Smashed by Koren Zailckas

    The back of Smashed by Koren Zailckas reads:

   "The summer Koren Zailckas turns fourteen she is standing in the kitchen of her best friend Natalie's house, dripping wet after a swim in the lake. With a sly grin. Natalie emerges from a cupboard holding a bottle of Southern Comfort. With one stiff sip, Zailckas is initiated into the world of drinking. From then on, she will drink faithfully, frantically. In high school, her experimentation will lead to a stomach pumping at age sixteen. In college, her excess will give way to a pattern of self-poisoning that will grown more destructive with each year. At age twenty-two, Zailckas will wake up in an unfamiliar apartment in New York City, elbow her friend who is passed out next to her, and ask, "Where are we?" Smashed is a sober look at how she got there and, after years of blackouts and smashups, what it took for her to realize she had to stop drinking.
    An instant bestseller and a crucial book for any young woman growing up under the allure of booze, or for anyone who is concerned about someone locked in a pattern of dangerous drinking, Smashed  is eye-opening, wise, utterly gripping, and destined to become a classic." 

    This book was very interesting to me because I have never experienced alcohol like Koren. She was an abuser of alcohol where as I really don't care for it too much. I've had some drunken nights where I made stupid decisions but never in high school, college, or after have I drank like Koren ever did. I never really had a big interest in alcohol because both grandfathers were alcoholics and my sister had some problems with alcohol in college and honestly it scared me. Koren's story is definitely one that should be read by young adults of the dangers of alcohol. It's one thing to read or watch an ad about underage drinking but to read about someone's personal experience can be eye opening. Reading the book I was scared for thing that were going to happen to her in the state that she was in. I'm surprised honestly that she didn't get into more trouble then she did. Alcohol has become a joke and a social staple but it can be a big demon if not careful. I feel for Koren and what she has gone through in life and hope people really understand her story so they can have a different story than hers.

    This book has been out for a couple of years. It came out in 2005 when I was in high school which is when I bought this book. In high school, I started to read it but didn't even make it past the first chapter because I couldn't relate to her story. It didn't make sense to me since I wasn't having the same hunger for alcohol. Now as an adult I understand her story more. Have you read this book? Did you have similar experiences as Koren or were yours more low key like mine?

Thanks for being here,

Curious Reader xo



Blonde Ops by Charlotte Bennardo and Natalie Zaman

    This book had a lot of twists to it and I don't want to give anything away so I'm just going to copy the inside cover that describes the book perfectly...

 

    "The rules don't mean much to sixteen-year-old Bec Jackson. After being expelled from yet another boarding school, Bec is shipped off to Rome to intern for Parker Phillips, the editor in chief of one of the world's top fashion magazines. But when a mysterious accident lands Parker in a coma, former supermodel and notorious drama queen Candance Worthington takes the reins of the magazine. The First Lady is in Rome for a cover shoot, and all hands are on deck to make sure her visit goes smoothly.

    Bec quickly realizes that Parker's "accident" may not have been quite so accidental, and when the First Lady's life is threatened, too, Bec is determined to uncover the truth. On top of that, Bec must contend with catty models; her new boss, Candace, who is just as difficult as the tabloids say she is; and two guys- a hunky Italian bike messenger with a thousand-watt smile and a fashion blogger with a razor-sharp wit- who are both vying for her heart.

    Can Bec catch the person who is after the First Lady, solve the mystery of Parker's accident, and juggle two cute boys at the same time? Blonde Ops is a fun, action-packed romp through the hallways of a fashion magazine and the cobblestone streets of Rome."

 

 

    This book was honestly better than I expected it to be. I chose this book to read on a long flight because I thought it would be entertaining enough to capture my attention the whole flight and it did just that and more. The lady in the seat next to me was trying to make conversation and I just wanted to keep reading. I couldn't wait to turn the page to see what else would happen and what Bec would discover next. Some of it was predictable and other parts not so much. I wish there was a squeal, I would run out and buy it right now. There is one thing that bothered me during the book and that was Bec's style. It bothered me because I was trying to picture her in my head and part of the story she seemed like a rough edge rocker girl and the next she was a girly girl who loved dresses and heels. Maybe I missed something in it.

 

    Another thing that I thought was off was her hacking skills. It seemed like she was a pretty legit hacker in the beginning but they didn't really expand on it that much in the book. I would think they would have made her do more hacking then she did in the book. Even with those minor issues I apparently didn't get, I really liked this book. I think it's a great read if you are looking for a young adult book with some mystery.

 

 

 

Thanks for being here,

Curious Reader xo



You'll Never Nanny in This Town Again by Suzanne Hansen

    You'll Never Nanny in This Town Again by Suzanne Hansen is a book about Suzanne's nanny adventures in Hollywood. Suzanne nanny for some big Hollywood celebrities. She writes about the behind the scene in Hollywood. She talks about what life is really like for some big actors. It may look like they drive their own child to school and play at the park but most likely there is a whole fleet of staff doing the majority of work.

 

    I think most people know that a lot of hands on moms in Hollywood probably aren't all that hands on as say a normal mom. Celebrities have a nanny, chefs, housekeepers, gardeners, and assistants. I enjoyed that Suzanne shared a behind the scene look into the Hollywood lifestyle. In the end of the book she is a nanny for an actor in a show I used to love. Well I still love it but it's not on air anymore, anyways, she talked about being on set and what the cast did. It was cool to learn more about a show I grew up watching.

 

    Besides the inside look behind closed doors of Hollywood big shots I thought the book was just ok. If you are writing a book about a job you weren't appreciated for then obviously the author is going to complain. One family that she was a nanny for did not treat her like part of the family and she was extremely upset about it. I can understand why she would feel that way since she is the main caregiver for the children but at the same time I understand the family's side as well. She is a staff member, someone they are paying to take care of their child not to be part of the family. I understand both sides but sometime I just wanted to tell young Suzanne that things could be far worse for her.

 

Thanks for being here,

Curious Reader xo