Review: How to Eat to Change How You Drink

I can’t be the only person in their mid-late thirties whose body all of a sudden decided to not function the way it’s supposed to. For me, my digestive system seems to be having a few issues and I started to wonder (after many medical appointments and consultations with actual trained folks, not Dr. Google) if alcohol was sometimes a culprit. So, when I saw Brooke Scheller’s book How to Eat to Change How You Drink: Heal Your Gut, Mend Your Mind, and Improve Nutrition to Change Your Relationship with Alcohol was available to review, I thought, hm let’s give this a try.

Here’s the book’s description:

Let nutrition guide you to sobriety (or to just drinking a little less) with this guide and meal plan to reduce alcohol cravings and repair your health through food.
Trapped in alcohol's addictive grip, Dr. Brooke Scheller wanted a way out. For her, total sobriety was the answer to her problem, which she achieved by applying her skills as a doctor of nutrition, pairing her knowledge of nutrition with other integrative therapies to eliminate alcohol for good. Seeing the success in herself, she shifted her practice to help inspire others to explore a lifestyle with little to no alcohol.
How to Eat to Change How You Drink is a revolutionary guide to leverage food and nutrition to reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption, develop mindfulness, and promote a healthier relationship with alcohol. Working through the book, readers will identify their drinking archetype and then learn the types of nutritional changes they can make to reduce alcohol cravings alongside behavior modification; they'll learn how alcohol affects their nutritional status and can contribute to health symptoms ranging from fatigue, to hormonal imbalances, digestive irregularities, weight gain, thyroid disorders, autoimmune diseases and more; and they'll restore their nutritional status and repair key body systems after moderate to heavy alcohol consumption.
This book will change the way we think about and address alcohol intake in our society-- through the lens of nutrition.

I requested this book right before leaving for an almost 3 week vacation and it was waiting for me when I got home. I say this because I may not have looked quite as closely at the book’s details or Scheller’s background as I may normally have done. And I say that because I wasn’t expecting the book to come from a place of sobriety more than dietary. I didn’t really want/need to be reading about the addictive qualities of alcohol nor did I need to find out what kind of drinker I am. I know that, duh, that’s all part of how alcohol affects your body but the tone of the book definitely came across as, “this is why you should become sober” not so much “this is why cutting back can be beneficial to all of us.” Is that fair of me? To be frustrated that true sobriety was a larger focus than I wanted? I recognize that no, it may not be fair.

I’ve been reading a few books on digestive health lately and some are far more accessible than others. Scheller’s fell somewhere in the middle. That said, I still didn’t quite get anything useful out of the gut health section. Again, this could very much be a personal thing. I’ve been trying for months to figure out my issues and I was really hoping for a nugget of information that could help and I just didn’t get one.

The book’s divided into four parts to help break down this somewhat unwieldy topic and make it understandable for us laypeople. Part 1 talked about relationships with alcohol, leaning (in my opinion) too heavily on Scheller’s personal history. Part 2 focused on a “functional approach to sobriety” and discussed how alcohol can affect different parts of the body, like the gut and brain. Learning how to eat to change drinking habits was the focus of Part 3 and Part 4 gave the reader some recipes to try to support an “alcohol reduction plan”. 

I think Brooke Scheller’s book, How to Eat to Change How You Drink, would be a good one to pick up if you’re committed to completely cutting out alcohol and living a sober life or if you’re sober-curious and don’t have any other medical issues to worry about. It was an interesting enough read for me, confirming what I knew about some of the sneaky downsides of alcohol, but it wasn’t as applicable to my life as I would have liked.

*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher, Grand Central Publishing, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Rich Girl, Broke Girl

I don’t know about you, but trying to think about finances and all that goes with it makes me feel pretty dumb. I’m good with money but investing and retirement savings and all that *waves arms* make my mind turn off. My hope going into reading Kelley Keehn’s book Rich Girl, Broke Girl was that it would give me some good tips to apply to my own finances - and I did learn a few things along the way.

Here’s the book’s description:

Do you want to know how to pay off that debt and start saving?
Ready to negotiate a salary raise or better benefits?
Do financial terms and options make your head spin?
Here’s the good news: we as women have more financial freedom and money now than ever before. Here’s the bad news: when it comes to money, many women become paralyzed by financial management and sometimes even defer big decisions to other people, much to their detriment.
What’s the solution? Financial empowerment.
In this handy guide, you will learn how to:
-Discuss money with your partner
-Determine realistic and attainable goals
-Negotiate for the salaries and benefits you deserve
-Splurge occasionally while still saving money
-Understand financial risks and make good investments
-Gain control of your financial destiny
With years of experience as a personal finance educator, bestselling author Kelley Keehn will give you the tools you need to keep and grow your wealth, even if you don’t have much to start from—yet. This unique book brings to life the most common financial conundrums women face, teaching you how to save, spend, invest, and plan for a strong financial future.

This book is written specifically for women, which I really liked. It’s still a pretty broad approach and not everything is going to be applicable to everyone but having it written with women in mind, by a woman, is so helpful. All women know there are certain things we have to deal with and stereotypes and beliefs about who can or should control finances is one of them. I’m lucky that I don’t have to deal with that in my own life but I know others do so I’m glad this kind of book exists.

As I said, this is a pretty broad approach to finances. There was a lot that did not apply to me at all. The sections I was most interested in had to do with investing and preparing for retirement even if it seems so far away (Adulting is no joke, yo). While I still don’t really know what I want to do with my savings, reading this book helped me understand a little bit more. Obviously, I know I need to talk to a financial advisor or planner or someone who’s not, you know, the Internet to figure out how best to sort out my life, now that I’m in a more stable job. But this book explained the basics yet again and it made a little bit more sense this time around.

I liked how Keehn laid out this book. Each chapter introduced someone (who didn’t really exist but was a composite of some of Keehn’s past clients) who was dealing with a particular financial issue. Keehn laid out the issue, what the person was doing wrong, and how it could be fixed. Any jargon was broken down and explained with lots of helpful information along the way. And lest you feel stressed that you’re in the same situation as this fictional person, Keehn also lets us know how they were doing after they got themselves out of the financial pickle. This all helped the book from becoming too dry and it allows the reader to really feel connected with the tips and see how they could be applied to their own life.

Rich Girl, Broke Girl is a great book to check out if you’re still new to figuring out your finances or even if you’ve been managing your money for years and think you could be doing better (I’m a mix of the two, personally). Kelly Keehn has written an interesting and helpful book for anyone who wants to get on track and prepare their finances so their future selves are in good shape.

*An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Miss Dior

I feel like Dior is one of those fashion names that I’ve always been aware of but never really knew much about. So I definitely didn’t know Christian’s sister, Catherine, was involved in the French Resistance until I read Natasha Lester’s novel The Paris Secret. I was fascinated with the work of the Resistance during WWII and the stories that were never told. So, when I had the chance to review Miss Dior: A Story of Courage and Couture, I jumped at it because I wanted to learn more about Catherine. A hefty book full oh photos, Justine Picardie’s latest work was interesting, if far lighter on Catherine’s life than I would have liked.

Here’s the book’s description:

When the French designer Christian Dior presented his first collection in Paris in 1947, he changed fashion forever. Dior's "New Look" created a striking, romantic vision of femininity, luxury, and grace, making him--and his last name--famous overnight. One woman informed Dior's vision more than any other: his sister, Catherine, a Resistance fighter, concentration camp survivor, and cultivator of rose gardens who inspired Dior's most beloved fragrance, Miss Dior. Yet the story of Catherine's remarkable life--so different from her famous brother's--has never been told, until now.
Drawing on the Dior archives and extensive research, Justine Picardie's Miss Dior is the long-overdue restoration of Catherine Dior's life. The siblings' stories are profoundly intertwined: in Occupied France, as Christian honed his couture skills, Catherine dedicated herself to the Resistance, ultimately being captured by the Gestapo and sent to Ravensbrück, the only Nazi camp solely for women. Seeking to trace Catherine's story as well as her influence on her brother, Picardie traveled to the significant places of Catherine's life, including Les Rhumbs, the Dior family villa with its magnificent gardens; the House of Dior in Paris; and La Colle Noire, Christian's chateau that he bequeathed to his sister.
Inventive and captivating, and shaped by Picardie's own journey, Miss Dior examines the legacy of Christian Dior, the secrets of postwar France, and the unbreakable bond between two remarkable siblings. Most important, it shines overdue recognition on a previously overlooked life, one that epitomized courage and also embodied the astonishing capacity of the human spirit to remain undimmed, even in the darkest circumstances.

After reading Lester’s novel, I did a bit of research myself to see what was out there about Catherine Dior. The answer is: not much. She was incredibly close-lipped about her time in the Resistance, her arrest, and her imprisonment and eventual release from a Nazi camp. Picardie gives life to a woman who stayed towards the shadows after the war – but there’s only so much she could do. I found the book was far more about Christian and his fashion house than it was about Catherine. Interesting? Sure. But not exactly what I signed up for.

Because there isn’t a lot of information from Catherine directly, Picardie used stories from other people who were experiencing similar things as Catherine during the war. In this, Picardie did very well and I could begin to have a sense of what Catherine would have gone through. She shares stories of other people who were also captured by French informants and tortured by the Gestapo, and women who were imprisoned at Ravensbrück at the same time as Catherine. Those stories, as you can imagine, were hard to read. Not only did it highlight that there were completely terrible people who had no qualms about sending people to die just because they were “different” but there were so many others who were complicit. Catherine was tortured because she was trying to help stop the war and the atrocities. She was tortured and injured so badly she was never able to have children. French citizens turned on each other and helped the Nazis. And the conditions at the camps were horrifying. There really is no other word for it.

Picardie visited a few of the places that were of significance to Catherine’s life, including Ravensbrück. She puts quite the personal spin on the visits, which I wasn’t expecting but isn’t surprising. I imagine one can’t help but reflect when visiting a place like a concentration camp. What was somewhat irksome was she referenced her own grief in such a way that I felt like I was supposed to know Picardie’s own background and history (from a brief search, I learned her sister died). It seems a bit…harsh, I guess, to remark on the author’s own grief but it took me out of the narrative I was expecting from this book.

The photographs and other images used throughout the book were great and added a lot to the overall narrative of the book. While I wasn’t expecting so much fashion talk, I was glad of the photos that accompanied those chapters. I did a listen/read combo with this one but I’m definitely glad I had a (hefty) physical copy as well so I got the full experience. The audiobook is narrated by Picardie herself and was well done.

Miss Dior: A Story of Courage and Couture was definitely more couture than courage. If you know what to expect going into Justine Picardie’s latest book, I think you’ll enjoy it more. Catherine Dior may have been the focus of the book but she still remains an elusive historical figure.

*A copy of this novel was provided by the Canadian distributor, Publishers Group Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*  

My review of The Paris Secret

Review: Noble Ambitions

I’ve been trying to read more nonfiction for the last few years because I just don’t tend to gravitate towards them. There’s no real reason why. I just…don’t! With that in mind, I thought I would try the audiobook of Noble Ambitions: The Fall and Rise of the English Country House After World War II. I was pretty captivated with Adrian Tinniswood’s book and narrator Roger May was excellent.

Here’s the book’s description:

A rollicking tour of the English country home after World War II, when swinging London collided with aristocratic values
As the sun set slowly on the British Empire, its mansions fell and rose. Ancient families were reduced to demolishing the parts of their stately homes they could no longer afford, dukes and duchesses desperately clung to their ancestral seats, and a new class of homeowners bought their way into country life. A delicious romp, Noble Ambitions pulls us into these crumbling halls of power, leading us through the juiciest bits of postwar aristocratic history—from Mick Jagger dancing at deb balls to the scandals of Princess Margaret. Capturing the spirit of the age, historian Adrian Tinniswood proves that the country house is not only an iconic symbol, but a lens through which to understand the shifting fortunes of the British elite in an era of monumental social change.

Raise your hand if you watched Downton Abbey. *looks around* Yes, I thought there were a few of you. You know how Lord Grantham, Mary, and the rest had to find a way to save the house? And how the real life owners of the house it’s filmed at, Highclere Castle, also had to find a way to save their house and did so by opening it up for filming? This book essentially told the real life story of people just like the Crawleys. It shared how the houses fell into disrepair after years of glory and then started to become popular and established once again. Some of the stories were absolutely mindboggling and I can’t believe what some of the owners went through to try and keep their home.

May was a great narrator and I could have listened to him talk about just about anything for much longer than 13.5 hours of this audiobook. His tone was more conversational than lecturing, which I appreciated.

I have to say, though, as much as I loved the audiobook and narration, I couldn’t help but wish I could have seen all the photos of the houses (that I assume are in the print edition). Tinniswood talks about SO MANY houses that it was hard to keep straight and seeing it in writing and in photos may have helped a little bit.

It was interesting to read this one and feel so much sympathy for the owners of these massive houses. You can’t really help it because, for a lot of them, they were losing their family's homes because of taxes and death duties and the sheer expense of the upkeep of a crumbling stone house. But on the flip side…some of those families were at the tippy top of the elite and some of the Haves did nothing to help the Have Nots. Tinniswood doesn’t get into the social divide too much – other than to talk about the servants and how they left service because there were other options available to them. All of it gave me something to ponder as I listened to the descriptions of the opulence that was once seen – and then seen again – at these houses.

Those who enjoy history, and English history in particular, will like Adrian Tinniswood’s book. There are tons of interesting facts – and equally interesting gossip – in the pages of Noble Ambitions that made for an enjoyable read.

*An advanced audiobook copy of this novel was provided by Hachette Audio in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Happy Go Money

Melissa Leong's book Happy Go Money was published way back in January 2019. It took me awhile to get a copy and then to actually read it. And now it's taken months to write the review. I think what's stumped me is: how does one review a book on financial literacy? Even one as accessible and intelligent as Leong's? I still haven't figured it out but buckle in as we go on this ride together.

Here's the book's description:

Everything tells us that what will make us happy can be bought, whether it's the latest gadgets, renovated kitchens, or luxury goods. But research has shown that having more money in the bank and more stuff around the house doesn't necessarily correlate with being a happier person. With Happy Go Money, financial expert Melissa Leong cuts through the noise to show you how to get the most delight for your dollar.
Happy Go Money combines happiness psychology and personal finance and distills it into an indispensable starter guide. Each snappy chapter provides practical, easy-to-understand advice on topics such as spending, budgeting, investing, and mindfulness, while weaving in research, interactive exercises, and relatable anecdotes. Frank, funny, and empowering, this primer challenges everyone to revamp their relationship with their money so they can dial down their worries and supersize their joy.

Way back when I wasn't working, I would watch The Social and always liked when Melissa Leong was on because I found all her financial tips to be easy to follow and implement into my own life. So, when I heard she was writing a book, I was excited. That relatable, easy to understand personality comes through in this book. The tips make sense, even when it's talking about things I normally am completely clueless about. And it's fun! Yes, a book about how to look after your money is fun. Leong's personality shines and it's like talking to a friend about how best to budget your hard earned money.

I'm pretty good with money and always have been. I'm lucky that I didn't have massive student debts and I have a family that helped me out a lot (and still does). But I don't take that for granted. I work hard and save as much as I can. That said, I felt like I should be more Adult about my savings ever since I turned 30 a few years ago. This book can help if you're feeling like that too. Leong doesn't make you feel like an idiot if you haven't started an RRSP etc. (Though you'll still feel like one because she lays things out in such a way that you're like, oh hell I should have started this a decade ago but what did I know at 20?)

I pretty much wanted to highlight this entire book. SO much good information in here. And not just on the nitpicky how to invest or what certain types of accounts are. (I seriously feel like a toddler when it comes to these things.) But also on spending and saving wisely without sacrificing your life and fun. Each chapter ends with "Your Happy Money To-Do List" where she challenges you to think happier and presents suggestions for how to plan for emergencies and learn lessons from regrettable purchases (but don't beat yourself up about it). Then there are "Money Talks" tips that will have you looking at your relationship with money. They're "actionable tidbits," as Leong calls them, so we can chart a better path for ourselves and our finances.

There are chapters on pretty much everything in this book (and with wonderfully catchy titles like "Check Yourself Before You Wreck Your Wealth" and "Happiness for Later") that will guide you through figuring out WTF you're doing with your money. Make notes while you read and you'll probably want to reread it, as I plan on doing, to make sure you're following the road map she's laid out for us.

Things are weird right now and who knows what our savings and jobs will look like even next month. But do yourself a favour and check out Melissa Leong's Happy Go Money. It's never too late to take a look at your finances and try to figure out how to set yourself up for happiness (and, remember, for most of us, more money does not equal more happiness). Talking about money is usually a frustrating thing for me but I actually had fun while reading Leong's book and I think others will too.

*An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher, ECW Press, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Crown Dissected

It seems like everyone and their grandmother has watched the Netflix hit The Crown. And if they hadn't before COVID-19 shut down the world, they've probably watched it now. I've been interested since the beginning and not long after finishing season three, I picked up Hugo Vickers' book The Crown Dissected. I was really interested to see what the showrunners got right and what they embellished on...or got just plain wrong.

Here's the book's description:

Hugo Vickers is an acknowledged authority on the British Royal Family. He has commented on royal matters on television and radio since 1973 and worked as historical adviser on a number of films. He is the author of books on the Queen Mother, the Duchess of Windsor, Princess Andrew of Greece (Prince Philip's mother) and Queen Mary all of whom are featured in the popular Netflix show, The Crown.

Since November 2016, Peter Morgan has presented millions of viewers with the first 3 seasons of The Crown, positioned as an accurate, dramatized portrayal of the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

Now, in The Crown Dissected, Vickers separates fact from fiction in all 3 seasons of the series. Episode-by-episode analysis dissects the plots, characterization and historical detail in each storyline. Vickers tells us what really happened and what certainly did not happen.

It's a must-read for fans of the show, and proves that more than a little artistic license has gone into the making of The Crown.

I know some history of the royal family and England in general but not a ton. So, I wasn't always sure when the show started to veer away from the truth. Every once and awhile I'd look up what actually happened after finishing an episode but never found anything super wrong. And, I mean, I knew I was watching a fictionalized story. I expected it to be faithful to history but I knew the conversations between Elizabeth and Philip, for example, were always going to be made up. 

I can definitely understand that it would seem to Vickers, whose job it is to know the history of the royal family, the show took far too many risks and made errors that he could not overlook. I get it. When it comes to historical fiction in books or on screen, I want it to be truthful, not embellished like, say, Braveheart (it's top of mind for me...I was in Scotland in March and learned a lot about the true story of William Wallace). But Vickers sort of seemed to take it like a personal attack when the writers got things "wrong" and he constantly mentioned how the writers' storytelling when it came to the history of the royals was weak compared to telling stories of the politics of the time. It seemed a bit petty, to be honest.

This is also a very small book. Each episode is broken down in just a few pages. I'm not saying I need a massive amount of information but there were times when I wanted Vickers to go into more detail. I think too, I found the writing to be quite choppy which didn't help with the short chapters.

There are a lot of interesting tidbits to be learned in Vickers' book, however. I never really thought about the importance of certain seals or crests, nor would I have noticed if a sash was too red or wide or if someone was missing a medal. In Season 1, Episode 7, the Queen requests a tutor so she can become more educated. Turns out that's completely false. I remember wondering in Season 3 who an older gentleman was that seemed to dine with the immediate family quite often. Turns out that was the Duke of Gloucester who had been dead for some time and would not have been experiencing much of what his character did in that season. 

While I'm glad I gave The Crown Dissected a shot, I'm not sure I'd exactly recommend Hugo Vickers' book to others. I think he certainly has a case in presenting the truth and historical fact compared to a fictionalized version of events on the TV screen, but I wasn't a fan of how he went about it in his writing.

*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher, Firefly Books, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Career Rookie

I never did read Sarah Vermunt's Careergasm when it was published back in 2017 but it's been on my radar ever since. So, when I had the chance to read her new book, Career Rookie: A Get-It-Together Guide for Grads, Students and Career Newbies (which just released last week), I jumped at it.

Here's what the book is all about:

A shot of encouragement, a kick in the ass, and a loving push for young people who have no idea what they want or how to get it.
Career Rookie is a book for every grad, student, and 20-something who feels lost, overwhelmed, and anxious. It tackles the emotional and logistical WTF-ness of starting your career, answering questions like:
What if I don't have any experience? What if I went to school for something I hated? What if I have NO IDEA what I actually want? Should I just suck it up and settle? Because, honestly, this career thing is starting to give me an ulcer.
This fresh, fun guide gives even the most lost and overwhelmed a way forward. It explores passion, curiosity, uncertainty, self-sabotage, and more on the quest to shake off post-graduation paralysis. Finding the right career can seem impossible, but Sarah Vermunt is the fun-loving, straight-talking coach we all need to make feel-good work a reality.

I'm a decade out of university and nine years out of college so I'm not, technically, a "career rookie" but I wanted to give this a read anyway for a couple of reasons. One, you never know what you might learn. And two, a year ago I started a new job at the bottom of the ladder so I'm really feeling like a bit more of a rookie than usual.

I absolutely love the way Vermunt writes. She's no nonsense but fun and encouraging. And she drops f-bombs like I do, which I appreciated. She's also incredibly knowledgeable and passes along that knowledge in a way that is easy for the reader to understand and then apply to their own life.

I found myself nodding a lot as I read this. Like I said, I graduated ages ago but I've been searching for the right job for about as long as I've been out of school. There were some things that Vermunt wrote that I had learned for myself in my long (long) job hunt and definitely worked for me, so that had me completely on board with everything else she was saying.

The book is filled with advice from Vermunt as well as client stories. I think that's a great idea because it shows some real-life examples that can sometimes help more than just the advice.

I've already told my younger sister and two interns at work they need to read this book, and I think you should tell all the career rookies in your own life to read it as well. It's the perfect graduation gift to give or to buy for yourself.

Career Rookie won't solve all of your problems or answer all of your questions but Sarah Vermunt's new book will give you a lot of tools to help you on your way to kicking ass in your job hunt and eventual career (whatever that might look like). I highly recommend it.

*An e-ARC of this book was provided by the publisher, ECW Press, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Whiskey in a Teacup

If you had told me 17 years ago if the woman on screen playing a sorority girl turned law student would write a book I would then read, I would probably doubt you. But Reese Witherspoon has done it. Whiskey in a Teacup is a lifestyle book that celebrates her Southern roots and gives readers a glimpse into her life.

Here's the description of the book:

Academy award-winning actress, producer, and entrepreneur Reese Witherspoon invites you into her world, where she infuses the southern style, parties, and traditions she loves with contemporary flair and charm.
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 favourite 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?

I feel the need to start by saying I am a Reese Witherspoon fan. I enjoy her movies (Legally Blonde and Sweet Home Alabama are two movies that I will have to sit and watch if I happen to come across them on TV) and think she's a decent person from what I can tell from my perch as a normal human (compared to her celebrity status). This book is very clearly going to be for people who like her and her work as I think the charm of the book would be totally lost on someone who doesn't know much about her or care about her and her work.

You have to wonder why, exactly, it was decided that Witherspoon needed to write a book. The really cynical part of me knows it's simply to make money. Witherspoon is having a bit of a comeback after her early acting success. She has a retail brand (Draper James), a production company (Hello Sunshine), and a kick-ass book club (most of her picks are great and varied) so she has a strong brand to make a lifestyle book a success. Plus, she's adorably Southern and proud to be so which seems to be a bit different than most of the Hollywood stars these days.

The book isn't super well written but it's more conversational so you don't really notice that it's not the best writing you've ever seen. (Of course, I may be a pot calling a kettle black because I'm sure as hell not the best writer sometimes.) I also have to admit that when I think to myself, "Why did she think she could write a book?" I have an image of Elle Woods saying, "What? Like it's hard?"

This book is very much like a perfectly curated Instagram account. Everything is so shiny and picture-perfect. For example, I, like many others of my generation, know that Witherspoon was married to Ryan Phillippe and it....didn't end well. I also know she had a bunch of films that also didn't do well (during the same time period. I doubt that's a coincidence). But all of that is glossed over in the book. The only time she references anything that was less than perfect was when she was discussing her wedding and mentions how, "real talk" she's had two. Does it matter that the book is shinier than real life really is? No, I don't think so. I don't read books like this because I think it perfectly represents real life. We like seeing pretty things and focusing on the good in life and reading this book was a fun little escape for me.

My favourite part? When Witherspoon discussed her love of books and her book club. I really think she's helping bring the stories I love into the spotlight and helping many authors get some much-deserved recognition. What can I say? I have a soft spot for my fellow bookworms. I also think I'll be investigating the book club recipes a bit more closely than some of the other recipes in the book. (And yes, I'm aware the below aren't really "recipes" but they're most excellent components for a great book club meeting. I'm also not a fan of cooking so easy = key!)

Whiskey in a Teacup was a fun escape and a glimpse into the life of a Hollywood starlet. Reese Witherspoon has written and compiled a book that allows her Southern charm and personality to shine. Her fans will love flipping through the pages and learning more about her.

*An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Big Life

I just turned 30 this year and sometimes think I'm having the longest quarter-life crisis ever. I still don't know what I want to be when I "grow up" so when I had the opportunity to review The Big Life: Embrace the Mess, Work Your Side Hustle, Find a Monumental Relationship, and Become the Badass Babe You Were Meant to Be, I thought, hey, maybe this can help me get my act together. Ann Shoket's book obviously isn't magical so I didn't finish it and immediately know what I need to do to have my Big Life but it certainly gave me a few things to think about to help me get on that path to being a Badass Babe.

Here's the (very long) description of the book, courtesy of Goodreads:

Millennial women are changing what it means to be powerful and successful in the world―for everyone. Forever. You want The Big Life―that delicious cocktail of passion, career, work, ambition, respect, money, and a monumental relationship. And you want it on your own terms. Forget climbing some corporate ladder, you want a career with twists and turns and adventure. For you, success only matters if it’s meaningful. Ann Shoket knows the evolving values of young women more than anyone. She’s the voice behind the popular Badass Babes community, a sisterhood of young, hungry, ambitious women who are helping each other through the most complex issues around becoming who you’re meant to be. As the trailblazing editor-in-chief of Seventeen for the better part of a decade, Shoket led provocative conversations that helped young women navigate the tricky terrain of adolescence and become smart, confident, self-assured young women. Now that they are adding muscle to the frame work of their lives, she’s continuing the conversation with The Big Life.
The Big Life is packed with actionable guidance combined with personal advice from high-profile millennial women who have already achieved tremendous success, plus intimate conversations with a cast of compelling characters and Shoket’s own stories on her quest for The Big Life. You’ll learn to tackle all of the issues on heavy rotation in your mind such as:

• How to craft a career that’s also a passion.
• How to get respect from a boss who thinks you’re a lazy, entitled, and self-obsessed millennial
• Why you need a “squad” of people who support you as you build your Big Life
• How a side hustle will make you smarter, hotter, and more in control of your destiny.
• Why work/life balance is a sham and you need to embrace the mess.
• How to find a partner whose eyes light up when you talk about your ambition.

Written in Shoket’s friendly and authoritative style, The Big Life will help you recognize your power, tap into your ambition, and create your own version of The Big Life.

While there's no real age limit on this book, or searching for and having The Big Life, I think it's ever so slightly geared towards younger Millennials. Nowhere was that more obvious than on the very first page of the introduction as Shoket explained where The Big Life starts - in your bedroom at 16 years old. Shoket's version of this teen dreamed of being a digital influencer and imagined an Instagram-worthy first apartment. I had hardly mastered the Internet at 16 and Facebook wasn't even a thing yet (to be fair, it would be founded a year after I turned 16), let alone Instagram. But all that is ok. I'm still a Millennial and the stereotypes this generation fights against are ones I have to fight against too. 

Shoket is a huge believer that women can do bigger and better things if we help each other. I love that. It makes so much more sense than trying to take down another woman on social media or not assisting a co-worker when she has the opportunity to totally kick ass. Building up the females around you isn't going to hurt you. It can only help. Of course, that's easier said than done but it's definitely a thought to keep firmly in mind.

Something I found pretty interesting was when Shoket explained that Carrie Bradshaw's life and version of "having it all" has completely changed for today's young women. How we get ahead in life and in our careers is totally different than it was for the women in Sex and the City and everyone else in that generation. 

When you read this book you'll most likely find sections that really resonate and others that don't reflect your life at all. For me, I wanted to focus more on the career and side hustle sections of this book than the relationship and family side of things. I have an amazing boyfriend and we don't plan to have kids so there's no concern about pausing my career to pop out babies. But I don't really have a career to pause anyway, which is my problem. Sure, I have a job that keeps the bills paid but I'm still looking to be able to use my passions for the majority of my time instead of trying to fit them in around a 40-hour work week. 

There's a lot of Real Talk in this book and, for an introvert like me who hates criticism, it's hard to take a look at your own life and pick out what you could be doing better. There's nothing I'm doing wrong, per se, and Shoket definitely isn't saying anyone's current life is wrong, but I could be hustling more to help get me closer to that Big Life. On the flip side, Shoket also warns against comparing your life to those around you. You know you do it when you scroll through social media...I definitely do, especially when I've had a rough day or week. You also know that what's posted online is the shiniest version. You should be happy for your friends and jealousy shouldn't enter the picture. Instead, focus on how that woman has got to where she is. You probably didn't notice the hustle going on behind the scenes before she got to this point. I'm not saying I'm great at this but I'm definitely going to make a point of thinking about how those women - who seem to have it all together - got to where they are and how I can use their experiences for my own hustle.

Some people might find it odd that Shoket, who is in her 40s, is writing a book on how to kick ass at being a Millennial woman. But think about this. She was the editor-in-chief for Seventeen during the time many younger Millennials were reading it (I was already in university by the time she took the helm). She successfully ran the magazine and that shows, to me, that she really understands what makes us tick. Plus, she's made it her mission to help young women succeed in and out of the workplace. And she's the boss to many Millennials and there were a few instances in the book where that Gen X insight was really helpful to change my frame of thinking. 

Overall, The Big Life is worth a read if you're really struggling with at least one aspect of your Millennial life. You'll definitely find tidbits in Ann Shoket's book that you'll flag and return to time and time again until your Big Life finally clicks. 

*A copy of this book was provided by the distributor, Raincoast Books, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Hungry Heart

Jennifer Weiner has long been a favourite author of mine. I was able to see her when she was in Toronto a few years back and she was so nice and real. Because I find her to be an overall excellent human, I was so excited to read Hungry Heart, Weiner’s first non-fiction book.

Here’s the description of her book of essays:

Jennifer Weiner is many things: a bestselling author, a Twitter phenomenon, and an “unlikely feminist enforcer” (The New Yorker). She’s also a mom, a daughter, and a sister; a former rower and current cyclist; a best friend and a reality TV junkie. In her first foray into nonfiction, she takes the raw stuff of her personal life and spins into a collection of essays on modern womanhood as uproariously funny and moving as the best of Tina Fey, Fran Lebowitz, and Nora Ephron.
Jennifer grew up as an outsider in her picturesque Connecticut hometown (“a Lane Bryant outtake in an Abercrombie & Fitch photo shoot”) and at her Ivy League college, but finally found her people in newsrooms in central Pennsylvania and Philadelphia, and her voice as a novelist, activist, and New York Times columnist.
No subject is off-limits in this intimate and honest essay collection: sex, weight, envy, money, her mom’s newfound lesbianism, and her estranged father’s death. From lonely adolescence to modern childbirth to hearing her six-year-old daughter’s use of the f-word—fat­­—for the first time, Jennifer Weiner goes there, with the wit and candor that have endeared her to readers all over the world.
By turns hilarious and deeply touching, this collection shows that the woman behind treasured novels like Good in Bed and Best Friends Forever is every bit as winning, smart, and honest in real life as she is in her fiction.

I’ve met a few authors who just don’t give off an accessible sort of vibe but Weiner is so genuine. That personality comes through in the book and you really feel like she's just chatting with you and telling you, and only you, her stories. 

Side note: if you watch The Bachelor(ette), make sure you follow Weiner on Twitter. I'm guilty of hate-watching the show (though I've skipped the current season...Nick drove me bonkers so I couldn't bring myself to watch it) and I find that many of the things my friends and I are thinking and saying are what Weiner is tweeting. Funny, insightful, and sometimes cringe-worthy, they're definitely a must for any fan (or "fan") of the franchise. 

I love how passionate Weiner is about feminism and, in particular, discussing and bringing attention to inequality with book reviews. The issue is, basically, if you look at any major publications that review books, you'll see that women authors just aren’t getting reviewed as often. And when they are, it's not usually for commercial fiction but, meanwhile, genre fiction for men is often reviewed. I think I was expecting even more about this issue in the book and was a little let down that she didn't tackle it as much as I thought she might. She has written other articles about the issue so I encourage you to look them up.

When I finished Hungry Heart, I found I wanted more. I imagine Weiner had many more stories to share but only so many could make it into the book, which is too bad. So many stories, so few pages to share them in. I guess I'm just greedy!

I also wish there had been more present day stories and anecdotes. I loved finding out what Weiner's childhood was like and how it shaped her as a woman and an author but I found I wanted to know more about how she's living her life now and what she thinks of even more current events.

If you're a fan of Jennifer Weiner's novels, you're going to want to read Hungry Heart. If you like memoirs and books of essays by smart, funny women, you're going to want to read it. I hope she writes another series of essays soon. In the meantime, I'll impatiently wait for her next novel.

*An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Blog Tour: Juliet's Answer

I'm not a Shakespeare fan. I never really enjoyed it when we had to read one of his plays in high school English class (except the time we had to make up a scene for Macbeth and my friends and I decided that the three witches got their prophecies from fortune cookies). I don't remember anything beyond the highlights of Romeo and Juliet. I hardly recall the Leo and Claire adaptation, to be honest. But something about Glenn Dixon's new memoir intrigued me. And once I started reading Juliet's Answer, I could hardly put it down.

Here's what this memoir is about:

Eat, Pray, Love (from a man’s perspective) meets Under the Tuscan Sun—a fresh, heartwarming story about a man who travels to Verona, where he answers letters addressed to Shakespeare’s Juliet, all in an attempt to understand heartbreak, to heal and to find love again.
In fair Verona where we lay our scene…When Glenn Dixon is spurned by love, he does something unusual. He travels to Verona, Italy, to become a scribe of Juliet, Shakespeare’s fictional character, all in an attempt to understand his heartbreak. Once there, he volunteers to answer the thousands of letters that arrive addressed to Juliet, letters sent from lovelorn people all over the world who long to understand the mysteries of the human heart.
Glenn’s journey takes him deep into the charming community of Verona, where he learns the traditions of the townspeople and becomes involved in unravelling the truth behind Romeo and Juliet—Did these star-crossed lovers actually exist? Did they live in Verona? Why have they remained at the forefront of hearts and minds for centuries? And what can they teach us about love? At the same time, we learn about Claire, Glenn’s unrequited love, the source of his heartbreak. Was she truly his soul’s match, or was she, like Rosalind in Shakespeare’s classic play, a mere infatuation who pales in comparison the moment his real Juliet enters his life?
When Glenn returns home to Canada and resumes his duties as a Grade 10 English teacher, he undertakes a lively reading of Romeo and Juliet with his students, engaging them in passions past and present. But in an intriguing reversal of fate and fortune, his students—along with an old friend—instruct the teacher on the true meaning of love, loss, and moving on.
An enthralling tale of modern-day love steeped in the romantic traditions of eras past, this is a memoir that will warm your heart.

I, like many other chick flick lovers, watched and enjoyed the 2010 Amanda Seyfried film, Letters to Juliet. That was the first time I remember hearing of Juliet's house and the letters people (mostly women) write to her. The movie barely scratched the surface of Juliet's secretaries. In fact, Juliet's Answer probably could have gone more in depth. But it's fine, almost better, that Dixon didn't because then it'd be more of a research book and less of a memoir. But Dixon gave me a much better idea of what it's like to be one of Juliet's secretaries. The idea that so many people write to a fictional character with their love problems is both heartbreaking and romantic. And that there are people who write back to those who leave a mailing address? That letter won't change the world but that response means the world to someone. 

Here's a true testament to how enthralled I was with this book. I started reading it just after Christmas...at the same time I got really sick. I took it with me on day 3 of a sore throat to the walk in clinic where I had to wait an hour and a half to have a doctor confirm my self-diagnosis of strep throat within about thirty seconds of examining me. Brutal and "poor little ol' me", I know :) But the time almost flew by as I kept my nose in the book and tried not to breathe on anyone. I was transported to Italy and Glenn's world as I sat on an extremely uncomfortable chair. If that doesn't say "engaging", I don't know what does.

I'm so intrigued by the fact that Romeo and Juliet may have actually existed. Had anyone else heard that before? Because I most certainly hadn't.

I think Dixon found a great balance of facts and personal experience. I really enjoyed how he put together his experience in Verona with what was happening with his love life back at home in Canada. Just one or the other wouldn't have been as engaging but weaving it together the way he did made for a great and interesting read.

And that cover? Between that and the way Dixon wrote about Verona I want to jump on a plane to Italy immediately. 

Juliet's Answer is a fairly quick and easy read but it's one that will stick with you for awhile. Glenn Dixon has written an absolutely lovely memoir that allows you into his past and his life while also educating you on a play you thought you knew. 

Now, as a bonus for my blog tour stop, here's a piece on "The Science of Love" from Glenn Dixon. Enjoy!

While writing my book, Juliet’s Answer, I looked at a lot of the research on love and much of it came down to this: love is not one single thing.  Many of the experts agree that there are at least three separate but related facets to what we might call true love, and interestingly, each facet has its own individual brain chemistry.

            The first and most obvious aspect of love is sexual attraction. It’s no surprise that this biological system is almost entirely controlled by the hormone testosterone, in both males and females. Of course, we all know that there more to love than sex, but we must admit that it’s a big part of it.

            The second facet of love in what is sometimes called the triangular theory of love is called intimacy. It’s includes touch, cuddling and hugging and kissing but it’s much more than that. This element of love also involves trust, it involves being able to share your dreams and your deepest secrets with the person you are with.  These connections are strengthened and controlled by the familiar neurotransmitters of serotonin and dopamine which light up the reward centers in our brains. A look can be enough, a gentle word or the warmth of your lover’s hand in yours.

The third facet of love is the most interesting. It is sometimes called commitment.  A wealth of research shows that there is an expiry date on the first two facets of love, a period many researchers peg at about four years. This is a part of the theory of evolutionary psychology –  the four year period being the span of time needed to bring a pregnancy to full term and then raise that child to the point where the little he or she can walk and talk and basically function in the world.  This, or so the research claims, defines an ‘window’ for many relationships, whether or not a child has been conceived.  But the third facet of love goes beyond this simple time frame. For the lucky few, love can last much longer, even an entire lifetime.  It is a matter of wanting to, a conscious decision that your life is the better for it.  It’s associated with a remarkable neuro-hormone called oxytocin.  This is the same chemical that causes goslings to imprint on the mother goose, it’s the same hormone that bonds a mother to her newborn baby and if you ever see an elderly couple walking hand in hand after all those many years, you can be sure that it is washing through their happy brains.

All these neuro-hormones and their associated neural pathways form the chemical moons that pull at the tides of love.  It’s complex of course but in this sense we are all, like Romeo and Juliet, star crossed, our fates sealed by our very own biology.

*An ARC was provided by the publisher, Simon and Schuster Canada, in exchange for a review for this blog tour. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Jane Austen Cover to Cover

I love Jane Austen (though I wouldn't call myself a Janeite, not yet anyway) and I love book covers (especially pretty ones) so I was really excited for Margaret C. Sullivan's book, Jane Austen Cover to Cover: 200 Years of Classic Book Covers, published November 2014.

Here's a description of the book:

Jane Austen’s six novels are true classics, still immensely popular some 200 years after their first publication. But although the celebrated stories never change, the covers are always different. Jane Austen Cover to Cover compiles two centuries of design, from elegant Victorian hardcovers and the famed 1894 “Peacock” edition to 1950s pulp, movie tie-in editions, graphic novels, foreign-language translations, and many, many others. Filled with beautiful artwork and insightful commentary, this fascinating and visually intriguing collection is a must for Janeites, design geeks, and book lovers of every stripe.

This book pretty much lived up to every expectation I had. It was set up in a really aesthetically pleasing way, which made the reading experience so much better. Each page had one cover and a write up. It was clean and allowed you to really absorb every cover individually.

The chapters were divided by years, which I really liked. Chapter One featured the books as they looked when Austen was still alive and it carried on until Chapter Four, which shared the covers up until 2013. Chapter Five featured the movie covers and Six was all about foreign covers.

In addition to talking about covers through the years, the book also shares background information about Austen's life and the book cover process. There were also quotes from the novels, letters from Austen to family members, and biographies. Some of the information was already known to me (I knew, for example, that Austen was not credited as the author on her novels; instead, "By a Lady" was used) but other new tidbits stood out to me. I learned that the binding of books in Austen's time was quite interesting. It was done all by hand and the printed papers were "bound in plain cardboard binding called 'boards'" and "a paper label with the book's title was pasted onto the spine." (page 19) If that sounds flimsy to you, that's because theses covers were not meant to be forever. Wealthy book buyers would recover their books so their library would have a distinctive style. Amazing.

This book is a really quick read since it's a lot of images and a smaller amount of text. You can flip through the book quickly to see all the different covers but I suggest really taking the time to read each description and learn more about why a cover was designed a certain way. The pretty pictures are great but that small bit of text is what elevates the book to the next level.

Margaret C. Sullivan's book is a great one to leave out on the coffee table for guests to peruse. You can even make a game out of it...which cover is each guest's favourite? Mine, for the record, is Random House's Modern Library redesign of Pride and Prejudice, found on page 135. (I love Penguin Threads, just not the one of Emma that's featured in the book.) If you're a Jane Austen fan and love pretty covers, like me, you're definitely going to want to pick up Jane Austen Cover to Cover.

*A copy of this book was provided by Chronicle Books in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Top Ten Tuesday: Favourites of 2014

Top Ten Tuesday is weekly meme created by the lovely folks at The Broke and the Bookish. They created it because they're "particularly fond of lists" and since I also enjoy lists, I've decided to participate in this fun feature.

I love looking back at my year of reading. I'm lucky to have been able to read a lot of books (98 at the time of this post) and it's honestly really hard to keep track of them! So, these recap/best of posts are great to remind me of all the fabulous (and not so fabulous) books I read over the year. Thanks to my handy "read in 2014" list on Goodreads, here are my ten favourite books from the past year! Note: I was completely shocked that only two chick lit books (by the same author) made it on this list! I wonder if it's because I tried to branch out more this year? Because you'll also note quite a few YA books on this list! You'll also note that I've cheated a bit...there are two authors who have two books on my favourite list so I combined them! What were some of your favourites this year? Links lead to my review or Goodreads.

How Do You Know? and Just Friends with Benefits - Meredith Schorr

The Rule of Thirds - Chantel Guertin

Isla and the Happily Ever After - Stephanie Perkins

To All the Boys I've Loved Before - Jenny Han

My Life With the Walter Boys - Ali Novak 

The Orenda - Joseph Boyden

Burying Water and One Tiny Lie - K.A. Tucker

Hard Hats and Doormats - Laura Chapman

The Heiresses - Sara Shepard

I Don't Know What You Know Me From - Judy Greer

Review: A Beautiful Mess Happy Handmade Home

Have you heard of the blog A Beautiful Mess? If you like decor, fashion, and all things pretty, you probably have. Sisters Elsie Larson and Emma Chapman have so many awesome ideas and they've recently compiled their home decor tips and DIY ideas in the new book, A Beautiful Mess Happy Handmade Home: Painting, Crafting, and Decorating a Cheerful, More Inspiring Space. Whew, that's a mouthful. Unlike some other interior design books, this one is totally relatable and a lot of fun to read.

Here's the book's description:

Step inside the world of Elsie and Emma, the sisters behind the décor blog A Beautiful Mess. With tiny budgets and a crafty, can-do attitude, they overhauled each room in their first homes with DIY projects using family photos, vibrant fabrics, flea-market finds, and affordable furniture. Now, you can learn how to paint, craft, and decorate your way to a happy, bright space with distinct personality. In the same upbeat spirit and modern style found on their blog, you’ll find fresh, all-new projects including:
• An inspired geometric-pattern coffee table made of balsa wood
• A hand-lettered statement wall featuring your favorite quote
• A quick and easy electrical tape update for your refrigerator
• A set of beautifully designed serving dishes
And more!
Packed with bonus styling tips from hanging the perfect gallery wall to making mismatched furniture work, Happy Handmade Home is design inspiration for personalizing your own space.

I really liked all of the DIY projects interspersed throughout the book. Some were fairly easy (making a cool design out of electrical tape on a coffee table) while others required slightly more work (a bed frame for a guest bedroom). None of the projects would be unreasonable for anyone with the space, time, and funds. Of course, you may find the ideas daunting if you're not into DIY but if you aren't, I'm not sure why you'd be reading this book! :) There are a few projects for every room of the house so you're sure to find at least one thing you're going to want to try.

The book isn't all do-it-yourself projects. It also includes lovely pictures of the authors' own homes. They use those pictures to give ideas for your home. Seeing the collection of cow skulls and antlers in one of their living room's can help you envision how to showcase your own collection of unique objects. Shopping for a new dining room set? Why not do what they did: get a table and then find individual chairs at flea markets and shops and paint them all the same colour. As long as you think outside of the box, and the authors help you do that, you can take their ideas and make them work for your own home.

I also really liked how they had a page or two on how to celebrate in almost every room. Have a kid's birthday party in the new playroom. Or how about a brunch with your ladies in your stunning backyard space? I loved thinking about the parties I could have in my imaginary and newly decorated house.

It's hard to give a written review of such a stunning visual book but A Beautiful Mess Happy Handmade Home is a home decor book after my own heart. It's fun and a bit quirky but so beautiful. Elsie Larson and Emma Chapman's book may not be for everyone but if you love DIY projects or even just watching HGTV to see all of the pretty houses, you should definitely check it out. Speaking of which, I would love to see these girls get their own TV show!

Happy reading...and decorating!

*A copy of this novel was received from the publisher, Random House of Canada, in exchange for review consideration.*

Review: I Don't Know What You Know Me From

I love Judy Greer. I have for years - probably since I watched The Wedding Planner for the first time. I had a feeling her book, I Don't Know What You Know Me From: Confessions of a Co-Star would probably be funny and really enjoyable but you can't always expect that with celebrity books. In this case though? Greer's book was awesome, funny and real, and I didn't want to put it down.

Here's what the book is all about:

You know Judy Greer, right? Maybe from The Wedding Planner, 13 Going on 30, Carrie, Arrested Development, or The Descendants. Yes, you totally recognize her. And, odds are, you already feel like she’s your friend.
In her first book of essays, I Don’t Know What You Know Me From, Greer writes about everything you would hope to hear from your best friend: how a midnight shopping trip to Walgreens can cure all; what it’s like to wake up one day with stepchildren; and how she really feels about fans telling her that she’s prettier in person. Yes, it’s all here—from the hilarious moments to the
intimate confessions.
But Judy Greer isn’t just a regular friend—she’s a celebrity friend. Want to know which celebs she’s peed next to? Or what the Academy Awards are actually like? Or which hot actor gave her father a Harley-Davidson? Don’t worry; Greer reveals all of that, too. You’ll love her because, besides being laugh-out-loud funny, she makes us genuinely feel like she’s one of us. Because even though she sometimes has a stylist and a makeup artist, she still wears (and hates!) Spanx. Because even after almost twenty years in Hollywood, she still hasn’t figured everything out—except that you should always wash your face before bed. Always.

I will admit that I haven't watched a ton of Greer's recent work (Archer, Arrested Development, and more). I am, as you can imagine, a huge fan of her roles in The Wedding Planner and 27 Dresses (in fact, I think I found her character more interesting than Heigl's in that movie...). The amusing thing about this is that Greer would probably be able to figure that out. Right off the bat she talks about this:

"...I could sit down with you and maybe tell you what you liked me from. I would look at your age, sex, and clothing and probably be able to pinpoint what role I've played that you responded to. It's a little like racial profiling, but with fans: fan profiling." (page xiii)

My favourite thing about this book was how real Greer is. She didn't hold anything back...not about her life growing up, not about how hard it was to get into the world of Hollywood (and how scary LA was to her in the beginning), and not about her life as a step-mom. Sure, we don't really have the whole story (do we ever get that?) but you can tell that she isn't trying to fake anyone out or make her life out to be something that it's not. She's up front about everything and I love it.

My second favourite thing about this book Greer's humour. She is one funny lady. I found myself laughing out loud more often than not as I was reading this one. That's not to say it was all fun and games, but the overall tone of this book is a lighthearted one.

I really liked how the book was set up. It's not really written in a true memoir style. Instead, Greer has written many separate essays that come together to tell the story of her life, so far. I think this kept things from being boring as it meant she could quite easily skip over things that may not have been very exciting. I also liked that she made sure to tell her whole story - from childhood (Part 1 - Early Life), to figuring out the whole acting thing (did you know her name is a stage name?) and breaking into the business (Part 2 - Hollywood Life), to her current family life (Part 3 - Real Life). I think you really get a sense of who she is and what her motivations are.

If you're going to take away anything from my review, I hope it's that you understand that is not your typical book written by a celebrity. Greer understands her place in the hierarchy that is Hollywood. She embraces it and, at one point in the book, explains that she may not be the star of the show but she has been getting good, consistent work since she got into the business. So, no, I don't think you should assume that Greer has written this book simply to make more money or gain more exposure. I think she's doing this because she had the desire and skill to share her life with her fans in an entertaining way. You can't fault her for that, can you?

I absolutely loved reading I Don't Know What You Know Me From. Judy Greer is definitely my favourite co-star and I'm so glad she wrote this book. It's funny and real and I enjoyed every minute I spent reading it. If you're a fan of celebrities, or even well written memoirs, check this one out. It's perfect for the summer!

*A copy of this novel was received from the publisher, Random House of Canada, in exchange for an honest review.*

Review: Listen to the Squawking Chicken

Many people know Elaine Lui as Lainey Gossip, the voice behind a hugely popular gossip blog. I've been aware of the site for awhile but I'm not a consistent reader and follower. The Lainey I know is the one who co-hosts the new Canadian talk show, The Social. I like the show because all the women have different personalities and opinions and I watched it almost every day while I wasn't working. When I heard that Lainey was writing a book, a memoir of sorts, I knew I wanted to check it out. She has strong writing skills and an equally strong personality, so I knew I was in for a good read when I picked up Listen to the Squawking Chicken: When Mother Knows Best, What's a Daughter To Do? A Memoir (Sort Of). 

Here's the synopsis:

Most people think I’m exaggerating at first when I talk about the Chinese Squawking Chicken. But once they actually spend some time with her, they understand. They get it. Right away. She’s Chinese, she squawks like a chicken, she is totally nuts, and I am totally dependent on her.
When Elaine Lui was growing up, her mother told her, “Why do you need to prepare for the good things that happen? They’re good. They won’t hurt you. My job is to prepare you for the hard times, and teach you how to avoid them, whenever possible.” Neither traditionally Eastern nor conventionally Western, the Squawking Chicken raised her daughter drawing on Chinese fortune-telling, feng shui blackmail, good old-fashioned ghost stories, and shame and embarrassment in equal measure. And despite years of chafing against her mother’s parenting style, Elaine came to recognize the hidden wisdom—and immeasurable value—in her rather unorthodox upbringing.
Listen to the Squawking Chicken lays bare the playbook of unusual advice and warnings used to teach Elaine about hard work (“Miss Hong Kong is a whore”), humility (“I should have given birth to a piece of barbecue pork”), love and friendship, family loyalty (“Where’s my money?”), style and deportment (“Don’t be low classy”), finding one’s own voice (“Walk like an elephant, squawk like a chicken”) among other essentials. Along the way, Elaine poignantly reveals how her mother earned the nickname “Tsiahng Gai” or “squawking chicken” growing up in Hong Kong, enduring and rising from the ashes of her own hard times.
Listen to the Squawking Chicken is a loving mother-daughter memoir that will have readers laughing out loud, gasping in shock, and reconsidering the honesty and guts it takes to be a parent.

Since I had been watching The Social for so long, I had an idea of what the Squawking Chicken was like. I absolutely loved getting to know more about her, her parenting style, and Lainey as I read this book. 

I grew up in a small town a few hours north of Toronto. I mention this because there was hardly any diversity in my town. I could probably still tell you the name of every person of colour (other than the large number of Native Canadians) in my high school, and I graduated nine years ago. Why is this important? It's not, really. But while I was reading this book I realized how little I knew about Chinese culture. I had never heard of Filial Piety, for example. Very basically, that's taking care of your parents and having your happiness be dependent on theirs (instead of parents putting their child's happiness first, which what Westerners do). I liked learning more about mahjong and feng shui. And I liked seeing how Lui's world was shaped by Eastern and Western influences. 

One of the best things about this book was that it was totally Lainey. I read the book in her voice (which makes me think that the audiobook, which she narrates, would be amazing to listen to) and her sharp wit and brash personality really came through. 

I also loved how candid Lui was. Memoirs are, by definition, factual. But sometimes, just sometimes, they're not completely truthful. They paint a rosier picture of the subject than is perhaps 100% accurate. That wasn't the case with this book. Of course, I can't say that for certain since I haven't lived Lainey's or the Squawking Chicken's lives but there are so many stories in this book that laid it all out there and I'm so happy she did.

Listen to the Squawking Chicken was such a great read and a really awesome, and unique, mother/daughter story. The Squawking Chicken is unlike any mother you have ever met before which is probably why her daughter, Elaine Lui aka Lainey Gossip, is so unique as well. I really enjoyed reading Lui's "sort of memoir" and I think so many others will as well. Pick this one up the next time you're at the store or your library. I don't think you'll be disappointed! And bonus: this would be a great Mother's Day gift for the reading mom in your life!

*A copy of this novel was provided by the publisher, Random House of Canada, in exchange for an honest review.*

Review: Never Have I Ever: My Life (So Far) Without a Date

Chalk this up for another win thanks to my library and blogger friend, Natalie. I was perusing my holds list one day when I saw that Never Have I Ever: My Life (So Far) Without a Date by Katie Heaney was on my list. The mystery? I couldn't recall putting a hold on it! I discovered Natalie wanted to read it and decided to  have "me" request that the library purchase it. Fine by me! I had heard about this book on the interwebs and was intrigued. By the time it showed up, I was really looking forward to seeing what it was all about. It turns out all the praise I've been seeing was well worth it. It was such a fun read!

First though, I must say that this isn't going to be a book for everyone. I don't want to limit its reach but I feel like Heaney's book has a smaller reach than the average book. The majority of readers will be of a certain age (20-30), will be female, and will enjoy reading a memoir about someone else. I, and other millennials, fit right into the target demographic but anyone who thinks we really are the me generation should probably take a pass on this one.

I loved reading this book but I couldn't help but think...damn, I'm jealous of this girl! How did she get a book deal and I'm still sitting here writing on this little blog? I may have a long term boyfriend but she has a hell of a work ethic - something I lack. And I can't really be jealous of her. I'm happy that she, this person I've never met but feel like I could be besties with, managed to score this book deal and I wish her all the best. And maybe, just maybe, she's helped me see that I could do this too. Time for research, perhaps?

But back to the book. I adored how it was written. It was in a voice I was familiar with because my voice is quite similar. That helped me connect with Heaney even more, I think. It also helped that we're similar in age (from what I can tell she's a year older than I am), have similar interests, and are both super tall ladies (she says she's 5'11.5" and I'm 6'). We read the same books growing up (I don't know if I've ever met anyone who's read Bad Girls), had the same crush on JTT (and were both let down when we realized how short he is), and were both incredibly, painfully shy growing up. I love that Heaney let it all out and shared everything with us, total strangers. She's funny, smart, and seems like a genuinely awesome person.

If you think you can't enjoy this book if you're in a long term relationship, you're wrong. I've been with my boyfriend for almost nine years (holy crap) so it's been a long time since I've had a crush or had to deal with the "are we on a date or not" or "does he like me like I like him" type questions. It did remind me of what I was like in elementary and high school and I'm actually considering busting out my diaries from those years to see how ridiculous I really was. Who knows if that'll be a good idea! :)

If you're looking for a good memoir that's at times both laugh out loud funny and thought provoking, check out Never Have I Ever. I'm sure you'll wish Katie Heaney was your BFF, just like I do!