A Book A Day - January 2016 - Wildflower

As one of my resolutions this year, I told myself I'd make the time to (at least) finish one book a month just as a productive excuse to look away from the computer screen.

January 2016 - I chose to read Wildflower by Drew Barrymore.

I asked for this book for Secret Santa and I was so happy to receive it because Drew Barrymore has always been one of my favorite actresses and I've always had this very big admiration for her and her "fuck yeah" attitude. She's someone I look up to and this book just made me fall in love with her even more. Again, thanks Demeturie for fulfilling my Secret Santa dreams, this is a book I will force my kids to read.


So ... the book. Don't worry! No spoilers here!

I had no idea what I was going to get myself into when I sat down and opened up to the first chapter of this book. You see, Drew basically told all her most amazing life stories and I didn't think i'd think anything of them. But from the beginning and end of each chapter, I just wanted to grow more as a person and I always learned something new about myself after reading them. Whether it was what I wanted to do in my life and what I wanted to change about myself and how I wanted my life to unfold in front of me.

Wildflower is a that Drew Barrymore wrote telling her stories as to how experiences in her life shaped her into the person she is today. From having a very odd childhood where she didn't understand the real meaning of love from a mother, father, and family to being the fuck-up emancipated 14 year old to how it molded her into being the person she is today. She really took her experiences and forced herself to be the person she knew she was capable of being and she promised she'd never be like the people in her life that made her feel in pain or made her feel like she was nothing but just "that actress girl". She really turned her life around.

Her adventures were hilarious, heartwarming, tear-jerking, and so motivational that she honestly got me wanting to be just like her someday. Her passion in everything that she has done moved me and inspired me to get up and just put my heart and soul into myself (for the first time). Because just like her, I deserve the best possible outcome in life as well.

I never felt so connected to an individual in my life, and I don't even freaking know this girl.

Her stories got me cracking up a storm and while I was reading, her diction made it feel like she was right in the room next to me ... just talking to me about everything. Reading this book made it feel like I was talking to a real person and I love people who can just speak to me and not have to worry about sounding so eloquently or try to impress me with big words.

You can honestly just open up the book to a random chapter and every chapter had a purpose and could stand on it's own. I think that's the main reason why I loved this book so much. Each chapter, I learned something. There were no cliff hangers (obviously) and there weren't exceptions. She was real and she spoke as if she was personally writing this for her children to read in the future (excluding all the vulgar language ... which I loved).

Overall, this book is a huge fucking 10/10 for me and I highly recommend it if you're looking for a book to laugh hysterically, ahead a tear, and relate to in a way where you are just trying to find the best version of yourself ... this is the book for you.

Thank you Drew Barrymore, this book honestly helped "post-grad depression Deniza" with coping with failure and trying to make my way back to my hopes and aspirations.

And if that's not enough for you, here are two random excerpts  of the book that I think will get you to read it. (These weren't my favorite passages in the book, but how was I even able to choose?!)