by: Erynn Mangum
Publisher: Self Published
Dates Read: March 31 - April 3
Pages: 325
Source: Own it
Why did I read it?
It's by Erynn Mangum. 'Nuf said.
Happily Ever Ashten is the third and final book in the Carrington Sping series (see Katie in Waiting and Once Upon Eliza for the others). Ashten is a teacher who works at her family's very popular restaurant during her summers. Some people in her life, not by her choosing, are rubbing her the wrong way. Ashten learns, with us learning the lesson alongside her, how and when to forgive. To say much more would give away the plots of the first two books, so I will just jump right in.
This just might be Erynn Mangum's best book yet. I told you I was jumping in. It was well crafted and thought out. It was very Austenian without being overtly so or advertised as such. When I started the book I did not think it was going to go quite where it went. The first two books played into it perfectly without me even realizing they were playing into it.
The book was also incredibly relatable. When I read my first Mangum novel I was 17 and the main character was 23 and finding love without looking for it. It was what I wanted. Now I am 24 and these characters are 31, in the middle of their careers and doing life on their own (mostly). Lauren Holbrook, Mangum's first series, will always have a soft spot in my heart but I think Carrington Springs might have it beat.
Not only was the story impecable, but the editting was better. There were still some small mistakes but not nearly as often or as painful. Maybe now that her kids are a little bit older she has more time to sit and read it over. Who knows, it's better and I am happy about it. But girl, I would still gladly edit your books for free (just ignore the fact I started that sentence with a but).
Rating: 4.75/5
I cannot give it a full five because there were still too many mistakes - too many is any more than one. Great characters. Great story. Jane Austen would be proud. Way to go Erynn!
Recommendation:
I have said it twice before: If you are a female 14+ you will probably like her books. Now that the characters are a little older maybe the 14 year olds won't like it quite as much, but it is a light, fun read. I laughed, I pondered life, I learned about Jesus - what more could you ask for?
Monday, April 10, 2017
Monday, April 3, 2017
A Little Bit Wicked
[Audiobook]
By: Kristin Chenoweth
Narrated by: Kristin Chenoweth
Publisher: Oasis Audio
Dates Listened: January 20-25
Length: 6 hours 46 minutes
Source: Overdrive App
Why did I read it?
I was driving down to Three Hills and needed something new to listen to. I like Kristin Chenoweth well enough - she originated Glinda in Wicked on Broadway!
Kristin Chenoweth's memoir, A Little Bit Wicked, goes back as far as her childhood all the way to when it was released in 2009. We follow a little girl who used to sing in church to a young hopeful going to university to major in theatre and then get her masters in opera to an up and comer on Broadway and the television screen.
The thing about memoirs is they are not written by writers. I used to think when celebrities got help it was just sad, but now I moreso wish that they would more often. Without the help from an actual trained writer I find they jump around way too much. What is nice about audiobooks read by the author is how easily distracted you are from this. Hearing Chenoweth tell the stories makes the jumping much more bearable than reading it in a book. As far as I am concerned, if the person is alive, they should be reading their own autobiography/memoir. They will always get the intonation right which is very important.
When I chose to listen to this, I was thinking it would actually make me a fan of Kristen Chenoweth. I wanted to like more about her than Glinda. The book had the opposite effect. Not to say I don't like her at all, I just know I won't be a fan. I feel as though she wrote this book to explain some controversies that started coming out about 10 years ago. She dated a TV writer on and off for years and years and was getting a lot of flack about it, so she had to explain it all to us. Apparently there were rumours she and Idina Menzel did not get along while doing Wicked together, she beat around the bush with this one so I am guessing it is true. The biggest controversy of all is what I feel the whole book leads to: her appearance on an ultra-conservative Christian television show. Chenoweth grew up a Christian and still declares herself to be one. Her TV writer (ex?)-boyfriend is Jewish, she has posed for some risque photos, and her best friend is gay: this all exploded in one TV interview. The ultra-conservative Christians who watch the show say she's a damnable sinner. The LGBT+ community hates her for even agreeing to go on the show. Everyone hates her so she decides to write a book to fix it all. I feel like it is 6+ hours of trying to convince us she is a nice person and should not be hated by all. Not a good reason to write a book in my opinion.
Rating: 2.5/5
I'm in limbo again. I didn't not like it. Many of the stories were humourous and she really is a funny lady. It had me laughing and pulled in the entire time. I liked hearing about how she went from Oklahoma State University to Broadway to multiple television series. I was disappointed when I started getting the sense it wasn't about any of that though. It was all about winning people back after 10 minutes that didn't actually mean anything blew up into a catastrophe. Basically, everyone else should not have been so silly so the book wouldn't have ended with her plea of how nice she is.
Recommendation:
If you're a Broadway fan - go for it. I don't regret the drives I spent listening to it. I thought it was good enough, but I am sure the super theatre nerds who really want to know what it's like on the inside will like it even more than I did - and maybe they won't be annoyed by how it ends. Go ahead, give it a read!
By: Kristin Chenoweth
Narrated by: Kristin Chenoweth
Publisher: Oasis Audio
Dates Listened: January 20-25
Length: 6 hours 46 minutes
Source: Overdrive App
Why did I read it?
I was driving down to Three Hills and needed something new to listen to. I like Kristin Chenoweth well enough - she originated Glinda in Wicked on Broadway!
Kristin Chenoweth's memoir, A Little Bit Wicked, goes back as far as her childhood all the way to when it was released in 2009. We follow a little girl who used to sing in church to a young hopeful going to university to major in theatre and then get her masters in opera to an up and comer on Broadway and the television screen.
The thing about memoirs is they are not written by writers. I used to think when celebrities got help it was just sad, but now I moreso wish that they would more often. Without the help from an actual trained writer I find they jump around way too much. What is nice about audiobooks read by the author is how easily distracted you are from this. Hearing Chenoweth tell the stories makes the jumping much more bearable than reading it in a book. As far as I am concerned, if the person is alive, they should be reading their own autobiography/memoir. They will always get the intonation right which is very important.
When I chose to listen to this, I was thinking it would actually make me a fan of Kristen Chenoweth. I wanted to like more about her than Glinda. The book had the opposite effect. Not to say I don't like her at all, I just know I won't be a fan. I feel as though she wrote this book to explain some controversies that started coming out about 10 years ago. She dated a TV writer on and off for years and years and was getting a lot of flack about it, so she had to explain it all to us. Apparently there were rumours she and Idina Menzel did not get along while doing Wicked together, she beat around the bush with this one so I am guessing it is true. The biggest controversy of all is what I feel the whole book leads to: her appearance on an ultra-conservative Christian television show. Chenoweth grew up a Christian and still declares herself to be one. Her TV writer (ex?)-boyfriend is Jewish, she has posed for some risque photos, and her best friend is gay: this all exploded in one TV interview. The ultra-conservative Christians who watch the show say she's a damnable sinner. The LGBT+ community hates her for even agreeing to go on the show. Everyone hates her so she decides to write a book to fix it all. I feel like it is 6+ hours of trying to convince us she is a nice person and should not be hated by all. Not a good reason to write a book in my opinion.
Rating: 2.5/5
I'm in limbo again. I didn't not like it. Many of the stories were humourous and she really is a funny lady. It had me laughing and pulled in the entire time. I liked hearing about how she went from Oklahoma State University to Broadway to multiple television series. I was disappointed when I started getting the sense it wasn't about any of that though. It was all about winning people back after 10 minutes that didn't actually mean anything blew up into a catastrophe. Basically, everyone else should not have been so silly so the book wouldn't have ended with her plea of how nice she is.
Recommendation:
If you're a Broadway fan - go for it. I don't regret the drives I spent listening to it. I thought it was good enough, but I am sure the super theatre nerds who really want to know what it's like on the inside will like it even more than I did - and maybe they won't be annoyed by how it ends. Go ahead, give it a read!
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