Kelly Bishop is a treasure!

In all honesty, I went into this book nostalgic over The Gilmore Girls.  But very quickly, I learned there was so much more to Bishop and found myself deeply invested in Carole ‘nee Kelly.

So many Hollywood memoirs capitalize on the dishy fun of being famous.  But you’ll find no diva here.  Of course, the Gilmore matriarch could be nothing but a class act! 

Candid and full of warmth, Bishop recounts the details of her life on and off stage/screen.  She’s frank and inspiring with a take charge attitude and Sinatra-like determination to do things, particularly her career, her own way.  

From showgirl to Tony award winner to movie and TV sensation, Bishop’s career is steeped in talent and dedication to her craft.  Most admirable to me, her ability to find success and remain genuine and authentic.  Truly, there’s no real drama to be found in her life and work.  

Rather, she proves herself to be a woman worthy of esteem.  Brazen and full of verve, Bishop sets herself apart from others in the industry, and I adored getting to know her beyond Baby or Lorelai’s moms.  

🎧 Kelly’s authenticity shines through in her narration.  Honestly, I can’t imagine reading this book and not hearing her bring each anecdote to life.  From her resiliency to her gratitude, every detail and emotion comes alive through her performance.  A must listen.

Many thanks to my friends at @gallerybooks and @simon.audio for the free #gifted copies of this book.  

WOW. I didn't think Leede could top Maeve Fly. But she did! Full review to come.

Delightful and charming. This book was such an endearing surprise. 

Ina Garten came to fame just as I moved overseas. I remember hearing my mom and sister gush over her cookbooks and cooking shows, but given my locale, I was largely removed from her growing popularity. 

So going into this read, I had little knowledge to draw upon. But that mattered not. Immediately, Garten’s wit and charm lured me in, and what a fascinating life she has lived!

Early on, overbearing parents convinced Ina that she wasn’t worthy of success. And yet, this memoir bursts with anecdotes of her many fruitful endeavors. 

Garten gives much credence to luck, and no doubt, she often had opportunities arrive right on time. However, it is apparent that, not only were her parents wrong, but that it was her moxie and intelligence that became the backbone to her success. 

An excellent storyteller, Garten’s memoir felt fresh and engaging. A perfect escape from the chaos of life and a reminder of the power found in joy and gratitude. 

🎧 Listening to Garten recount her life story was such a treat. Her warmth and wit radiated through the narration, and her adoration of Jeffrey was pronounced and endearing each time she said his name. A complete gem of a listen!

Many thanks to my friends at @prhaudio for the free #gifted copy of this book.

Outstanding.  A must read.  Full review to come.  

The impact of the Vietnam War was brutal and devastating.  But none felt it as immensely as that of the Vietnamese people. 

 

In this tragic storyline, we get firsthand perspective of that turmoil and hardship through the Tran family. The cross-generational narrative showcases the far-reaching implications of The Land Reform and the Great Hunger.  

 

No doubt, this is an important story with an important point of view.  However, for me, the writing style lacked the emotional resonance I needed to connect to the history in a deeper, more impactful way.  There were scenes that should have gutted me that, instead, fell flat.  

 

Given that this story was written in English, the author’s nonnative language, I wondered if it might’ve translated better from her native Vietnamese?  

 

While the writing style didn’t work for me overall, I appreciate what Mai set out to accomplish in telling this story.  

 

I started out alternating the print and audio formats of this book.  But with the large cast and nonlinear timeline, the print format worked best.   

Many thanks to my friends at @gallerybooks and @simon.audio for the free #gifted copies of this book.  

 

“Sharing food is one of the purest human acts.”

 

OH, for the love of pasta!!!  Was I hungry the ENTIRE time I followed Tucci’s musings about food?  Yes, indeed.  But more than that, I was fully charmed and reminded of some of the most basic of joys.  

 

There’s little in life more satisfying that sharing a table with those you love, particularly when the food is good.  And here—less memoir and more diary—Tucci’s passion for savoring food and family and life is endearingly tender.

 

Obviously, there is a lot of talk about food:  catering on set, dinner trays on planes, dining abroad, pantry staples, restaurants worth visiting and not, recipes for family favorites, et cetera.  (Seriously, don’t read this while hungry.)

 

And as delectable as the meals sounded overall—particularly the ones he prepared—the food was not the star for me.  

 

Rather, it was beauty in all the quiet moments.  Sitting in the kitchen with his wife after the kids had gone to bed.  Savoring time with his aging parents.  Watching his mom roll meatballs with his children.  Preparing a meal for a famous friend far from their home.  Vacations.  Business meetings.  Flight delays.  Making use of wilted veggies in the fridge.  

 

Much of the read felt endearingly normal.  From his musings on the depths of love to his compulsion to want to stop time—and the aging process—his day to day was oh so relatable.  

 

What I Ate in a Year was a beautiful reminder that, at its core, life is indeed to be cherished.  

 

🎧With this book being so personal in nature, it was only fitting that Tucci narrate the audiobook.  There’s an ease and charm to his storytelling that had me dedicated to the most basic of notions—what Stanley would eat next.  It’s also worth noting that he shares several recipes, and for that, the print version reigns supreme.  

 

Many thanks to my friends at @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for the free #gifted copies of this book. 

 

Outrageous.  Hysterical.  Much like Rainbow’s wardrobe, this book sparkles with cleverness and charm.  

 

From the first three words, “Dear Stupid People,” Rainbow had me.  I mean, how often do I have conversations in my own head about the utter stupidity that surrounds me?!!  {Obviously none.  I’m very demure.  Very mindful.  And yet...}

 

Not only did Rainbow provide me some much needed, well timed comedic relief, he also had me nodding in agreement.  In his hilarious new book of essays, you’ll find (largely spot on) cultural observations and commentary interspersed with some deeply personal musings.  

 

The writing is sharp and smartly observed, even if at times a tad crass.  (I might know a bit more about his bodily fluids than I had expected.)  Still, the book easily justifies Rainbow’s (not quire A list—a point on which he has thoughts) celebrity status. 

 

My favorite chapter was “Ladies and Gentlemen...My Mother (the sequel).  There was a special kind of magic reading/listening to them recount fond memories.  Their repartee was sweet and sarcastic and all-around endearing.  It warmed this momma’s heart!  

 

Thank you, Randy!  This was just the tart and spirited tonic of which I was in need. 

 

🎧Rainbow narrates these essays and, like the showstopper he is, brings it all to flamboyant life.  His delivery is vibrant and high spirited, and the audiobook feels like a full production on par with his attention grabbing musical productions.  

 

 

Many thanks to my friends at @aaknopf and @prhaudio for the free #gifted copies of this book.  

 Intriguing.  Thought provoking.  Though ambitious in scope, Khong delivers in her latest novel. 

Real Americans is a sweeping family saga centered around three generations of Chinese Americans.  It’s also an introspective look at what it means to be American, especially when the implicit connotations do not fit.   

The storyline is told in 3 timelines with 3 different perspectives with the baton being handed from one generation of this family to another, though not in chronological order, as the tale progresses over more than sixty years.  

For me (one who never reads a synopsis), this created a surprising dynamic that propelled the narrative.  As the different timelines unfolded, new details were painted onto the broader family picture.  Most clever, none of the characters became fully fleshed out until viewed from all perspectives. This layered unfolding allowed an intimate and genuine depiction of a complex family experiencing a broad range of emotions and concerns which kept me deeply engaged and constantly eager for more. 

Khong boldly addresses some of life’s most challenging questions regarding identity and belonging.  There’s also an exploration of science and ethics which is meted out as generational secrets are exposed.  Even while the density of themes sometimes made me feel held at arm’s length, they also left me with much to contemplate.  

Real Americans felt easy to read despite the complexity of the narrative.  I was hooked almost immediately and found myself dedicated to the unfolding.  The deft storytelling and rich characterization propelled the timely messaging, even as it stretched so broadly.  This read fully entertained even as it challenged. 

🎧Narrated by Louisa Zhu, Eric Yang, and Eunice Wong (a favorite!), each character had a distinct voice. This amplified the uniqueness of the structure within the novel and breathed life into the story as a whole.  

Many thanks to my friends at @atriabooks and @simon.audio for the free #gifted copies of this read. 

 

The premise of this book—2 generations of women exploring their family heritage and the veins of magic that pass between them with time travel elements—immediately called to me.  

 

I love an exploration of family heritage, and I love when history and magic are blended because they often accentuate each other. And so, with the abundant potential within this storyline, I found myself deeply disappointed by its lackluster execution.  

 

The narrative unfolds within three timelines (present day, 1943, and 1792).  The time jumps often felt abrupt and convoluted making each transition hard to follow.  This may have been a direct result of the author’s disjointed writing style which oftentimes felt clunky to me.  

 

Nena’s story, particularly in the 1792 timeline, was a highlight of the read.  Her feistiness thread throughout her lifetime, whether as a young woman honing her powers or a mature woman determined to see her daughter again.  I found myself drawn to her story even as other elements within the read didn’t pan out.  

 

There was great potential within the themes—matriarchal heritage, ancestral pride, identity, the way our past shapes us—that ran throughout the read.  And yet, they never felt fully fleshed out.  For me, this was a byproduct of female characters being depicted through the eyes of a male author.  

 

Ultimately, I loved the ideas behind this read but was never able to settle in and enjoy the journey.  

 

🎧If you’re thinking about grabbing this read, definitely go the audiobook route.  Raquel Beattie narrates this one, and her performance added a richness to the culture with proper accent and pronunciation. Truly, her narration was the highlight of the read for me.  I might have considered DNFing this book if not for her performance.  

 

 

Many thanks to my friends at @prhaudio for the free #gifted copy of this book.  #prhaudiopartner

 

WOW!  WOW!  WOW!  

 

Since finishing this book, I have been raving about it to practically EVERYONE.  

✅Friends on here

✅My BFF’s Elvis loving hubby 

✅The guy that sold me my car 

✅My physical therapist

 

I kid you not.  It starts something like this: “I didn’t plan to read this book, but within minutes, I was ADDICTED.”  And friends that have heeded my suggestion respond something along these lines: “OMG!  I’m addicted too.”

 

As I grew up, I watched much of Lisa Marie’s life unfold within the headlines.  It always seemed like tragedy befell her time and again.  And to be blunt, I wasn’t sure I wanted to read about those traumas, especially considering her life is now over. 

 

But I was wrong.  Those headlines were sensationalized taking away her humanity.  And here, Keough gives that back to Lisa Marie.  

 

This is a riveting, no holds barred exploration of Lisa Marie’s life crafted in combined effort between Lisa Marie, who left audiotaped recordings detailing large swaths of her life, and her daughter, Keough, who filled in any gaps and added perspective.  

 

It’s brutally honest and raw, answering many burning questions while also painting Lisa Marie in very human terms.  There is immense sadness but also overwhelming joy and love. 

 

Keough wanted to convey her mother in a three-dimensional light.  Not merely a daughter of a legend but a woman who was deeply loved and loved big even as she fought old demons.  And in this, Keough succeeds.  

 

🎧With Lisa Marie’s voice being narrated by the incomparable Julia Roberts, I hung on every word.  Keough reads her own additions which felt as though I was sitting with a friend talking about her beloved mother.  But the piece de resistance is when Lisa Marie, from those recorded audiotapes, provides her own thoughts in her own voice.  There’s no doubt that this will be one of my favorite audiobooks of the year!