Friday, May 26, 2017

Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick


You may know Anna Kendrick from her starring role in the Pitch Perfect series, or perhaps her Oscar nominated role in Up in the Air. Maybe you recognize her as Jessica, the snarky friend from the Twilight movies. Or maybe you are one of the people who remember her roles in independent films like Camp, where she plays a "scary little girl". No matter what the role, there is no denying that Anna Kendrick is a actress on the rise, and Scrappy Little Nobody gives an inner look at how this all happened.

Anna describes her ascent from tiny Maine theater to Broadway to Hollywood with ease. Her first big break on Broadway was due to trusting parents sending her with her 14 year old brother to the big city on their own. Her breaks in movies come a little harder, as she explains to high school friends that the Sundance she is at, is the SUNDANCE where celebrities go. And while everyone else was staring college, she was giving acting a full on go, which forced her to grow up quickly. Even as her fame started to rise, her budget did not quite reflect that, and there are some regrettable fashion choices along the way.

Scrappy Little Nobody is one of those books you'll race through to laugh with Anna about her life, and ridiculousness of it all. Not quite a celebrity tell all, not quite a rise to the top story, but a life in progress view that will endure you to this performer. Fans of celebrity memoirs, such as Judy Greer's I Don't Know Where You Know Me From and Aisha Tyler's Self Inflected Wounds won't be disappointed.


Friday, May 19, 2017

Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady's Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners by Therese Oneill


Therese Oneill, known for her humor and history columns in The Atlantic and Jezebel, has put together a series of short essays on sex, marriage, childbirth, body image, clothing, and anything you could possibly want to know about women's lives during the Victorian era but were always too afraid to ask. From corsets and bathing to toilets and menstruation, no topic is off limits in Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady's Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners. 

In an era known for its romanticism, life for women was anything but. Unmentionable is peppered with illustrations and graphics from Victorian era publications and filled with quotes from male physicians and philosophers who have their fair share of thoughts on the menses and its correlation with hysteria. Oneill has put together a well-researched, thoughtful, hilariously snarky book filled with often horrifying and revelatory facts. The feminist in you will be happy you picked up this book.

Friday, May 12, 2017

UnSweetined by Jodie Sweetin


Jodie Sweetin, best known for her role as Stephanie Tanner on the long-running, wholesome TV show Full House, is up-front and honest in her 2009 memoir entitled UnSweetined. From a young age Sweetin was in show business, getting her big break when Full House premiered in 1987. Sharing bits and pieces of life on the set of Full House and stories of her lifelong friendship with TV sister Candace Cameron Bure, Sweetin writes how much she enjoyed acting. It wasn't long before life as a child star began to take its toll after Sweetin's longtime role came to an end.

Now as a teenager, unable to escape her role as America's sweetheart, Sweetin's acting career came to a screeching halt as she tried to juggle regular life with life as a former child star. With nothing but time on her hands and an endless supply of money, Sweetin's life took a dramatic turn to drug and alcohol abuse. Not afraid to write about her struggles, Sweetin sheds light on her vicious cycle of recovery and relapse (even while writing her book); ultimately only coming clean following the birth of her daughter.

Sweetin's deeply personal memoir is a quick read, filled with humor, charm, and struggle. For Full House fans or those who enjoy memoirs of child stars, UnSweetined is sure to give you a completely different perspective of Jodie Sweetin aside from her "How rude!" saying character Stephanie Tanner.


Friday, May 5, 2017

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick


Ever since his wife Miriam died a year ago, Arthur Pepper sticks to his routine as a means of coping with his loss. He wakes up at precisely 7:30 every morning, wears the same khaki pants and mustard colored sweater vest, eats breakfast, and waters his fern named Frederica. When he finally gets up the courage to start going through his deceased wife's things, he stumbles upon an exquisite gold charm bracelet in an old pair of boots. Having never seen his wife wear the bracelet, Arthur is especially intrigued by the stories behind the charms on the bracelet. Working with clues from the charms, old addresses, and conversations with Miriam's friends, Arthur sets out on a quest to London, Paris, and India in the hopes of finding out more about Miriam.

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper is a heartwarming story of love, loss, and grief. Filled with a cast of quirky, witty characters the reader can't help but root for Arthur to change from a bumbling mess to the much better person he's meant to be, all while celebrating the joy that life has to offer.