On Black Friday I purchased an annual Audiobooks subscription for $137 so $11.42 a month when if I were to purchase a single audiobook it would be  $20-36. For comparison Audible Premium is $15 a month, only with premium can you get new releases or books people have actually heard of. Sometimes the line at the library is so long and they take back the audiobook when your time is up so I thought it would be easier for me to get a membership and this way I'm guaranteed to read/listen 12 books this year. I listen to books while I walk down the street.  I think I will only do this for memoirs because for fictional books I really need to sit down and read to get a grasp for all the characters involved. On my wishlist to read this year are the following memoirs by Pamela Anderson, Paulina Porizkova, and Anne Heche. Last year I listened to Viola Davis' memoir which I highly recommend! 

Spare by Prince Harry

 The book has sold more than 3.2 million copies worldwide after just one week of publication and will likely rank among the bestselling memoirs of all time. The audio book is 15 hours long, but you won’t be able to put this book down. When it comes to Harry and Meghan everyone wanted the tea, now that he is telling his version of events people are saying woah how dare you talk about your family. Pick a lane! Listening to the audiobook is like having a conversation with him listening to his stories. I have laughed, cried, and gotten angry with the press while listening. The book is divided into 3 main sections: Harry’s childhood after Princess Diana died, Harry’s military service, and Meg. M & H both have the same type of corny love language and that’s why they’re so in love. I believe this book is all therapy for him, he feels like he’s finally pulling  the blanket back on the royals for his mom, he loved her so much. 

Some people are fact checking his book, but he says multiple times in the book that due to trauma he doesn’t remember everything correctly. One example is he said his mother bought for him an Xbox gaming console before she died. The gift was given to him for his 13th birthday in 1997; however, the device was first released in the U.S. in 2001 and abroad in 2002. To me, that detail is irrelevant because I could call all gaming systems an Xbox and he simply doesn’t remember which gaming console he got that year when he’s had them all. The book also states that a week before their wedding Meghan’s father was hiding in Mexico and she offered to fly him to the UK and bought him a first class ticket on Air New Zealand. Well the airline felt the need to tweet that they had no flights between Mexico and UK and only have Business Premier not first class. However, there was a flight from Los Angeles that the airline did offer at the time and one could assume he would fly to LA first then get on Air New Zealand and the name of the class was inconsequential.  

Harry is breaking generational trauma, no matter if you love or hate him, you have to respect that he made a decision that was best for him and his family. I think what he is doing is brave. He needed to write this book, he had to, his family did not support him in keeping his family safe. He has been traumatized since a young boy and was further traumatized serving in the Army. The family dynamics takes dysfunction to a new level. He said his father and brother are  currently not speaking to him. His grandmother never hugged him. Sometimes it’s the person telling the truth that’s called the black sheep in the family because the rest of the family is lying. The funniest parts are Harry’s story of going to Antarctica and getting frostbitten on his peewee and when he comments on his brother’s baldness. lol He shares his distaste for Camilla.  I’m happy he told the story and I’m sure his mom is proud of him. 

The Book of Jose by Fat Joe

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry

A memoir of the actor’s experiences with Friends, lovers, and his very serious, decades long addiction to alcohol and drugs. The book was dark, disturbing and regret listening to it. I was never a fan of Friends, didn’t understand why they didn’t have a Black friend in NYC. He said his co-stars won’t read the book and I see why. He can’t get over that Jennifer Aniston refused his romantic advances. He blames his mother, father, and everyone around him for his drug addiction. By the way did you know his stepfather is Keith Morrison from Dateline? He does not own up to his mistakes. He talks poorly about everyone. He boasted about all the women he slept with. Did you know Julia Roberts was his girlfriend at one time? He regrets never marrying and not having children and ponders what’s the point of his big house with a beautiful view when he has no one to share it with. He spent millions of dollars on addiction treatments. At one point he was hospitalized for 5 months with a colostomy bag after his colon exploded. That’s what finally convinced him to stop taking prescription opioids. His story is incredibly sad and he put all his dirty laundry in a book for us to read but in the end he just comes off as a narcissist.