive guide to getting over someone through reflections, recipes, and lots of ingenious ideas for transforming a negative experience into a liberating one.

In these pages, you'll find the secret code for interpreting text-message read receipts, loving odes to Beyonce, the ideal playlist for crying in the shower, and much, much more. You Always Change the Love of Your Life reveals the secret to mending your heart and maybe even opening it up again: in love and in lovelessness, we are never alone.

My Thoughts

In You Always Change the Love of Your Life author Amalia Andrade gives us everything we could need in order to get over a breakup. As we all have experienced at some point in our lives we all had that moment when we thought we couldn’t move on and that we would never love again. Though a bit of humor and thoughtfulness she gives us pointers if you will on the perfect playlist for crying and advice on how not to stalk your ex on social media. This book has a little bit of everything she gives us recipes and checklists but what I enjoyed the most were the short stories that are weaved throughout. I found them intriguing and very inspiring  Even though this read has some funny parts don't let that fool you, this is also a read with the inspiration to love yourself and to know your value as a person. While this is a short read it has a lot to offer even if you aren’t going through a breakup at the time. I guarantee you will find something inside that will entertain you and its always ideal to have just in case you might need it one day.

Review: Becoming by Michelle Obama

Becoming by Michelle Obama

Published: November 13, 2018

Publisher: Crown

Format: audiobook via Overdrive

Ratings: 5/5

Synopsis

In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As First Lady of the United States of America—the first African-American to serve in that role—she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, while also establishing herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world, dramatically changing the ways that families pursue healthier and more active lives, and standing with her husband as he led America through some of its most harrowing moments. Along the way, she showed us a few dance moves, crushed Carpool Karaoke, and raised two down-to-earth daughters under an unforgiving media glare.

In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her—from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world’s most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it—in her own words and on her own terms.

My Thoughts

This book is utterly amazing! In Becoming we get the life and thoughts of Michelle Obama and she doesn’t hold back. We get the story of her upbringing and her relationship with her parents. We see her grow up and her school life and the friendships that still impact her today. I loved when she talked about her parents and how she didn’t ask for more than she needed because she knew that her parents sacrificed for her and her brother yet they always encourage her and made all things possible when it came to her future. There were times in this memoir that brought tears to my eyes when she discussed her parents and her love and the devotion that they had for one another touched my heart.

When Barack enters the picture she shares her initial thoughts on him and how he simply fitted into her life, they balanced each other out and they always supported one another in all aspects of their lives. I liked that she shared parts of her life, such as her trouble to conceive and her heartbreak of miscarrying a child to her feelings on both election nights and how she felt when Hilary Clinton lost.

All in all, this is a compelling read one that shows us sides of the former First Lady that many might not know. We get her feelings on things that happened during their run in the White House and how she tried to balance marriage and family life in the world spotlight. Its inspirational and you can truly feel her love for her family and for this nation. This is a must read for sure.

Review: This Will Only Hurt A Little by Busy Philipps

This Will Only Hurt a Little by Busy Philipps

Published: October 23, 2018

Publisher: Touchstone

Format: audiobook via Overdrive

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

A collection of humorous autobiographical essays by the beloved comedic actress known for her roles on Freaks and Geeks, Dawson’s Creek, and Cougartown who has become “the breakout star on Instagram stories...imagine I Love Lucy mixed with a modern lifestyle guru” (The New Yorker).

Busy Philipps’s autobiographical book offers the same unfiltered and candid storytelling that her Instagram followers have come to know and love, from growing up in Scottsdale, Arizona and her painful and painfully funny teen years, to her life as a working actress, mother, and famous best friend.

Busy is the rare entertainer whose impressive arsenal of talents as an actress is equally matched by her storytelling ability, sense of humor, and sharp observations about life, love, and motherhood. Her conversational writing reminds us what we love about her on screens large and small. From film to television to Instagram, Busy delightfully showcases her wry humor and her willingness to bare it all.

My Thoughts

In This Will Only Hurt a Little Busy Philipps gives us stories of her life growing up and her struggles in her acting career. While most stories are funny and she gives us the things we like her for, it's her serious stuff that really connects with me. Her revelations of being assaulted at an early age and later her admission of having an abortion are just some of the things that shows us a serious side of her that we rarely see.

I enjoyed her tales of working on her TV series that she is known for and especially her stories of her family. Her candid take on her marriage and how she was ready to give up but decided to give it another chance and her take on motherhood rang so true. I loved how she didn’t shy away from sharing the truth with us she give it to us no holds bar and that was so brave of her to do. While I’ll admit I didn’t know that much about her this book gave me a new perspective on her. I definitely admire her hard work and dedication to everything in her life. This book will make you laugh of course but it’s her personal anecdotes that make this book really shine. This book is no doubt worth a read.

Review: Whiskey in a Teacup by Reese Witherspoon

Whiskey in a Teacup by Reese Witherspoon

Published: September 18, 2018

Publisher: Touchstone

Format: via Overdrive

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

Reese Witherspoon’s grandmother Dorothea always said that a combination of beauty and strength made southern women “whiskey in a teacup.” We may be delicate and ornamental on the outside, she said, but inside we’re strong and fiery.

Reese’s southern heritage informs her whole life, and she loves sharing the joys of southern living with practically everyone she meets. She takes the South wherever she goes with bluegrass, big holiday parties, and plenty of Dorothea’s fried chicken. It’s reflected in how she entertains, decorates her home, and makes holidays special for her kids—not to mention how she talks, dances, and does her hair (in these pages, you will learn Reese’s fail-proof, only slightly insane hot-roller technique). Reese loves sharing Dorothea’s most delicious recipes as well as her favorite southern traditions, from midnight barn parties to backyard bridal showers, magical Christmas mornings to rollicking honky-tonks.

It’s easy to bring a little bit of Reese’s world into your home, no matter where you live. After all, there’s a southern side to every place in the world, right?

My Thoughts

What an adorable book! Maybe I’m a little biased since I’m a huge fan of Reese’s ever since I saw The Man on the Moon, but this is the quintessential Southern handbook. As I read it I found myself laughing out loud and totally identifying with lots of things in the book. What I found surprising was that a lot of the things that I thought was just “normal” were indeed just Southern things. We tend to take for granted the things we do or say as just stuff everyone else does but when you realize it's not that way its kind of funny.

While this read has its funny parts what I loved most that it's focus and based on traditions and family two things we in the South have drilled into us from birth. The stories she shares of her family especially her grandparents are so sweet and amazing and it shows us what they meant to her and how they continue to influence her life and how she continues to pass on those things to her children. The recipes and must list of Southern music, books and movies are some of my favorites in the book. If you want to know how we do things in the South look no further then this gem. Its informative and entertaining and you will surely take away something from it. 

Review: We're Going to Need More Wine by Gabrielle Union

We’re Going to Need More Wine by Gabrielle Union

Published: October 17, 2017

Publisher: Dey Street Books

Format: audiobook via Overdrive

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

In this moving collection of thought-provoking essays infused with her unique wisdom and deep humor, Union uses that same fearlessness to tell astonishingly personal and true stories about power, color, gender, feminism, and fame. Union tackles a range of experiences, including bullying, beauty standards, and competition between women in Hollywood, growing up in white California suburbia and then spending summers with her black relatives in Nebraska, coping with crushes, puberty, and the divorce of her parents. Genuine and perceptive, Union bravely lays herself bare, uncovering a complex and courageous life of self-doubt and self-discovery with incredible poise and brutal honesty. Throughout, she compels us to be ethical and empathetic and reminds us of the importance of confidence, self-awareness, and the power of sharing truth, laughter, and support.

My Thoughts

I must admit I’m not the biggest fan of Gabrielle Union but when I saw this was available and heard good things about it I wanted to see how this was for myself and after I was done I had a new found respect for Gabrielle Union. I found this collection of essays enlightening and seeing her an in a whole new light. Seeing how she grew up and making a name for herself in the industry was inspiring. I also found some of the stories so funny that I was literally in tears, but it’s the ones where I found that she let us in those turned out to be the most touching ones. The stories that dealt with her family and especially when she tells us about being sexually assaulted those are the ones I felt I saw and understood the real Gabrielle. She always came across as guarded to me in a sense and reading about these stories I understood why. The fact that she let everything go in this book I felt she came across so strong. Regardless if you like her or not you will find out some interesting things about her and will definitely see her in an entirely new way. This is one read that is utterly so entertaining that you can't help but to fall in love with her.

Mini Review: The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer

The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer

Published: August 16, 2016

Publisher: Gallery Books

Format: via Overdrive

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

In The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, Amy mines her past for stories about her teenage years, her family, relationships, and sex and shares the experiences that have shaped who she is - a woman with the courage to bare her soul to stand up for what she believes in, all while making us laugh. Ranging from the raucous to the romantic, the heartfelt to the harrowing, this highly entertaining and universally appealing collection is the literary equivalent of a night out with your best friends - an unforgettable and fun adventure that you wish could last forever. Whether she's experiencing lust-at-first-sight while in the airport security line, sharing her own views on love and marriage, admitting to being an introvert, or discovering her cross-fit instructor's secret bad habit, Amy Schumer proves to be a bighearted, brave, and thoughtful storyteller that will leave you nodding your head in recognition, laughing out loud, and sobbing uncontrollably - but only because it's over.

My Thoughts

I fully enjoyed this collection of stories by Amy Schumer. She shared stories from her childhood and growing up and while most are definitely funny there are some that are more serious and you definitely see a different side of her that you rarely see. Of course, her funny stories are the ones that make you cry from laughter the serious ones are the ones I feel like that give us a real view of Amy. Take away all the jokes and everything else and see the rawness of her being and in those moments I feel like I can truly connect with her. If you are a fan of Amy you will love this collection and if you aren’t at least give this one a try, trust me you will see her in a new light thanks to this collection of stories.

Mini Review: In Conclusion, Don't Worry About It by Lauren Graham

In Conclusion, Don’t Worry About It by Lauren Graham

Published: April 3, 2018

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Format: audiobook via Overdrive

Rating: 3.5/5

Synopsis

In this expansion of the 2017 commencement speech, she gave at her hometown Langley High, Lauren Graham, the beloved star of Gilmore Girls and Parenthood, reflects on growing up, pursuing your dreams, and living in the here and now. “Whatever path you choose, whatever career you decide to go after, the important thing is that you keep finding joy in what you’re doing, especially when the joy isn’t finding you.” In her hilarious, relatable voice, Graham reminds us to be curious and compassionate, no matter where life takes us or what we’ve yet to achieve. Grounded and inspiring—and illustrated throughout with drawings by Graham herself—here is a comforting roadmap to a happy life.

My Thoughts

As for as commencement speeches go this one was classic Lauren Graham, it light and funny with some inspirational things thrown in here and there. She tells us a few of her struggles trying to break into showbiz and how we shouldn’t let the stress of stuff get to us. It was short and sweet and gives us a view of adulthood that doesn’t weight us down, it gives us hope that things will work themselves out and if they don't then don't worry about it.

Review: Trouble Maker by Leah Remini

Trouble Maker by Leah Remini

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Published: November 3, 2015

Format: audiobook via Overdrive

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Leah Remini has never been the type to hold her tongue. That willingness to speak her mind, stand her ground, and rattle the occasional cage has enabled this tough-talking girl from Brooklyn to forge an enduring and successful career in Hollywood. But being a troublemaker has come at a cost.

That was never more evident than in 2013 when Remini loudly and publicly broke with the Church of Scientology. Now, in this frank, funny, poignant memoir, the former King of Queens star opens up about that experience for the first time, revealing the in-depth details of her painful split with the church and its controversial practices.

Indoctrinated into the church as a child while living with her mother and sister in New York, Remini eventually moved to Los Angeles, where her dreams of becoming an actress and advancing Scientology’s causes grew increasingly intertwined. As an adult, she found the success she’d worked so hard for, and with it a prominent place in the hierarchy of celebrity Scientologists alongside people such as Tom Cruise, Scientology’s most high-profile adherent. Remini spent time directly with Cruise and was included among the guests at his 2006 wedding to Katie Holmes.

But when she began to raise questions about some of the church’s actions, she found herself a target. In the end, she was declared by the church to be a threat to their organization and therefore a “Suppressive Person,” and as a result, all of her fellow parishioners—including members of her own family—were told to disconnect from her. Forever.

My Thoughts

By now we have all heard at least something about Leah Remini and her relationship with Scientology but I wanted to know a little more and straight from her mouth so I decided to check out this audiobook. I loved hearing her story from her and her voice just cracks me up. However, I really did find her story fascinating and not only did we get her Scientology story but we also got her life story which I was really drawn to.

We heard how she got into the religion and her story of growing up, her relationship with her dad and how she got her start in acting. I must admit I liked hearing about her fellow famous Scientologists especially some of the events involving Tom Cruise and his wedding to Katie Holmes, I just found all that so funny and wondering if all of that could be possible it just seemed so far fetched. All in all, it was an intriguing read one that I found engaging and really interesting.