Books – January 2024

Book reviews coming in hot! I read a few nonfiction books this month, two books with a magical element to it, started out the month strong! I was definitely ready for a change after binging Christmas books for about two months straight!

The Woman in Me by Britney Spears

Sometimes I have a hard time rating and reviewing memoirs. Generally, the writing and depth is often lacking in them. But these are real people telling their life stories, so it just hits different in a way. The beginning of this one was a little all over the place, and it sort of read more like a young girls diary in a way? I already knew a lot of the things that Britney shared, and it makes me so sad for her to hear her recalling of how the press and people in her life treated her. It is truly appalling and I feel for her. It is Britney’s life and her stories, so who am I to say that it could have gone deeper, shared more etc. She gets to chose how much she wants to share and writes her own narrative now. I enjoyed listening to this on audio, and if you were ever a fan….I suggest picking it up.

Bottom Line: Read it!

Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman

One of my favorite authors suggested reading this, so I immediately got it from the library! This is a “one of them is famous’ troup, which is always fun. Chani meets Gabe for an interview after spending years crushing on him. Lucky her! They spend 72 hours together and then don’t see each other for 10 years. Well, except that one time. The book bounces back and forth in time, and there are blog posts and articles scattered in between. It made for an interesting read. I wish we got to know more about Gabe and why he was so angsty. I feel like while we saw character growth, there wasn’t a lot of depth? Perhaps since they really only spent about 6 days together for the entire book. Chani’s ex was a true POS and I did like that storyline. I also LOVED Ollie! I think he was my favorite character. Overall, I quite enjoyed this one, but ended up giving it only three stars. The last 15% of the book is where so much happens and its all rushed. And the great article that the whole book was written around, wasn’t all that great in my opinion.

Bottom Line: I enjoyed listening to this on audio, it was a quick and easy read.

Me by Elton John

Elton John has lead such a fascinating life. He lays it all out in this book, the good and the bad…and it was so engaging the entire read through. I did this on audio, as I like to do with nonfiction and especially celebrity books. I loved listening to his stories about other artists that he got to work with and/or be friends with throughout his life. He talks about his addictions and disorders, his struggle to get clean, the love of his life. What a redemption story. This is one of the best celebrity books I have read.

Bottom Line: Read it!

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle

I always find the premise of Serle’s novels so interesting. Her writing style always captures me right in. This is another of those books where there is an unrealistic element to it, but it works for me. What a concept…know exactly how long every relationship you have will last. There were some twists and secrets in this one that I didn’t see coming and made yell WHAT??? My one hang up with the book is I am not entirely sure that Daphne really grows throughout the book. I can’t really say anything without giving things away, but if you have read this, I would love to talk about it! Still, Serle’s novels have become must reads for me.

Bottom Line: Read it!

**I received an ARC copy of Expiration Dates from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston

There is something about Ashley Poston’s writing that really sucks me in. Usually I am not a fan of books that have a magical element to them that isn’t real life…and yet she makes it work for me every time! Clementine’s raw emotions are felt throughout this book, and it goes so much deeper than your usual romcom. I really liked all the side characters and the friction between Clementine and Iwan. This book is beautifully written and you feel everything. Loved!!!!

Bottom Line: Read it!