Wildflower - Drew Barrymore (Book Review)

Wildflower by Drew Barrymore  
Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Personal Growth
Publication date: October 27, 2015
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) LLC
Format: Hardcover, 276 pages
How I got it: Library 
Buy it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes
My rating: 3/5
 

Award-winning actress Drew Barrymore shares funny, insightful, and profound stories from her past and present told from the place of happiness she's achieved today.
  Wildflower is a portrait of Drew's life in stories as she looks back on the adventures, challenges, and incredible experiences of her earlier years. It includes tales of living on her own at 14 (and how laundry may have saved her life), getting stuck in a gas station overhang on a cross country road trip, saying goodbye to her father in a way only he could have understood, and many more adventures and lessons that have led her to the successful, happy, and healthy place she is today. It is the first book Drew has written about her life since the age of 14.

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My thoughts:

I have seen a large amount of movies with Drew Barrymore in them, but didn't really know much about her.  I feel like her personal life is not in the news much nowadays and she seems more reserved.  

The book is really cute, even if you don't know much about Drew Barrymore I feel like you can totally relate to the story.  The chapters go through different sections of her life so it is easy to put down and pickup the book whenever you like.   All  of the chapters are short stories show casing lessons she has learned in life to where she is today.   Most of the lessons I can relate to and see how she ended up where she is today.

I love several of the short stories the ones I loved the most is when she adopted her first dog.  Sometimes you need a best friend and adopting a rescue animal can become that best friend.  They are truly companions in life and sometimes can complete you.

Another story I loved is her trip to Africa and how she started a school there.  I found it interesting where her life lead her at that moment.  Also, I loved how school was an important theme for her from the beginning of the book and to me it seemed like she was meant to start a school there. 

This book took me sometime to get through I think because it is easy to put down and pick it back up.  I didn't need to read it in one sitting and nothing caused me to want to read the next chapter.  This is a great nightstand book in my opinion.

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QUOTES I LOVE:

"Be Authentic. Be Yourself. And most important of all...make it personal."

"Maybe he knew that life was short and that feeling good was crucial."

"What Liza was also saying is that there is no room for looking back.  You make a choice to commit and move forward.  You live your life.  And you appreciate what you have."

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About the Author

Drew Blyth Barrymore is an American actress, film producer, director, photographer, entrepreneur, and author. She is a descendant of the Barrymore family of well-known American stage and cinema actors. In 1982, her first major roll was in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial which made her one of the most famous child stars of the time. She has been a CoverGirl spokeswoman, an Ambassador Against Hunger, posed nude for Playboy and earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Barrymore is the co-founder of the production company Flower Films. She is also the founder of Flower Beauty, a line of low cost, high quality beauty products.

Barrymore married her third husband art consultant Will Kopelman in 2012. They have two daughters.

Weekly Unwind - 1.31.16 # 3

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog. 

 

Welcome to my weekly recap! 
Sunday is always an interesting day I have to get the house cleaned, laundry done, and food shopping in.   It is the same routine each week and reminds me it is almost time to get back to work.   

This week went by pretty quickly, my husbands travel for work got cancelled due to the large amount of snow we got, so we got to hang out all week.   We had work normal time on Monday, but a bunch of schools around us where cancelled until Wednesday.  Getting out of our driveway was a constant challenge, but finally by Thursday they came and removed the snow.  I didn't get that much reading done this week as I had anticipated, but I still got to read each night and I have a good portion of today carved out to read! 

I finally went to the bookstore this week, which I try to avoid in the worst way and bought only two books! (I feel this is a big accomplishment that I didn't walk out with the whole store)!  I got The Girl on the Train and Pretty Baby.  I can't wait to start reading them. Overall it was a pretty uneventful week, but still a great week! 

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Last Week On the Blog:

{Blog Tour} Blast from Two Pasts by Kristel S. Villar - Book Review

Books I Can't Believe I've Never Read - (Top 10 Tuesday)

Henchgirl - Rita Stradling (Book Review) 

Risen: First Book of the Nameless Chronicle - M. T. Miller (Book Review) 

Why Men Love Classy Chicks: From Doormat To Dreamgirl - Andre Garcia (Book Review) 

{Book Tour} Elementals: The Prophecy of Shadows - Michelle Madow (Book Blitz)

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This Week On the Blog: 

Sexy Bastards - Cover Reveal (Book Tour)
The Fountain  -  Suzy Vadori (Book Blitz)

Top Ten Tuesday: 5 Books based on the Past and 5 Books Based on the Future I Love - (Top 10 Tuesday)
Wildflower - Drew Barrymore (Book Review)

Deceptive Cadence - Katie Hamstead (Book Review)

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Currently Reading:

The Death of Anyone - D.J. Swykert
Diverging Cadence - Katie Hamstead

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Goals for the Week on the Blog:
I have basically the same goals for each week:

Get my posts up to date! 

Work on getting two reviews done!

Update the format of the blog to make it more organized! (I have started making some changes, but I have a new change I am making to my reviews going forward)

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{Book Tour} Elementals: The Prophecy of Shadows - Michelle Madow (Book Blitz)

Presented By: YA Bound Book Tours

Why Men Love Classy Chicks: From Doormat To Dreamgirl - Andre Garcia (Book Review)

Synopsis:

AS A LADY OF QUALITY, DON'T YOU THINK YOU DESERVE TO BE TREATED LIKE ANY MAN'S DREAM GIRL AND NOT AN OVERUSED DOORMAT?

Do you feel like you are getting trampled on by men because of your excessively nice, forgiving nature? Andre Garcia's - Why Men Love Classy Chicks - delivers the enlightening truths about why men abhor spineless women who depend on them for sustenance and pathetic scraps of affection, even at the expense of their dignity and pride. With much gusto and little fluff, this detailed dating guide is written with the aim of steering women from the depths of hell onto the correct road to happiness. The author provides relevant answers to burning questions such as:

What is 'LOVE' all about? Is what I am experiencing considered 'Love?'

What kind of WOMEN MEN ARE ATTRACTED TO? Do I fall into any of the described categories of desirable women? Are there traits that men dislike about me and therefore, caused the cracks in my past relationship to widen?

Why do some men treat women like a 'DOORMAT' and make them feel suffocated in the relationship? Am I one of those women who is being taken for granted? Do I deserve to be subjected to insults, physical and emotional abuse?

Why do controlling men crave for ABSOLUTE CONTROL and DOMINANCE over their women? Is my man showing similar signs of obsession?

Can women TRANSFORM MEN for the better? Or, is it just a far-fetched dream?
Why women have to learn to LOVE THEMSELVES FIRST before they can earn the love of men?
How can women regain their SELF IDENTITY and CONFIDENCE? Morph into a CLASSY CHICK?
What if everything fails? When is it TIME TO EXIT from this flagging romance?
Can women secure a SECOND CHANCE AT LOVE?

Containing inspirational advice that is beneficial and makes for an entertaining read, the 'attraction rules' and techniques for boosting the confidence of women subjugated under the commands of difficult men will help you to learn to regain your self worth, put your foot down under certain circumstances, assert newfound independence and communicate your needs to men on a whole new level. Once men have seen the vibrant attitude in which you look at love and life, getting their attention is no longer a CHORE and SURVIVING THE ODDS in a romance will become a BREEZE for you!

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Review:
Full disclosure, I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank Andre Garcia for giving my the opportunity to read this a great relationship guide.

This is a quick read that makes you really think about your relationship.  It asks a lot of deep questions that makes you consider what is really going on in your relationship and where do you think this relationship is going.   I love that it touches on both people looking for relationships as well people who are currently in relationships.

If you take the time to read the questions and really think about them you will be able to see your relationship from another perspective.   I love the advice for women who are looking for a relationship that it is important to work on yourself and be happy and confident as you.  I complete agree because once you are in the right state I feel the perfect mate will be looking for you and you will be in the right state of mind for the relationship to fully blossom!  

I also like that the books gives some advice on changing a guys behavior.  They do give full disclosures that this sometimes does not work, but it is interesting advice to read because you never know if it will work for you! 

This is the perfect read for anyone having questions about their current relationship or if they are looking for a relationship and just need advice.   

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My Rating 4/5

ASIN: B01ANJ9GYS

Length 95
Format eBook

Link for Purchase: Amazon

Risen: First Book of the Nameless Chronicle - M. T. Miller (Book Review)

Synopsis:
In the middle of nowhere, a nameless individual rises from the dark. With barely any knowledge apart from how to speak and how to kill, he finds himself in a world gone mad. Worse off, nearly everything that moves is out for his blood.

Not knowing where to turn, the wanderer traverses the desolate landscape of a ruined continent. Along his travels, his mind and body are pushed to their limits as he desperately tries to make sense of what has happened to the world, what he is, and why he exists.

Foe after foe meets their end at his hands, yet each kill only serves to raise more questions. Is he even human? What has happened to the world? Where does his path lead?

The answer lies beyond the blood-stained horizon.

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Review:
Full disclosure, I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank M.T. Miller for giving my the opportunity to read this apocalyptic fiction book.

This is a quick read about a man who wakes up from the grave.  He is originally trapped under the ground when he wakes up and needs to crawl out.  Nameless doesn't know what is going on in the world any longer or where he is.   So when the book first starts it jumps right into the action and might be confusing to the reader, but once the book gets going you are able to pick up more and more of what is going on.   As a reader I was able to feel comfortable with the writing style after the first few chapters.

The author sticks close to the original concept of Nameless not knowing what is going on as you basically learn as the narrator/main character learns what is going on.   The book is very fast paced and does cover a lot of ground in a short period of time.  The book makes you want to keep reading to learn exactly what is going on in the world and what is up with Nameless.

The book sets it self up really well for a squeal to be produced, I will be on the lookout to find out what is going to happen next!  

I would say this is a book to read right before bed, it takes your mind off the day.  It is a easy story to follow so you can pick it up and read whenever you are ready.

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My Rating 4/5

ASIN: B01ALZDY6A

Length 87
Format eBook

Link for Purchase: Amazon

Henchgirl - Rita Stradling (Book Review)

Synopsis:

The children of dragons and humans, the dracons, control eighty percent of the world’s governments. Humans worldwide are either subservient or prey. On the small vacation island of Mabi, humans call for war.

Sixteen year old Dakota Kekoa lives a double life. By day, she pretends to be a human to infiltrate Mabi Academy, a 'human's only' high-school. At night, she works as a henchman for her draconic mafia family, utilizing her ability to steal and manipulate emotions.

When Dakota’s human friend is kidnapped, she takes on the mission to find her. This is not just any mission though; she is diving head first into the escalating conflict between humans and dracons. As more girls disappear and some are discovered dead, Dakota realizes her first honorable mission may also be her last.

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Review:
I love when you read a book and after finishing it you want to read everything ever written by that author.  That is exactly how I felt about this book.   I went on a massive google hunt and now I added two additional books to my TBR list.  As well as patiently waiting on a squeal although this was just released so I know I will be waiting a little bit, but I need to know what is going to happen. 

I could not put this book down once I started it and pretty much finished it in one sitting.  The book opens with an explanation of what a Dracon is and from there we meet Dakota who is attempting to go into a night club that is very dangerous.  Dakota appears to be a very young girl who is a slightly unsure of herself, but once her first job is complete in the book you get to see a very independent and intelligent girl.  Sometimes looks can be deceiving.

The character development is amazing, you get a real feel as a reader of exactly how the characters look as well as the scenery around them.  From the night club to her grandfather's house to visiting the other side of the island as a reader you can almost imagine that you are there, which keeps the story moving along.   As a reader once I can visualize exactly what the characters are seeing I feel I am now part of the story.

I have read a few fantasy books before and this one is different the concept of focusing on Dragons.   The reader gets to learn about exactly what a Dracon in and that there are different levels of Dracons depending on the portion of human versus Dragon.  The whole Dragon world becomes intriguing to the reader and you want to know more about the different levels and what Dakota has to do with it.  Also, the Dracon's have special abilities that are mostly unique to that person.  It was interesting to see the author come up with so many aspects that a Dracon could have. 
   
To me this is a must read if you love fantasy books.  In my eyes this book hits exactly what a fantasy book should be with all the creative characters and a story that keeps you mind wandering into a fantasy world.  I would suggest having a longer time to read to complete this book because once you start you are going to want to know what is going to happen! 

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My Rating 5/5

Author website http://ritastradling.wix.com/author

Publisher Gill Publishing

ISBN 9781517470777

Length 397
Format eBook

Link for Purchase: Amazon

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Can't Believe I've Never Read

I am continuing with the Top Ten Lists from the The Broke and the Bookish blog!   Another great Top Ten Tuesday Topic! Books I Can't Believe I've Never Read and I am kind of embarrassed to admit I've Never Read these great books!   There are tons of books that I haven't read, but my list below are the ones I feel I need to read in the near future!

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 I have never read any of the Harry Potter Books and sadly have never seen any of the movies.  I am going to make this a priority this year to get through this series.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997) 
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998) 
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003) 
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005) 
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007)

I am a huge Janet Evanvocih fan.  I think her writing is very funny and the books are super easy to read.  You don't need to think to much about what you are reading and that is why I love them! I have read almost all of her books except, I have never read  any of her co-releases with Charlotte Hughes.  I want to dive into these books and see what else she has written.

 
 

Lastly I want to read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen I feel it is a classic I must read and there are a lot of books that use references to this book. 

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What is on your Books I Can't Believe I've Never Read?

Enjoy your Tuesday & Happy Reading!