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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Scrappy Little Nobody in Books

Feb 1, 2018  
Scrappy Little Nobody
Scrappy Little Nobody
Anna Kendrick | 2016 | Biography
6
8.0 (13 Ratings)
Book Rating
Anna Kendrick has been acting (and singing) since childhood, and her autobiography chronicles her growth as an actress and person, as told in little snippets and essays. Grouped in assorted themes, we hear from various stages of Anna's life, spanning her childhood to present day, and learn how Anna, a tiny scrappy kid, became a famous, Oscar-nominated actress. The book touches on her fame, as well as her personal thoughts and feelings.

I've always enjoyed Kendrick and have seen several of her films (and heard her sing about a million times, thanks to my young children and the popularity of the film, <i>Trolls</i>) but didn't know a lot about her early career. Her autobiography does a good job of filling in some of the gaps of Anna's childhood career (working on Broadway at twelve - who knew?!), but isn't told in any chronological order, so we don't get a sense of any real span of her career from Point A to B. Most of the book is told in short little bits. Many of them are quite funny stories, and there are some truly laugh out loud moments. In many cases, Kendrick is a very relatable person, who seems like the type of friend you'd like to hang out with. At other points, she seemed a bit whiny, and for me, the book spent too much time with her protesting about some of the travails of being in the celebrity industry. I can only take so much "woe is me" from famous people who write books about their lives.

The book is on more solid ground when we're reading about Anna's early life, where you gain a true admiration for her talent, and with her silly and snarky stories about her misanthropic personality (misanthropes unite!). Still, the jumping back and forth in time makes it hard to get a true trace on the arc of her life at times, and beyond some of the complaining and expounding on the travails of award shows, press junkets, and the like, there wasn't as much about her post-fame life as I was interested in.

If you like Kendrick's films, or her twitter feed, you'll probably enjoy the book and its organization, even if you find yourself wishing for a little more at the end. She's led an interesting life so far, and I'm sure another autobiography down the road would be quite intriguing.
  
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BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated Brentwood's Ward (The Bow Street Runners #1) in Books

Jan 2, 2019  
BW
Brentwood's Ward (The Bow Street Runners #1)
Michelle Griep | 2015
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
When your future, your life, is on the line, who would you turn to for strength?

London, 1807. Emily Payne is caught up with thoughts about the upcoming ball and securing a husband. Little does she know that the security of her future is as obtainable as the distant stars. Nicholas Brentwood, a Bow Street Officer, has been hired to protect Emily during her father’s absence. His only goal is to complete the job and receive the payment so that he can take care of his sister, Jenny. When their lives collide with murder, kidnapping and scandal, they must rely on God to save and protect them. “God’s the One in control, not you.” There have been many times in my life that I have had to remind myself of these very words. When your life begins to spin uncontrollably, you can rest assure that God will be with you every step of the way.

Brentwood’s Ward is a very unique story. Giving us a glimpse into the lives of the very first police officers. I had no knowledge of how the police came to be until I read this book. Michelle Griep has captured 1800s London in a way that I have not read before. I could not put this book down! I was on the edge of my seat (quite literally) for a good portion of the time. The depth of emotion is tangible in our leading characters. I believe that almost anyone can relate to the people in this story. For they have seen it all. “No one escapes this life without scars. Not even God.” A true reminder that everyone in this life faces trials and heartache, even God.

I received a free digital edition of Brentwood’s Ward from Barbour Publishing Inc. through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.