Wednesday, Jul 22, 2009

Book Review: Mommywood by Tori Spelling

Author:        Tori Spelling

Publisher:     Simon & Schuster

ISBN:          978-1-4165-9910-4

Website:       HERE

Type:          Memoir

Pages:         243 Hardcover

Release:       April 14, 2009

Purchase:    $15.00 @ Amazon.com (HERE)

The Story

Tori Spelling writes a follow up memoir to her first book, sTori Telling dishing on her marriage, pregnancy, friends, children, mommyhood, fame, and more about her mother in Mommywood.  This book picks up right where she left off in sTori Telling  and the readers get a glimpse of Tori’s attempts at being a “normal mother.”  However, it’s just not in the cards for Tori because there is nothing about her life that would be considered “normal” or “average.”  Finally coming to this realization, in this book she dishes on:

• Her sex life
• Poop in the pool
• Halloween
• Trying to blend into a new neighborhood and find acceptance
• Her weight issues
• The death of her beloved Mimi, the pug
• Birthday parties
• Family vacations
• Life in the limelight
• Being a stepmom to Jack
• Trying to balance her career and family life

And, OF COURSE…

• Her relationship with her mother.

The Review

I am a fan of Tori’s.  I was a regular watcher of Beverly Hills 90210, however I wasn’t a big Donna Martin fan.  There was something about Tori or her character that just didn’t click with me.  I honestly became more of a fan of hers through her reality television show, Tori and Dean: Inn Love.  It was through that show that I felt like we were getting to know the real person behind the celebrity.  Plus, I just adored her relationship with Dean McDurmott.  Despite their torrid past of breaking up both of their marriages to be together, they just seemed to work.  Now, I’m not condoning extramarital affairs, it’s just that they do seem like kindred spirits that just met at the wrong time.  They fit.

After being hooked on her reality series, I read sTori Telling.   There was a lot of her pain exposed in that book about her childhood as well as her recent past.  I believe she did give her apologies in that memoir and was brutally honest about her past mistakes.  Despite her past, she seemed genuinely in love with her husband and son.

Because I watch her reality series and occasionally visit her websites, I was one step ahead of Mommywood and I felt as if I had already heard or seen much its content.  That was my greatest disappointment in reading Mommywood.  I wanted more juice that wasn’t already shown on Tori and Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood.  And, I did get some fun stories about their 4th of July and Halloween, but not as much as I’d hoped. 

One thing that was constantly brought up in Mommywood, just as she did in sTori Telling, is the relationship that she has with her mother.  The discussion her relationship with Candy Spelling just doesn’t seem to stop in this book.  I believe that Tori really needs to enter into some strong professional counseling to work through her issues.  She seems to still be trapped by her past and this relationship.  She brings it up when she discusses her parenting abilities as well as her ability to bond with her children.  It’s almost as if she’s got something to prove in that she will bond better with her children then her mother was able to do with her.  The funny thing is, many of the family traditions that she complained about in sTori Telling  are the same traditions that she has kept in place in her present family (i.e. snow in the backyard, absurdly large birthday parties, special cakes from bakeries, the dolls that she bought for Stella).   She reiterates several times in this book about how she learned all of her parenting skills from Nanny (her nanny growing up) and her father.  She purposely excludes her mother.

Now, I totally understand having a strained relationship with your mother.  My mom and I are no longer close and we very seldomly communicate.  But, I’ve done my work in therapy and I don’t live with that past haunting me everyday.  I think that I’m more at peace with the kind of mother that I am and I don’t waste my energy comparing my mothering abilities to my mother’s.  Likewise, I don’t compare my childrens’ happiness and childhood to mine.  Well, except for when I’m trying to prove a point to them about getting good grades, etc.  There is just a time in my life when I was ready to accept my fate and disconnect for the betterment of my psyche.  Tori needs to either do that or mend fences with her mother in order for her to be able to find a more peaceful future.  And, I realize that this is hard.  It seems that it is the period of time just after you have your child(ren) that you want more of a connection with your parents.  I understand that.  But, for some people, sometimes that just isn’t meant to be. 

I don’t find it to be a coincidence that Candy Spelling released her memoir, CandyLand, right around the same time as Mommywood.  I’m sure that in some ways she feels attacked or misunderstood due to the press in the wake of sTori Telling and Tori’s reality show.   There are two sides to every story.  Now, I’m not taking sides or electing to find one version of the tale to be more true than the other.  It just hurts me to see it because it’s obvious that there is still a lot of love there between them and I’d like to see them mend and heal.  

One of the things that Tori brings up in this book is her relationship with Chelsea Handler (of Chelsea Lately).  Apparently this is a friendship that has gone awry and Chelsea makes fun of Tori on her show.  There is some bitterness and resentment on Tori’s side of this.  So, apparently Candy Spelling made an appearance on Chelsea lately to push her book.  Check this out.

So, it makes me a bit sad because she does apparently want to see her daughter.  I know, two sides to every story.

Moving on, I wanted to add that I need a book like this in the midst of reading about history, war, disease, famine, tragedy and the like.  I need a book to escape in and that doesn’t take 1,000 decibels of brain power to read.  I’m a fan and reading this was just a fun little jaunt into Tori’s world. 

Here are some photos that I found interesting that I wanted to share:

Their “official” wedding photo

Tori and Candy

On Sher’s “Out of Ten Scale:” 

So, this wasn’t a “riveting read.”  In fact, I had hoped for more.  But, I undoubtedly will continue to buy her books and watch her reality show until they are no more.  I am hugely curious about the tabloid rumors about her weight issues and marital problems.  I want to see her come out on top.  However, like I said, I think some intense therapy will go a long way in helping her with her issues.  Mommywood  will receive my rating for the genre:Memoir, an 7 OUT OF 10.  If you’re a fan, you know this is a must-have and Amazon.com just reduced the price.  If you’re not a fan… I think my recap is enough “Hollywood Juice” for the day!

P.S. If you’ve got some extra time on your hands and you’re curious… there are sooo many websites, Tori’s, Oxygen’s, and Candy’s.  Check them out! 

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