Mommywood

Title:
Mommywood
Author:
Tori Spelling with Hilary Liftin (90% certain link to Ms Liftin is correct)
Publisher:
Simon & Schuster
Length:
243 pages


One of the best pieces of advice I have received was from a journalism lecturer who told me that even ministers still get up and take a dump first thing in the morning (may have been paraphrased and censored). Charming though I thought the advice was, I was unable to shake my reverence for and thus nervousness about interviewing politicians.

Mommywood has not, I suspect, cured me of this issue. However, it has given me some insight into how those who I might look up to, respect and go weak at the knees for (in the same way many might feel about actual celebrities) might feel about both my feelings about them and the behaviour manifesting in me as a result.

I was wondering whether this particular book might feel frivolous given the reason for the blog (and am happy to take commentary) and that I might need a make up book as a result. I also wondered whether Ms Spelling had someone ghost the book entirely.

The book may have been a frivolous choice but it still opened my eyes to the lives of others. Though, even if I have a baby girl, I don’t think I’m going to take her shopping (probably at all) for her first time at Neiman Marcus followed by Neil Lane – far less offer her a fashion parade of me wearing either Christian Dior or Alice and Olivia (neither of which, I’m pretty sure, are in my price range). However, it is refreshing to know that those who exude the kind of charm and confidence Ms Spelling exude still have moments where they just don’t fit in – whether it be to a neighbourhood or a conversation.

Ms Spelling’s observations, though at times less than sophisticated in written form, about life, people and humanity are touching and feel quite genuine. It might be a cliché but I did laugh, I did cry and I did genuinely feel that the person writing was just that, a person. I suspect that Ms Liftin did not ghost the whole book. But, if she did, she did an excellent job of making the reader feel at home in Tori Spelling’s life.

I find myself surprised in suggesting that I would recommend this book. It’s not particularly deep, but once you get past the lack of the word ‘of’ (perhaps an Americanism) and some of the oddities of celebrity life it is human and a very good read.


Things I learned:

• Swimming nappies exist (can’t get over that one)
  
• If you are a celebrity, you don’t need to know another celebrity to: invite them to your party; to be invited to their party; or, to expect everyone invited to show up (= mad)
  
• Pugs look good in pink (?)
  
• Without knowing what it really is, I now have a craving for red velvet cake.
  

Kate Ratings
Content:
4 out of 10
Depth:
3 out of 10
Writing:
2 out of 10
Enjoyment/Entertainment/Education:
Entertainment
Challenge of material:
6 out of 10 (though that may be partly as I am not American and also because I am not a celebrity)

Ultimate rating:
5 out of 10