Review: Where Am I Now? by Mara Wilson

A former child actor best known for her starring roles in Matilda and Mrs. Doubtfire, Mara Wilson has always felt a little young and out of place: as the only kid on a film set full of adults, the first daughter in a house full of boys, a Valley girl in New York and a neurotic in California, and a grown-up the world still remembers as a little girl. Tackling everything from what she learned about sex on the set of Melrose Place, to discovering in adolescence that she was no longer “cute” enough for Hollywood, these essays chart her journey from accidental fame to relative (but happy) obscurity. They also illuminate universal struggles, like navigating love and loss, and figuring out who you are and where you belong. Candid, insightful, moving, and hilarious, Where Am I Now? introduces Mara Wilson as a brilliant new chronicler of the experience that is growing up female.

Review: This was a really interesting read. As soon as I saw this book in the bookshops, I knew I had to read it. As I do with most autobiographies/memoirs, I listened to this on audiobook which I downloaded from the library. This was a very interesting read because I've always been a little bit fascinated by Mara Wilson. When you grow up watching somebody in films, really good films that you love and then they just disappear, you really do want to know, where are they now and this book allowed me to answer that questions, along with a few others I had about this actress!

One of the other interesting aspects about this book is that it deals with the subjects of death and anxiety, two very serious subjects, but two which were dealt with honestly and sensitively in this book. Mara talks about the death of her mother, as well as the death of her friend Robin Williams. It is really interesting to hear her talk about these deaths that happened at very different times in her life, and also to hear how differently they affected her. It was also great to hear how honestly she talks about her anxiety, right down to describing her trips to the doctors and how she spoke to her family about it. 

I was also interested to hear how acting at such a young age affected her, how she dealt with school and how she chose which parts to take and which to turn down. All of the different essays in this book contain honesty but also a lot of humour. I really enjoyed listening to Mara tell these stories in her own words, and laughed along with her as she laughed and felt for her when things weren't going so swimmingly. I think that if you enjoy memoirs and autobiographies in general, even if you've not seen many of Wilson's films, you'll enjoy this one because of the structure, the content and the writing. 

To get your copy now click here!

Always with Love by Giovanna Fletcher

Sophie's got used to being the girlfriend of Billy Buskin, the biggest movie star in the world. Sort of. 

But when she and Billy take a trip to visit his family in Los Angeles, she quickly discovers she's totally unprepared for the chaos of Hollywood, the paparazzi and Billy's controlling mother.

And when Billy extends his stay in LA, leaving Sophie to fly home to Rosefont Hill alone, it seems there's more than just miles between them. 

Now Sophie must decide if they can overcome their differences for good. Because not every love story lasts the distance . . .



Review: This was a nice, cosy read that I listened to on a long car journey and finished off sitting in the garden in the sunshine, it is the perfect time of year for this book to be resealed because it really is a lovely one to read in the sunshine, wherever you are! This book is a sequel but you definitely don';t have to have read the first book in order to enjoy this one, there are lots of little catch-ups along the way, meaning that you find out what has gone before for Sophie and Billy and you don't have to have insider knowledge from the first book, or indeed the Xmas special! It is also good if, like me, you read a lot of books and you need your memory jogging of what happened with an event in the previous novel. I will say that I feel that I had a bit more depth of knowledge of the characters, having read Billy and Me, but my mum (who was listening with me) hadn't read Billy and Me and knew what was going on just fine!

I really liked catching up with these characters again, I found Sophie just as relatable as before. Billy of course was as charming as ever, although I did get quite a selfish edge to him during this reading, I don't think I liked him quite as much as I did in the previous novel... The real gem of this book for me was new addition Lauren, Billy's sister. She is a real breath of fresh air and is a massive fan of Sophie's. She becomes a real key player in this book and I really enjoyed getting to know here. We also see newcomers Rachel and Peter who really mix things up, along with the other members of Billy's family, It was interesting to see how these new characters fitted in with the characters we already know and love.

Although the storyline was somewhat predictable, I took comfort in that. I enjoyed the fact that I could see where it was going. There was a similar pattern to the previous novel and plenty of drama and emotion all of the way through. Thankfully there weren't too many weepy moments and definitely some laugh out loud moments. I'm not sure how young Sophie is meant to be portrayed but the way she deals with some of the things that are thrown at her she seems to be less worldly than I would imagine her to be. The storyline as a whole had a particular resonance for me because of the fact that it deals with a relationship which must survive the distance of the Atlantic, I was just jealous because Billy obviously has enough money to fly whenever he wants and I don't!

All in all this was a nice read, I enjoyed the audiobook and I would definitely recommend it being on your TBR this summer!