Title: Stirring
the Pot
Author: Jenny
McCarthy
Publisher: Ballantine
Books
Publication Date: May
6, 2014
Genre: Humor
Reviewed by: Angie
Edwards
My rating: 5/5
SUMMARY
The View host
and New York Times bestselling author Jenny McCarthy is
like your favorite friend: honest, open, and oh-so-funny. She also speaks her
mind and says what the rest of us are thinking, a characteristic that has won
her millions of fans no matter how much she “stirs the pot.” Combining the
secrets of her hard-won wisdom, witty observations, revealing notes to herself
(including ridiculously wishful wish lists), and tales of both her best and
most embarrassing moments, Stirring
the Pot is McCarthy’s recipe
for getting what you want out of life. From her wacky experiences in show
business to her screwball forays into healing “therapies,” from her frontline
reporting of single motherhood in midlife to a goofy attempt to reclaim her
last name from Joe McCarthy, here are outrageous musings from the roller
coaster life of everyone’s favorite professional blonde.
With a winning mix of storytelling, sisterly advice, sex appeal, and self-deprecation, Stirring the Pot shows us how a pinch of conviction (aka hardheadedness), a dollop of flexibility (being okay with Plan B or even C), and endless faith (in yourself, in your wildest fantasies, and in the general goodness of others) can mix to create the life of your dreams.
With a winning mix of storytelling, sisterly advice, sex appeal, and self-deprecation, Stirring the Pot shows us how a pinch of conviction (aka hardheadedness), a dollop of flexibility (being okay with Plan B or even C), and endless faith (in yourself, in your wildest fantasies, and in the general goodness of others) can mix to create the life of your dreams.
REVIEW
I don’t
know what made me pick up this book by Jenny McCarthy. Her name is familiar to
me and I’ve seen her on a couple of episodes of Two and a Half Men, but other than that I don’t know anything else
about her except what I can find on Google. So again, what made me decide to
read this particular book? I think it was the humor hook in the book summary
that was finally the deciding factor. As much as I’m a sucker for a good horror
novel, I’m just as easily won over by anything that promises a few good laughs.
Well, I
certainly had my share of hearty laughs while reading Stirring the Pot, but surprisingly I also felt very inspired after
reading this. While addressing serious issues such as single parenting,
intoxication meets social media (which definitely goes hand-in-hand for some),
when to take the high road, trying anything once, and other such topics, there
is always a lot of truth underneath her humor. I found that though I don’t know
anything about her, she seems to be someone who knows and understands herself
very well, and she shares her experiences without apology in an open and
brutally honest way with the reader.
Some of
what you can expect in this book:
- Girls Night In
- Five Things You Don’t Want to Hear at a
Class Reunion
- If My Bed Could Talk...
- Ten Signs You’re Spending Too Much Time with
Your Toddler
- Ten Signs the Guy You’re Dating Might Be Gay
- Date Night Etiquette
- Reverse Psychology
And
much, much more (including a few mouthwatering soup recipes)!
There’s
even an advice piece for men going through “manopause”. That was one of my
particular favorites because it made me laugh so hard!
What
also made it so easy for me to connect with this book is how much it resembled
my own life in certain ways. I was struck by how un-celebrity-like Jenny came
across. To me she seemed liked just a
mom, just a woman, and in some ways
also just a girl. She does all this
with an incredible sense of humor and a deep understanding of what it is like
to have to deal with everyday things I myself have to deal with, such as the
demands of a household and being a mother, going to the grocery store, sorting
the mail and paying bills, the amount of time spent at work and in the car
going to and from work, and trying to fit in a little “free” time after a day
that started at 5:00 AM and ends anytime after 11:00 PM. She gives sound advice
on self-improvement, relationships, dating, and friendship, and her personal
experiences carry weight because they are incidents that are relatable.
Overall,
I took a lot more away from this book than just a few good laughs. It was easy
to read, fun, made me consider some things, and taught me one or two new ways
on how to reach my goals. Stirring the
Pot is positively brimming with energy and will make a great conversation
piece when women get together for a girls night in!
ABOUT the AUTHOR
Jennifer McCarthy is
an American model, comedian, actress and author. She first appeared in Playboy
magazine in October 1993 and was named Playmate of the Year in its June 1994
issue. She later began a career in television and film and has recently started
writing books dealing largely with her pregnancy and motherhood of a child with
autism.
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