Your world grows with every opportunity: SO GAY FOR YOU.

So Gay for You: Friendship, Found Family, and the Show That Started It All by Leisha Hailey
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

It was wonderful to revisit THE L WORD in Leisha and Kate's memoir. It made me want to re-watch the (original) show!

The portion of this memoir that talks about how Kate, Leisha, and the gang were cast on THE L WORD, how they spent their time on set, and the completely otherworldly experience of changing lesbian television was easily my favorite part. It was incredibly interesting to hear their perspectives on the show's classic scenes and infamous guest stars. The cast immediately bonded, and I loved reading how so many of them became friends for life, especially Kate and Leisha.

The rest of the book is really just a very fast skim of the two women's lives -- everything gets a quick gloss. The AIDS crisis; let's cover it in 5 lines, etc. It might have been better to go more in-depth on a few areas rather than try to cover everything. Still, the book is structured to show the light parallels between Leisha and Kate's lives, allowing it to move quickly.

Neither woman pulls any punches, especially when it comes to THE L WORD sequel (Kate especially). As mentioned, they don't go too deep into anything, but it's easy to tell how they feel about most topics.

This is a great read for any L WORD fans but those looking for a more in-depth memoir may find it lacking. Still, everyone will enjoy how Kate and Leisha's humor and obvious friendship shine through their narrative. 3.5 stars.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin's Press in return for an unbiased review.

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And I have scars that you can't read: ENOUGH ALREADY.

Enough Already: Learning to Love the Way I Am Today by Valerie Bertinelli
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I know very little about Valerie Bertinelli, with the most of my exposure coming from the Kid's Baking Championship. I can't remember why I grabbed this book, honestly, but I read it as part of my own "read your shelves" challenge.

In ENOUGH ALREADY, Bertinelli says "enough already" to dieting, putting her past hawking Jenny Craig behind her, apologizing for pushing weight loss on her public. She's focusing on inner happiness now, working with a mind coach to discover self-joy and sharing her tips with her readers.

It still feels like Bertinelli's weight thoughts are the focal point of her book, though, and while I understand that she's attempting to right past wrongs and love herself as is, the "I need to lose those last 10 lbs" desire gets to be too much after a while. It's suffocating when everything is brought back to the need to lose weight and makes Bertinelli's pivot to happiness at any weight ring a bit hollow.

Where the book shines is anywhere else. Bertinelli's memories of her ex-husband, Eddie Van Halen; interactions with their son, Wolfie; sharing recollections and recipes. She ties many of her recipes to memories and discusses food that she remembers from her childhood to cooking for Eddie to recipes made on her Food Network show. The talk of how food has brought together her various families over the years is fun.

Bertinelli touches on grief, with the recent loss of her parents and her ex-husband. I don't think we get full honesty, but she definitely shares a lot of herself. She seems like an over-protective mom and regular, relatable person many times. Other times, she tries to be "just like us," but--like many celebrity memoirs--it's hard to take advice from someone with a happiness coach who is renovating two homes, etc.

This is a quick read but the focus on weight bogged it down for me. The personal stories and recipes made for worthwhile reading, though.

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Can I handle the seasons of my life: I PROMISE IT WON'T ALWAYS HURT LIKE THIS.

I Promise It Won't Always Hurt Like This: 18 Assurances on Grief by Clare Mackintosh


It doesn't feel right to rate Clare Mackintosh's non-fiction book about grief, as much of it focuses on the death of her young son, but this is a poignant read and very helpful. Mackintosh wrote it after a tweet about the anniversary of the death of her five-month-old son, Alex, went viral. The book is part memoir/part self-help, with 18 chapters that walk through dealing with grief--with the ultimate promise that we can all make progress with grief, on our own time, at our own pace. She uses stories from her own life, especially losing Alex, as examples. The result is a sad story, but also a hopeful one, and I think many who have been through a loss would find this helpful; I did.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Sourcebooks in return for an unbiased review.

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This was a town took care of its own: THE RURAL DIARIES.

The Rural Diaries: Love, Livestock, and Big Life Lessons Down on Mischief Farm by Hilarie Burton Morgan
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

THE RURAL DIARIES is Hilarie Burton Morgan's story of meeting her partner, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and their moving to Rhinebeck, New York and growing their working farm and family together. I read it on a whim, as I follow Morgan on Instagram and am fascinated by her life. I've watched ONE TREE HILL a bit, but she's not a celebrity I know a lot about, so I wasn't looking for anything specific here.

As a result, I found this memoir absolutely delightful. Morgan is a wonderful writer, and this book is charming while being incredibly honest and real. She covers some very serious topics, such as infertility, miscarriage, marriage, and loss, while candidly talking about building up their farm into a working and usable place. She is a total badass with everything she does on that farm, by the way, from manual labor to home renovations to overcoming any obstacle thrown her way. You will finish this book filled with utter admiration for Morgan--I was completely envious of everything she could do.

As always, when I read a memoir, I look for similarities with its author. I had no idea she'd grown up in Virginia and enjoyed hearing about places in Northern Virginia that I recognized. I took delight in the fact she doesn't like the phone and seeks out kids, not adults, at parties because she's an introvert. Morgan has a way of writing about herself that's honest, but not in the typical self-centered celebrity fashion and I think that's why this memoir is so successful. She feels like a real person in THE RURAL DIARIES; a friend you could be chatting with over coffee, not an actor trying to get a few laughs.

"So folks, this is a love letter. To a town. To a farm. To a man."

THE RURAL DIARIES starts around the time Morgan first meets Jeffrey Dean Morgan and goes from there. It's interspersed with recipes and little anecdotes from her life spent on the farm. The format works well, and it's incredibly easy to read. You're left feeling that you've learned about a strong, humble, tough woman who has led an admirable life. Overall, I found this to be a really enjoyable read. 4.5 stars.

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Well, I live in the city but don't fit in: THE GREATEST LOVE STORY EVER TOLD.

The Greatest Love Story Ever Told by Megan Mullally

My rating: 3.5+ of 5 stars


In 2000, Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman meet on the set of a play. And the rest, as they say, is history. Their book is the story of their relationship--telling the story of how they met, from each's first impressions of one another and ranging across their courtship, wedding, work, and romance. The book covers such topics as family, past romances, religion, theater, and more.

I love both Megan and Nick immensely, so I was extremely excited when I saw they had a book coming out. My library copy arrived a day after publication, so I hadn't even had a chance to read many reviews. I didn't realize that most of the book is in interview/oral history-type format, so when you read the actual book, it just flips between Megan and Nick chatting back and forth. This takes a little getting used to and while I'm not a big audiobook fan (personal preference, my brain wanders too much), I think this is one that would be *fantastic* in audio form. I'm stalking our public library, waiting for them to get an audio copy for my wife. There are a few chapters that are written out, and I enjoyed those a bit more.


"To my way of thinking, it's an illustration of a relationship that the reader might find surprisingly normal. When all you have by which to judge a relationship are some grippingly cute Instagram videos, it might not occur to one that there's a lot of banal real life." ~Nick


So mostly, this book is just Nick and Megan talking. Because it's Nick and Megan, it's still pretty darn enjoyable. They cover certain topics in various chapters, so it can get a bit repetitive in places (we learn multiple times that Nick's family is salt of the earth and Megan's was, well, not). Still, it's fascinating to learn how the two met, a bit about their various careers (not as much as I would have liked--there are no funny Will and Grace or Parks and Recs anecdotes here), and a lot about their pasts.

The best part is that the book makes you smile--it's clearly apparent how much Nick and Megan love each other. I enjoyed learning more about both of them and how they spend their life together. Megan shares a fun Meryl Streep story, I loved her even more because apparently she's a hermit who loves to read (ME TOO MEGAN LET'S BE FRIENDS), and they are a couple who likes to hang out and do puzzles with their dogs. Life goals at its best.


"It's a wonder that I ever had a boyfriend in my entire life, because all I really like to do is read. I don't even know how I ever met another human."



"All I ever want to do is read. I only leave the house under duress."


Overall, this is fun book about two fun and interesting people. If you're an audiobook fan--even a little bit--I bet you'd enjoy it more in that format. If you like Megan or Nick, you'll find something to enjoy in this one. If you're looking for a chronological history with lots of tidbits about their careers, this isn't that book. But if you want some insight into Megan and Nick as people, this is a worthwhile read. 3.5+ stars.

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-makes you smile; apparent how much they love each other



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I will be the one you say goodnight to: SPOILER ALERT: THE HERO DIES.

Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies by Michael Ausiello

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars


Entertainment reporter Michael Ausiello has enjoyed immense success in his professional life, progressing from writing at a soaps magazine to Entertainment Weekly and TV Guide to his current job as co-founder at TVLine.com. Ausiello is well-known for his snarky and knowledgeable insights about pop culture and TV. But while Ausiello's career was taking off, he was going through immense personal anguish: the death of his husband, Kit, from neuroendrocrine cancer in early 2015. Ausiello's memoir catalogues meeting Kit, thirteen years before his death, and also describes the heartbreaking journey of losing him to cancer--with much of the trademark wit and humor we see in many of his entertainment posts.

I don't know what possessed me to request this book. I love Ausiello, his reporting, and his columns, yes, but how I thought I'd come out unscathed from an incredibly sad memoir about a lovely gay man losing his beloved husband to cancer... I don't know. Sure, parts of this memoir are funny and snarky, but much of it is just heartbreaking and gut-wrenching. Good grief. There's no real equivalent of reading about a man openly and honestly telling you about losing a great love of his life.

Ausiello's memoir goes back in forth in time. While most of the book focuses on the present-day: learning about Kit's shocking diagnosis, how that affects couple, and ultimately leading up to his death. Still, he also goes back to when the two met, began to date, and fall in love. There's a sweetness to reading about young Kit and Mike, for sure. The early parts of the memoir very much remind me of reading pieces of someone's journal. Some of the beginning parts were a bit of a struggle for me, as you get bogged down in so much detail: what they ate, where they went, where they walked, who called who, etc. That was a little excruciating at times, but as I said, there was also a sweetness and tenderness to it. It just seemed like sometimes there was a little too much oversharing--details and moments that weren't necessarily relevant to the overall story. A little too much telling versus showing, especially in the first half or so of the book.

However, as it continues, it either improves or I became more used to the style. You become really caught up in Kit and Mike's relationship journey. It's painful and sad to read, but there are definitely humorous parts interspersed within as well (thank goodness). Ausiello appears to be brutally honest in his portrayal of everything--the ups and downs of their relationship, the cancer and its toll on Kit (and Mike), and more. What we're left with is a heartbreaking, poignant tale, with a reminder to truly live life to the fullest, as you really never know what comes next.

Overall, despite a slow (detailed) start, this is a lovely tribute to Mike and Kit's love and life together. It's heartbreaking and touching and a beautiful ode to his husband. My heart goes out to Ausiello, but after reading Kit and Mike's story, you'll be left grateful for the time the two had together. We should all be so lucky. 3.5 stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!) in return for an unbiased review. It is available everywhere as of 09/12/2017.

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