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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
Her life told in stories, she is fascinating. Happy her life has turned out so well. A former wild child to a still hippy but happy and successful mom, actress and business woman.
The stories include
Growing up in West Hollywood. Avocado tree, bougainvillea and bird of paradise After ET move to the Valley. Sherman oaks age 7
Adrenaline junkie. With Cameron Diaz. Charlie’s angers. Skydiving.
Her dad, her rough relationship with him, but finding a way to be with him. But being with him when he died.
Court to be an adult at 14. And learning on her own. Funny stories of her learning to make a home and take care of herself.
Taurus: Her daughter, her mom, Nan her best friend and family. Married Jimmy Fallon.
Growing up. Finding herself. Dave letterman.
Her company. Adam Sandler movies and how they started.
The ET experience.
Senior cruise in Mediterranean with her best friend and their crazy adventures.
Being a parent. Letters to Olive and Frankie
RV trip.
Charlie’s Angels and Outward Bound.
UN ambassador. School in Africa.
Spoiler
The stories include
Growing up in West Hollywood. Avocado tree, bougainvillea and bird of paradise After ET move to the Valley. Sherman oaks age 7
Adrenaline junkie. With Cameron Diaz. Charlie’s angers. Skydiving.
Her dad, her rough relationship with him, but finding a way to be with him. But being with him when he died.
Court to be an adult at 14. And learning on her own. Funny stories of her learning to make a home and take care of herself.
Taurus: Her daughter, her mom, Nan her best friend and family. Married Jimmy Fallon.
Growing up. Finding herself. Dave letterman.
Her company. Adam Sandler movies and how they started.
The ET experience.
Senior cruise in Mediterranean with her best friend and their crazy adventures.
Being a parent. Letters to Olive and Frankie
RV trip.
Charlie’s Angels and Outward Bound.
UN ambassador. School in Africa.
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
I enjoyed this book a lot. It felt really authentic. I felt like I was peeking into the mind of a person. Their feelings. Their language so apparent and vocal. So honest. It's rare that someone can reflect on such hard times and still love everything they went through.
funny
inspiring
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Best read through audiobook if you like Drew Barrymore because it’ll feel like you’re having a conversation about her life and get all the emotion she put in to her book. Also if you enjoy hearing about the movie industry you’ll enjoy hearing her side of how she went through certain experiences and her interactions to other celebs.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Joyful set of essays telling stories from Drew's life. I didn't know any about her personal life before reading this, so it was a good intro. The writing style may utilize a few too many exclamation points and have some typos, but the genuine feel of the prose shines through.
I liked the voice, I liked the stories about her life and the people she met along the way, and the behind the scenes looks at some of the movies she made. Sometimes it had a little too much message for me. Not that I disagreed with most of it, I just did not enjoy that part so much. I disliked her views on work and how we have to „kill ourselves“ for it. That is not how I see it. Her life does sound interesting and full, but also really stressful. I would not want to live like that, but am very glad for her having arrived at a stage of her life where she seems happy.
I enjoyed listening to her recount vignettes from her life. Some were more relatable than others. And some definitely brought back memories of my childhood and college years. The chapter that included the bit about the Simpsons had me crying in my car.
Learn new things about Drew Barrymore's free-spirit-turned-good-girl life.
“I love my life and it takes every step to get to where you are, and if you are happy, then God bless the hard times it took you to get there. No life is without them, so what are yours, and what did you do with the lessons? That is the only way to live.”
Pros: Drew has a very positive outlook on life, especially considering her crazy, child-star upbringing.
Cons: Drew thinks outside the box, including the haphazard way she organized her memoir (of sorts).
I think her transition from bad girl to girl-next-door would have been more obvious had she told her stories in some sort of chronological order. But perhaps that was intentional.
I do love her outlook on the single-life:
“It's ironic that we rush through being "single" as if it's some disease or malady to get rid of or overcome. The truth is, most likely, one day you will meet someone and it will be gone. And once it's gone, it's really gone! Why does no one tell us how important it is to enjoy being single and being by yourself? That time is defining and amazing and nothing to "sure". It is being alone that will actually set you up the best for being with someone else.”
Audiobook notes: She did narrate her own book - it wouldn't be fitting otherwise - but she went a little overboard with some of her effects. It was a bit over-dramatic, even for an actress.
“I love my life and it takes every step to get to where you are, and if you are happy, then God bless the hard times it took you to get there. No life is without them, so what are yours, and what did you do with the lessons? That is the only way to live.”
Pros: Drew has a very positive outlook on life, especially considering her crazy, child-star upbringing.
Cons: Drew thinks outside the box, including the haphazard way she organized her memoir (of sorts).
I think her transition from bad girl to girl-next-door would have been more obvious had she told her stories in some sort of chronological order. But perhaps that was intentional.
I do love her outlook on the single-life:
“It's ironic that we rush through being "single" as if it's some disease or malady to get rid of or overcome. The truth is, most likely, one day you will meet someone and it will be gone. And once it's gone, it's really gone! Why does no one tell us how important it is to enjoy being single and being by yourself? That time is defining and amazing and nothing to "sure". It is being alone that will actually set you up the best for being with someone else.”
Audiobook notes: She did narrate her own book - it wouldn't be fitting otherwise - but she went a little overboard with some of her effects. It was a bit over-dramatic, even for an actress.