Troublemaker by Leah Remini

Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini

Publisher: Ballantine Books, November 2015

Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir

Pages: Paperback, 228 pages

Rating: 2.5/5 stars

Summary (from goodreads.com):

Leah Remini has never been the type to hold her tongue. That willingness to speak her mind, stand her ground, and rattle the occasional cage has enabled this tough-talking girl from Brooklyn to forge an enduring and successful career in Hollywood. But being a troublemaker has come at a cost.

That was never more evident than in 2013, when Remini loudly and publicly broke with the Church of Scientology. Now, in this frank, funny, poignant memoir, the former star opens up about that experience for the first time, revealing the in-depth details of her painful split with the church and its controversial practices.

Indoctrinated into the church as a child while living with her mother and sister in New York, Remini eventually moved to Los Angeles, where her dreams of becoming an actress and advancing Scientology’s causes grew increasingly intertwined. As an adult, she found the success she’d worked so hard for, and with it a prominent place in the hierarchy of celebrity Scientologists alongside people such as Tom Cruise, Scientology’s most high-profile adherent. Remini spent time directly with Cruise and was included among the guests at his 2006 wedding to Katie Holmes.

But when she began to raise questions about some of the church’s actions, she found herself a target. In the end, she was declared by the church to be a threat to their organization and therefore a “Suppressive Person,” and as a result, all of her fellow parishioners—including members of her own family—were told to disconnect from her. Forever.

Review:

Let me first start off by saying that this book was a BITCH when it came to getting my hands on it... being in Canada, where no one seems to have the rights to it, I had to order it from the US and I swear, they stopped it at the border twice before I finally got it in my mitts. By the time it was finally mine, the desire to read it had waned a little, mainly because the A&E series had finished a couple weeks before and I had moved on.

When it comes to Leah Remini, I absolutely love her. I watched her in Saved By The Bell (ummm, I am a child of the 90's), Who's The Boss and, of course, The King of Queens. My husband and I joked that we were the real life Carrie and Doug so I definitely knew that I loved Leah and would appreciate her 'story-telling' ability. Glad to say that I was not wrong! Leah's ability to tell her story is exactly as I imagined and, in fact, feels like you are right at the kitchen table with her, enjoying a cup of tea (glass of wine) while she's telling you all of the details.

Now, the details is where I found the story to fall kinda flat. After seeing the A&E series, I knew most of the facts behind her leaving Scientology but felt like the backstory was missing... Troublemaker was able to fill in those gaps but after reading it, I feel like I am no better off than I was before. The details are that interesting... they didn't add any feelings about the church one way or another and really, they were kinda boring. Yes, she was able to pull me in with her ability to tell me about them but, overall, it was just not my cup of tea.

Sadly, had the book arrived to me quicker or I had read it before the series aired on TV, I think I would have been able to take more out of this book... it just didn't feel worth the time and effort it took to get it.

First Comes Love by Emily Giffin

First Comes Love by Emily Giffin

Publisher: Ballantine Books, June 2016

Genre: Fiction

Pages: Hardcover, 384 pages

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary (from goodreads.com):

Growing up, Josie and Meredith Garland shared a loving, if sometimes contentious relationship. Josie was impulsive, spirited, and outgoing; Meredith hardworking, thoughtful, and reserved. When tragedy strikes their family, their different responses to the event splinter their delicate bond.

Fifteen years later, Josie and Meredith are in their late thirties, following very different paths. Josie, a first grade teacher, is single—and to swearing off dating for good. What she wants more than the right guy, however, is to become a mother—a feeling that is heightened when her ex-boyfriend’s daughter ends up in her class. Determined to have the future she’s always wanted, Josie decides to take matters into her own hands.

On the outside, Meredith is the model daughter with the perfect life. A successful attorney, she’s married to a wonderful man, and together they’re raising a beautiful four-year-old daughter. Yet lately, Meredith feels dissatisfied and restless, secretly wondering if she chose the life that was expected of her rather than the one she truly desired.

As the anniversary of their tragedy looms and painful secrets from the past begin to surface, Josie and Meredith must not only confront the issues that divide them, but also come to terms with their own choices. In their journey toward understanding and forgiveness, both sisters discover they need each other more than they knew . . . and that in the recipe for true happiness, love always comes first.

Review:

It's been a hot minute since I've read any of Emily Giffin's book but I was easily reminded just why I like her writing style. The stories that she weaves are so easy to get lost in and always centred around topics that are not only relatable but also real. Things that you would hear about standing around the water cooler at work or watching tv.

When I first added "First Comes Love" to my TBR shelf, I assumed it would be the perfect read for February (Valentines Day) but it actually turned out to be a much different story than I was expecting. While there is a certain love element, as with all chick lit books, it went so far outside of the box that I wouldn't even say this is a 'love story' at all. In fact, it's more about family dynamics and how families deal and move on from tragedy.

All of the characters in this book were very flawed... not necessarily in a bad way but with each and every one of them, there was something beneath the surface that just felt 'off'. I actually appreciated that and felt that it touched on how many of us survive the day-to-day, covering up a secret that lives deep down. My biggest issue of all came with Meredith... I wanted to throat punch her and actually felt that she made her own misery. I mean Nolan seemed like a dreamboat!!

Overall, I enjoyed reading this and, while cheesy and a little predictable, I still feel like there are underlying themes that will hit some harder than others. A definite must for all of Emily Giffin's fans.