Book Review - More than Words by Mia Sheridan

 

More than Words by Mia Sheridan is about two young kids who fall in love and then meet years later. Eleven year old Jessica Creswell likes to believe in fairy tales and loves pretending that her life is a fairytale instead of the mess that it is currently. Her home life is fraught with her parents constantly fighting and bickering.  Her philandering father makes no effort to hide his affairs and her mother is in constant heartache. Jessica’s mother is so desperate for her husband to love her that she even tries to bring the kids into the mix. She would bring the kids to the hotels that her husband is staying in so the kids can see their father cheat on their mom.

Jessica wanders around her city to avoid spending time at home. She crosses paths with Callen Hayes when exploring the railroad tracks. She feels that he is her broken prince as he is also running away from something. Together, the pair find refuge with each other. Their hideout becomes their safe space from their troubled lives. They could be with each other and be themselves without any judgment. Things were going great until one day, Callen kissed her. It was Jessica’s first kiss and then he just disappeared from her world.

Years later, Callen Hayes went from the troubled boy from the wrong side of the tracks to a “somebody”. He is a famous composer and an infamous ladies man. The press loves to follow him and to witness his drunken antics.  Callen is troubled by his inner demons and he is usually able to quiet them with his music. However, lately he has been having issues with writing music which causes him to spiral out of control.

Callen’s agent decides that he needs some time off to recuperate and get his groove back. So, Callen and his friend decide to go to France to revel in the city. He wants to drink and sleep his way through the city. As Callen falls deeper into the darkness within himself, he crosses paths with Jessica. Jessica was the one who introduced Callen to music and inspired him. Callen feels drawn to her and hopes that she can inspire him to write again. However, the pair couldn’t be more different from each other. Will they be able to put their past hurt behind them?

I thought the book was an okay read but I didn’t care for it. It didn’t really have any unexpected twists or turns or plot points that weren't easy to guess. I did find it annoying in the book when Jessica was portrayed as innocent and Callen was the bad boy. That she had to save herself for him — couldn’t she also have been in a previous relationship and still be innocent? I also didn’t like that she kept calling him “my prince”, and then saying she would save him. To me, it made her character seem weak and more often than not. They both needed professional help, not “saving” by each other. I can’t say that I liked any of the characters in the book. The book also had a side plot of an ancient love story that Jessica was translating for work. I found myself more interested in that story than Jessica’s and Callen’s story line. 

The book also has things that don't seem plausible or made little sense to me. One of the main characters isn’t able to read. I find that hard to believe as someone who went to school and was born in the States couldn’t recognize any letters or words. How do they continue passing grades in school? Then during the end of one love scene, they just flushed a condom down the toilet. Almost everyone knows especially, a sex addict like Callen, that it doesn't make sense to do. Then Callen is a famous musical composer who is on the front page of every tabloid and international sensation. I have watched award shows and read the tabloids  but I can’t tell you a single time I have seen any musical composer who isn’t a singer featured. Personally, the book just seems like a fluff nonsensical read.

Book Review - How to American: An Immigrant's Guide to Disappointing Your Parents by Jimmy O. Yang

 

How to American: An Immigrant's Guide to Disappointing Your Parents by Jimmy O. Yang is a memoir from a stand up comic and actor about his journey into show business. Jimmy and his family emigrated from Hong Kong to Los Angeles when he was 13. He didn’t know nor understand American culture. He learned English by watching BET and trying to emulate others around him.

His parents wanted him to pursue a prestigious career such as a doctor, lawyer, or working in finance.  Instead, Jimmy went against his parents’ wishes and decided to pursue a career in stand up comedy. He realized that it was better to disappoint his family than spend his entire life in regret for not choosing a career that he loved.

Jimmy narrates his journey from leaving a career path that his parents wanted to his dream job. The path wasn’t as straightforward and prosperous as he hoped. Even though he had a few standup gigs, he still wasn’t able to afford rent. Jimmy even took a job as a strip club DJ in hopes of making rent.

I am familiar with Jimmy O. Yang and saw a few episodes of the HBO series “Silicon Valley” in which he appeared. He was funny in the show and his humor shines through in his memoir, including the photos with funny captions. It was interesting to learn about his journey and family but there were a few things that I was surprised to learn, like him working as a strip club DJ.

While the book was a funny read, it was light on some details. He mentions that he had a brother and his mother went back to Hong Kong to pursue her own dreams but they rarely made an appearance meanwhile he did get repetitive with a few of stories. I was surprised that when he goes into detail about some of his life, he didn’t provide any insights or introspect.  It was surprising that Jimmy expected to hit it big without having prior acting experience or training. I don’t have any experience in the field but it seems like a cutthroat business and not surprising when he wasn’t booking anything if he didn’t have the experience/training.

I felt that the ending was disappointing, it was basically how he started the book. I wish there was something more to explain about his future plans or goals. I am a little confused by the title, was this supposed to be a self-help book or a guide for immigrant kids or immigrant parents? Or perhaps, was it a tale to prove that sometimes going against your parents’ wishes, one can still end up successful? If you are a fan of Jimmy, then you might enjoy the book as it’s filled with his adventures and it’s a quick read.

Book Review - The Girls in the Picture by Melanie Benjamin

 

It's 1914, and twenty-five-year-old Frances Marion is ready for a change. She left her second husband and Northern California for the lure of Los Angeles. She is determined to live independently and follow her own dreams. While trying to decide what she wants to focus on, Marion comes across something called "flickers". Flickers is a new silent movie capturing the hearts and attention of people. 

Frances believes it's her calling to take part of this fledgling industry. She is excited that she is able to write stories for people to view. Marion is besotted when she makes the acquaintance of actress Mary Pickford and befriends her. Mary is known for her signature golden curls and her charm. She is known to people as "America's Sweetheart".

When their ambitions gets challenged by men around them and the limitations imposed on their gender, they realize  success comes at a price. Mary is the world's highest paid actress and she struggles to live the life she wants under the spotlight. She is afraid of losing her fans but, when she finds herself in love with a fellow actor Douglas Fairbanks, she has to decide if she is willing to lose her fame for love. Frances longs to share her life with someone but, she's afraid that she would have to give up her career.

At first I was really enjoying the novel and learning more about the two women. However, towards the middle of the book, I felt like the novel became boring and repetitive. I felt like the author tried describing how things might have happened but, failed to talk about how the characters really felt until the very end of the book. I felt like the book would have been better if it was shorter and had character development. I did like reading about their accomplishments and their experience in the industry.