Book Review: You Have No Idea

I've always liked Vanessa Williams so when I received a copy of this book for the BlogHer book review, I dove right in and started reading.

I was impressed that she started talking about the Miss America/nude photo scandal right at the beginning of the book and didn't really pull any punches. She admits what she did, why she was naive (and a little rebellious) and what she regrets. 


But let's face it, she probably wouldn't have had such an extensive career post-pageant without this notoriety. She has tons of talent and this scandal helped make her a household name. It was interesting how she very much emphasized that she wasn't a pageant princess. She was a drama student with lots of training who entered the pageants for scholarships.


Williams is very open and honest in her book perhaps to a fault. Really, I don't need to know where your children were conceived and how you rushed into two marriages because you were pregnant. 


I did love the counterpart of advice from her no-nonsense mother starting the chapters. I wish there was more of Helen's side of the story told throughout the book. It really seems to me if Vanessa listened to her mother a little more she might have had a happier personal life. 


I think it's great that Vanessa tries to keep her blended family happy from two coasts. It's gotta be awkward at times to have two ex-husbands at the dinner table for Christmas. But is the only thing she cooks lasagna? She mentions that lasagna a lot. 


I wish there was more insight about her music career, her work singing Disney themes, her time on Broadway. It felt like the book skimmed through those twenty years to make quick mention of her most recent projects: Ugly Betty and Desperate Housewives. 


Join in on the discussion at BlogHer Book Club.


This is a paid review of You Have No Idea by  Vanessa Williams and Helen Williams for the Blog Her Book Club. All opinions expressed are mine.

Book Review: The Magic Room

Don't judge a book by its cover. Or maybe the lackluster cover is a good reflection of the shop featured in the book. From the outside, the former bank building that houses Becker's Bridal is nothing fancy. But inside are thousands of wedding dresses, a staff with decades of experience, a mirror that has captured the reflection of hundreds of thousands of future brides, and countless stories.


The introduction did not grab my attention and was pretty weighty. I kept on reading. Once the first chapter began, Zaslow's conversational writing style and keen observations totally got me interested.

Zaslow follows eight brides through their process of finding a wedding dress. Along the way, we meet their families and their fiancées. Not every story has a picture perfect ending.

I loved how he balanced these stories with real-life facts and figures. This isn't a romance novel. This isn't about one bride finding "the one" for a dress and a groom. It's a very good look at the bridal gown industry. He illustrates the changes in the bridal business over the last 50 years or so. Now brides expect to be waited on, fawned upon and be the "princess for a day". Brides can take cell phone photos of dresses and then search the internet for lower priced knockoffs. In the 50s, parents bought the dress and often had the final say and in the 30s dresses were often handed down from sister to cousin to neighbor.

I also enjoyed how he came back to each bride at the end of the book to share details of their weddings and often a photo of the bride in her Becker's dress. He features women with very different stories and backgrounds. I found it an interesting coincidence how many of the fathers worked in packaging.

I especially liked getting to know Shelley, the current owner and granddaughter of the indomitable Grandma Eva who founded the shop, along with her mother and daughter who also work in the shop. They have taken the legacy of Grandma Eva and turned it into a must-stop bridal store for brides in the Midwest.

While I didn't have a Magic Room experience when bridal dress shopping, I did have it when prom dress shopping. The ladies who worked at Emma's Bridal in Dedham found a dress for me that was stunning. I stood up on the pedestal and they all ooohed and ahhed. So I remember how magical that moment can really be when you put on a dress that makes you look and feel like you are walking the red carpet.

This is a very well-written book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be passing it along to my mom and friends. 

This is a paid review of The Magic Room by Jeffery Zaslow for the Blog Her Book Club. All opinions expressed are mine.