Just for the Record by Geri Halliwell

Just for the Record by Geri Halliwell

I was never a Ginger fan for some reason, so on my recent Spice Girls kick, I wanted to be fair and read everyone’s books (who has one, that I could find, yada yada yada).

I have to say, this book did make me like Geri a lot! It was really interesting to hear about her personal life and post-Spice career. I hadn’t followed that, so I looked up some of the songs mentioned in the book and liked them - ESPECIALLY her 2000 Brits Award performance - epic!

She’s still not my favorite Spice but I think that’s ingrained in me from the 90s by this point, so I’ll just say I do recommend this book for Spice Girl fans and think it’s a quality celebrity memoir.

Brutally Honest by Melanie Brown

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEL B! Now let's talk about your book.

I recently got on a Spice Girls kick after listening to their albums, remembering how amazing they were, and realizing I’ve never read any of their memoirs! Mel B had me tearing up from the first page with her honesty about her marriage, insecurities, and struggle to overcome everything. She said it was hard to act like an empowered woman with this happening behind the scenes but I think sharing it now makes her more empowered and relatable than ever before.

It jumps around a lot and in some places is difficult to follow the thread. I kept having to google some of her relationships to grasp the timeline and files the stories from the book into the right place. However, she's open about ADHD and Paris Hilton was the same in her memoir, so I can appreciate the authenticity of feeling like you're getting inside the people's minds.

Selfishly, I wanted a lot more information about the Spice Girls days, but this is Mel B's book and it focuses more on her personal life and relationships, especially her abusive marriage. I just need to get my hands on Catch a Fire from 2003 which apparently covers her early fame.

Still, this was a compelling read and I can't wait to find her earlier book, along with others by Spice Girls.

Beginners Welcome by Cindy Baldwin

Thanks to @kidlitexchange and Harper Books for sharing Beginners Welcome by Cindy Baldwin. This book publishes on February 11, 2020, so go ahead and add it to your wishlist! You won’t want to miss out on this touching, inspiring story.

Annie Lee’s home life hasn’t been the same since her daddy died, and that’s not just because it seems like his spirit is still lingering in the apartment. Annie Lee’s mom works long hours, and since Annie Lee’s friends didn’t know how to relate after her dad’s death, Annie Lee finds herself alone, wrapped in her invisibility cloak. While she searches for things to keep her busy after school, she meets someone who might help her rekindle the love of music that faded after her dad died. Add into the mix a girl who reaches out to her at school, and Annie Lee finds herself wondering if she should let people in again, even if she’s worried about getting hurt again.

The magical realism aspects of this book are faint, so I wouldn’t push it into the fantasy genre, but I do think they added an interesting layer to this story.