I'm almost embarrassed to write this bimonthly '50 Books' wrap up. My choice of summer reading material has been more or less dictated by whatever I can read while drinking sangria or lying on the beach. So, let's just say these two reads won't win me any intelligence points...
My Crazy Beautiful Life by Ke$ha - There are two reasons why I am justified in buying Ke$ha's sort-of memoir in hardcover. 1. I love Ke$ha. 2. I thought it would make a fun coffee table book. And surprisingly, over the course of several Saturdays I actually read it cover to cover while lazing about my house (and drinking sangria). If it was possible for me to love Ke$ha even more, I did with every page. Sure, it's not the best writing in the world, but her energy, creative spirit, and outlook on life is always inspiring to me. I also really loved learning about her family and how she grew up, though I wish she had more in there about her early years as an artist in LA. Most importantly however, there were pictures. Lots of pictures. Which, I've learned, is key if you're picking books to read while drinking. :)
Rockettes, Rockstars, & Rockbottom by Keltie Colleen - I don't quite remember how I learned about Keltie Colleen or why I thought her memoir would be a guilty pleasure for summertime, but yet there I was, lying on the beach in Coronado, shaking my head at the abysmal writing that littered the page. Sure, I wasn't expecting her to be the next Mary Karr, but I guess I expected something from a book that made it to an actual publisher (however independent). Well anyway, apparently RR&R rose from the ashes of 3 failed relationships with musicians: Nic Perri (Christina Perri's brother), Butch Walker and Ryan Ross (Panic at the Disco). Her breakup with Ross was particularly devastating ("rockbottom" was her passing out at work from hypoglycemia / not eating much after the breakup) and supposedly the final nail in the coffin of the young 20's naïveté that was responsible for her terrible taste in dudes. But you know what? I've been there, so overall, I'll say that the book is a noble endeavor. Writing about loss and pain in order to get past it and maybe even to help someone who is going through the same thing is something I can get behind. On that front, Keltie wrote an emotional book with a positive message that any young girl going through a bad breakup would probably devour. Everyone else should absolutely skip it.
