Brunette Ambition

Brunette Ambition 
by Lea Michele

Lea Michele is one of the hardest working performers in show business. Whether she’s starring as Rachel Berry on Glee, rocking a glamorous look on the red carpet, recording her solo album, or acting as the spokesperson for L’Oreal, Lea is the ultimate multi-tasker. She knows better than anyone that it is difficult to be your best self and keep things in perspective when your to-do list is overflowing and you are faced with challenges, so she’s developed a foolproof system for remaining healthy and centered. In Brunette Ambition, she reveals the lessons and advice that have worked for her--from beauty and fashion secrets to fitness tips, and career insights. Supplemented with never-before-seen photos and revealing anecdotes, it’s the book Lea wishes she’d had in her teens and early twenties: A practical and inspirational guide to harnessing tenacity and passion and living the fullest life, no matter what obstacles life puts in your way. (Description from Goodreads.com)

I like to flip through a lot of non-fiction "lifestyle" books.  I dabble in books on diet, fashion, and decor but I don't often truly read them from start to finish. When my friend Jen over at yabooknerd reviewed this one I was immediately curious and requested it through interlibrary loan. I was hesitant to let my hopes build up too much because I often find celebrity books to be either knowingly pretentious or to just be written as if we all had enough money and time to live as they do and thus, unknowingly unrealistic. 

I was pleasantly surprised that though, there were a few moments like that here, they were few and far between.  For the most part Lea Michele seems down to earth and the tips she gave and stories she shared seemed well chosen for a large audience.  I liked that she threw in tips on every part of a healthy and happy lifestyle - from loving yourself to choosing and cherishing good friends, to staying  healthy and stress-free, to looking and feeling great! It was not only a fun book to flip through, but one that I actually sat down and READ.  I even took it back to work and photocopied some of the exercise and recipe pages.  

A much better read than I'd anticipated. 

Full Disclosure: Borrowed through Interlibrary Loan

BEA Middle Grade Reviews: Sisters

The four great early reader and middle grade books I got at BEA 2014. 

So, I decided to try and review my BEA books in some kind of order that actually made a little sense... both to me and hopefully to all of you! Since I've covered my picture books, the next few blog posts will all be about the early reader and middle grade books that I received at BEA, then we'll move on to some of the YA and adult titles. Enjoy!

Sisters

by Raina Telgemeier 

Companion to Smile

Raina can't wait to be a big sister. But once Amara is born, things aren't quite how she expected them to be. Amara is cute, but she's also a cranky, grouchy baby, and mostly prefers to play by herself. Their relationship doesn't improve much over the years, but when a baby brother enters the picture and later, something doesn't seem right between their parents, they realize they must figure out how to get along. They are sisters, after all.

Raina uses her signature humor and charm in both present-day narrative and perfectly placed flashbacks to tell the story of her relationship with her sister, which unfolds during the course of a road trip from their home in San Francisco to a family reunion in Colorado. (Description from goodreads.com)

I was so excited to read this follow-up book to Smile.  It once again showcases Raina's ability to recapture her youth in a fun and engaging way.  I'm sure that lots of readers will connect with this book, though it was not my favorite of hers.  I liked it, don't get me wrong, but I felt that both Smile and Drama were perhaps a little stronger.  

Raina does a wonderful job capturing the relationship between growing siblings, though. I had to laugh when I realized that Raina, her sister Amara, and her baby brother were almost exactly the same ages apart as myself, my brother, and my baby sister are respectively.  I have recollections of very similar moments with my brother stealing my toys, feeling left out when I didn't want to talk to him, and fighting...sometimes it felt like all the time!   I can remember, too,not feeling like I could relate to my little sister because she was SO much younger than me. I'm sure anyone with brothers or sisters will have some portion of this book that they can relate to directly.  

In the end, I liked how the sisters banded together again and found common ground.  Even though their family wasn't perfect, Raina's family obviously cared hugely about one another and I love seeing strong families in books.  All in all a good, quick, entertaining read. 

Full disclosure: Received from publisher at BEA 2014.