Summer Autobiographies

Title:  "Open Book"

Author:  Jessica Simpson

Rating:  4/5 Stars

Genre: Autobiography 

I remember being a young cashier at Food Lion looking at all of the magazines on a slow night (it was my favorite hobby).  In the early 2000s, there was always another blonde "pop star" with a half shirt on the front of every magazine.  One night out of boredom,  I started to read about this new "blond" called "Jessica Simpson" and found myself super interested in the article.  For lack of a better word, this girl seemed "insecure" and that insecurity made me instantly relate.  I became a fan right then and loved her music even more.  I bought up the first two CDs she put out.  Her music still evokes good memories of my 20s.

                                                        

Down the road, Darren and I got totally hooked on the show "Newlyweds" that premiered the same year we were married. Once again I just loved Jessica Simpson because she seemed so 'real' and like me, she was always saying silly things.  

This summer, I could not wait to buy her story!

I lapped up the first half of the book as Simpson wrote about her family, pressures to be thin, how people judged her for having a naturally curvy figure (yasss), her experience in the church, and her battle with addictions.  Even though Simpson is a 'famous star', I believe any woman could relate to her.  She also let go of a lot of juicy secrets before, during, and after Nick Lachey (sigh. RIP NICK.  I wish they could have made it.)

The second half of this book fell a bit flat for me.  Simpson made everything seem a little too good and unrealistic, including where she landed spiritually.  If you look at her Instagram account for 2 minutes, you will see she has NOT let go of addictions/issues with her body.  She has lost too much weight too fast, and she posts photos of her figure that can only come from compulsive workouts.   It bums me out because I know she still feels the pressure.  

I recommend if you are even close to being a Jessica Simpson fan.

Title:  "Full Circle: From Hollywood to real Life and Back Again"

Author:  Andrea Barber

Rating:  5/5 Stars

Genre: Autobiography 

Let me start by saying that I don't even like the show "Full House" that much, and I've only watched "Fuller House" once and it was so cheesy I couldn't finish the episode.   While I love Candace Cameron Bure, I know nothing about Andrea Barber the actress who plays the annoying "Kimmy Gibbler" on both shows.  (Ps.  Kimmy Gibbler has grown on me now.)

This week, I happened upon an old Dr. Oz clip where the actress Andrea Barber sat down to plug her book.  She began to speak about her anxiety and how it connected to her health journey.  I was immediately interested.  Her real life persona is nothing like her TV character.  I decided to treat myself today. I purchased this book at lunch on my Kindle and had it finished by dinner!  It was that good.  Don't you think the cover is adorable??

This book starts with a little "Full House" background, info on her coworkers, and how Andrea Barber got into acting.   I still remember her from "Days of Our Lives".  After "Full House" wrapped Andrea went out to do other things (like a real human) such as pursue college, study abroad, work, and start a family.  While she states that she is luckier than most and has a trust fund,  finding additional work is still critical to 90% of working actors and actresses in Hollywood today.  

Hands-down she gives the best account of what it is like to work and manage family, while battling generalized anxiety disorder.   It was so rewarding to read about a real person who shares that panic attacks and anxiety are real and can also distort reality.  She is really blessed to have a supportive family (unlike many in fame).  I also appreciated that she didn't seem to overdramatize the events of her life.  She writes, "When my anxiety is at it's worst, my world closes into a pinhole-sized view...tasks that once seemed easy and fun suddenly feel insurmountable."

I think this book mostly appealed to me because of the timing.  I battle with generalized anxiety disorder myself and for me that anxiety has been completely heightened in the past 5 months.  I could relate to each word of this book including how the side effects to most anti-anxiety/depression pills bring more issues than the actual disorder.  Not to say people should not take meds because she did but I appreciate that she did speak on the true challenges of that decision.   

Chapter 10 "Running for My Life" was my favorite.    I was most inspired by how she worked to come back to herself after many challenges.  She learned to pinpoint lapses and found things that worked for her.  Isn't that what we all work toward?  

"If I want to fight it and remain healthy, I have to incorporate ALL of my strategies... even when I'm too busy or don't want to.  It's not optional, it's a lifestyle."