At what point did I promise to stay seventeen for the rest of my life?

Growing up, I remember being fascinated by Britney Spears. Not only did I love her music—I'm a pop fan through and through—but at a time when I was an awkward teenager, she seemed to have it all: the voice, the confidence, the adulation of millions. Now looking back, I realize it must've all been a façade.

Reading Britney's words was so sad and heartbreaking. How is it that this girl had no one in her corner? Every single person she loved and trusted would go on to eventually stab her in the back in the most awful and exploitative ways possible. Let's enumerate, shall we?

Her father — Definitely a shoo-in for Most Awful Father of the Year Award. Took her money, committed her to psychiatric wards for no reason, kept her from her kids, gaslighted her, dictated every big and small thing in her life. The list goes on. And this went on for 13 years. What the fuck. How is this legal and why is this guy not in jail?

Her mother — Just stood by and watched it all happen. Tried to profit off of her name and fame.

Her siblings — Ditto.

Ex-husband K-Fed — The ultimate deadbeat. Took her kids from her and prevented her from seeing them. Clearly sought sole custody to squeeze as much child support money from her as possible. And apparently a judge went along with it.

Justin Timberlake — Made a big fucking deal out of her cheating on him and breaking his heart. Turns out, he's the serial cheater in their relationship. Also made her have an abortion because he wasn't ready to be a dad. Then went on to break up with her over text, paint her as a harlot, and profit off of her public shaming. Well, can't listen to his music anymore, that's for sure.

Over the years, there were things that puzzled me about Britney. But reading what she went through and what these people did to her, it all makes sense. I would've shaved my head too if it was the only way I could show some small amount of autonomy, that I wasn't just a body on display, a cash cow existing solely to make money for my parents.

Thirteen years is a long time to lose control of your life. How can she get back the time she lost, to have the relationship she wanted with her kids or the career she imagined? She can't. That's what's so heartbreaking about all this. She can only look ahead and move forward, hopefully without bitterness or regret.

The writing style is simple and straightforward. Even though Britney used a ghostwriter, it sounds very much like her real voice. There is a rawness and vulnerability that permeates the pages. Though the book never holds back on revelations, it does feel at times like it's just scratching the surface. Even though she talks about all the horrible things that have happened to her, it still comes across so polite, as if she's holding back, afraid to offend those who have done her wrong.

I had trouble getting through the book even though it isn't long. Parts of it were so gut-wrenching and horrible that I had to take frequent breaks. Especially when she talks about how her ex-husband and her family would keep her away from her young babies for weeks at a time, it made my heart hurt so bad for her.

This memoir is a long time coming. After enduring so much and keeping her silence, I'm glad Britney finally has a chance to speak out and tell her truth. Everyone has the right to live the life they want, and after everything, I hope she finally finds the peace and happiness she's been searching for for so long.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

I'll be right here. Until they drag me off the line. I'm not going anywhere.

Oh, Anthony Bourdain. The world lost a great chef and unmatched culinary ambassador the day you died.

Kitchen Confidential is the memoir that originally put Anthony Bourdain on the map. I never got around to reading it when it was first published back in 2000, but I've always been a fan of his, catching his No Reservations and Parts Unknown whenever I had the chance. So it's with no small amount of excitement that I've finally gotten around to his famed memoir.

Reading it for the first time more than two decades later, I can't help but feel as though a ghost has leapt off the pages. His voice is as vibrant as ever, his eye for the delicious and the shocking coming through on every page. To read his words is to experience his view of the world, and it is filled with food, drugs, profanity, and astonishing candor.

If you've ever been curious about how a professional kitchen is run, well, this will satisfy that curiosity. And what's in here is eye-opening, to say the least. Sprinkled with Bourdain's self-deprecating dark humor, it's sure to make you chuckle and cringe in equal measure. After having read this, I'm not sure I'm in a particular hurry to eat out, at least in the types of restaurants he highlights.

What makes Bourdain so special is clearly evident amongst the pages here, even from a book he wrote long ago. He has a way with words, building what would be mundane happenings at the hands of a lesser wordsmith into riveting and scintillating vignettes. And he does this again and again. I couldn't look away.

In particular, his chapter on his first visit to Japan has all the flavors of what would become his trademark later. His unabashed enthusiasm for trying new foods and experiencing new cultures, and his innate understanding that the two are inextricably linked. To read his words is to feel his emotions, and they are tinged with the bittersweet—wonder for new culinary adventures but also sadness for all that he wouldn't have the chance to experience.

I confess I'm a full-blown foodie. I love trying new restaurants, finding new things to eat that I've never had before. That moment, when you take the first bite of a never-before-tried dish and realize you've found a new favorite, it's one of the best feelings in the world. And Anthony Bourdain passionately embodied that. To read about his early days is an honor, and I'm glad I finally got around to it.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

This was a pick for my Book of the Month box. Get your first book for $5 here.

If I had a choice, I wouldn't want this life either.

What is it about Prince Harry's story that is so riveting to us common folks? Is it morbid curiosity about the royal life? Or is it that we can all relate to dysfunctional families and it's hard to look away when it plays out on such a public stage?

It must not be easy to be Prince Harry. He lost his mother when he was just 12 years old, and instead of being protected by the adults in his life, he was forced to parade through London behind her coffin in some sort of bizarre show of stoic grief. At a time when he needed abundant love and support, his family became ever more uptight and withdrawn, with their motto of "never complain, never explain." I'm not sure how any child growing up in such circumstances could hope for happiness or even normalcy.

And yet, against all odds and with many missteps along the way, he grew up to be a soldier and dedicated public servant, and eventually found happiness with Meghan. But through it all, his family seemed determined to keep him silent and in his place, even at great personal cost to him and his wife.

Here finally is his chance to tell his story in his own words.

And the result is everything I could want in a memoir: heartfelt, reflective, and bracingly honest. Prince Harry doesn't shy away from talking about the mental and emotional toll of his unresolved grief for his mother nor addressing the controversial events of his life. But if you're hoping for jaw-dropping revelations or juicy gossip, this isn't it. I only follow royal news in passing, and there's nothing in here that really took me by surprise.

In approaching this, I'd heard a lot of commentary around why Prince Harry felt the need to write this memoir at all, especially when he and his wife have been so expressive about wanting privacy and peace for their family. But after having read this, it totally makes sense.

In psychology, there's this concept of the Real Self vs. the Ideal Self, which states that the bigger the gap between who we present to the world and who we really are on the inside, the more cognitive dissonance we feel; whereas the more aligned the two are, the happier we are. For so long, Prince Harry has been toeing the family line while being forced to keep silent about every mischaracterization and abuse printed about him and Meghan. Thus, the version of him that he showed to the world is not his authentic self. I imagine the mental anguish at having to pretend must wear one down, and it is freeing to finally show the world who he really is.

This memoir also has a heck of a love story, and I'm always up for one of those. I've very much respected Prince Harry ever since his deployment days and then seeing all the good that he has done for veterans with the Invictus Games. And while I didn't watch Suits, everything I've come to know about Meghan seems to indicate she is also worthy of my respect, using her fame to support women's rights and social justice. Every time I see them interact, it's clear their love for each other. So to read their love story is a joy, despite all the ugliness that was going on at the time.

For me, my personal philosophy has always been to live the life that is most authentic to who I am, and I certainly couldn't begrudge others doing the same. And so I must applaud Prince Harry for having the courage to live his best life and to share his story, even in the face of overwhelming opposition. Good for him.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

The first volume of Barack Obama's highly anticipated presidential memoir is everything I'd expect it to be—intelligent, thoughtful, illuminating—and reading it makes me miss even more this hopeful time in our history.

Clocking in at more than 700 pages, A Promised Land details Obama's political rise, his 2008 presidential campaign, and what his administration achieved in their first 2.5 years in office. Not only did it vividly portray all that they had accomplished, but it also didn't shy away from sharing all the ways they fell short.

There is so much information in here. I followed current events pretty closely during this time, so everything he talks about—the financial crisis, bailout of the banks and auto industry, healthcare reform, climate treaty, Frank-Dodd, the middle east, Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Arab Springs, repeal of DADT, raid on bin Laden—were all things I was pretty familiar with already.

This isn't all dry politics and policies though. My favorite parts of the memoir were definitely the ones where Obama shares personal anecdotes about himself and his family and their dog Bo, along with observations about what it's like to be president. But those were just small bits of the whole thing. If you're looking for more of these personal stories, Michelle Obama's memoir Becoming is a fantastic companion.

Going in, I did think (and hope) that there would be some surprises in store. Since Obama is no longer in office, he can now freely say what he might've not been able to before. But alas, no such bombshells were forthcoming.

Still, even though there were no shocking revelations, this was a fascinating read. Obama is a skilled writer, and he's great at explaining and summarizing fairly complex ideas in a few short paragraphs. It's interesting to see his take of the events that transpired under him and his process in coming to the decisions that he ultimately made.

Even with the high page count, this book didn't feel overly long. It covers a lot of content, so we move along at a snappy rate and never get bogged down on any one topic. This is only the first volume of Obama's presidential memoir and more is on its way, though at this point, I'm not sure if/when that would actually happen.

Oh, one thing to note if you're considering this. I started out with the hardcover version of this book, which has beautiful pictures, but it's extremely heavy. I couldn't get comfortable with it in my hands, so I quickly switched over to the ebook, which I stuck with for the remainder of my read. I've also heard that the audiobook is absolutely stellar as it's read by Obama himself, so definitely keep that in mind if you're trying to decide between formats.

I think, at the end of the day, what makes Obama's memoir so special is that it takes us back through memory lane to the optimistic and buoyant years of his presidency. During that time, Obama elevated discourse and gave us the hope of not just a better America, but also a better democracy. To read his words is to relive the history of this nation during its heyday, when it felt like we were on a trajectory of limitless possibility and progress.

Readaroo Rating: 5 stars!

The Rural Diaries is charming and joyous, a celebration of family and community and simple living. Hilarie Burton and her husband left the Hollywood lifestyle and moved to a small town in New York to raise their family, starting with a cabin in the woods and then moving onto a working farm with cows, donkeys, alpacas, chickens, ducks; you name it, they have it.

While I never watched One Tree Hill, I grew up during that era and had seen bits and pieces of the show just flipping through the channels. Burton's character Peyton always seemed so driven and strong at a time when I was a floundering teenager trying to figure out my passion and place in life. Then this book comes along and I find out she married the Winchester dad from Supernatural. So my curiosity was definitely peaked.

Often with celebrity memoirs, you hardly learn anything about the person after reading them. But that's not the case here. You can hear Burton's voice shine throughout. She is so genuine and open in the book, sharing not just her triumphs but also her challenges and heartbreaks. She speaks candidly of her experience with motherhood, the difficulties of making a marriage work, every day life on the farm, her struggles with infertility, and so much more. And it's clear her love for her town, and how thankful she is to have finally found a place to belong and a community that embraces her.

Reading this book felt like talking to an old friend, one who is insightful and funny. At the heart of it, Burton distilled her life down to its most important parts, and wasn't afraid to take the leap nor of the hard work that followed. She takes the bad moments one day at a time while remembering to celebrate all that life has to offer. She lives the life we all want, one that is authentic to who is she, and I respect her so much for that.

Readaroo Rating: 5 stars!

Whatever was coming next, this was a story we could own.

What an extraordinary and formidable undertaking it must have been, to be the one standing next to the first black President of the United States. And it was made all the more so because Michelle Obama was scrutinized and held to a bar far higher than any previous First Lady. And yet, she came through it with grace, intelligence, and humor, and in the process, inspired an entire generation of women and people of color, including me.

Becoming feels like I'm not just reading the words of one woman's incredible journey from lower middle class to being one of the most respected women of our time, but also the potential story of what could be for so many women of color. Michelle makes clear that her life was able to take its remarkable trajectory in large part due to the influence of her parents, extended family, teachers, and mentors, who all loved and invested in her through her crucial formative years.

Reading this, I'm struck by how honest and forthright she is. She is open with all the difficulties and struggles she has gone through, both public and personal. She talks about how she tries to balance her drive for a career in public service with her husband's political calling, all while raising two young children. It must have been extraordinarily challenging, yet she handled it all with enviable poise.

One of the things I most enjoyed about this book is its message of optimism and hope. She's incredibly resilient and driven, even in the face of so much opposition, criticism, and disparagement of herself and her family. She accomplished so much during her time as First Lady, and reading her words in this memoir is a true inspiration.

Michelle Obama encompasses all that I admire: authenticity, kindness, and resilience. And this book is not just a candid self-reflection, but also a hopeful call for us all that we can do better and can achieve anything we put our minds to, as long as we aren't afraid of hard work.

I'm so glad I picked up this memoir of a truly exceptional woman. There's a lot in here to digest, and I will be taking the time to think over all that I've read in the coming weeks and months. I know her words will stay with me for a long time.

Readaroo Rating: 5 stars!