Good

Wow! This was a one of a kind "reading" experience! I 100% recommend the audio version of this book. From the snippets of Alicia singing and playing the piano to the short poignant guest speakers at the beginning of a few chapters made the audio version stand out fantastically. Learning about how Alicia came to be in her current stage in life, the way she supports women in all the ways she can, and how she has kept her marriage and family at the forefront of her life (ahead of her career) was amazing to read about. Now, I do not care for books that go into one's political views, and she does quite a bit of that in her book (whether I agree or disagree with political views, I do not look to celebrities to influence me, I will do my own research and come to my own opinions). Though, I can't discount the fact that listening to her tell her life's truth and showcase her artistry made me look past those political moments.

This seemed like a pretty straightforward thriller, but surprisingly the killer wasn't who I thought it would be. The pseudo-romance in the story was awkward for me. I guess it was because the guy was so over the top about being with her and having her stay. I would have preferred a more dominant male character. The townspeople were all a little quirky in their own ways too. I didn't notice the constant references to the amount of times a "beer" was brought up in the text until it was brought to my attention. At that point it became laughable.

VERY SHORT BOOK!

This was a fun quirky kind of read. Very much a young adult style book, dealing with high school love and dealing with Charlie's personal struggle with her weight. It was interesting how the main character dealt with not only the loss of a parent, but how she dealt with the parent left behind that made her feel self conscious of her weight. I think we as women all struggle with the stereotypes of not thinking we are loved when we don't love our own bodies.

Great

I wanted to read this book ahead of the movie coming out to streaming platforms. This book was made even better by Mark Bramhall's narration. The story of how these boys, who came from simple working families, pushed through all skepticism and doubts pushing their way to the 1936 Berlin Olympics. At a time when many rowing teams were sons of lawyers, doctors and senators, these boys were not the ones with the training facilities and high caliber schools at their disposal. They rose above and worked extra jobs during summers to afford to enroll in school each year to be able to get another shot at being part of something even bigger than they even realized at the time. Please be sure to read through the epilogue as well. It gives you a deeper understanding of the time period and how poignant this particular Olympics was.

Didn’t get it at first, but we love it now! Honestly, I didn’t fully get the message the first time—but it grew on us quickly! Please, Mr. Panda is simple, funny, and perfect for teaching manners. My twin babies love the big panda and the cute animals. A fun and memorable way to say “please”!

I love to read memoirs of comedians. Tina Fey did not disappoint, though be ready for her comedic styling throughout the book. It seems almost like she is moving from topic to topic like someone seeing a squirrel run past. Though with her snippets/chapters being short it worked for me, as it did not seem like topics were droning on for too long. Knowing more about her behind the scenes struggle to be picked for scenes because of her look not being so easily manipulated, was interesting to say the least. She's right, we imagine she was in more scenes (probably because I loved her characters) than she really was. Her stories of Monica Lewinksy and Sarah Palin were funny to hear about! Ultimately a nice change to the novels I've been reading.

I like this alot