Saturday, July 10, 2010
UnSweetined by Jodie Sweetin
Release Date: October 6, 2009
Publisher: Simon Spotlight Entertainment
Genre: Memoir
Age Group: Adults, Older Teens
Recommended for: Fans of Full House
Pages: 256
Description:
Once Danny Tanner's bubbly daughter on America America
In her deeply personal, utterly raw, and ultimately inspiring memoir, Jodie comes clean about the double life she led -- the crippling identity crisis that began at her birth, the hidden anguish of juggling a regular childhood with her Hollywood life, and the vicious cycle of abuse and recovery that led to a relapse even as she wrote this book. Jodie traveled the country speaking to college kids about her triumph over substance abuse, yet she partied nightly, spending tens of thousands of dollars on her habit. Her addiction tore her family apart and alienated her from her former Full House cast mates until becoming a mother gave her the determination and the courage to get sober.
Today, Jodie's life is a work in progress. Resilient, charming, and funny, she writes candidly about taking each day at a time. Hers is not a story of success or defeat, but of facing your demons, finding yourself, and telling the whole truth -- unSweetined.
My Review:
If you read my blog you’re probably thinking why on earth have I reviewed this book, a memoir, when I review mainly young adult novels. Well good question, I was over at my friends house the other day who happens to be a huge Full House fan who basically handed me this book to me and said and I quote “you HAVE to read this book OMG it is so good”, me being me I couldn’t let her down and say no so I took it even though I have a huge TBR pile at the moment. I’d been sitting on this book for a week before I picked it up after receiving yet another text message from my friend asking me if I have read it yet, so I decided I’d better bunker down with the book. I’ll admit I was a bit skeptical at first (surely this book couldn’t be as good as my friend said it was) because 1. I never really was into Full House (I know shock horror!) and 2. I generally steer clear of books written by ‘celebrities’. Well I’ve finished it (in record time – a couple of hours, so its a very quick read) and I wasn’t blown away by it but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be, over all I could take it or leave it. I do however commend Jodie with her honest and often candid writing.
The book felt rushed to me and the part I was most interested in, what is was like on the Full House set, seemed to be skimmed over. There wasn’t much detail about the cast dynamics on set, I know she was only young at the time but I imagine most people reading this book would be interested in these dynamics because they were fans of Full House and want to know about all the shenanigans that went on during filming.
Most of the book focuses on Jodie’s life after Full House which is basically all about her drug habits and boy did she have a huge issue, this girl was wild and out of control. She’d go to rehab them relapse then go to rehab again and relapse again. I felt sorry for her at first, she definitely lost her way after Full House I mean being apart of a TV show for most of your formative years and then suddenly having it disappear, having to go back to your old life again would be hard to adjust to but I felt time and time again she used this excuse to justify her bad behaviour. I mean yes she had issues after Full House, she never felt like she could understand her peers, she felt different and the way she dulled this was with drugs but I’m sure many people feel this way but don’t go down the path she chose then again many do.
I was talking about this with my mum the other day (a very intellectual conversation if I can say so) and we came to the conclusion that who are we to judge someone’s actions, we’re not in her head so we don’t know what she was feeling at the time, I can only imagine that being in the public eye and then suddenly disappearing form it can only magnify the situation. Whilst I say who are we to judge her actions I must remember that by writing this book many people will be judging her and there will be a multitude of opinions about her life (some positive some negative) thus far because when you write a book people will come to their own conclusions. I only hope that through this book people stop and really think about how addiction can completely destroy someone’s life and talk about it with someone, because with talking comes a better understanding of addiction and it’s effects. I genuinely hope that Jodie’s desire to stay clean once and for all for all is achieved because she’s not the only one whose life will be destroyed if she doesn't.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Book Blogger Hop (#2)
Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Jennifer @ Crazy for Books. ‘The Hop’ is a great way to find other people who love to blog about books just like me! So if you’re interested in participating why not check out Jennifer’s website for more information, simply click here.
So today’s question for the Hop is (*drum roll please*):
Tell us about some of your favorite authors and why they are your favourites!
I find this a really difficult question, I’ve been sitting at my computer trying to answer this question for a while, I think it’s because I have so many favourite authors each with their own strengths. I love Lisa Schroeder for her beautiful lyrical verse, JK Rowling for writing books I could get lost into for hours and awakening my love of books, Jane Austen for writing beautiful romances with characters I fall in love with every time I read them, Justina Chen Headley and Angela Morrison for writing books that I couldn’t stop thinking about even after I finished them and finally Rachel Caine and Suzanne Collins for writing amazing suspense thrilled series that I simply cannot put down. There are so many more authors I could name but so little time, so I better leave it there.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Prolific Blogger Award
Firstly I'd like to say thanks to Shari at My Neurotic Book Affair for finding me worthy of the Prolific Blogger Award. Wow, this is my first award, which is kind of cool that someone was thinking of my blog when deciding who to give this award to, thanks again!
"A prolific blogger is one who is intellectually productive, keeping up an active blog with enjoyable content. After accepting this award, recipients are asked to pass it forward to seven other deserving blogs."
I now have to choose some bloggers to share this awesome award with, hmmm decisions, decisions, decisions. It’s a good thing there are some many exceptional and wonderful bloggers out there. The fantastic bloggers I am sharing this award with are:
Melissa @ Spellbound by Books
DJ @ DJ’s Life in Fiction
Megan @ Read it, See it
Morgan @ Smitten with Books
Kris @ Voracious YAppetite
Waiting on Wednesday: Return to Paradise by Simone Elkeles
"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted Jill @ Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" is:
Return to Paradise by Simone Elkeles
Release Date: September 1, 2010
Publisher: Flux
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 312
Maggie and Caleb just went through the worst year of their lives. Hit by a car and starting life over with a limp, Maggie never thought she would forgive Caleb. But she did-and fell in love. What they shared was real. But Caleb wanted to be free from the past-and a terrible secret: he wasn't the one who hit Maggie. So he left Paradise -and Maggie-forever.
When Maggie and Caleb run into each other in a different town, they can't deny their true feelings. Will Maggie let Caleb get away again? Or will Caleb face the truth and return to Paradise ?
I fell in love with Maggie and Caleb in Leaving Paradise and I have been longing for a continuation of their story since I finished it and I only read it at the start of this year I feel sorry for those who read it when it was first released in April of 2007. Well three years later and my wish has been granted! I have read a couple of early reviews some loved it whilst others were disappointed, I have high expectations for this book but I’m sure Simone will deliver the goods!
What's your "waiting on" pick this week?
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