Review: No One Tells You This by Glynnis MacNicol

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In her debut memoir, “No One Tells You This”, Glynnis MacNicol offers an engaging perspective from beyond what seems for everyone to be the enemy line: forty. No one tells you this, but they should, and thank goodness that MacNicol finally has. With a sharp wit and tell-all style similar to the great Nora Ephron, she is sure to win your heart. MacNicol gives an intimate glimpse into the wildly under-represented life of a woman in the throes of middle age without such accessories as a spouse or children.  From the prologue on, she is at once as familiar and relatable as your favorite foul-mouthed gal pal as she takes us through the year following her fortieth birthday. Paralleling her own is the story of her aging mother, who has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, and the many others in MacNicol’s life who have grown to become a collective family. “No One Tells You This” is poignant, humorous, eternal: a book to raise a glass to and a  great read for a woman of any age.

“No One Tells You This” sweeps us up into MacNicol’s ever busy lifestyle (which is anything but that of a dull spinster). We’re taken from the shores of Rockaway Beach to Iceland, to Toronto, to Wyoming and back again, with the Manhattan skyline somehow ever-present through MacNicol’s New Yorker perspective. Throughout chapters that beg to be read, with titles like “Choose your own Rom Com” and “Balls”, Said the Queen”, MacNicol speaks boldly about topics that plague us all.  From not becoming her mother, to the effects of being too plugged-in, to the seemingly unavoidable ticking clock, she reminds us again and again that we aren’t alone.

MacNicol has tested the waters and found that what lies beyond forty is, more than anything, a relief; Life doesn’t end at forty. Brimming with insight, each lesson she learns along the way is rooted in experiences from her diverse past and accompanied by laughable anecdotes. What we see here is the story not of falling in love, but of  learning to love oneself and one’s own life as is: an adventure that everyone should go on at least once.  MacNicol refutes the invisibility that too-often envelopes women in their forties. Against the backdrop of conventionalism and mundanity, she is a shining star and as this memoir will prove, a rising one.

Review: Nicole Kidman: A Kind of Life by James L. Dickerson

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Within the last year, Nicole Kidman has become one of my favorite actors of all time. Anyone who knows me, can attest to that statement. And like all subjects that interest me, I began searching for book about her. If I’m being honest, I went in skeptical about this book. It’s an unauthorized biography, and the author doesn’t personally know her. I was just mainly reading it for the entertainment value.

Nicole Kidman: A Kind of Life follows the life of the Academy Award actress starting from when she was just a baby in Australia to her as a successful actor in Hollywood. In summary, it is mainly just a compilation of all of Nicole’s interviews and movie summary. The author spends an unnecessary time explaining several movies that she had acted in, and sometimes including dialogue. I found myself skipping the majority of those sections because it was over excessive.

Like mentioned earlier, I was not reading this book to gain a sense of understanding of Nicole Kidman because I know that I wasn’t going to get that. And the book didn’t offer any astonishing insight either. The structure felt tamed and loose. There was not a lot of details and it moved fairly quickly. The author left out a many defining factors in Kidman’s life. For example, her marriage and divorce to Tom Cruise. It was a media frenzy, and author chose to focus on the highlight. Both parties are private but have made a few news worthy statement about those years, and the author glanced over those statements.

I’m not disappointed that I read Nicole Kidman: A Kind of Life; I’m just a little disappointed it was not as entertaining as I had hoped that it would be.

Review: My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan

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I’m so excited to find out that this book is going to be a movie. If you have read the book already, than you know how awesome it’s going to be as a film. If you haven’t, this is going to be one of those that I’m sure will be just as good as the book but make sure you read it first. Bold and adventurous, My Oxford Year was just delicious fun. It had a great plot, sassy characters, witty sarcasm and overall was an enjoyable read.

My favorite character, the star of the book, Mrs. Ella Durran. She was one of the people who had a dream to go to Oxford for what seemed like forever. Lucky for her, she got a Rhodes scholarship and a guarantee to pursue her political ambitions after graduation with the chance of making history. Her transition in the new chapter of her life was going splendid, checking out the sites and taking in what England had to offer. On a recommendation, she decided to grab a bite to eat when almost getting run over by someone, found a local spot only to run right smack into the “posh prat” who she just nearly escaped from. Little did she know, they would be meet again.

When Ella went to her anticipated literature class, disappointed crept in when she found out that the professor that she came there for to learn from wasn’t going to teach, disappointed came over when none other that Jaime Davenport, was going to be the fill in. Not feeling these chain of events, things turned around unexpectedly when a night out brought these two together and they found themselves getting to know more of each other than their poetry. Everything seemed to be going routine until Ella stumped about a secret that has her dealing with making a choice. Should she follow her dream or follow her heart?

Overall, this was a really nice novel. I can’t tell you how funny the humor of the characters were. Perhaps it’s because of the English experience. I find many of the books that centralize in England are so funny. The book was more than just Emma and Jaime’s experience. The other storylines of their friendships, familial relationships and journey through life made such an engaging read. Now I will say that I’m curious because of one line in the Epilogue if that was the finite answer to the question of Ella and Jaime. I really want to know what happened. Ok, so here is another one that I want you to add to your list!  

Review: All The Things We Were by Kayla Tirrell

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I struggled with All The Things We Were. It had an interesting concept. Instead of spending her summer in the sun, a teen is forced to work at her father’s bookstore. She meets a boy, who is the complete opposite of her and who happens to be in band.

However, any sort of love I had for this book kept decreasing due to the actions of one of the main characters.

Michelle was an unlikable character, and essentially unredeemable for me. She was the textbook definition of a spoiled rich girl, who credits her rudeness to her hatred of love. It was a little ridiculous, and quite frankly annoying. There were several instances where she would intentional say something or be rude to an individual for no reason at all. For example, on her first day at the bookstore. Although she barely knew Rainer, Michelle displayed a strong dislike for him. It was never explained why.

I kept hoping somewhere down the line, Michelle would face some sort of character development. She did but it was minor, and it could be argued that she was still the same character that she had been at the beginning of the book. There were no consequences for her early comments or actions and she learned nothing.

I didn’t mind Rainer. He was this shy kid who transforms once he gets on stage. He had potential.  And Rainer seemed like a sweet kid. He had a healthy relationship with his sister and his parents. I thought that he had an interesting upbringing. I would have loved for that aspect of his life to have been explained more.  

As for the relationship between Rainer and Michelle. It felt immature and underdeveloped. Why was Rainer so attracted to Michelle and vice versa? There needed to be more build up to their relationship considering it was almost hate at both sight for them. Within a couple of days, these two characters who barely spoke were almost in a relationship.

Final Analysis

All The Things We Were introduces readers to a romance that isn’t quite satisfying.

 

Review: Hurricane Season by Lauren K. Denton

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This was definitely a breath of fresh air. This was a beautifully written novel told through dualing storylines that keep you engaged through their journey. I’m not sure of this was intended but Hurricane Season served more than it’s literal meaning. What I found really interesting is what lied in the figurative meaning of these two sisters experiencing the eye of their own storm in their lives and how the calming of the aftermath changed their lives forever.

Jenna, is a single mom, grinding it out everyday trying to keep her head above water. A free spirited sort of gal, had big dreams that came to a halt when she met Mr. Wrong who left her with two kids that she wouldn’t trade anything for. When an opportunity comes along to tap into her past and ignite her dormant dreams, she accepts the opportunity leaving her with a two huge problems. Who would take care of her kids? Her only option was to call her sister. The only problem problem is that she says yes before you even asks. Will her sister agree? Unaware of what her sister has gone through, will this be a chance for Jenna to turn her life around or will they remind her sister of the life she wish she could have but can’t.

Betsy has a wonderful life with a husband that loves her and a promising future living on a farm that has kept their lives busy. She doesn't see her sister or her kids that often and considering the last time they saw each other it was a surprise when she got a phone call out of the blue to go on a whim to do something for her future without thinking it through, nervousness and trepidation course through her veins wandering if she has changed.

Hesitation from knowing her sister and her carefree ways, she wasn't sure about taking on this responsibility, but the love for his sister trumped all. It was a potential opportunity that she only just found out about and what was the harm for two weeks. The problem is she hadn’t talked to her husband about everything and just figured they figure things out along the way. When Jenna extends her time without any consideration, tension and uncertainty surface but the girls bring something to their life that is new and heartbreaking. As Betsy grows closer to the girls, the possibilities ignite hope but at the same time illuminate the void of the constant reminder of her unsuccessful attempts to have her own children. 

Hurricane Season, is a storm that crashes through both their lives in a way that changes the course to find where they are meant to be. Told through their point of views, we get a refreshing read about two sisters, Jenna who find her way in life to gain the confidence to reach beyond what she thought she could and Betsy who gave up on the part of her life that after failure she gave up but found the strength and hope to not give up and try again. 

Overall, this was a nice read. The different perspective from the characters and where their introspective path led to was nice. The young girls brought some sunshine to the book through their innocence and sweet nature. I can’t help but feel like there’s more to them that we can squeeze out. I would love to see what happens with Jenna and does she end up with Sam? Does Ty and Betsy get their wish? Here’s one that I hope you will enjoy and recommend adding it to your TBR!

Review: Tinfoil Heart by Daisy Prescott

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Unique and a refreshing departure from what we’ve come to love from Daisy Prescott. Tinfoil Heart, is a romcom that you will get swooned over by it’s characters and story.

Ok, so to be honest, the whole alien/Roswell theme really isn’t my thing. However, I love Daisy so I was opened to trying new things. A little reluctant at first but kept an open mind and it was much better than I thought it was going to be.

I loved the main character Lucy. You can't help but fall in love with her. She pulls at your heart a little bit because she has no family and her life has been anchored by the search for a father that disappeared years ago. The ideal conclusion is that he skipped out on her and her mom when she was young but she was told he was abducted by aliens.

In my mind, I was thinking the whole time I reading this book, did this girl really believe that her dad was abducted by aliens all this time? She is old enough to realize how that sounds but the answer is yes. So we’re going to go on that premise which leads her to Roswell. She decides to go there in search of the truth but then she meets Boone Santos. 

Boone has thrown her off her game plan but she finds herself going down another path to find the truth. I love that line “In need a tinfoil hat for my heart.” After to meeting him, I don’t even know if that will help but these two together made some fun moments in the book. 

You never know where life will take you or where you will find the answers you need bit her journey leads her down a path to love, shedding her past and getting the truth she desperately needs to be whole. Overall, this was a different but interesting read that have a different vibe to it. It’s not to over the top with the Roswell stuff. The characters were interesting with the concept of the book. It was more to it than that. If you love Daisy than you’ll appreciate something new. I’d recommend checking this out and adding this to you TBR.