Author: Melissa Radke
Publication Date: July 17, 2018
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
My name is Melissa Radke, and there is a very real chance you have no idea who I am or why I wrote a book. But admit it, you're curious!
Even though millions of people seem to like watching my videos bemoaning the trials of parenting, marriage, French braiding, faith, and living life as an anti-aging female, you may still be wondering who let me write a book.
I mean, books are written by people who have been interviewed by Gayle King and say things like, "You see, Gayle, I was having a root canal and I literally died in the chair. I saw heaven. Also, when I came back to earth I could speak Mandarin."
Yeah, that didn't happen to me. No Mandarin. Though I have been known to break out in song! (My voice was once described as a "ray of light in a dark world" . . . but I think my dad was being a little dramatic.) Although if Gayle King were to ever ask me I would tell her: "I wrote this book between taking my kids to the local pool and picking out flip-flops at Old Navy, and the only metaphysical moment I experienced came right after I looked directly into one of those mirrors with 10x magnification."
I wrote this book because when I turned 41 I made a decision to be brave. To live brave -bolder and freer. You see, I thought our lives were supposed to change when we turned 40...but mine didn't. Yet every piece of it changed when I turned 41; when I set out to prove that it wasn't too late for me, that careless words wouldn't stunt me and rejection would not stop me. And maybe, just maybe, it will take you reading about the journey I took to finding my sense of self-worth in order for you to rightfully believe in yours. This book is about how all the years of my life led up to the one that changed it. So, cut a big slice and raise a fork...
Here's to bravery.
Here's to courage.
Here's to cake.
(And not the crappy kind, like carrot.)
In her opening pages, Melissa Radke tells readers that they have probably never heard of her before but that by the time they read her story, they will love her. How right she was! I feel like Melissa Radke is my new best friend. She is funny, relative, encouraging, and completely loveable! I could not believe how I found myself nodding, crying, laughing, and saying, “Yes, honey!” as I read her story. Radke talks about the life experiences that led up to her decision to be brave and live her life relentlessly. She uses her wonderful sense of humor to connect to her readers, and it really did the trick. This book is a must read this summer!
I wrote this book for two people, and two people only. You and me.
Do away with the HAPPY 40TH! party paraphernalia. Throw out all the black napkins and toss the FABULOUS AT 40 banner. Contact the party stores and the event planners. Believe me when I tell you, forty is not the issue. Don’t bother throwing anyone a happy fortieth. They’ll be fine. It’s forty-one you need to focus on.
Who I was may in fact no longer be who I am.
2018 has been a very eventful year for my reading. I have really started to get into non-fiction, particularly memoirs. When memoirs are this real and emotionally gripping, I vow to read hundreds and hundreds more. This would be a great start for someone who is just starting to get into non-fiction. Radke takes readers through every emotion in a short 293 pages. I look forward to more from Melissa Radke!
***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Grand Central Publishing in exchange for my honest review***
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