pickOk, so I‘m on a celebrity memoir, author-read audiobook tour (of my own making) and I had no idea what I was getting myself into with this book. Paris is unbelievably honest and vulnerable. There is so much to unpack and I don‘t know where to begin unpacking. I wish I read this as part of a book club.
I didn‘t get to do a huge amount of outdoor sit-n-read earlier because it was kinda cold, with impending rain. (Three cheers for my superlight umbrella!) I did start another Jackie Lau novella in front of this ruin, though! The wall was part of a 16th century townhouse that was destroyed in the 1940 bombings. Behind me, a post-war building has incorporated the townhouse‘s chapel, which looks mostly intact.
pickThis was a fascinating look into the lives of fictional child stars!
The story follows three child stars as they navigate fame and all that comes with it. The book is broken up into 3 parts, with each part taking place during a different decade (2006-2008, 2018, and 2028), so we got to see the characters age and grow.
Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/04/07/review-when-stars-align/
Today I walked 16.75 km around Versailles, with occasional stops to read bits of THE SITCOM STAR. It‘s cute, and I continue to loooooove how Jackie Lau doesn‘t Americanize her work in the slightest. Y‘all will appreciate that my tolerance for Americanization is currently at an all-time low, which is saying something.
My sandwich was great, too. Honestly, the bread from my cheap grocery store is better, but the filling was SO TASTY.
so-soI was a big fan of Full House growing up although not a big fan of the character Stephanie Tanner, I still wanted to see what led to her downfall after coming from one of the most wholesome shows on TV. It was a fast read, nothing truly eye opening. Just another childhood star falling into a downward spiral. A few interesting tidbits on Full House were revealed but other than that it was kind of a lackluster story.
Mixed reviews on this one. It‘s time I either #ReadOrDonate
bailedI tried a few times and made it about 30% into the book before I bailed. The concept was intriguing and I wanted to like it, but I just found my mind wandering every time I turned it on.
pickThis is a fantastic example of a familiar story elevated by great writing and art. We‘ve all been exposed to ‘middling celebrity abducted by fan/stalker‘ stories, and they are usually pretty mediocre. This one is a banger! Well-thought-out observations of the relationship between fame and fandom, coupled with an adaptive art style that changes according to mood and suspense level. Worth checking out!
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