New Releases (& reviews!)

Tuesdays are always so exciting because new books are released into the world for everyone to enjoy! This Tuesday has some hot ticket items out that I cannot wait to read or get physical copies of the ones I’ve already read!

Queen Meryl: I love Meryl Streep. when I tell you i love her, i mean i LOVE her. As an actor myself, Meryl Streep has brought me countless inspiration through her work and in her daily life. I wish i could live a life without social media, like Meryl. I enjoyed this book. It didn't grab me the same way as Michael Schulman's Her Again, but in Carlson's defense, this book is more about Meryl's work than her life. As a young actor, i look up to Meryl as a goddess of stage and screen, so i was pleasantly surprised to learn about the struggles of her career and the films she was in that i have not seen. In fact, the night I finished this book I immediately wanted to watch Julie&Julia for the millionth time. The next day, I started knocking the few off my list that I hadn't seen yet. 

Carlson is a hilarious writer, and what makes this book so special is her specific voice and obvious admiration for its subject. I really enjoyed the "intermission" moments sprinkled throughout chapters and the very specific quotes Meryl said in relation to her films. The structure works really well. 

The only issue I can foresee is that I think you need to really love Meryl to read this book. There is a lot of information packed in its pages. Seriously, i thought i had 20% of the book left but finished it faster because the last percentage was just a bibliography (which i appreciated). 

Carlson is a brilliant, funny writer and her unique style serves Meryl's legendary status. Film lovers, actors, and anyone who loved Mamma Mia! will get a kick out of this book.

And the other queen of my life, Jonathan Van Ness, releases his book today! I cannot WAIT to listen to this one on audio! 

Did you catch the 60 Minutes interview with Chanel Miller on Sunday night? Talk about powerful. I am definitely going to pick up a hard copy of her book, Know My Name. I am so incredibly grateful for this work she has created and I know it going to help so many people. But if you think it could be triggering for you, please take care of yourself and read with caution!

Thank you to the publishers for the gifted copies of these books!