My friend stumbled upon my blog for the first time the other day and said she really liked my Year in Books review and she found a good read from my post that she’s currently enjoying. It reminded me that as challenging as it sometimes is for me to write about books (English major PTSD?), I find the majority of books I really like from friends’ recommendations. Thus, I’m going to try to do a better job of highlighting what I’m reading on my blog this year.

Now: I’m finishing up Leah Remini’s Trouble Maker. It’s rare that I can’t put down a nonfiction book, but the actress’s tell-all about her experience in the Church of Scientology has been a page-turner. It should be noted that I’m fascinated by stories about people who live for decades as part of an extreme religious group and then leave the community. Remini’s tale is even more riveting than those I’ve read about the Amish or the Hasidism, perhaps because her story includes many A-list celebrities who are associated with the faith. Also, her BFF is J-Lo (not a Scientologist) , and who doesn’t want to read what J-Lo is really like? If you’ve ever wondered what the deal is with those people on Hollywood Boulevard who ask if you want to take a personality test, I highly recommend this book.

Then: I FINALLY finished Dickie Arbiter’s On Duty with the Queen. After obsessively watching The Crown, my friend and I NEEDED. MORE. We saw a suggested reading list for fans of the show and decided to have a little book club about the Queen. This first title that we picked was meh. Reading about Princess Diana from the perspective of someone who knew her intimately was a delight. The behind-the-scenes look into the days spent planning her untimely funeral was heart-wrenching, but admittedly fascinating. Unfortunately, there was too much time spent on the author’s personal history, which I didn’t find as interesting as his profession and thus made the book drag for me.

Next? There’s a part of me that wants to continue down the rabbit hole of Scientology exposés. Going Clear or Beyond Belief are two intriguing possibilities. But I also have Veronica Roth’s new Carve the Mark burning a hole on my shelf.

What does your Week in Books look like?

Writing Prompt: 3. Book Review!

This post is also linked to #TWIB.

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