Audiobook bits | Minka Kelly Tell Me Everything: A Memoir

I had no idea Minka Kelly had written a book until a few weeks ago when Youtube randomly suggested me a video where she was talking about her book and I decided to watch it. The book is still pretty new tho,it was published back in May this year.

I loved her back in Friday Night Lights, she was so beautiful and her character was dating Taylor Kitsch, one of my big crushes, I had no idea they actually dated in real life too. When the show ended, I stopped following her career, dunno why. After watching that video, I kinda started remembering when I watched FNL and felt like giving it a chance. I didn't expect anything, especially not for it to kit me this hard. 

I didn't read the book tho, as I did with the Jessica Simpson's Open Book, I binge listened to the audiobook. It was so good, I listened to the almost 9 hour long audio in just 3 days.

In this book, Minka shares her story being raised by a single mom who used to work as a stripper and dealt with addictions. How they always struggled with money and never felt she had a home. She also talks about love, loss and how she got to the point where she is now. There is so much I didn't know about her. It's weird how sometimes we just think of actors as the characters they play on TV and never really imagine what they go through in their real life.

This book became a little more personal to me when she started talking about her mom getting sick. She died of stomach cancer, and the way she narrated part of it, felt so close to the things we went through when my dad got sick. It made me remember the whole thing, from getting the diagnosis, to losing him. It was hard and it made me cry a lot, I'm not gonna lie. It's still a very sensitive topic.

I really believe she poured her heart and soul in this book. It is very raw, very real and having her narrating it makes it even better. Defo a 10 / 10.

I don't know if these type of autobiographies are your cup of tea but, if they are, I totes recommend this one.

Audiobook bits | Jessica Simpson: Open Book

In the past, part of my New Year's Resolutions was to read more and, it just never happened! At least not often~ What can I say? I'm lazy when it comes to reading books, that's why I've been sticking to reading some manga every now and then. But, even tho it was not a resolution this year, I did finish an audiobook this month; Open Book by Jessica Simpson. It is just easier for me to listen to something while I'm doing other things around the house. Hence my love for podcasts.

When I was younger I was a big Jessica Simpson fan, I wanted to be just like her. It all started when I watched Newlyweds on MTV for the first time. I liked the style, those super high heels, her style and the "perfect" life Nick and Jess seemed to have on their reality show. Oh~ the good old early 2000's.

Of course, after that I became a fan of her music too. I bought her perfumes and albums and even received a bag from her collection not long ago.

This book is not new, it was published back in 2020. It took me a while to pay more attention to it, and I'm not exactly sure what made me want to listen to it but, it was totally worth it. Plus, the audiobook is narrated by her so it feels like listening to stories from a friend. 

In this book, Jessica talks about everything, from starting her career to love, divorce, toxic relationships and her addictions. As someone who grew up looking up to her, it was interesting to see beyond what I saw on TV. Not that I didn't know she was a normal person but, you know, sometimes we think celebrities always have a perfect life. I could relate to her in a different level. I mean, we do have completely different lives but there were some things I could relate to. Like trying to please everyone around us instead of focusing on our own life and feeling absolutely devastated after our parents' divorce even if we werw already "old enough". She had a hard letting go of so many things that made her "happy" in her life, and so do I. So, listening to her story, made me feel validated in a way, if that makes any sense~ It taught me that yeah, it is a hard thing to let go and that sometimes everyone around us moves on but we're stuck because we're afraid of what might come if we let go. But many beautiful things will come once you find the beauty of it.

In the book she talks a lot about God and her beliefs because well, she's the daughter of a former minister but it is not like a religious book. I'm not a believer but it didn't bother me.

I laughed, felt inspired and even cried a little while listening to it. I was binge listening, not even joking. 

And I know that not everyone is interested in this type of books, I wasn't sure if I was going to find it interesting but, if you wanna read/listen to someone sharing wisdom, inspiration and a real woman behind pop-culture, I defo recommend it.

 There is also a sountrack for this book that you can find at the end of the audiobook, it comes with 6 songs, one feat. Willie Nelson.

Anyway guys, that is that for this audiobook recommendation / chit chat kind of thingy. 

See you next time~! ♡