Open Book
Written by Jessica Simpson
Pop culture in the early naughts was epic. It seemed like a more innocent time when we could all be scandalized by what Britney was up to, make questionable fashion (and romantic) choices without record of social media, and not be ashamed to hum “tell me why” to ourselves while grocery shopping. Seriously though, that song is timeless. While I was never really a fan of Jessica Simpson, I was looking forward to reliving my youth while reading the first of the pop star autobiographies of this era. This book definitely delivers and I was surprised by how candid it was about everything from abuse to addiction to having an emotional affair with Johnny Knoxville as her first marriage crumbled. The book also confirmed that my intuition is finely-tuned as I always suspected John Mayer was a dick.
Favourite line: “Get down the box from the top shelf of the emotional closet and marvel at the things that used to mean so much. The keepsakes of our mistakes, the souvenirs of lost years. But you know when to start making new memories with people who deserve the you that you are now.”
A Good Wife: Escaping the Life I Never Chose
Written by Samra Zafar
Arranged, sometimes forced, marriage is a foreign concept to most in the West. Acknowledging my own ignorance, up until a few years ago I didn’t realize it was still in practice. This autobiography details the high pressure and coercion faced by the author at the age of seventeen to marry a man she hadn’t previously met and the subsequent aftermath of years of abuse she endured all to maintain appearances in a community led by caste and societal interdependence. Her strength and perseverance win out at the end making this a tough read with a (thankfully) happy ending.
Favourite line: “But I’ve learned that diminishing my own fire does no one any service. I will get from my life what I feel I deserve. And if nothing else, I’ll be happier being myself than trying to fit into a box to satisfy others.”
Under the Banner of Heaven
Written by Jon Krakauer
This is the third book I’ve read by my new favourite author. The story and tone are different than his most famous works of individuals attempting to conquer the wild, but this is no less immersive a tale — the focus of Under the Banner of Heaven is the inception of the Mormon faith, its violent history across the landscape of an evolving nation, the belief that polygamy is the right of men, and how it all has influenced religious belief and zealots in the modern age. This is not a light read, but definitely one that will have you pondering the nature of religious belief.
Favourite line: “I was just on a quest,” he insists. “A quest to find the truth.”