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  • Britney Spears’s Memoir Is a Horror Story About a Woman Losing Her Bodily Autonomy

    Britney Spears’s Memoir Is a Horror Story About a Woman Losing Her Bodily Autonomy

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    Britney Spears‘s memoir is both a horror story and a cautionary tale. There’s a lot to take away from it, but at its core, it’s a story about a woman whose bodily autonomy was essentially stripped from her at a young age — by her parents, by the media, by her partners, and by the world at large.

    “The Woman in Me” is definitely Spears’s story, but it’s also a story that’s been repeated in various forms many times before. After reading it, sitting in a state of semi-shock while digesting the horrors Spears went through, I found myself thinking of Andrew Dominik’s nightmarish 2022 film, “Blonde,” which portrays a dramatized version of Marilyn Monroe’s life. That film arguably exploited Monroe’s legacy and repeated some of the same mistakes it tried to criticize, but it also tells the story of a woman whose appearance was commodified and profited off of to the point that it damaged her irreparably.

    “There’s a reason why women who misbehave are so often turned into witches, Jezebels, sirens, Medusas, and other monstrous creatures, and Spears’s words remind us of the age-old practice of associating deviant femininity with monstrosity.”

    But while both “Blonde” and “The Woman in Me” tell the story of women whose bodies were constantly used by both the public and the men in their lives, Spears’s memoir is a far better rendition of a similar narrative, because it’s her own. Like so many people who have lived through similar experiences, Monroe may no longer be able to tell her own story, but now that we have Spears’s in her own words, we’d all do well to listen to what she has to say.

    And a lot of what she says is hard to hear. From the beginning, Spears’s memoir traces ways that her rights to her own body and personhood have been commodified, criticized, and stripped away. The first headlines to come out about the book detailed an abortion that Spears says she underwent while she was dating Justin Timberlake, which she says wasn’t her choice.

    “If it had been left up to me alone, I never would have done it,” she writes. “And yet Justin was so sure that he didn’t want to be a father.” The experience, which she describes as “agonizing,” is an important reminder that truly free, equitable abortion access means allowing women to choose whether or not they want to get abortions, not forcing them to make a certain choice one way or another. From start to finish, Spears’s memoir details the awful consequences of what can happen when choice is taken away many times over.

    It’s not news that Spears’s appearance was constantly controlled and exploited by others over the course of her career. During her rise in the wilderness of the early 2000s, when thinness was all the rage and women were expected to somehow both be incredibly sexual yet also sweet and demure — though that arguably that hasn’t changed — Spears was both highly sexualized and demonized for it.

    “The Woman in Me” also explores just how much of Spears’s career, appearance, and choices weren’t actually hers to make at all. In her memoir, she claims that she was completely blindsided by her famous interview with Diane Sawyer — who accused her of having “upset a lot of mothers in this country,” and called her abs “the most valuable square inch of real estate in the entertainment universe,” to name some of the interview’s many slights.

    But Spears was still dealing with the fallout of her and Timberlake’s breakup when she was informed by her father that she would speak to Sawyer. “I felt like I had been exploited, set up in front of the whole world,” writes Spears. “That interview was a breaking point for me internally — a switch had been flipped. I felt something dark come over my body. I felt myself turning, almost like a werewolf, into a Bad Person.”

    There’s a reason why women who misbehave are so often turned into witches, Jezebels, sirens, Medusas, and other monstrous creatures, and Spears’s words remind us of the age-old practice of associating deviant femininity with monstrosity. So often, women who don’t comply or align with the world’s often impossible standards often end up demonizing themselves, too, which Spears clearly did at this point, unable to forgive herself for being forcibly contorted into someone she didn’t recognize.

    The nightmare was only beginning for Spears, though. Most of us know the facts of what happened next by now — Spears had two children with Kevin Federline, but lost custody of them in 2008. She was then all but forced into a residency in Las Vegas, which also hearkens to another tale of an exploited megastar, only this time named Elvis Presley. Pushed into a Vegas residency by his corrupt manager, Elvis spiraled into addiction and illness while forced to perform the same show over and over again on a Las Vegas stage. (Of course, Elvis exercised his own control over his wife, Priscilla, which is yet another example of how exploitation and pain can ripple from one person to another, affecting many lives in the process.)

    “Ultimately, the memoir is really a cautionary tale. It’s also a reminder of the fact that many people with far fewer resources and less support than Spears also currently find themselves in conservatorships, or in prisons, or otherwise exploitative situations, often based on arbitrary mistakes, bad luck, and systemic marginalization.”

    Spears’s Las Vegas residency was also the beginning of an unimaginable period of her life. While still performing for thousands of people, she was forced to enter a conservatorship, which subjected her to constant scrutiny and unending control. She claims that her father took complete ownership of her finances as well as what she put into her body, controlling everything she ate, banning all medications including Tylenol and vitamin supplements and constantly criticizing her body and calling her fat day in and day out. Her team would also inform potential partners of her sexual history, and she was not allowed to have more children. Her body, once again, was not hers — only this time, its outsourcing was all cosigned by the law.

    The most horrifying aspect of the book by far details Spears’s journey into a hellish rehab facility, which she claims she was sent to after she tried to change some of the choreography in her Las Vegas show. Once there, she claims she was not allowed to bathe in private, had to give blood weekly, wasn’t allowed to use the internet, had to sleep with her door open, and was forcibly put on lithium. From the sounds of things, every scrap of control of her body was taken from her there. Eventually, Spears says she began believing her family was trying to kill her, and reading her story, it’s not hard to understand why.

    Throughout the book, Spears also constantly details the people-pleasing tendencies that led her to go along with all of the above. All she ever wanted, she constantly reiterates, was to be good and to make the people in her life — and eventually the whole world — happy. But it was never enough; she never had a chance of being enough. At the end of “The Woman in Me,” Spears seems to reach an understanding of this as she details her new approach to life. She no longer wants to focus on music. Instead, she at last wants her life to be her own.

    And yet still, even today, her life is up for public consumption, and her every move is still stalked by photographers and the public. On Instagram, she posts regularly, often sharing photos of herself naked, and those have generated criticism as well. But as a woman whose body has been so exploited, showing her skin on her own terms feels like her attempt at a reclamation, just like shaving her head was: a protest against all of the people who profited off of her body and controlled its every move, and a willing embrace of what has been labeled monstrous as a form of finding liberation.

    Nowadays, critics of her Instagram aside, it does seem like Spears has reclaimed her story. Her every move is no longer so scrutinized, and she has many loving supporters who have fought hard for her freedom and her right to live her life the way she wants. Still, her story is not an entirely triumphant one. After the memoir’s release, Spears lamented her story’s treatment in the media on Instagram, writing that “my motive for this book was not to harp on my past experiences which is what the press is doing and it’s dumb and silly !!! I have moved on since then !!!” in a screenshot. While one would hope that Spears truly wanted to write the memoir and that she told her story on her terms, it’s ultimately impossible to know how much of it was ghostwritten, or how she really feels about her story being aired for the world to dissect once again, which adds another layer of complexity to the whole story.

    Ultimately, the memoir is really a cautionary tale. It’s also a reminder of the fact that many people with far fewer resources and less support than Spears also currently find themselves in conservatorships, or in prisons, or otherwise exploitative situations, often based on arbitrary mistakes, bad luck, and systemic marginalization.

    In a post–Roe v. Wade world, Spears’s story is also an incredibly urgent reminder of the importance of allowing women, and all people, to have autonomy over their own bodies — to be able to change them or let them be in a way that feels true to them, not anyone else.

    It’s also a reminder to look long and hard at our own impulse to control other people based on arbitrary beauty standards or other conventions. We would do well to remember Spears’s story the next time a major star seems to be suffering a breakdown in the public eye, or the next time the internet chooses someone to destroy based on their appearance or simply out of spite. And of course, we would do well to check our impulses to turn women, in particular, into monsters, especially when they are simply being human.

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    Eden Arielle Gordon

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  • Inside James Comey’s Bizarre $7M Job as a Top Hedge Fund’s In-House Inquisitor

    Inside James Comey’s Bizarre $7M Job as a Top Hedge Fund’s In-House Inquisitor

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    As head of security, Comey reported to Dalio’s longtime deputy Greg Jensen, who seemed eager to prove that he took the protection of Bridgewater’s secrets as seriously as Dalio. With little evidence of actual offending behavior to snuff out, they created their own. Comey helped come up with a plan to leave a binder, clearly labeled as Jensen’s, unattended in the Bridgewater offices. It worked like a charm. Comey watched as a low-ranked Bridgewater employee stumbled upon the binder and began to peruse it. Jensen and Comey put the employee on trial, found him guilty, and fired him, with Dalio’s approval.

    During and after Comey’s era at Bridgewater, tens of thousands of hours of the firm’s internal deliberations, arguments and trials were uploaded into what was called the “Transparency Library” and available for playback for all at the firm.

    Lordy, there was plenty to watch.

    No doubt Comey’s most infamous internal case was his prosecution of Bridgewater co-chief executive officer, Eileen Murray, who stood out like a pimple in Bridgewater’s blue-blooded executive suite. She’d grown up in a housing project in Queens, rarely wore skirts, never married, never had children, and talked frequently about her dogs. A former Morgan Stanley executive, she sent emails off the cuff, all lowercase, with typos, suggesting she was too busy to give anything her full attention.

    The proximate cause of Murray’s lesson in the application of The Principles was innocuous enough. A job candidate mentioned to a Bridgewater executive that he was familiar with the hedge fund’s head of accounting, Perry Poulos, one of Murray’s hires. The job candidate evinced surprise—didn’t they know Poulos had been fired from Morgan Stanley?

    Comey grabbed a former FBI agent on the Bridgewater staff and went to intercept the unsuspecting Poulos. The duo pulled him into a conference room without warning.

    “Hi, guys,” Poulos said.

    “We just want to know, is there anything in your background we should know about?” Comey responded.

    “I had some things there, but it’s all cleared up now.”

    “You wouldn’t mind if we ask a few questions and look a little more?”

    There’s really nothing to find, Poulos said.

    Go ahead. He exited the room, heart racing, and soon found Murray. She knew, as he did, that he had been let go from Morgan Stanley after questions were raised about his expenses. But Murray sensed a larger target at play. “It’s not you,” she told Poulos. “It’s me. They are trying to get to me.”

    Comey called in Poulos for another interview.

    “Did you talk to anyone about this?” Comey asked.

    “No.”

    “Are you sure?”

    “No, I haven’t talked to anyone.”

    “You live with Eileen, don’t you?”

    Knowing Bridgewater’s reputation for intimate relationships, Poulos assumed Comey was sniffing for a romantic angle. During the week, Poulos said, he sometimes spent the evening at Murray’s place, in separate bedrooms.

    “Even that evening, after we spoke, you didn’t talk to her?” Comey asked.

    “I don’t remember saying anything in particular.”

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    Rob Copeland

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  • ‘All the Light We Cannot See’: 5 Biggest Changes From Book to Series

    ‘All the Light We Cannot See’: 5 Biggest Changes From Book to Series

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    This post contains spoilers for All the Light We Cannot See.

    Adapting Anthony Doerr’s Pulitzer Prize–winning All the Light We Cannot See was never going to be an easy task. The epic, best-selling novel’s lyrical style and decades-spanning story would be nearly impossible to capture in a two-hour movie. So instead, director Shawn Levy and writer Steven Knight pitched the adaptation to Netflix as a four-part limited series. “The story is so sweeping, and it’s an interesting combination of intimate storytelling and epic backdrop,” Levy told Vanity Fair. “I had a feeling that two hours was never going to service such a beautiful, dense novel.”

    But even with more room to tell the story, cuts and changes had to be made. The series, which hit Netflix on November 2, still centers on Marie-Laure LeBlanc (played by newcomer Aria Mia Loberti), a blind girl hiding out in the occupied French town of Saint-Malo, and Werner Pfennig (Dark actor Louis Hofmann), a young German soldier tasked with tracing illegal broadcasts for the Nazis. In alternating storylines, the series traces their paths to Saint-Malo, where their stories collide as Werner falls in love with the young woman’s voice he hears over the radio on an illegal broadcast.

    Many of the main characters of the book are featured in the series, including Marie-Laure’s loving father, Daniel LeBlanc (played by Mark Ruffalo) and great-uncle Etienne LeBlanc (Hugh Laurie), along with the Nazi gem hunter Reinhold von Rumpel (Lars Eidinger), who is determined to find the precious—and perhaps magical—Sea of Flames diamond. But some of the supporting characters’ stories have been changed or tweaked, while new characters were also added to the series. Here are five of the most notable changes in the cinematic series, including significant changes to the story’s ending.

    Condensed Backstories

    The series, especially the second and third episodes, bounces back and forth in time to reveal Marie-Laure’s upbringing with her father in Paris and their escape to Saint-Malo, where Etienne took them in. While Werner’s history as an orphan who was recruited by the Nazis for his skills with the radio is also traced, his backstory is significantly condensed. There are glimpses of him at the Nazi institute where he’s trained, but a significant storyline with a fellow recruit named Fredrick is cut for the series. In Doerr’s novel, Werner forms a bond with Fredrick, a sensitive and intelligent boy who invites Werner to visit his wealthy family over a weekend. Later, Fredrick is bullied and eventually seriously harmed by the other recruits.

    Supporting Characters

    Fredrick isn’t the only supporting character whose role is more limited in the series. In the novel, Frank “the Giant” Volkheimer was another student at the institute with Werner, who went on to be his commanding officer in the anti-radio task force. He ends up trapped underground with Werner during the siege of Saint-Malo. The enigmatic character, while at first seems like a simple muscled brute, was revealed to be more complicated, often saving Werner’s life, even if it required him to go against Nazi orders.

    Jutta, Werner’s younger sister who grew up with him in the orphanage, is introduced early on in the show, when she worries about Werner heading off to the Nazi institute. He writes letters to her, just as he does in the book. But in the novel, Jutta’s story continues on at the end, revealing a violent episode that was cut from the series. Jutta also returns at the end of the book to cross paths with Marie-Laure, which does not happen in the series.

    New Faces

    Several new characters were created for the series, in particular a handful of Nazis that Levy has said were meant to “manifest the evil of the Nazi party.” These include Captain Mueller (Jakob Diehl) and Schmidt (Felix Kammerer), both of whom threaten Werner and his desire to protect Marie-Laure. Mueller brings Schmidt in to work with Werner as he tracks the radio broadcasts, and Werner attempts to hide the discovery of Marie-Laure’s broadcast from him. But he soon has to kill both men in order to protect Marie-Laure. The series also creates a new character who is Reinhold von Rumpel’s mistress.

    Madame Manec

    Madame Manec appears in both the novel and the series, played by Marion Bailey in the latter. But in the book she is simply Etienne’s housekeeper, while in the series she has a deeper connection to him as his sister. In both, she secretly works with other townsfolk as part of the French resistance, passing messages to the Allied forces. In the book, she attempts to convince her brother to get involved in the fight, while in the series he’s already a participant. Her death is portrayed in both versions of the story, though she dies of pneumonia in the book (which pushes Etienne to get involved in the resistance in her place) and of a heart attack in the series. And Madam Manec’s death isn’t the only one that was significantly changed for the series. Ettienne, who survives in the novel and is eventually reunited with Marie-Laure, meets his demise in the series, and just before he dies asks Werner to watch over Marie-Laure.

    The Ending

    With his failing health, Reinhold von Rumpel will stop at nothing to find the Sea of Flames, which he thinks may heal him. In both the book and the series, he eventually makes his way to Marie-Laure’s hideout. But in the novel, Werner kills him to protect Marie-Laure. In the series, Werner fights him, but it’s Marie who delivers the fatal shot to von Rumpel in the fourth episode. In both the series and the novel, Marie-Laure and Werner choose to part ways after the Allied forces free Saint-Malo, with Werner surrendering to the Allies. The series wraps up with Marie-Laure tossing the Sea of Flames into the ocean, seemingly breaking its curse.

    But Doerr’s novel extends far beyond those moments in Saint-Malo, following Werner as he grows ill and eventually is killed in a minefield. Though quite different from the book, Levy said he wanted to end the series “with a promise of hope”—which led him to cut out some of the darkest epilogue storylines.

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    Rebecca Ford

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  • For Michelle Williams, Britney Spears Is the Role of a Lifetime

    For Michelle Williams, Britney Spears Is the Role of a Lifetime

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    Michelle Williams was a teenager, emancipated from her parents and living alone, when she became famous. She was a star of the teen zeitgeist drama Dawson’s Creek, playing the desired object of the titular protagonist. From there, Williams could have teetered into ruin, as so many prodigious young careers (and lives) have, buckling under the stresses of notoriety. Instead, Williams forged an independent path, gradually building a résumé of considerable respectability. She’s won and been nominated for many awards; she enjoys a particular kind of esteem.

    In 1998, the year that Dawson’s Creek premiered, another teenager was embarking on her own journey into the wilds of fame. “…Baby One More Time,” the first smash single from Britney Spears, debuted in September of that year, perhaps the loudest early blare of an emergent teen culture boom (of which Dawson’s Creek was certainly a part). Spears became very famous very quickly, tossing her into a crucible through which it would take over 20 years to pass. Williams went one way, Spears another.

    It feels fitting, in some cosmic way, that Williams is the narrator for the audio version of Spears’s hotly anticipated memoir, The Woman in Me. Who but someone who got close to the same fires that burned Spears could best interpret a recounting of what it was to be famous at that age, in that era? I don’t know how exactly Williams came to the job, but there was clearly some thoughtfulness on someone’s part in hiring her to give such elegant voice to the recollections of a peer, a contemporary.

    The Woman in Me is not itself elegant, exactly. The writing—done by a small fleet of ghostwriters—half mimics Spears’s cadence, half pushes things toward the literary. Its strength lies in its meta-textual dimensions: That Spears is finally expressing herself after spending years under a rigid conservatorship is the triumph. Rambling and discursive, The Woman in Me does not drop any huge bombshells. But it gives a much wondered-about person the opportunity to speak, uninterrupted. That Spears didn’t want to do the audio recording herself is understandable; as she says in the introduction, the book revisits many painful things. Better, maybe, that she doesn’t have to relive it in the way a long taping would require.

    Throughout, Williams is a capable, compassionate stand-in. There are no notes of condescension in her grave, focused reading; she takes a calming tone in the heavier parts, and sounds light and silly when Spears shifts into humor. This happens often in The Woman in Me, a testament to Spears’s enduring goofiness, miraculously intact after so much hardship. That is as much a part of her mettle as her tenaciousness and work ethic. Williams finds that balance in her narration, letting Spears be happily naive and wizened at once.

    It’s strange, maybe, to hear Michelle Williams, lauded indie darling, say things like “Kevin Federline” and “PopoZao.” Those references seem of a lower culture than the places where Williams spends her time. But of course, all of Spears’s context is Williams’s context too. They came of age at the same time, in the same Y2K soup of plastic ephemera. There’s almost a deference in Williams’s reading; she carries the objects of Spears’s iconography with a solemn steadiness. She seems to understand that Spears’s story—her struggle toward independence, toward an understanding of herself free of parental and managerial pressure—is of a certain generational importance.

    One does long, in a selfish way, for moments of editorializing. While listening to the audiobook, I found myself wishing that Williams would pause and offer her own input on what it was to be a celebrity back then. Surely she drifted through some of the same parties, past that same peculiar ecosystem of nascent viral renown. What does Williams make of all this, now that she, like Spears, is a parent in her 40s contending with the reconsiderations of middle age? But giving her own thoughts is not her job here, obviously. She is merely a steward of Spears’s experience, a task she treats with care.

    Those skeptical of Spears will leave The Woman in Me more convinced, I think. Spears makes plain what she sees as the greedy predation of her parents; they stripped her of agency to make her a more controllable, reliable cash cow. No contempt is spared in the book, not toward Spears’s parents nor toward her sister. One has the impulse to mourn for a family torn apart, but as The Woman in Me unfolds, it becomes clear that estrangement is the best thing for Spears. She has had precious little time since the late ’90s to assert herself on her own terms. The title of the book is less about confirmation than it is about new discovery.

    We don’t know who that woman might be. Toward the end of the book, Spears reveals that her interest in her career is low; work is not of primary concern right now. Maybe this book will be Spears’s last moment of celebrity. Or perhaps she will return to the spotlight at some later time, one hopes sturdier and more centered. For now, though, The Woman in Me will stand as the final word on the Spears phenomenon, its wonders and woes made so beautifully manifest by Williams. I’m glad these two fellow travelers were able to collaborate in this way, one helping the other to gather the detail of so many years and try to explain what it all might have meant.

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    Richard Lawson

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  • Is All The Light We Cannot See Based On A Book? Answered | The Mary Sue

    Is All The Light We Cannot See Based On A Book? Answered | The Mary Sue

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    Aria Mia Loberti in all the light we cannot see

    All the Light We Cannot See, the new World War II series starring Aria Mia Loberti and
    Louis Hofmann, is now streaming on Netflix. If you’ve been swept up in the drama and pathos of the show’s epic story—or if you’re just curious about it—then you might want to read it in its original form.

    All the Light We Cannot See, the acclaimed novel by Anthony Doerr

    The Netflix series All the Light We Cannot See is based on the 2014 novel of the same name by Anthony Doerr. Like the series, the novel tells the story of Marie-Laure, a blind woman living in Paris during World War II. When German forces occupy France, Marie-Laure and her father flee to the city of Saint-Malo.

    Meanwhile, an orphan named Werner is recruited into the Hitler Youth, where he’s selected to help track the French Resistance. Werner and Marie-Laure’s stories eventually converge in Saint-Malo, as Werner grapples with the atrocities his country is committing.

    All the Light We Cannot See was a sensation when it came out. The novel won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize, with the prize committee calling it “an imaginative and intricate novel inspired by the horrors of World War II.” The novel was also a finalist for the National Book Award and a New York Times bestseller.

    All about the Netflix adaptation of All the Light We Cannot See

    Judging from the trailers that have been released, the Netflix series hopes to capture the novel’s heart-wrenching story and sobering meditation on war. The series highlights Marie-Laure’s radio broadcast for the French Resistance, while also showing memorable details from the novel, like the scale model of Marie-Laure’s neighborhood that she uses to memorize the streets, and the jewel that she and her father hide when they flee Paris.

    All the Light We Cannot See stars Aria Mia Loberti as Marie-Laure; Louis Hofmann as Werner; Mark Ruffalo as Marie-Laure’s father Daniel; Hugh Laurie as Etienne LeBlanc; Lars Eidinger as Sergeant Major Reinhold von Rumpel; and Marion Bailey as Madame Manec.

    This piece was written during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the labor of the actors currently on strike, the work being covered here wouldn’t exist.

    (featured image: Netflix)

    Have a tip we should know? [email protected]

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    Julia Glassman

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  • TikTok Has Spoken: You Need to Read These 34 Books ASAP

    TikTok Has Spoken: You Need to Read These 34 Books ASAP

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    As POPSUGAR editors, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you’ll like too. If you buy a product we have recommended, we may receive affiliate commission, which in turn supports our work.

    If you haven’t taken a deep dive into BookTok, what are you waiting for? Just like the name suggests, BookTok is the corner of TikTok where book lovers share thoughts and reviews about the books they love — and the books they don’t. It’s also a place where readers can connect with each other, build community, and even connect with their favorite authors. No matter what genres you enjoy reading, there are definitely some BookTok favorites that will help you find the next read to add to your never-ending TBR list!

    Spend enough time on BookTok, and you’ll definitely notice some titles getting mentioned over and over again. These BookTok trends have ranged from building anticipation for brand-new releases to rediscovering older books and turning them into hits all over again. Several BookTok favorite reads have even gotten enough hype to attract the attention of Hollywood, and they’ll be coming soon to a TV screen or movie theater near you.

    Whatever kind of book recommendation you’re looking for right now, we can pretty much guarantee that BookTok has some great ideas for you! Pick up one (or more) of these trending BookTok favorites — and remember, “A #BookTok recommendation” is one of the prompts on the 2023 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge!

    — Additional reporting by Melissa Santoyo and Madeleine Fournier

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    Amanda Prahl

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  • ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ Author David Grann Picks the Three Best Movies Based on Nonfiction Books (That He Didn’t Write)

    ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ Author David Grann Picks the Three Best Movies Based on Nonfiction Books (That He Didn’t Write)

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    Anyone who reads a lot of popular non-fiction is accustomed to the inevitable disappointment of the movie version. Stinkers like Unbroken, In The Heart of the Sea, and He’s Just Not That Into You… (and the list goes on) are barely-remembered for a reason, but even relatively-successful, positively-reviewed films like The Blind Side, Moneyball, or Into The Wild still pale in comparison to the books that spawned them, at least for those of us who read them. “The book was better” isn’t just something book readers say to be pedantic; most of the time, it’s true.

    That’s part of what makes Martin Scorsese’s take on David Grann’s 2017 best-seller Killers of the Flower Moon stand out. While it’s certainly a different story than the book, as all good non-fiction movie adaptations necessarily should be, Scorsese still gets to the heart of its most important themes (the banality of evil and the lawlessness of frontier capitalism especially) and lends them an emotional gravity and visual power beyond words that books can’t. This is especially true of the movie’s ending, which condenses hundreds of pages of often dense (and brilliant) historical exposition into a single, invented scene that somehow captures perfectly the commoditization of the Osage Reign of Terror without repeating any of the details, imbuing them with the added thump of Scorsese acknowledging his own mortality.

    Simply put, it’s hard to remember a non-fiction movie adaptation as successful as Killers of the Flower Moon. (In this writer’s opinion, even the previous film based on a David Grann book—2016’s The Lost City of Z, by the much-loved director James Gray—doesn’t measure up.)

    To help us remember some nonfiction-to-movie adaptations that did work, we turned to someone who’s both an expert at researching the recent past and someone who might have some opinions about book-to-movie adaptations: David Grann himself, who agreed to share a few of his favorites.

    Zodiac

    “I’ve grown a bit exhausted by films about serial killers, but this adaptation is about so much more. It is a deep exploration of the nature of obsession—of the killer’s fixations and our fixations with unraveling the mystery of the killer. And the movie grapples with a question that has always haunted me as a reporter: What happens when the facts we frantically seek to make sense of murderous evil—including the identity of the perpetrator—elude us?”

    All the President’s Men

    “I recently rewatched this film and I found it no less gripping than when I first saw it decades ago. The movie manages to capture not only the historic Watergate conspiracy but also the deep, unsettling paranoia that can eat away at society when institutions are unstable—something that feels unnervingly familiar today. Plus, the film helped to unleash a whole new generation of investigative reporters—though none of them looked quite like Robert Redford.”

    Adaptation

    “This ‘adaptation,’ if you can call it that, of Susan Orlean’s The Orchid Thief brilliantly and hysterically gets at the essential conundrum of transforming a work of facticity into a work of cinema. They are such wildly different mediums. One is bound by the literal truth, the author’s decisions dictated by the underlying source materials; the other is visual and elastic, with invented scenes and dialogue, illuminating realms inaccessible to a reporter or a historian. In the case of Adaptation, the screenwriter Charlie Kaufman madly shows what happens when these two equally passionate art forms collide.”

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    Vince Mancini

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  • 7 Books We Can’t Stop Thinking About This Month

    7 Books We Can’t Stop Thinking About This Month

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    The most chilling campfire tales always start with some variation on “This really happened …” with bonus scare-points if you can add: “and not far from here.” As the longtime impresario of Cemetery Dance magazine, Richard Chizmar knows his way around a frightening story and he combines those two elements to powerful effect in his 2021 book Chasing the Boogeyman and its new sequel Becoming the Boogeyman. Both are deeply unsettling narratives that leave the reader questioning reality even as the more logical parts of the brain insist: It can’t be …

    Set in the author’s actual hometown of Edgewood, Maryland, the first book chronicles the impact of a local serial killer during the late ’80s, when Chizmar was a young man just beginning to set off on his own, and he sets the stage by first immersing you in the nostalgia of days gone by before piercing that idyllic setting with news clippings and police accounts of the murders that shook his community and eventually became his own obsession. It’s a true crime book, but … without the ‘true” part. Chizmar is upfront about it being a work of fiction, but after that initial disclaimer, he plays it so straight as memoir that you get transfixed by the spell.

    The sequel, Becoming the Boogeyman, is about the storyteller getting caught in that spiral, as well. Now in the present day, with his book about the killings and their unusual perpetrator finished and published, it explores the psychological aftereffects of so deeply immersing oneself in incidents of violence, cruelty and evil that you get lost in the shadows. The late Michelle McNamara’s killer-hunting book I’ll Be Gone in the Dark is a clear influence, along with Ray Bradbury, Stephen King, and other novelists who clearly see the beauty in the world around them, but become fixated on the darkness encroaching on the edges. Chizmar blends reality and fantasy in a way that can only be described as intoxicating: heightening your emotions, blunting your skepticism, and luring you into trouble. (Gallery Books, 2023) —Anthony Breznican, Hollywood Correspondent

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    Keziah Weir

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  • What to Read and Watch to Understand the Death (and Life) of Tupac Shakur

    What to Read and Watch to Understand the Death (and Life) of Tupac Shakur

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    The September 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur was so seismic, tragic, and culture-shifting that it’s never really left the public consciousness. But the September arrest of a 60-year-old Las Vegas man named Duane “Keefe D” Davis, a key suspect and one of the last living eyewitnesses to Shakur’s killing, has brought renewed attention to one of the most infamous unsolved crimes of the 1990s.

    An entire cottage industry of books and films has grown up around Tupac in the thirty years since his death, from deeply reported investigative journalism and thoughtful portrayals of the rapper and poet to salacious true-crime tales that lose sight of the very real 25-year-old man who lost his life. (Many of the works covering Tupac’s death are intertwined with the March 1997 murder of friend-turned-rival The Notorious B.I.G., and the animosity between Bad Boy and Death Row Records.)

    Earlier this month, Davis’ arraignment was delayed for a second time, but a resolution to this decades-long saga still seems closer than it’s ever been. With that in mind, we’ve put together a short list of what to watch and read in order to understand both Tupac’s mysterious death and his remarkable life.

    Dear Mama

    Allen Hughes’ acclaimed FX docuseries about Tupac and his mother, the political activist Afeni Shakur, isn’t as focused on the mystery of Pac’s death, but it’s crucial viewing if you want to understand both the man Tupac became and the most important person that shaped him. Shakur’s social consciousness—and his fiery temperament—were directly influenced by Afeni, a member of the Black Panthers and a fierce advocate for racial and economic equality. Hughes had a contentious history with Tupac during the MC’s life, and this five-part series doesn’t gloss over the details of that relationship, including a 1993 incident in which a group of ‘Pac associates assaulted Hughes after he passed the rapper over for a role in Menace II Society. Essential, whether you’ve loved Pac for decades or are just learning about his life and times.

    Murder Rap

    Mike Dorsey’s feature documentary– largely shaped by a 2011 book of the same name by former Los Angeles police detective Greg Kading, who headed an LAPD task force investigating the murder of The Notorious B.I.G.—explores the deaths of the two rap legends in the context of the East Coast-West Coast rap feud, with a specific focus on the rumored involvement of Sean “Diddy” Combs in the death of Tupac. “The confession that alleged Puffy was involved in Tupac’s murder was and still is the most surprising element in all of this. It’s difficult to believe, really, except that Keffe, the confessor, could have easily left Puff out of it and just said Tupac’s murder was just revenge for the beatdown of Keffe’s nephew, Orlando Anderson, and nothing more—the investigators would have probably believed it,” Dorsey wrote in a Reddit AMA.

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    Grant Rindner

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  • Britney Spears Says She Wrote a New Song After Memoir Release

    Britney Spears Says She Wrote a New Song After Memoir Release

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    Just days after her memoir, The Woman In Me, hit shelves and made it abundantly clear, in Britney Spears’ own accounting, that she felt her long legal conservatorship had stolen the joy of performing her music, Spears is dangling the juiciest pop morsel in front of her fans.

    “I wrote a new song!!!” she captioned an Instagram post on Sunday. “Hate you to like me !!! No beef with anyone … just being a narcissist in a claimed, self-entitled way !!! It’s to accumulate interest by giving ego with my eyes closed because I hear important people do that these days.”

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    She paired the announcement not with an audio clip but a photo of her own face, golden curls flowing and eyes closed. 

    Spears, who claimed last week that her book is the highest-selling celebrity memoir of history, wrote in it that she was “struggling” with whether she’d perform again. She wrote that being forced to perform during the 13-year legal conservatorship that gave others total control over her stole her creative joy. 

    “Pushing forward in my musical career is not my focus at the moment,” she wrote. She collaborated with Elton John on a single, “Hold Me Closer” in 2022 and wrote that it felt “great,” but Spears admitted that she still had healing and thinking to do.

    “I keep getting asked when I’m going to put on shows again,” she wrote later in the book. “I confess that I’m struggling with that question. I’m enjoying dancing and singing the way I used to when I was younger and not trying to do it for my family’s benefit, not trying to get something, but doing it for me and my genuine love of it.”

    Spears has already teased a sequel to The Woman In Me—after all, plenty has already happened since the events she recounted, like her pending divorce from husband Sam Asghari. In a now-deleted Instagram post from over the weekend, Spears wrote that we should expect another volume in 2024. Perhaps by then we’ll also have gotten to hear this song.

    Representatives for Britney Spears did not immediately return a request for comment. 

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    Kase Wickman

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  • 53 Best Kindle Unlimited Books for 2023

    53 Best Kindle Unlimited Books for 2023

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    There might be affiliate links on this page, which means we get a small commission of anything you buy. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Please do your own research before making any online purchase.

    Reading is the ultimate act of self-improvement. It is an essential skill for functioning in our society, ensuring that we can fulfill our responsibilities without assistance from others.

    Reading strengthens our imagination and thought processes. It opens up new vistas before us, allowing us to take advantage of the information all around us.

    When harnessed right, reading enhances your creativity. Furthermore, it is one of the easiest skills you can learn that imparts self-confidence.

    Reading doesn’t have to be a chore. In fact, key findings of a lot of research around the world reveal that reading for pleasure positively impacts young people’s academic achievement and overall well-being.

    Books have been around for centuries, providing information and entertainment for those who love to read. Recently, with advances in technology, eBooks have grown in popularity as another medium for easily accessing favorite literary works.

    Amazon introduced Kindle Unlimited, with over a million book titles and several thousand audiobooks in its repository.

    Unlike Kindle Fire, which requires a specific device to access book titles, Kindle Unlimited allows you to access books on your smartphone, laptop, tablet, or desktop—basically any device.

    Related Reading: If you need further info about this service from Amazon, check out this eye-opening review.

    To help you build your 2023 reading list, we’ve gathered all the best books on Kindle Unlimited in both the fiction and non-fiction categories. So, settle into your most comfortable chair, put your feet up, and prepare for a marathon reading session of books you can get right now in the Kindle store.

    Non-Fiction

    1. Born Survivors by Wendy Holden

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    Born Survivors: Three Young Mothers and Their Extraordinary Story of Courage, Defiance, and Hope is a gripping account of survival in hellish conditions. Three women discovered they were pregnant during World War II just before being sent to the infamous Auschwitz.

    Their husbands had died at the hands of the Nazis, and they all kept their pregnancies—and the birth of their children—secret from their torturers as they were forced to endure the conditions in the concentration camp.

    Holden’s work is well-researched, intense, and a true inspiration. It is an incredible book about the Second World War, the Holocaust, and women survivors.

    2. Unlimited Memory by Kevin Horsley

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    Unlimited Memory: How to Use Advanced Learning Strategies to Learn Faster, Remember More, and Be More Productive reveals the secrets for tapping into your brain’s ability to achieve focus, enhancing your ability to recall information and other strategies for improving your memory.

    If you want to increase your productivity and become more successful in life, this book can help.

    Through it, you will learn how to utilize memory prompts to remember information, dramatically boost your ability to focus and concentrate, and use other strategies to fully harness the power of your mind.

    Your guide through all the exercises is Kevin Horsley, the International Grandmaster of Memory and a World Memory Championship Medalist.

    3. The 1-Page Marketing Plan by Allan Dib

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    In this book, Allan Dib shows you how to make a reliable marketing plan that is guaranteed to bring success to your business. It does not matter if you already have years of experience as an entrepreneur or are still starting your first business—you will benefit from Dib’s tips on how to get new clients, confidently close deals, and rise above the competition.

    4. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

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    This classic self-help and business leadership book explains the concepts of paradigm shifts and being proactive. Now, the book’s message is more accessible and easier to grasp with the Infographics Edition.

    The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change (Infographics Edition) will guide you as you become familiar with the seven essential habits of successful people and apply them to your own life.

    5. The Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook by Laurel Randolph

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    An Instant Pot is a truly versatile kitchen appliance, and The Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook: Easy Recipes for Fast & Healthy Meals will be your guide for cooking a variety of dishes with ease and confidence.

    There are over a hundred healthy recipes, so whether you’re a novice or a pro in the kitchen (or following a special diet like Paleo or vegetarian), this cookbook is your comprehensive reference for tasty Instant Pot dishes.

    6. An American Princess by Annejet van der Zijl; translated by Michele Hutchison

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    This well-written biography about Allene Tew gives readers a glimpse into America’s upper-class life during the Gilded Age. Through An American Princess: The Many Lives of Allene Tew, we journey with Tew in her determination to survive, driven away from her hometown and the people who shared in her past.

    7. The Child Whisperer by Carol Tuttle

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    Parents sometimes get stumped when it comes to raising their kids. Fortunately, Carol Tuttle reveals the essential tools for effective parenting strategies.

    With her guidance, parents can get their children to cooperate more. In addition, this book shows how you can fix troubled relationships between parents and teenagers, as well as how moms and dads can maintain their connections with adult children.

    8. The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod

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    The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8 AM) has been instrumental in transforming the lives of many people. Hal Elrod’s principles within its pages help readers find the energy and drive to bring their lives to the next level.

    This book promises to unleash your highest potential and help you reach the success you’ve always dreamed about—and it all starts with committing to waking up earlier than usual. Everything else will follow.

    9. Declutter Your Mind by S. J. Scott and Barrie Davenport

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    Declutter Your Mind: How to Stop Worrying, Relieve Anxiety, and Eliminate Negative Thinking provides science-backed information on how you can stop negative thinking and take control of your thoughts.

    Through this book, you’ll come to understand the root cause of mental clutter. It gives you the guidance you need to achieve peace of mind and develop stronger relationships with people who matter to you.

    The authors guide you to learning new habits and mindsets that encourage clarity of thought. These are all designed to help you live a more meaningful life.

    10. Essential Oils Natural Remedies by Althea Press

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    These days, quite a number of people are using essential oils as an alternative or supplement to conventional treatment options. Several research studies show that essential oils benefit various ailments, including muscle pain and depression.

    This book provides in-depth information on how to harness the healing powers of essential oils. You’ll learn the profiles of over 70 commonly used essential oils, remedies and treatments, and the basics of essential oil use.

    11. The Complete Ketogenic Diet for Beginners by Amy Ramos

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    Here at Develop Good Habits, we’re all for healthy living and eating. So this book about the keto lifestyle really caught our attention.

    The Complete Ketogenic Diet for Beginners: Your Essential Guide to Living the Keto Lifestyle is a reliable reference for the ketogenic diet. If you’re interested to learn about this diet and the low-carb lifestyle, Amy Ramos will be your guide.

    This book is filled with useful information for those beginning on the keto diet. The nutritional breakdown of recipes featured in the book is really helpful, as are the shopping list and the meal plan suggestions.

    12. I Hear You by Michael S. Sorensen

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    Michael Sorensen reveals the most important skill for building stronger relationships in I Hear You: The Surprisingly Simple Skill Behind Extraordinary Relationships. Many people are not aware that validation is the key to connecting with others on a deeper level.

    In this book, Sorensen helps readers become more present in their interactions with others. They learn how to diffuse the tension that would otherwise lead to arguments; encourage others to be more open to their own views, and show support to those special people in their lives. All these skills show others that you acknowledge their presence in your life.

    13. A Beginner’s Guide to Living in an RV by Alyssa Padgett

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    If you plan to transition into a life on the road, A Beginner’s Guide to Living in an RV: Everything I Wish I Knew Before Full-Time RVing Across America can help you. Alyssa Padgett has first-hand experience with RVing, having done it with her husband for years. The book is full of tips and inside information on RV culture, where to find the best RV parks in America, and even how to find great Internet while on the road.

    14. The Unlimited Self by Jonathan Heston

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    Are you ready to make success happen in your life? If you commit to going the distance, The Unlimited Self: Destroy Limiting Beliefs, Uncover Inner Greatness, and Live the Good Life will guide you to achieve the life you’ve always longed for.

    People’s setbacks are often caused by their fear of fully embracing who they truly are and what they are capable of. This book introduces a system to help you successfully carry out your dreams and goals.

    Things that you’ll learn in this book include using fear to your advantage, harnessing the power of your thoughts, and reprogramming your “future self.”

    15. Build Your Running Body by Pete Magill, Thomas Schwartz, and Melissa Breyer

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    There is a better way to develop strength, stamina, and speed as a runner. Build Your Running Body: A Total-Body Fitness Plan for All Distance Runners, from Milers to Ultramarathoners – Run Farther, Faster, and Injury-Free provides the latest, science-backed research on running to help you create the right training program, whether you’re a casual runner or an ultramarathoner.

    The book promises to give you an “injury-resistant running body” through over 150 exercise routines. Every workout features photographs to make it easy to follow each step of the routine. It also provides a guide for novice runners, insights into hot topics related to running, recipes, exercise strategies, and more!

    16. The Art of Saying NO by Damon Zahariades

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    If you’re one of the many people who can’t say no and end up being taken advantage of by friends, co-workers, and family, and if you’ve had enough of this kind of treatment, then The Art of Saying NO: How to Stand Your Ground, Reclaim Your Time and Energy, and Refuse to be Taken for Granted (Without Feeling Guilty!) will help you set boundaries and not feel guilty about it.

    This book provides a step-by-step approach to developing your own assertiveness. Through this book, you’ll understand the underlying factors affecting why some people find it hard to set personal boundaries, discover that saying no to others isn’t a negative trait, and learn effective and gracious strategies for turning people down.

    17. Think Like a Warrior by Darrin Donnelly

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    Think Like a Warrior: The Five Inner Beliefs That Make You Unstoppable is an inspiration whether you’re an athlete or not. It teaches you how to change your mindset to stop thinking that you’re a victim of circumstance and start taking control of your own life.

    Let this book be your guide in learning how to boost your self-confidence, use positivity to improve the quality of your life, and achieve the right mindset to tackle everyday challenges.

    The book is written as a fable, and the lessons are from some of the most influential coaches of all time, such as John Wooden, Vince Lombardi, and Buck O’Neil.

    18. How to Draw Cool Stuff by Catherine Holmes

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    People of all different ages can appreciate How to Draw Cool Stuff: A Drawing Guide for Teachers and Students. It is ideal for those who want to improve their drawing skills and learn how to draw some cool stuff.

    The instructions are easy to follow. Discussions accompany each drawing technique before proceeding to exercises for readers to apply the techniques they are learning.

    19. A Train Near Magdeburg by Matthew Rozell

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    In this well-researched work, A Train Near Magdeburg: A Teacher’s Journey Into the Holocaust, Rozell brings our attention to the terrible events of WWII. His important book serves as a reminder of what humans are capable of—both cruelty and compassion—and that we should always be vigilant and never again allow the former to take over the world.

    20. Think Smart Not Hard by Roy Huff

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    All of us have challenges we must face in our everyday lives. Sometimes, these challenges threaten to overwhelm us. But before you throw in the towel, you need to read Think Smart Not Hard: 52 Key Principles to Success and Happiness.

    The principles for success and happiness that Ruff shares in his work promise to transform your life and lead you to the path you were meant to take. There are exercises for you to try that are designed to inspire and get you moving in the direction of personal success.

    21. What If? by Randall Munroe

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    Randall Munroe is the creator of xckd.com, a widely popular webcomic featuring stick-figure drawings tackling issues on love, language, science, etc. It is, as Munroe described the site, “a sort of Dear Abby for mad scientists.” What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions is a compilation of hypothetical questions and Munroe’s answers.

    Here is a sample question from the book: “If every person on Earth aimed a laser pointer at the Moon at the same time, would it change color?” The answers usually lead to pretty interesting discussions, making this book a must-read.

    22. Find Your Passion by Henri Junttila

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    If you find yourself stuck in a rut in an unfulfilling career, Find Your Passion: 25 Questions You Must Ask Yourself can help you find your way to doing what you are truly passionate about.

    The book isn’t too long, but the exercises require you to commit at least a few hours to carefully thinking about your answers to uncover your passions.

    23. 201 Relationship Questions by Barrie Davenport

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    Asking deep questions can bring you and your partner closer together. Couples can use 201 Relationship Questions: The Couple’s Guide to Building Trust and Emotional Intimacy to guide you to the right questions to ask each other on a journey to better understand each other.

    Set a time each day to answer some of the questions together. Your answers to these eye-opening questions can be a way of refreshing your relationship—strengthening your bond, and protecting each other from potential external conflicts.

    24. Genius Foods by Max Lugavere

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    In Genius Foods: Become Smarter, Happier, and More Productive While Protecting Your Brain for Life (Genius Living Book 1), Max Lugavere shares vital information about the connection between food consumption and brain aging. He reveals how food can impact our memory, sense of focus, creativity, comprehension, and mood. 

    The book provides actionable tips useful for improving the brain’s performance, including:

    • What nutrients boost memory and cognition
    • Where to find memory-boosting nutrients
    • Which foods to consume in order to increase happiness

    Fiction

    25. I Am Watching You by Teresa Driscoll

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    With over 10,000 ratings to date, this psychological/crime thriller is one of the must-reads of the year. If you have ever wondered how crime can affect people’s lives, especially families, this book delves into that issue.

    Driscoll uses one character’s point of view for every chapter. Sometimes, the plotline feels like it’s all over the place. However, the twists and cliffhangers weave together to form an emotional ending.

    26. Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan

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    In this book, Mark Sullivan takes us to Italy during the Second World War and into the life of 18-year-old Pino Lello. Readers witness Pino’s courage and indomitability in the face of the horrors of war. This is a riveting read for those who are into historical or WWII fiction.

    27. Crazy Little Thing by Tracy Brogan

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    If you’re looking for a lighthearted read, you might want to try this book. It’s a story about a newly divorced woman who only wants time away to heal and regroup. During her vacation, however, a handsome neighbor disrupts her plans for quiet.

    Brogan’s writing style endears the main character, Sadie, to readers. There are laugh-out-loud scenes with the right amount of romance.

    28. White Rose, Black Forest by Eoin Dempsey

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    This historical fiction is set during WWII. Eoin Dempsey’s narrative about German dissenter Franka Gerber grips the senses and puts the reader right in the scenes of suspense and horror as seen through Franka’s eyes.

    The book explores what it’s like to experience a moral dilemma. Will the main character do the right thing even if she faces possible death in doing it?

    29. The Storyteller’s Secret: A Novel by Sejal Badani

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    This book takes you on a journey into a woman’s grief and toward newfound hope through her family’s legacy. Sejal Badani writes beautifully. Despite the topic of miscarriage and family secrets, every page is a gentle unfolding that touches the heart.

    30. Wish Me Home by Kay Bratt

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    This is a story of unconditional love, redemption, and hope. Cara embarks on a journey (by foot) to visit the home of Ernest Hemingway. Along the way, she picks up a stray dog and names him after her favorite author.

    As the story progresses, Cara changes as she encounters people who care for her and show her kindness—something she didn’t experience when she was younger.

    The book is written with sensitivity to topics such as mental illness, the foster care system, and even animals.

    31. The Girl in the Box Series (Books 1-3) by Robert J. Crane

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     The Girl in the Box might be right up your alley if you are into science fiction and adventure. The story revolves around Sienna Nealon, a 17-year-old girl who didn’t know she was a “metahuman,” or someone who possesses superpowers.

    Books 1-3 are available for free on Kindle Unlimited. The first three volumes introduce us to Sienna and her discovery of her superpowers. Throughout the series, she develops her powers with the guidance of an agency known as the Directorate, fights off dangerous metahumans, and attempts to find her mother, who has disappeared.

     32. Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine

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    How far are you willing to go to start a new life? This suspense thriller introduces us to Gwen Proctor, a warrior mom formerly known as Gina Royal.

    The identity change is necessary because Gina’s charismatic but incarcerated husband, Mel, had a secret life as a serial killer. Now Gwen must do all she can to protect her children and herself from the evil unleashed by her husband.

    33. The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly Harms

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    This is a lighthearted story of single mom Amy Byler who gets a break from raising her teenage children to go on a vacation, where she eventually finds herself.

    Kelly Harms’ writing style gives readers relatable characters in truly believable scenarios. The entire story of Amy’s “momspringa” is a wonderful mix of self-discovery, powerful emotions, and humor.

    34. The Magnolia Inn by Carolyn Brown

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    Spoiler alert: This book has a happy ending. The story will leave you feeling that there’s still a lot of goodness in this world. Magnolia Inn is about allowing new beginnings to flourish—letting go of the past, trusting again, and embracing the future.

    35. Never Be Alone by Paige Dearth

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    Page Dearth showcases her powerful writing with this haunting and horrifying novel about a homeless child named Joon. Her experiences while living on the streets threaten to break her. How long can she persevere?

    Dearth hopes that, through her writing, readers will become aware of issues that society tends to ignore. This book will change how you see homelessness and open your eyes to other social issues.

    36. Matchmaking for Beginners by Maddie Dawson

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    Some readers avoid love stories because they tend to be cloyingly sweet. However, this charming story is nothing like that.

    Maddie Dawson infuses lightness and charm into this love story without being off-putting. It is a delightful read from beginning to end.

    37. Saving Grace by Pamela Fagan Hutchins

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    If you are interested in whodunit stories with a bit of romance, comedy, and a haunting or two, you’ve got to check out Saving Grace. Hutchins writes in vivid detail, transporting her readers to the Caribbean and following main character Katie’s (mis)adventures as she works to get her life back on track.

    38. The Price of Time by Tim Tigner

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    In The Price of Time, Tim Tigner weaves a story of intrigue, action, and suspense that keeps you guessing how it will end. The plot twists keep readers riveted.

    This story tackles the issue of immortality and the possible impact of discovering a literal fountain of youth in our time. As a well-written literary piece, it is a true page-turner. Get ready to lose some sleep to find out what happens next.

    39. Split Second by Douglas E. Richards

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    Douglas Richards formerly worked in biotech, so he is a credible sci-fi author. One example is this book, where the concept of time travel is central to the plot.

    Readers are swept along for a roller-coaster ride into a world where time travel is possible, with far-reaching and mind-blowing consequences.

    40. Pushing Brilliance by Tim Tigner

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    Tigner’s work is often compared to Robert Ludlum’s, and with good reason. His Kyle Achilles series has become a favorite on Kindle Unlimited and a strong contender as the new American hero in thriller fiction. Pushing Brilliance is the first book in the series.

    In this installment, readers are introduced to Achilles as he works together with his late brother’s Russian fiancée to uncover and stop a plot to destroy both the White House and the Kremlin. The book is well written, with a satisfying ending that makes you want to read the rest of the books in the series.

    41. Constitution: Book 1 of the Legacy Fleet Series by Nick Webb

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    It’s 2650, and planet Earth has barely survived an alien attack. Now, the aliens are back to annihilate everyone once and for all. Humanity’s hope lies with one man and a decommissioned starship.

    Nick Webb’s story is reminiscent of Battle Star Galactica, making for enjoyable reading. The characters evolve as the story progresses. On the whole, it is a good first book for the Legacy Fleet Series.

    42. An Innocent Client (Joe Dillard Series Book 1) by Scott Pratt

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    If we’re giving out awards for the best books on Kindle Unlimited, this one from Scott Pratt is our choice for best Southern crime fiction. A murder happens, and a young girl stands accused of the crime. Lawyer Joe Dillard, beset with personal troubles, is determined to prove his client’s innocence.

    This story touches on the subjects of forgiveness, surrender, and redemption. It is well written, with a tight plotline and relatable characters.

    43. The Man of Legends by Kenneth Johnson

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    Award-winning author Kenneth Johnson weaves a tale of intrigue in the supernatural thriller Man of Legends. In this story, we encounter Will, Hanna, and Jillian. Unwillingly, they must work together to unravel an age-old mystery to save their lives and countless others.

    44. Inception: The Marked (Book 1) by Bianca Scardoni

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    This book introduces us to Jemma Blackburn, a teenager who witnessed a vampire murdering her father. Now the vampires are after her, knowing that she is not human. However, Jemma isn’t aware of that yet. This is a perfect gift for teens who are into the paranormal, mysteries, and fantasy.

    45. Storm Glass by Jeff Wheeler

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    If you’re into steampunk, alternate worlds, and history, Jeff Wheeler’s first book for his Harbinger Series is your passport to an engaging reading experience. The book is well written and quite enjoyable.

    It’s geared toward young adult readers, but people of all ages can follow Cettie Pratt and Sera Fitzempress and their efforts to save the world they know.

    46. An Absent Mind by Eric Rill

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    Eric Rill’s novel has won prestigious awards, including a gold medal in the Living Now Book Award for Inspirational Fiction.

    This is a moving and eye-opening story that shows us what it’s like to witness a loved one succumbing to Alzheimer’s. The book inspires and changes readers’ perceptions, especially about degenerative diseases and the tenacity of the sufferers.

    47. The Paper Magician (Book 1) by Charlie N. Holmberg

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    Charlie Holmberg weaves an extraordinary tale that’s filled with whimsy and excitement. Step into Victorian England, where magic is real, and get introduced to Ceony Twill, an apprentice to a paper magician.

    Enjoy your stay in Ceony’s world as she overcomes the challenges she has to face to save her mentor’s life and get to know herself better.

    48. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

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    Margaret Atwood wrote a powerful novel that readers are sure to remember. The Handmaid’s Tale describes life in the United States as it turns into a monotheocracy. It details social unrest and bizarre consequences that exist for the men and women in the population.

    The tale is told through the view of Offred, one of the Handmaids. There are parts cloaked in humor, unexpected and horrifying scenes, and satire.

    49. Reminders of Him: A Novel by Colleen Hoover

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    Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover details a troubled young mother who wants her shot at redemption after she has served the past five years in jail for a mistake. While heartbreaking, it is also described as a hopeful story written by the #1 New York Times bestselling author.

    Take the journey throughout Kenna’s life as she desperately tries to find a way to absolve her past mistakes and build a more healing future.

    50. Quicksilver by Dean Koontz

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    In Quicksilver by Dean Koontz, another #1 New York Times bestselling author, we follow as the master of suspense takes a road trip with a man to pursue his strange past. Born a mystery, the book follows along with Quinn Quicksilver and his unexceptional life.

    Kindle Unlimited Books for Middle Schoolers and Young Adults

    In addition to all the adult book recommendations we have made, we also wanted to include a few young adult options you can find on Amazon Kindle Unlimited.

    51. Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone by JK Rowling

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    An oldie but a goodie. Even though the Harry Potter books were released years ago, they remain a top choice on many best book lists. JK Rowling takes the reader into a world of fantasy and magic as we meet Harry Potter, a boy who is offered a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry on his eleventh birthday.

    52. The Hunger Games (#1) by Suzanne Collins

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    The Hunger Games and the books in the series that follow still fall on #1 bestseller lists on Amazon as Suzanne Collins details what is happening in North America during the annual Hunger Games.

    This copy is a Special Edition that includes an extensive interview with Suzanne Collins and offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the series was imagined and created.

    53. The Hobbit: Or There and Back Again (Lord of the Rings) by JRR Tolkien

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    Another modern classic, this bestseller by JRR Tolkien, is the prelude to the Lord of the Rings series. It introduces us to Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit who rarely traveled further than his own pantry.

    It details his adventures that begin with the appearance of Gandalf and takes us on a magical journey filled with suspense and humor.

    How to Use Amazon Kindle Unlimited

    You can get devices for each member of the family, including the kids. The Kindle Fire Tablet (kids edition) is a great option for younger kids and allows them to read picture books in color format. The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite is an eBook that is easy to read in the dark.

    To use Amazon Kindle Unlimited, you do not have to maintain a regular subscription. You can pay for a month whenever you need it, which can be a plus if you only need these book options for travel or other special occasions.

    Kindle books are a great way to entertain the kids and allow you to check out up to 10 titles at one time. This way, everyone in the family can find something to read.

    Final Words on Best Books on Kindle Unlimited

    There you have it—53 of the best books available on Kindle Unlimited for your 2023 reading list. Have you found a favorite? Let us know your thoughts below.

    Still not convinced that reading is for you? You might want to check out this post to learn more about the benefits of reading a book.

    If you’ve already begun a reading habit, I offer my congratulations. You’re well on your way to a successful, happier life.

    And if you’re looking for more resources about Kindle, be sure to check out these blog posts:

    Amazon Kindle Unlimited FAQ

    Still have questions about Amazon Kindle Unlimited? We have the answers to some of the more commonly asked questions about this Amazon service.

    Do I have to have a Kindle device to enjoy Kindle Unlimited?

    You also do not need a Kindle device to enjoy Kindle Unlimited. You can read your Kindle Unlimited books on your phone, tablet, or computer or with a free Kindle Reading app.

    Is Kindle Unlimited free for Amazon Prime members?

    No. Kindle Unlimited is not free for Amazon Prime members. Member or not, you will have to pay the monthly fee of $9.99. With your Kindle Unlimited subscription, you can read an unlimited number of books each month. However, you can only check out up to ten Kindle Unlimited titles at one time.

    What is Amazon Kindle Kids Edition?

    Amazon Kids is free for parents, and Amazon Kids+ subscriptions start at $2.99 per month for Amazon Prime members and $4.99 a month for nonmembers. With the Amazon Kindle Kids Edition and FreeTime Unlimited, you can tailor your child’s time on their device, and it is incredibly easy to use.

    You start by setting up your child’s profile, and then you can activate the Fire for Kids Unlimited subscription. Your child can then begin browsing books immediately. They can search under different categories to find exactly what they want.

    best books on kindle unlimited | best books on kindle unlimited reddit | best kindle unlimited books romancebest books on kindle unlimited | best books on kindle unlimited reddit | best kindle unlimited books romance

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  • 7 Best Books on Willpower and Building Self-Discipline

    7 Best Books on Willpower and Building Self-Discipline

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    There might be affiliate links on this page, which means we get a small commission of anything you buy. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Please do your own research before making any online purchase.

    Willpower is an important skill that we can harness and use to our advantage.

    It is a key ingredient for success, and the foundation for building good habits and avoiding or breaking bad ones.

    When we’ve harnessed our willpower, we experience more happiness in all areas of our life.

    If you’re looking for resources on willpower, you can check out a couple of posts here and here.

    In addition, you can read today’s article for our recommendations of the best willpower books to help you understand the science and art of this life skill.

    These books are a cut above the rest, and full of information backed by science. Many have actionable strategies that can help you reach new levels of personal improvement.

    Here are our top picks for today.

    1. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

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    If you’re looking for a book to help you understand how habits are formed, why it’s hard to change your habits, and how habits can deeply impact your life, this is the title for you.

    In The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, you’ll learn that habits have three main parts:

    When we are able to recognize these three parts, we are also better equipped to master our habits (especially bad habits) instead of allowing them to take over our lives.

    Throughout this book, Charles Duhigg presents a helpful thesis that explains how we can form habits that benefit our personal development and get rid of those that hold us back.

    2. Make Your Bed by Admiral William H. McRaven

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    Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life… And Maybe the World is a blueprint for applying self-discipline in all areas of your life to maximize success.

    Admiral McRaven was the key speaker at the 2014 commencement exercises at the University of Texas at Austin. His speech became the foundation of his bestselling book.

    Within the book’s pages are 10 guiding principles for overcoming challenges in life. McRaven learned these principles while training as a Navy Seal.

    Written in an engaging style, the book features anecdotes from the admiral’s life, providing valuable lessons on teamwork, dealing with failure, taking risks, and having the willpower to go on despite the challenges that arise.

    3. The Mental Toughness Handbook by Damon Zahariades

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    The Mental Toughness Handbook: A Step-By-Step Guide to Facing Life’s Challenges, Managing Negative Emotions, and Overcoming Adversity With Courage and Poise explains the difference between grit and mental toughness.

    It also provides actionable steps on how to endure hardships, function under pressure, and succeed in every challenge you encounter.

    The book reveals the top seven traits of people who possess mental toughness, and also explains the close association between emotional mastery and mental toughness. It helps readers understand the significance of self-awareness in the development of mental fortitude.

    Finally, it provides simple practices for developing self-control and reveals five habits that strengthen the mind and curb impulsive behavior.

    4. Atomic Habits by James Clear

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    In Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, readers come to understand the far-reaching impact of habits.

    The book is a blueprint for creating habits that nourish and propel you to success.

    Furthermore, it provides great best strategies for breaking habits that hold us back from our highest potential.

    Some key takeaways from the book include:

    • Better habits improve the quality of our lives.
    • Choose to be around people who exhibit the behavior you want to develop in yourself.
    • To achieve lasting success with your goals, you must first focus on your identity, making improvements as needed. Once you’ve achieved the improvements you wish to see in yourself, the rest will follow.

    5. The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal

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    Looking for a science-based book about willpower? Look no further than The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It.

    Kelly McGonigal offers insights from a number of different fields, including psychology, medicine, economics, and neuroscience, in this comprehensive book.

    Here are some of the insights found in the book:

    • Willpower is actually a biological function that can be harnessed and improved in different ways, such as getting the right amount of self-care.
    • Willpower is a finite source, and that’s good, because being too rigid with ourselves has negative consequences for our health.
    • Mastering our own impulses is only possible if we give up the desire to be always in control.
    • It is important to find the right role models to help us master self-control and harness our own willpower.

    6. Mastery by Robert Greene

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    This book reveals how we can unlock our potential and achieve success in our chosen fields.

    Robert Greene uses the lives of famous and successful people throughout ancient and contemporary history as examples and jumping-off points for discussing the principles and strategies for achieving mastery.

    Readers will learn about the three behaviors of our minds, namely:

    • Original mind
    • Conventional mind
    • Dimensional mind

    The book offers insights into what our tasks in life are. It equips us with what we need to make positive changes.

    7. The Science of Self-Discipline by Peter Hollins

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    The first thing that readers will appreciate about this book is how easy it is to read. It provides actionable strategies on improving your self-discipline and successfully accomplishing your goals.

    One important takeaway from Peter Hollins is that “self-discipline is not only the goal, but also the journey.”

    The Science of Self-Discipline: The Willpower, Mental Toughness, and Self-Control to Resist Temptation and Achieve Your Goals introduces the concept of neuroplasticity, where the brain adjusts or “rewires” itself in response to new stimuli.

    He also shares the three executive functions that are prerequisites for achieving self-discipline:

    • Working memory
    • Impulse control
    • Cognitive flexibility and adaptability

    Well-written and concise, this book is packed with useful information for building self-discipline and personal improvement.

    Final Thoughts on Willpower Books

    There you have it—seven willpower books for building self-discipline.

    Each one offers strategies and methods to help you achieve your goals and reach a new level in your quest for personal development.

    We hope that these books enlighten and inspire you and that the information you’ll learn from them will help you create positive changes in your life.

    If you are interested in more resources about self-improvement and willpower, feel free to check out any of the posts below:

    Finally, if you want to take your goal-setting efforts to the next level, check out this FREE printable worksheet and a step-by-step process that will help you set effective SMART goals.

    willpower books | willpower book amazon | best books on self disciplinewillpower books | willpower book amazon | best books on self discipline

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  • What the ‘Leave the World Behind’ Adaptation (and a Julia Roberts-Starring Role) Means to Rumaan Alam

    What the ‘Leave the World Behind’ Adaptation (and a Julia Roberts-Starring Role) Means to Rumaan Alam

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    When Rumaan Alam released his third novel, Leave the World Behind, the world was six months into a deeply traumatizing — and claustrophobic — pandemic. The book opens on a white family vacationing at a rural Long Island Airbnb as the Black family who owns the home knocks at the door asking for refuge from a citywide blackout back in Manhattan, and deftly transitions between a provocative exploration of race and class into a new kind of disaster tale. As the two families navigate the politics within their four walls, the world outside is slowly nearing apocalypse; that blackout turns out to be much more serious. The book’s prescience struck a chord with audiences and critics, but months before its release its success was cemented further by Sam Esmail and Netflix, who scooped up the rights for a reported seven-figure sum.

    Now, three years later, the final form of the thriller will premiere as the opening night film at AFI Fest. Its stars — Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke play the vacationers, Mahershala Ali and Myha’la are the father-daughter pair who own the place, and Ethan Hawke pops in to play a neighboring doomsday prepper — will be sitting out the big night due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, but Esmail (who is a graduate of the AFI Conservatory) and Alam will represent. The author joined THR via Zoom from his Brooklyn home ahead of his travels west to reflect back on his book’s success and tease what little he can about the big screen version.

    Now that we’re a couple of years out from the October 2020 release of the book, what still sits with you the most about the experience, and the reception of the book?

    The book was published during a really tough moment for of us. So to find a readership at all, is so gratifying, and I’m still really touched by it. When you write the book, there’s always some remove from its reception — you’re not in the room with the reader. It’s sort of a one-way transaction. There are a lot of books that I love, and I’ve never told those writers that I love them. I just read Underworld by Don DeLillo, and it’s so rare to read a book that makes you want to reorder your lifetime top 10 list. That’s one of the greatest books I’ve ever read, and I’m not sure I’d want to talk to [DeLillo] about it. But I have still been aware that [Leave the World Behind] has connected with readers and I’m really grateful for that.

    Do you remember a moment, especially in comparison to the pre-publication process of your previous books, where the fact that this was going to be quite big came into clarity?

    I think it was probably when I talked to Sam Esmail. He was one of the first readers — outside of my agent, or Ecco’s editors and publicists — that I talked with, and that conversation made me realize that the book really worked in a way I hadn’t quite seen before. It made me realize that maybe there would be an audience. But we as authors are also very good at reminding ourselves not to get delusional about things, so afterwards I just went back to work writing and back to managing my kids’ homeschool.

    What do you remember most about that first conversation with Sam?

    It’s a day that lives very vibrantly in my head, because my husband is a photographer and he had a story about a holiday collection that he shot in our home — it was June 2020 and unbelievably hot in New York and my children and I were wearing our winter clothes and coasts. The conversation was very similar to the kind that I have with my friends and colleagues, where we’re talking to each other about what the work made us think of. It wasn’t about Sam walking me through what his version of the adaptation would be, because of course he hadn’t written it at that point, it was just what we were interested in artistically. I’m pretty sure we talked about Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, because the way that play (and film) works is you begin by watching something that these four people are doing and by the end you feel like you’re in the room with them. You’re kind of tipsy, you’ve lost control, and you’re sort of trapped with these poor people. That was what I wanted to accomplish on the page.

    When you first read the script, what stood out to you the most — in particular, what felt most different than the book version?

    My impression at first was that Sam had planted more firm suggestions about the disaster that was happening, but then when I watched the film I realized what he was doing was adapting a technique that the film also uses. The book does say this thing is happening and this thing is happening, and it declines to fit them all together into one explanation. There’s no actual explanation offered in either version. The difference is that I have access to the ability to tease the reader in a different way than Sam is able to tease the audience.

    Do you think there was any inclination to offer a slightly less ambiguous ending than what was in the book? I often think that ambiguity feels more frustrating onscreen than it does when reading, but I could be wrong.

    I think it was a tricky balance for Sam. When I watch the movie, I see a work that is aiming to leave its audience the same way that my book left its readers, but the conventions of the form are just different. The two feel really intertwined to me and the adaptation feels very faithful to what I was trying to accomplish.

    In observing this process, do you feel any pull to write a screenplay yourself?

    That’s a tall order. (Laughs) Sam’s script is so good that I can’t imagine thinking that I’m going to write something like that. I am interested in other forms, and in fact I was trying to write a play earlier this year. I don’t really know where I’m at with that — but I feel deeply committed to the novel as a form.

    What can you tell us about going to set during production?

    It was a personal and career highlight. The actors were so warm and kind, especially to my kids. We are actually in one of the scenes that I went to set for — the scene shot at the beach where the principal are walking through the 1950s bathhouse. And the second day I went was when they were shooting Julia and Ethan’s family lying in bed together while the daughter is telling a story.

    I didn’t know you were extras!

    Listen, my kids are going to be furious if you don’t call out that their beautiful faces are in that scene. (Laughs) I’m torn about showing them the movie, because it is not a movie for children, but they’re really eager about seeing their moment of fame. Most kids don’t care about what their parents do, and I don’t need them to care about what I do, but it was meaningful to me that they saw all this. At some point it will become clear to them just how unusual it is that Julia Roberts said hello to them.

    I remember when you first spoke about this movie coming together, saying that it was so wild to be in meetings where people mentioned Julia Roberts so casually — you said, everyone’s talking about her like she’s our friend Julia.

    It’s absolutely wild and I hope I never get to a point where I don’t think that’s wild. She’s one of the absolute best at what she does. There is a very deep relationship between me and the fake people I wrote in this book, and to have her interpret that for this vast audience — it’s crazy.

    Leave the World Behind is the first feature to come out of the Obama’s Higher Ground production company; did you get to meet them?

    I haven’t met them. I still can’t believe that my book was on his year-end list. It’s one of the most momentous experiences a writer can have. He’s considered the bookseller-in-chief so of course there is a commercial opportunity in it, but he is a very discerning reader and to be counted among the level of taste that he brings to those lists is really meaningful.

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  • “I Don’t Want to Quit, Because I See What Happens:” Taylor Lorenz Still Believes in the Internet

    “I Don’t Want to Quit, Because I See What Happens:” Taylor Lorenz Still Believes in the Internet

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    It began, as much does online, innocently enough. There was a photography blog. A personal blog. A bagel Tumblr, where you could submit pictures of your breakfast every morning. Instagram accounts dedicated to all things Kate Middleton and baby Prince George. One blog devoted entirely to E.B. White. “So embarrassing…I had a lot of single-serving viral garbage Tumblrs,” Taylor Lorenz recalls of her earliest forays into blogging, back when she managed all those pages for the reason anyone did anything on the early ’00s internet: for fun, but also for the thrill of that still-nascent jolt of virality.

    Two decades later, the promise of viral fame has completely redrawn our incentives for much of modern life. As a new economy of creators and influencers reshape our most everyday anxieties and aspirations, Lorenz has since become one of the foremost chroniclers of this new algorithmic American dream. Through her work at The Daily Beast, The Atlantic, The New York Times, and now at The Washington Post, the tech journalist has become a go-to authority on explaining internet culture—with all of its unintelligible usernames, hype houses, and unsung (as well as unsavory) main characters—to the mainstream.

    Perhaps it was inevitable, then, that Lorenz would become a public figure in her own right. In drawing the attention and ire of stodgy Silicon Valleyites, rabid online fandoms, conservative culture war crusaders, alt-right trolls, and old-fashioned media institutions, Lorenz’s own brand has become recognizable. Dangerous too—in a recent essay, Lorenz wrote about being on the receiving end of death threats, rape threats, doxxing, swatting, smear campaigns, a stalker, and all manner of online abuse over the past few years of her career.

    “My whole beat is writing about people with millions of followers, and massive media companies,” as Lorenz put it to me on the phone from a stop in San Francisco, where she’s been touring with her new book, Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet. Which is to say: If Lorenz’s internet culture beat was only ever about a handful of selfie-obsessed internet addicts with no real power, this line of work would be far less threatening.

    In conversation with Vanity Fair, Lorenz talks about the toll of covering the last decade of the internet—and her sense of responsibility for shaping the next.

    This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

    Vanity Fair: You’ve made quite the career out of covering online creators—these masters of self promotion. Have their tactics influenced the way you’ve handled promoting this book?

    Taylor Lorenz: Well, I started on Tumblr as a blogger and a content creator, and then I worked in viral marketing. So before journalism, that’s sort of where my roots lie.

    There’s a lot that I’ve learned. One is just how archaic the publishing industry is. I was asking for advice on book covers and color schemes, but it’s really a business of throwing spaghetti against the wall and seeing what sticks. So I had my audience vote on the cover and the subtitle, all these different aspects of the book so they would feel connected to it.

    This is so funny because I’m saying this in a traditional media interview, but this doesn’t sell. Traditional media has value for perception of prestige. But in terms of sales, I found that podcasts were the thing that really converted most effectively; I sold 600 books from replying to an Elon Musk tweet about me. Little things like, where you can leverage viral moments where you’re being talked about. I did a whole Dave Portnoy interview that Dave did not release, I think because he thinks he looks bad in it, but I’m a very open book and will happily engage with controversy if it will get me book sales. If there’s ever a time to engage with people I might not normally, now would be the time. [Editor’s note: Lorenz and Portnoy have a contentious history. Vanity Fair has reached out to a representative for Portnoy for comment.]

    When you left The New York Times early last year, you said you were frustrated with the way legacy newsrooms struggle with the reality of how journalists like you can now cultivate huge followings. There’s been that ongoing “should journalists be brands” debate. Do you think of yourself as a brand?

    This is such a silly debate. It makes me laugh every time, because the notion that famous journalists and writers—Barbara Walters, Anderson Cooper, Woodward and Bernstein, David Grann, Patrick Radden Keefe, Tom Wolfe—don’t have brands is absurd. The relationship between journalistic talent and their media organizations, that’s always been at this point of contention.

    The thing that’s changed, and I think what people don’t understand, is that it’s the same thing that’s happened in traditional celebrities, where now you don’t just have to be that top one percent to receive attention. Fame has been democratized. A lot of the backlash around my work is because people conflate me with what I cover, and I totally get why. I did not start as a journalist. I started as more of an internet personality, which is increasingly how more and more journalists are getting their start.

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    Delia Cai

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  • After backlash, Scholastic says it will stop separating diverse books at school book fairs

    After backlash, Scholastic says it will stop separating diverse books at school book fairs

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    Report examines Florida book bans


    Report examines Florida book bans

    02:16

    After a flurry of criticism, Scholastic is reversing a decision to allow school districts to exclude books that deal with race, LGBTQ and other issues related to diversity from the publisher’s popular book fairs. 

    The company had initially defended the opt out as a way to allow teachers and schools in 30 states with pending or existing laws that seek to bar some types of content from schools to continue hosting the sales events. Scholastic said earlier this month that its “Share Every Story, Celebrate Every Voice” collection was necessary in states that prohibit “certain kinds of books” from schools. The collection included picture books about civil rights icon John Lewis and Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown.

    The publisher’s collection was designed as a way to allow the company to continue to operate its school book fairs in dozens of states restricting ideas or topics in schools, but free speech and children’s groups sounded their alarm at the decision. PEN America, a group that represents literature and free speech, said it viewed the separate group of diverse books with “dismay” and urged Scholastic to “explore other solutions.”

    Scholastic on Wednesday said it would end the “Share Every Story” collection beginning in January, acknowledging that the separate group of diverse books “caused confusion and feelings of exclusion.”

    “The ‘Share Every Story, Celebrate Every Voice’ collection will not be offered with our next season in January,” the company said in its statement. “As we reconsider how to make our book fairs available to all kids, we will keep in mind the needs of our educators facing local content restrictions and the children we serve.”


    Pine-Richland parents challenge 12 school library books

    02:44

    It added, “It is unsettling that the current divisive landscape in the U.S. is creating an environment that could deny any child access to books, or that teachers could be penalized for creating access to all stories for their students.”

    Scholastic’s book fair business has faced pressure in recent years from some conservatives for its book selection, while the pandemic, which shut down schools across the nation, also badly damaged its financial performance. In its most recent quarter, sales at its book fair unit were down 4% from a year earlier.

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  • This Book Summary App Is a Gift That Keeps on Giving, and Now It’s $49.97 for Life | Entrepreneur

    This Book Summary App Is a Gift That Keeps on Giving, and Now It’s $49.97 for Life | Entrepreneur

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    Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.

    Psychology Today says that the best way to change an existing habit is to create a new one. Whether you’d like to stop wasting your precious free time as an entrepreneur by doom-scrolling on your phone, or you’d like to give the gift of continual learning to a loved one this holiday season, you’ll want to check out this deal on Headway Premium.

    Headway Premium summarizes nonfiction bestsellers into bite-size chunks that fit into even the busiest schedules. It can help create a new habit on your smartphone, and right now, a lifetime subscription is on sale for the exclusive price of just $49.97 (reg. $299), the best price available online. No coupon code is needed, but you’ll want to act fast — this deal only lasts through October 31.

    It’s an ideal mobile app to put on your device to replace those ones that don’t offer much benefit to your mornings or evenings. If you want to learn about things like personal finance or meditation, you’ll get summaries of nonfiction bestsellers to provide entertainment and easy growth over time.

    Expand your mind with key ideas and insights from some of the world’s best-selling books. And choose from different formats to decide what works best for you — listening or reading. It’s an easy way to continuously grow and learn, as 15 million users are already learning. And while reading these summaries doesn’t replace the act of reading the original full-length book, it’s a great way to discover books, ideas, and concepts you might want to dive deeper into.

    Just in time for the holidays, score a lifetime subscription to Headway Premium, on sale exclusively for just $49.97 (reg. $299) now through October 31 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

    Prices subject to change.

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  • 11 Best Philosophical Books to Expand Your Mind in 2023

    11 Best Philosophical Books to Expand Your Mind in 2023

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    Do you have any questions about the
    universe? What about human existence? The fundamental basis of your general
    values?

    I know that when I even try to consider how to make sense of it
    all, I get so overwhelmed that I often give up. However, according to Socrates,
    “The unexamined life is not worth living”.

    But how can you really reflect on these
    abstract concepts surrounding our reality?

    One way is to read books on philosophy that offer other people’s ideas and theories on this topic.

    People tend to find philosophical books to be difficult to understand because philosophers typically write for other philosophers rather than ordinary people.

    This can discourage the everyday person from reading this genre because the precise language often reduces readability. However, the solid arguments in these books are made in the manner that they are in order for the authors’ ideas to not be misinterpreted.

    The truth is, reading philosophical books can grant you with a level of self-awareness that’s essential to have in order to live a healthy life. While it can be scary to engage in introspection, it’s important to do if you want to live authentically.

    You can use philosophy to help you gain a better understanding of your mind and take better control of your future. Reading other people’s ideas can help you become open to philosophical questions and start to analyze your own existence outside of external influences.

    Reading philosophical books can also help you recognize the evolution of human thought. With that said, let’s look at 11 of the best philosophical books that you can read to help expand your mind in 2023.

    11 Best Philosophical Books to Read in 2023

    1. Plato: Five Dialogues by Plato

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    Many argue that all Western philosophy stems from Plato. If you’re new to reading philosophy, you can gain a basic appreciation by reading the works of Socrates’ most famous student, Plato.

    Plato: Five Dialogues: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno, Phaedo presents readers with five dialogues that are great examples of Plato’s philosophical wisdom.

    Euthyphro offers the argument that it’s impossible for morality to derive from gods–regardless of whether or not gods exist.

    Apology summarizes Socrates’ defense statements from his trial where he was being accused of immorality and the corruption of the Athenian youth, where he was condemned to death.

    In Crito, Socrates takes a look at the concept of justice and proposes one of the first versions of social contract theory.

    Meno focuses on the idea of virtue as well as the idea that knowledge can be defined as established true belief.

    Finally, Phaedo recounts the last moments of Socrates’ life, where he explores the soul and the afterlife.

    This collection of dialogues illustrates great ideas, writing, and philosophy. This translation can feel a bit literal at times, but it’s still understandable. Readers appreciate the footnotes that explain Socrates’ expressions and historical references made in this book.

    After reading this book, you will have an understanding of early philosophical thoughts.

    2. Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

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    This is one of the most classic psychiatric texts in history that has intrigued generations of people. In this memoir, Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl recounts life in Nazi death camps.

    Based on his own experience in addition to the first-hand stories Frankl heard from his patients, the lessons in this book surrounds the idea that while people cannot avoid suffering, it is possible to make the decision of how you will cope with it, find its true meaning by learning from it, and move on with your life.

    Man’s Search for Meaning has been said to be one of the most influential works of our time, with over 12 million copies have sold around the world. This book offers one of the first arguments for finding the silver lining in life’s challenges and always looking for lessons that come out of hardships.

    This version offers a foreword by Harold S. Kushner, as well as endpapers, supplementary photographs to Frankl’s original work, and many of Frankl’s letters, speeches, and essays that have never been published before.

    3. The Laws of Human Nature by Robert Greene

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    In The Laws of Human Nature, Robert Greene brings ancient wisdom and philosophy into a modern text for people who want to understand humans’ innate motivations, even when people are unconscious of these things for themselves.

    Greene argues that we are social animals, as our lives greatly depend on the relationships we have with other people. Without knowing why people act how they do, we could never have a truly successful society.

    After reading this book, you will have learned how to detach from your own emotions in order to gain self-control.

    Greene draws from the ideas of icons including Pericles, MLK Jr, Queen Elizabeth I, and many others to help readers develop a sense of empathy that morphs into insight.

    By reading this book, you will gain a strong perspective on how you can look beyond people’s facades and develop your own unique sense of purpose by resisting conformity.

    The lessons in this book offer distinguished tools for success and self-improvement, whether you’re focusing on a relationship, your career, or simply shaping your own environment.

    Reading this book will help you learn how to become a calm, strategic observer and avoid the emotional turmoil that causes people so much stress today.

    4. Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder

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    This easy-to-understand book is one of the most quintessential philosophy books for beginners or anyone who wants to simply gain a broad overview of philosophy in a quick and fun way.

    Gaarder wrote Sophie’s World: A Novel About the History of Philosophy in the form of a novel, where Sophie, a 14-year-old girl, goes on a journey working as an apprentice for an aging philosopher.

    Throughout her experience, she learns the history of philosophy and Gaarder is able to make the lessons of historical philosophers relevant to a more recent era.

    Sophie discovers the most critical philosophical concepts on her journey, beginning with the lessons from the first Ancient Greek philosophers, and ending with mid-twentieth-century philosophers.

    By reading this book, you will gain insight on a variety of historical methods of thinking and how they have shaped our world as it is today, including Renaissance, Romanticism, Existentialism, Marxism, Communism, etc. 

    5. Start With Why by Simon Sinek

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    In this bestseller, Simon Sinek starts by asking a basic question: Why are some people and companies more influential than others? What is the key to making someone innovative or an organization profitable?

    Simon Sinek created a movement in 2009 to encourage people to feel more inspired at work, and then be able to spread their own sense of inspiration to their colleagues and clients.

    Since his movement, millions of people have been impacted by Sinek’s ideas, and his TED Talk that is based on this book has become the third most popular TED Talk of all time.

    In Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, Sinek explores the commonality among people like Steve Jobs, the Wright Brothers, and Martin Luther King Jr.–they all started their success by asking, “Why?”

    By using examples from these famous people, Sinek shows that without answering the “why” behind a product, idea, -or service, you can’t gain customer loyalty or have enduring success.

    He shows that the greatest influential leaders all communicate the reasoning behind their ideas, a strategy that you can implement into your own life to become a powerful leader or achieve a new level of excellence.

    [Want to earn more about philosophy. Check out some of the best philosophy podcasts.]

     6. The Art of Strategy by Avinash K. Dixit and Barry Nalebuff

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    The Art of Strategy: A Game Theorist’s Guide to Success in Business and Life offers practical insights through a variety of case studies that show how both business and personal interactions involve a need for strategic thinking that helps predict another person’s next move.

    This “game theory” integrates common sense with innovative ways to look at the world in order to be one step ahead of everyone else.

    The authors provide many relatable examples of how readers can make good decisions, especially if they have an idea of the probability that something will go one way or the other.

    By reading this book, you will enhance your decision-making skills and learn how to strategize in situations where you know your opponent is aiming to strategize against you as well.

    7. Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

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    While Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience is sometimes categorized in the psychology genre due to its modern arguments using scientific methodologies, it answers an age-old question from Socrates’ era: How does one live well?

    The main topic presented in this book is flow states, which is when you lose yourself in your work or activity. Csikszentmihalyi offers in a very comprehensive explanation of why flow states occur and how to enter this state of mind.

    He makes the argument that one’s entire life can be structured in a way that makes it a flow state, which can have many benefits on your well-being.

    First, this
    will help you gain clarity and a sense of purpose in what you do. You will be
    aware of exactly where you’re trying to go and what you need to do to get
    there. Second, you will begin to find yourself enjoying mundane activities such
    as chores and seemingly boring tasks.

    Readers
    appreciate the step-by-step approach that is offered in this book that shows
    how a positive state of flow can be controlled rather than
    left to chance.

    8. Tao Te Ching by Lao Tsu

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    Tao Te Ching is the foundational book of Taoism, which literally translates into “the way”. This quick read offers readers the central ideas of Taoism as well as its intellectual foundation.

    The main concept of Taoism demonstrates how to live in harmony with the Tao, which is the source of everything in existence as well as the rhythms of the universe.

    This is different from other religions such as Judaism or Christianity in many ways, however, this book is still interesting to those of us living in the Western world.

    First, the
    ethical system described in this book is more relaxed than other popular
    religions in the world. Taoism is not so focused on “doing good acts”, as the
    ethical emphasis is largely on becoming a good person and living in harmony
    with oneself, nature, and other people.

    Second, the concept of wu-wei is largely discussed, which is the notion of “acting without intention”. In Taoism, the universe directs the flow of the world, and your actions should be in line with this flow.

    If you act with intention, you may be going in a different direction than that of the Universe, which creates disharmony and can lead to negative consequences.

    Readers appreciate the readability of this book. the life lessons it shares and find the wisdom of different perspectives to be enlightening.

    9. Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle

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    Aristotle’s main question in Nicomachean Ethics is: what is the best thing for people? His answer to this question is the ability to live a particularly good type of life that provides overall happiness.

    In his argument, happiness is comprised of activities that allow people to cater to their strengths. In doing so, people are able to flourish in their communities by engaging in reflection that is relevant to their own lives.

    Readers enjoy
    this book because it is authentic while still offering clarity. While some find
    the writing to be dense at times, this book includes footnotes that help
    explain things in more everyday language. This is a great read for those who
    are striving to live a life of virtue.

    10. Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche

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    Beyond Good and Evil by philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche was published in 1886, and it builds on his ideas that were published in previous works.

    Nietzsche accuses philosophers that came before his time to have lacked common sense and blindly believe in Christianity, which strongly influenced their own ideas of morality.

    Nietzsche specifically focuses on philosophers’ tendencies to implement systems with the idea that good and evil are opposites. Instead, he argues that they are the same, they just have different expressions of impulses.

    This is a very helpful book
    to read if you’re interested in modern philosophy and it will help you consider
    your own ideas about what is “good” and what is “bad”. Even if you don’t agree
    with what Nietzsche says, you will gain new insights by reading this book and
    feel engaged by his lively writing style.

    11. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M Pirsig

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    In Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values, philosopher Robert Pirsig offers a deep examination of how people currently live and how people could live better.

    He tells the story of a father and son’s summer motorcycle trip which turns into a personal and philosophical adventure of questioning how one should live their life.

    The relationship between the narrator and his son leads to self-reflection, and the task of maintaining their motorcycle acts as a metaphor for harmonizing science, religion, and life.

    If you often resonate with the common confusions surrounding human existence, reading this classic book will offer you a touching and transcendent look at life.

    Readers
    appreciate the analogies in this book, which makes it readable and relatable.
    It is an insightful read on some of life’s most perplexing subjects.

    Final Thoughts on the Best Philosophical Books

    Philosophy is what you make of it.

    You can read what other people believe on a certain topic and then choose whether or not you agree or want to try to incorporate their theories into your life.

    But reading a variety of philosophical books will help you develop critical thinking skills and help you understand why you make the choices that you do or even why you choose which goals you want to pursue.

    If you want to get more motivated then reading some of these books in 2023 to gain a better understanding not only of philosophy but also of yourself.

    And if you’re looking for more resources on philosophy, be sure to check out these blog posts:

    Connie Mathers is a professional editor and freelance writer. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and a Master’s Degree in Social Work. When she is not writing, Connie is either spending time with her daughter and two dogs, running, or working at her full-time job as a social worker in Richmond, VA.

    best philosophical books | best philosophy books for beginners | best modern philosophy booksbest philosophical books | best philosophy books for beginners | best modern philosophy books

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  • Hollywood Predicted Tupac Would be a Movie Star. His Response: “I’m Not Going to Be Alive”

    Hollywood Predicted Tupac Would be a Movie Star. His Response: “I’m Not Going to Be Alive”

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    In early 1991, 20-year-old Tupac Shakur was torn between ambitions of acting and rapping, and struggling to catch a break on both fronts. He had studied theater at the Baltimore School for the Arts and toured with the west coast hip-hop collective Digital Underground, but acting opportunities were scarce and he had yet to finish the demo tape that would launch him to stardom. His luck would turn when Digital Underground’s road manager, Sleuth, received a call from Cara Lewis, the group’s booking agent at William Morris. A film director named Ernest Dickerson was looking for actors for a movie called Juice and they invited Money-B, a fellow member of the collective, to audition. Dickerson had earned acclaim for his work as Spike Lee’s director of photography on a run of films, including She’s Gotta Have It, School Daze, Do the Right Thing, Mo’ Better Blues, and Jungle Fever. Now he was writing and directing his first feature film, a portrait of inner-city life and a coming-of-age drama about four teenage boys growing up in Harlem.

    While Tupac and members from Digital Underground rolled through the streets of New York in a limousine, attending New York’s New Music Seminar and doing various press junkets, Money-B read through the script. He scanned the lines that were written for Steel, the part he was slated to audition for, but as he read, one of the other characters caught his attention. Money passed Tupac the script. “Look at the character Bishop. This dude is just like you,” he told Tupac. “You should just come to the audition and read for this other part here.” 

    This article is adapted from Tupac Shakur: The Authorized Biography, by Staci Robinson (Crown).

    Crown Publishing Group

    Tupac’s friend Treach (from Naughty By Nature), whom he had just met on the road months before, had been recommended to the casting agents by Queen Latifah, who would also be cast in the film. The next day, Money, Treach, and Tupac strolled into the William Morris Agency. Only Money and Treach had an official audition. They sat patiently and waited alongside the actors gathered to read for the various parts. “In our minds, if it all worked out, I’d have been Steel, Tupac would have been Bishop,” Money-B recalled. “Treach would have been Q. We would have been real friends being friends in the movie, which would have been dope.” 

    Money-B went in first and got a quick thanks-but-no-thanks. Treach auditioned next, and although he didn’t snag one of the leads, he did end up cast in a smaller role. Dickerson then spotted Tupac in the waiting area and asked him if he wanted to audition. A few moments later, Tupac found himself in a room filled with casting agents and producers reading for the role of Q. 

    “What’s your name?” they asked him.

    “Tupac.”

    “Oh, that’s an interesting name. What is that?”

    Tupac proudly explained that he was named after Tupac Amaru the last Sapa Inca of the Neo-Inca State, the final remaining independent part of the Inca empire.

    As soon as he was finished reading for Q, Dickerson had an idea. “Can you stay longer? Can you read for this role?” Dickerson asked while handing him sides — short snippets of dialogue to study. It was dialogue for Bishop, the character that had reminded Money of Tupac. Tupac nodded, glanced at the paper, and stepped outside to study for a bit.

    When he’d prepared himself, he went back in and stood in front of Dickerson and the rest of the filmmakers who held the fate of his dreams in their hands. “I read cold turkey, walked in there, picked up the sides and just read,” he remembered later. “And I got that part. That was God.”

    “Tupac goes in the room,” Money remembered. “All of a sudden you hear cheering. And people standing up and whistling and everything.”

    Dickerson and the others exchanged glances as Tupac left the room. They knew they’d found their Bishop. “The thing that he got that nobody else got was the pain,” Dickerson recalled. 

    Producer David Heyman, who would go on to produce the Harry Potter films, was there and remembered that after the audition, “[Tupac] walked out of the room and he stuck his head back in and with a little wink and a smile, because he was mischievous, he says, ‘You better give me the part because I know where y’all live,’ and then he shut the door and walked out.” 

    The film’s producers invited the four potential leads to dinner together to see if they had chemistry. At the table with Tupac that evening were Jermaine Hopkins, who had appeared in the classic Lean on Me and was being considered for the role of Steel; Omar Epps, a student of LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts who would be cast as Q; and Khalil Kain, who had been an extra in New Jack City and had auditioned for the role of Raheem. By the end of the dinner, the producers were sold on the four young men’s rapport. It was the perfect combination. 

    While Tupac waited for an official confirmation that he’d been cast in Juice, his manager, Atron Gregory, continued to circulate his demo to record labels in New York and in Los Angeles. As the list of rejections continued to grow, Atron received some hopeful news. “Jeff Fenster of Charisma Records was the only man in the industry who got Tupac [at that point],” he said. But the hope was quickly dashed. Fenster could not convince Charisma’s execs to make an offer. 

    Amid these rejections, Ernest Dickerson came through with a resounding yes — Tupac had officially landed the role in Juice. In a full-circle moment, Juice would shoot in his hometown of Harlem, just a short distance from the Apollo Theater, where six years earlier Tupac had gotten his first bite from the acting bug in A Raisin in the Sun. At a time when theater screens across the country were filling up with cinematic portrayals of life in the hood — especially that year, as films such as New Jack City and Boyz n the Hood opened to mammoth success, Juice seemed poised to break out.

    Production began on March 14, 1991, less than two weeks after motorist Rodney King was beaten violently by four Los Angeles Police Department officers following a high-speed pursuit. The beating, captured on video and repeated endlessly across all news platforms, marked a watershed moment in race relations in America. Many Black Americans were ready to revolt against the racist oppression behind this reprehensible act. Tupac, angered as well, and sick and tired of the police continuing to misuse their power, wanted nothing more than to see these officers charged, hoping the world would finally start to see some change. But things would get worse in Los Angeles before they got better: Two days after filming started, Black teenager Latasha Harlins, a Westchester High School student, was shot by a Korean grocer over a $1.79 bottle of orange juice. Harlins had placed the bottle of juice in her backpack as she approached the register, two dollar bills in her hand, with the intention to pay. The city was a powder keg, ready to explode. 

    A coast away, Tupac settled in and prepared for his debut movie role. The film’s producers rented him an apartment on the ninth floor of a building at Fifty-First Street and Seventh Avenue for the duration of the shoot. The pad soon became a hangout spot for some of his castmates, as well as a place to reconvene with friends he had met on tour, like Yo-Yo. 

    At first, Tupac’s daily trips to the set went without a hitch. He showed up on time, for the most part, except a few early mornings when he disregarded the call sheet and kept the entire crew waiting. Cast members recalled conversations about this behavior, but Tupac shrugged it off. “Pac would get mad and walk off the set,” Jermaine Hopkins recalled. Hopkins said that Tupac would tell his castmates, “They need us more than we need them. Do you know how much money it would cost to replace one of us right now and have to do this shit all over again?”

    More often, though, Tupac left the selfish behavior at home and showed up to the set congenial and accommodating. The production shot outside most days, and many of the cast and crew noticed Tupac’s natural propensity to engage with lookie-loos and homeless people. Bothered by periodic homelessness since he was young, he didn’t hesitate to check on their well-being, talking with them and doing what he could to offer them words of encouragement. Some days he even made friends with passing fans as they walked by the set.

    Social as he could be, when it came to acting, Tupac was focused. He dove deep into the role of Bishop, the film’s antagonist, a character with a checkered past who harbored deep pain from a severely dysfunctional family life. His training from BSA and his short stint in Tam High’s drama department shone through as producers watched the dailies. One of them, Preston Holmes, remembered how his initial skepticism melted away: “I was more than a little surprised, to put it mildly, that Tupac was so serious about the craft of acting. I guess I assumed this guy was just a rapper that they were sticking in this movie because he sold a few records and the headache of dealing with this on a day-to-day basis would be ours to deal with, but the truth was that this guy was a consummate pro. He was superb. He blew all of us away.” 

    Tupac found a way to infuse his own life experiences into his thunderous performance, tapping into his deep reserves of anger. Tupac later explained his process: “When I get a part, first I just try to find out, you know, how does this character feel? Like I make the person up in my mind, what does he look like? Try to put a face to him, even though it’s my face. I give him a walk. Give him an attitude. All you really have to do is relate to the character.” In another interview, he recalled, “I am real . . . I stay real, I am never a story, never a script, never a character. Even when I’m playing a character, I am really that character. There is nothing fake. I just took everything and internalized it.” 

    Tupac also tried to tap into what he believed to be the sentiments of many young Black men in America at that time. “You have to understand that character. He came from a broken home,” he explained of Bishop in an interview. “No models, no role models, no real models. Nobody sat him down. All he did was eat breakfast at home and go in the street and get all of his education.” In another interview, he said that Juice was “the story of today’s young Black male and it needs to be told because police beating up brothers in the street. All that stuff still happens. And all this needs to be told.” Speaking from Bishop’s point of view, he explained, “I have no role models. That’s why I went over the edge.” At the height of Bishop’s dramatic arc, he delivers the classic sinister lines: “I am crazy, but you know what else? I don’t give a fuck! . . . I don’t give a fuck about myself.” Those lines captured the hopelessness that sometimes suffused not only Tupac’s soul but the souls of so many across the country.

    Tupac’s portrayal of Bishop was so convincing that it would eventually blur the lines for some of the film’s viewers, who collapsed the aggressive qualities of the character onto the actor. But the interplay was far more complex. Tupac’s castmate Jermaine Hopkins spoke about Tupac’s role as Bishop: “Was Tupac Bishop? No. Was Bishop’s attitude inside of Tupac? Yes. Were there certain situations that could bring the Bishop out of Tupac? Yes. Bishop was a character on a piece of paper. The personality of a Tupac Shakur in lifestyle and upbringing and trials and tribulations through life brought Bishop to life as a character. Those words on the script is just words on a script without putting any feeling behind him.” 

    The production of Juice was not without drama. Tupac’s movie trailer — his private space to get dressed and relax between scenes — was an active hangout, with friends and castmates coming and going, weed smoke wafting through the air inside the small space. According to his family, Tupac never liked to be alone and often surrounded himself with friends and family. Sometimes he even welcomed curious movie fans and passersby onto the set. But one afternoon his friendliness cost him. A few hours after inviting a stranger onto the set, Tupac realized that all of his gold jewelry was gone. 

    Tupac went off the rails at this violation of one of his mother Afeni’s cardinal rules: Never steal from another. Ernest Dickerson tried to calm him down by assuring him that they’d reimburse him for everything that was taken, but Tupac told him he would take care of it. Days later, someone spotted the suspect lurking around the perimeter of the set. Tupac and his friends ran toward him, grabbed him, and beat him up in the middle of the street before he finally was able to escape and run away. 

    After the incident, Tupac felt he needed a protector, a watchful eye. He called on a friend who had quickly become an integral part of his life. Randy “Stretch” Walker was a fellow rap artist and producer. He and his brother, Majesty, were recording artists signed to Tommy Boy Records, performing under the name Live Squad. Stretch and Tupac had hit it off instantly when they met in Oakland and discovered their common love for rhyming about the realities of the streets. In Stretch, Tupac found a friend whose lyrics came from the same foundation as his own: the ills of crime-ridden urban communities and how they adversely affected the psyche of young Black children.

    The two soon became inseparable. “Everywhere they went, they had to go together,” Shock recalled. “They loved each other so much, they were crazy. They would stand in the living room kickin’ each other with their arms locked. One faced one way and the other faced the other way. We’d watch for a minute and then we’d get back to playing dominoes. It would go on for twenty minutes straight.” Stretch had already been hanging out occasionally on the set of Juice. Now Tupac asked him to help ensure no one else came into his trailer for the remainder of the shoot. Stretch took the responsibility seriously. Once he and his six-foot-seven presence started to show up every morning, everyone was sure that no one else would be stealing from Tupac.

    On set, Tupac spent his downtime reading the daily newspapers.  One morning, he came across a story about a young mother who had thrown her newborn baby boy down a trash chute. He followed the story closely as the week went on, shaken by the details. He read that the girl was only twelve years old, and that the pregnancy was the result of her cousin raping her. Tupac was not only discouraged that the story didn’t get front-page placement, but he couldn’t understand how anyone who heard or read about it didn’t stop to acknowledge the gravity of this horrific tragedy. The incest, the baby thrown in the trash — it was all too much for him to forget. He talked about it with castmates and crew throughout the day, and eventually grabbed one of his notebooks and began scribbling lyrics. “Pac was so troubled, like, the whole morning,” his Juice co-star Omar Epps remembered. “Like, how could a woman do that? And so a few hours later he was like ‘Yo, O, come here. He starts kickin’ his rhyme.”

    The song was “Brenda’s Got a Baby.” “It was in my trailer while we was filming Juice,” Tupac recalled. “In between shots I wrote it. I was crying too. That’s how I knew everybody else would cry, ’cause I was crying. It takes a lot to move me. But I was in tears because this little Black girl was all by herself and the next page I’m hearing about little debutantes and shit. That shit was just getting to me too much.” Production for Juice wrapped mid-April. On the last day on set, the cast and crew gathered in celebration, hopeful about the film’s future on the big screen. Still waiting on a record deal, Tupac would head back to California to continue to record. As he left the set, one of the film’s producers, Neal Moritz, congratulated him for his performance and teased him about spending so much of his money on gold chains and rings. Tupac quoted a few lines from his favorite Robert Frost poem: “So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay.” 

    Moritz reassured him that he was going to be a big star in ten years. But Tupac, who had no illusions about the harrowing homicide statistics that plagued America’s young Black men, had already formed his own grim self-fulfilling prophecy. 

    “I’m not going to be alive,” Tupac responded.

    Adapted from the book TUPAC SHAKUR: The Authorized Biography by Staci Robinson. Copyright © 2023 by Amaru Entertainment, Inc.. Published in the United States by Crown, an imprint of Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. 

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  • Britney Spears shares postpartum struggle in new memoir,

    Britney Spears shares postpartum struggle in new memoir,

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    Britney Spears shares postpartum struggle in new memoir, “The Woman in Me” – CBS News


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    In her new memoir, “The Woman in Me,” out Tuesday, Britney Spears shares new details about her relationship with her family, her conservatorship, and the postpartum depression she says she experienced after giving birth to her two sons. Jamie Yuccas reports.

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  • Britney Spears Is Suspended Between Girlhood and Womanhood in Memoir

    Britney Spears Is Suspended Between Girlhood and Womanhood in Memoir

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    Britney Spears knows what it means to be deprived of adulthood. As told in her highly anticipated memoir, The Woman in Me, hers is a tale of rapid maturity followed by arrested development, freedom followed by imprisonment. In the book, Spears likens herself to Benjamin Button, a character who ages backward through time.

    Thrust into the limelight at just 16 years old with the 1998 single “…Baby One More Time,” Spears quickly broke the sales record for songs by female artists. Living and touring for her debut album without her family, she commanded the stage with the prowess of a pop star beyond her years. And yet as an adult, Spears found herself operating under an infantilizing conservatorship, primarily run by her father Jamie Spears. A court granted him the legal power to control his daughter’s finances and personal life. For 13 years, he micromanaged her money, her diet, even her birth control. A judge finally ruled in 2021 that Spears could make her own decisions—that she could, essentially, function once again as an adult.

    The Woman in Me, a copy of which TIME obtained ahead of its Oct. 24 release, marks the first time in well over a decade the public has heard extensively from Spears. Until now, the only insights into her recent life have been her 2021 testimony in court, when she asked for her conservatorship to be terminated, and occasional Instagram videos that fans have scrutinized for clues about her wellbeing. The buzzy memoir presents the facts of Spears’ life in a strikingly straightforward manner, delivering even the most harrowing passages in a casual, conversational tone. By sharing her story in unemotional terms, Spears creates distance between herself and the childish, incapable image of her proliferated by her conservatorship, condemning the forces that paralyzed her between two stages of life. The story she tells in the book lends new resonance to the title of her famous song: “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman.”

    Read More: Britney Spears Reveals How She Feels About the #FreeBritney Movement in The Woman in Me

    The book spends less time on Spears’ early years at the top of the charts than it does the ones in which she endured the conservatorship that stripped her of her personal agency. Readers who hoped for granular details on the “Toxic” music video or a discussion of why there’s a Titanic reference in “Oops!…I Did It Again” may be left disappointed. But what Spears does highlight from that period in the late 1990s is a sense of authority. When she first rose to fame, Spears wielded an impressive degree of creative control over her material for a teen, and she conceived some of the most memorable highs of her career herself. She writes that the school girl outfits in the “…Baby One More Time” video were her idea, as was the eventual collaboration with Madonna that manifested that famous 2003 VMAs kiss.

    But while Spears presented herself as a fully matured pop star, she also describes herself throughout the book as having been trusting, naive, and eager to please. The public’s interest in her sexuality—the way she was supposed to be sexy onstage and demure in her personal life—created an impossible bind. As a teenager thrust into the spotlight, she couldn’t have predicted the backlash she would encounter for the clothes she wore on stage, the lyrics of her songs, and any hint that she was interested in sex. After an early performance of “…Baby One More Time” at an awards show, she recalls MTV sitting her down in front of a monitor and forcing her to watch strangers plucked off the street lambast her for the “skimpy outfit” she wore during the performance.

    “The cameras were trained on me, waiting to see how I would react to this criticism, if I would take it well or if I would cry,” she writes. “Did I do something wrong? I wondered. I’d just danced my heart out on the awards show.”

    The debate over Spears’ modesty was, of course, a product of the era—in the early 2000s, tabloids and readers alike loved sorting pop stars into “Madonnas” and “whores.” But Spears’ own team exacerbated matters, she writes, by marketing her as a supposed virgin. In The Woman in Me, Spears expresses exasperation with this strategy, pointing out that in reality she’d lost her virginity at 14 and that embalming her image as a chaste teen stunted her ability to evolve as a woman in the public’s imagination. Under the pressure of the pop machine that surrounded her, the masquerade continued into her early 20s, even when she was sharing a house with Justin Timberlake.

    The consequences to Spears’ personal life of the need to maintain her reputation as a virgin—even as she was hypersexualized by reporters who asked her whether her breasts were real—were tremendous. In one of the major revelations in the book, Spears writes that she had a medical abortion during her relationship with Timberlake. When she experienced excruciating pain after taking the pills she’d been prescribed, the couple did not go to the hospital for fear that the press would find out about their decision to terminate a pregnancy. Instead, Spears lay on her bathroom floor for hours in pain. She writes that the virgin persona became so burdensome that she was actually relieved when Timberlake, post-breakup, told the media that the couple had had sex.

    Read More: Britney Spears Revisits Her 2003 Fling With Colin Farrell

    Throughout the book, Spears describes attempts to act “grown up” that often manifested in play-acting at adulthood: drinking cocktails with her mother as a 13-year-old, smoking Virginia Slims at 14, even playing house with Timberlake between tour dates and ignoring rumors that he was cheating on her.

    Real adulthood was far more harrowing. Her divorce from Kevin Federline and the fight over custody of their two sons, all chronicled by a press that hounded her and her children, amplified what the pop star now believes was a bout of postpartum depression. She admits in The Woman in Me to occasionally partying to escape during these years, though she emphasizes that she always arranged responsible child care and her drug of choice was Adderall, not the harder narcotics she witnessed other musicians regularly using.

    The double standard was galling. Spears points out repeatedly throughout the book that male stars were permitted to show up late to events, to drink, to do drugs, to cheat—all without harming their image in the public eye. But if she committed such an infraction, she was deemed a bad mother and, eventually, incapable of functioning on her own.

    In some of the most moving passages of the book, Spears writes how she found independence even in acts of desperation. She unpacks complicated feelings about shaving her head in 2007, an impulsive move after a plea to Federline to see her children went ignored. She writes that the decision “pains” her in retrospect, in part because the photos of the incident were leveraged against her by family members who wanted to prove she was out of control. But she also embraced it as a moment of empowerment.

    “Shaving my head was a way of saying to the world: F—k you,” she writes. “You want me to be pretty for you? F—k you. You want me to be good for you? F—k you. You want me to be your dream girl? F—k you. I’d been the good girl for years. I’d smiled politely while TV show hosts leered at my breasts, while American parents said I was destroying their children by wearing a crop top, while executives patted my hand condescendingly and second-guessed my career choices even though I’d sold millions of records, while my family acted like I was evil. And I was tired of it.”

    The conservatorship came soon after, the most dramatic version of infantilization that Spears faced. “The conservatorship stripped me of my womanhood, made me into a child,” she writes. The book consistently returns to Spears’ conflicting sense of self in these moments: deprived of access to her children, she veered between two personas—powerless girl and enraged mama bear.

    “Sometimes I just felt like a trapped adult woman who was pissed off all the time,” she writes. “This is what’s hard to explain, how quickly I could vacillate between being a little girl and being a teenager and being a woman, because of the way they had robbed me of my freedom. There was no way to behave like an adult, since they wouldn’t treat me like an adult, so I would regress and act like a little girl.”

    The struggle of that transition from girl to woman has become a popular theme in culture. Movies about literal puberty (Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.), emotional maturation (Barbie), and the transition from innocence to sexual awakening (Oscar hopefuls Poor Things and Priscilla) have dominated the box office. Those changes are often couched in metaphor (a doll becomes human) and end in triumph (reaching a biological milestone, an appointment with a gynecologist, escaping from a bad relationship).

    But here Spears offers in the starkest possible terms the near-impossible challenges that she faced as she tried to make that transition.

    Even the most devastating stories in The Woman in Me are delivered in a frank manner. During one of several stints in rehab foisted upon her by her father, Spears suddenly realized a striking parallel between herself and her grandmother Jean, a victim of abuse at the hands of her husband who lost a son and eventually died by suicide at that child’s grave.

    “For years I’d been on Prozac, but in the hospital they took me abruptly off it and put me on lithium, a dangerous drug that I did not want or need and that makes you extremely slow and lethargic,” she writes. “My brain wasn’t working the way it used to. It wasn’t lost on me that lithium was the drug my grandmother Jean, who later committed suicide, had been put on in Mandeville.”

    Read More: Britney Spears Feared Her Family Would Kill Her, She Reveals in New Book

    It’s a harrowing observation, yet she leaves it at that. There’s no extra paragraph analyzing the history of hospitalizing women for “hysteria” in the U.S., or even in her family, no meditation on how that revelation made her feel. Presumably Spears thought deeply about this presentation; a woman who in her estimation had been deemed incompetent by the press and her own family to the point of losing her freedom lays out the offenses against her in a way that’s unassailable. She can’t be accused of the unforgivable female sin of becoming “too emotional.”

    There are flashes of humor, despite the subject matter. As Spears is leaving the MTV taping in which she was forced to watch people criticize her sexy costumes, she wonders to herself, “I was never quite sure what all these critics thought I was supposed to be doing—a Bob Dylan impression? I was a teenage girl from the South. I signed my name with a heart.” And Spears is more self-aware than most have given her credit for over the years. She adds, “I liked looking cute. Why did everyone treat me, even when I was a teenager, like I was dangerous?”

    Still, moments of introspection are fleeting. The book leaves the reader with the sense that she hasn’t yet totally figured out who she is. Ultimately, what is clear is that Britney Spears is a woman recovering from trauma. And we ought to give her the space to do so.

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    Eliana Dockterman

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