User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
I feel weird giving this a star rating because it's a memoir bUT UHHHHH this was a fucking blast and now I'm going to go watch dukes of hazzard For Science
Rating: really liked it
Easily one of the best memoirs I've read, or had read to me. Between Jessica narrating her personal thoughts and the songs included in the tracks, it felt like I was having drinks with an old friend and catching up. Her vulnerability was easily showcased, yet Simpson had no issue making a few laughs at her own expense, which is always a win in my book. Even if you're not a fan of the pop star version of Jessica Simpson, Open Book is a memoir that is well worth your time, and I highly recommend listening to the audiobook.
Rating: really liked it
Okay, I kinda feel bad, cause I would totally be the lady who’d call Jessica Simpson ‘Brittney Spears’. 🤷🏼♀️ I’m not one to ask for selfies though, lol. The only things I really knew about her: Newlyweds, married to Nick from that boy band, kinda dumb, pop singer. Guess I can say, I sold her short. 😀 Her book was surprisingly candid and human and real. She really put it all out there and was honest about the mistakes she’s made. She’s a wife and a mom. Plus she’s a very smart and successful business woman. Bravo Jessica. 👏👏👏 I’ll never mistake you for a air head pop star again!
Rating: really liked it
Absolutely one of the best celebrity memoirs I have ever read. Every chance I had over the past two days I've spent devouring this book.
Excuse me while I try to find old episodes of Newlyweds to stream and deface any pictures I can find of John Mayer...
Rating: really liked it
2.5 stars
I rarely read celebrity memoirs anymore, because more often than not they are money-grabbing tools of self-promotion sprinkled with headline-generating tidbits of juicy goss. I personally believe that a successful autobiography must be about things larger than one's desire to set facts straight, and not many celebrities are capable of seeing beyond their self interest. That's why Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood succeeds, but Open Book doesn't.
Some of the reviews have led me to believe I would discover a new side of Jessica Simpson here, but alas, she is exactly what we (I) know her to be. She's always been an open book. She does go into some traumatic events in her life, which I empathize with, but essentially her overall message is exactly like she is - kind of muddled, confused, and delivered in a tone of self-congratulation, general ignorance, open-eyed hypocrisy and unexamined privilege. There are threads about addiction, positive self-image, respect. However, for every affirmation of her loving her body, there is a tummy tuck or a Weight Watchers deal; for every proclamation of love for her children, there is the fact she's been drunk around them for 90% of the time and the odd judgment of other ("cupcake") moms; for every statement of loving to make affordable clothes for her fans, there is relentless label bragging, etc. Her celebration of her sobriety is definitely premature.
One thing I will give Jessica, she is a savvy business woman. She would do many things for a buck. I wish she would embrace that side of hers more fully. Every move of hers - including that ill-fated reality show that was largely responsible for the demise of her first marriage, almost all of her charitable work, and clearly this book - is tied to her financial advancement. I suppose this is how you become and stay rich?
P.S. Can we all agree John Mayer is a disgusting fucboi? I would love to read a well-written expose of his shitty behavior. There is no way he was doing this to only Simpson, right?
Rating: really liked it
Well believe the hype...this book is everything people say it is. This girl couldn't be any more honest if she tried...and I love her for it! It seems like when celebrities pen their memoirs they always leave out the parts that people really want to know about. Not this girl...Jessica digs deep and lets you into her most publicized moments and how she was feeling during those times.
I loved hearing about her struggles and her success. It made her real. The fact that this girl with all her fame struggled with self confidence, self doubt and dealt with everyday problems that we all do..well it was just refreshing.
I also was not aware of all the times she has traveled overseas to visit our troops. What a amazing thing to do. Having family members in the military I can't express how much that is a bright shiny moment in their time over there. Just some normalcy for them. I am defiantly #teamjessica! So glad she has found a happy ending...thanks for letting us into your life Jessica!
Rating: really liked it
I loved this fracking book!
I listened to the audio from my library and I’m glad I did as Jessica narrated it. I could her her voice shake at the sad parts and it meant much more to me.
I could relate to so much shit in this book that it’s unreal.. Just goes to show you’re not as different from people no matter who they are in life.
I also liked she sang some of her songs at the end of the audio. I do plan on getting this on Audible and the hardback to put post it notes for key points in the book. I like to do this kind of thing with physical books.
ANYWAY, I fracking loved it! There you go! The end!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Rating: really liked it
4 stars “Sometimes we are all so afraid to be honest with ourselves because we know that honesty will lead to somewhere.” I wrote this ten years ago. “Can fear walk us to something better?”
I enjoyed this book so much. After reading, I feel like there is so much more to Jessica Simpson than meets the eye. With Jessica only being a few years older than me, I watched her rise to fame (I was actually a big fan of her sister when I was in high school) and fondly remember listening to her music in middle-school and watching ‘The Newlyweds’ (Nick and I share a hometown of Cincinnati so I always thought that was cool). Jessica’s always been shown as a dumb blonde, and she has her blonde moments, but she’s much more smart and savvy than she’s portrayed.
This memoir was narrated by Jessica herself and I can’t recommend listening to it enough. It felt like she was right there with you, telling you her story. She’s been through a lot and there were some hard to read moments and a ton of growth and revelations. This was a great tell all type of story about Jessica’s life and it was empowering and highly entertaining.
Rating: really liked it
5 stars!
Honest and endearing. Painful and powerful. Heartbreaking and hopeful.
This is the story of Jessica Simpson - singer, reality tv star, fashion mogul, wife and mother. I have always really liked her but never followed her reality tv career, although I followed her through all the headlines she made throughout the years. This was an extremely honest and vulnerable look into her life - past and present. She welcomed us into her heart, shared her innermost thoughts, her daily journal entries and let us explore the experiences she faced alongside with her.
This was excellent! I inhaled each chapter in one quick swoop, seeming to always find something to relate to or laugh at or feel strongly for. I admire Jessica Simpson for sharing this intimate look into her life. I truly enjoyed reading this and am an even bigger fan of her than I was before.
Thank you to my lovely local library for the loan of the physical copy!
Rating: really liked it
Audiobook....library overdrive...read by Jessica
I knew next to nothing about Jessica Simpson, ( singer, actress, fashion designer, author), ....but several people mentioned her book was good.
I decided to bite.
A few basic highlights:
.... she grew up in a church going family and performed in church choirs.
.....born in July, 1980
....at the age of 16, she signed a debut album, ‘Sweet Kisses’, with Columbia records, in 1997. It sold 2 million copies in United States.
....More albums....more commercial success.
In conversational styling, we continue to learn about Jessica’s family - her parents - and her sister, Ashlee, her marriage to Nick Lachey, ( I had to look him up, too) > a popular lead singer of the multi platinum
boyband 98 Degrees.... also a song writer, producer, and television personality.
We learn of the long courtship, between Jessica & Nick ( TWO pop stars). They were married for four years between 2002 & 2006.
At present, Jessica is married to Eric Johnson. They married in 2014.
Eric has an impressive background too. Yale graduate- hot shot football player...both in college and later professionally - played for the SF 49ers.
Jessica and Eric have 3 kids.
Jessica sincerely sounds happy, thankful, and at peace with who she is today...(that was not always the case),
She loves her more quiet off-stage life with Eric and their children. Jessica has no desire to be in the limelight on stage singing, today.
She did share with us though, that she always thought she would be a writer. She began daily journal writing at the age of fifteen when her very beloved cousin died.
The title, “Open Book”....is fitting. It seemed that Jessica’s primary purpose in writing it was to share ‘openly’.....hiding nothing....wanting to perhaps clear the air - of mockery images - that people had of her that just wasn’t so. ( not today anyway). She certainly didn’t ever - and still doesn’t want to be known as a sex symbol ( then judged if she gained weight).
Many people had opinions about Jessica — [judging, evaluating, criticizing, and making assumptions], ... in the way people do to most celebrities from afar.
Jessica tried to please everyone. She wanted to look good, be liked, perform well, and basically do everything perfectly for her parents, church community, managers, fans, friends, and boy crushes.
It was as if she was always ‘on’....in character....but hadn’t a clue of what she really wanted - or who she was.
Growing up in the limelight- before being clear of oneself - often leaves a hole in ones soul...( as we’ve learned from other celebrities too).
It also seemed to me, that Jessica wanted to tell her story — the trials and tribulations of her life - ( she had more than her fair share), so that she could put to rest being thought of as a sex symbol.....
.... or aloof, or too- all- self absorbed...
.... put to rest that she was a bimbo....
and.....
share with the world ( young women interested in stardom), the many things that can go wrong.
Jessica’s memoir works as a insightful contribution to other starlet wannabes, as general personal interest, and as a healing venue for herself.
Other than finding the sound of Jessica’s high pitch voice a little irritating on my ears at times ..... I warmed to her honestly, her humanity, her spirituality, her playful charms, and her gratitude.
Surprisingly touching and enjoyable.
Rating: really liked it
I grew up liking Jessica Simpson and her music, and was interested in reading
Open Book, after hearing so many great things. I chose to listen to the audiobook, narrated by Jessica herself.
Jessica talks about growing up in Texas, her pursuit of music, including her audition for the Mickey Mouse club, and the death of her cousin Sarah, which deeply impacted her. Later in the book, she also talks about the Jessica Simpson fashion line — I had a yellow JS handbag and a few pairs of JS shoes in college.
Jessica, of course, discusses her career as a musician — singing, creating albums, and trying to meet the demands and expectations of various label executives. Personally, I think
In This Skin is still her best album.
I obviously knew about Jessica’s marriage to Nick Lachey, as I was a
huge! 98 Degrees fan back in the day and was, admittedly, shocked by how Jessica was often portrayed on
Newlyweds when I’d watch it. I don’t think Nick Lachey is a bad guy and Jessica doesn’t seem to think that either — I think they weren’t right for each other and Jessica was so young she was still figuring out
who she was.
She continues on to detail her other relationships, including those with John Mayer, Tony Romo, and her now husband and father to her children, Eric Johnson. For the record, I never understood the appeal of John Mayer and this book did nothing to sway me — Overrated on all fronts.
Jessica also discusses her tumultuous relationship with her dad, her struggles with alcohol and quick fixes to attempt to fit into an industry pressure-induced image, and on a more positive note, becoming a mom.
Open Book had more depth than I expected it to. I learned more about Jessica and highly recommend the audiobook, as she narrates it — You can hear her emotion and enthusiasm throughout. As a bonus, this version also comes with 6 new songs at the end.
Rating: really liked it
The prologue and first chapter of this book are so good that I was legitimately thrown. It turns out they're the best chapters in the book, but if you're going to be really good somewhere that's the best place to do it. And those chapters set enough of a tone for the rest of the book that it's easier to settle in.
I wasn't really planning to read this particular celebrity memoir. I read a bunch last year and felt a little played out. But I kept hearing it was good and worth checking out, and I wanted a fluffy quick audiobook so here we are.
I am pretty close in age to Jessica Simpson so I remember almost everything Simpson recounts here in pretty good detail. I remember the age of the teen girl pop star, when it was always Britney vs. Christina vs. Jessica vs. Mandy. I watched at least two seasons of Newlyweds (it's very possible I watched the third, but I also remember feeling uncomfortable with how obvious it was they weren't getting along). I have seen the meteoric rise of Simpson's clothing line. You can't have been through all of that pop culture without having some idea of who Simpson is. It is really saying something that after reading the book, I want to take back every bad thing I ever said about her. And I think there were more than a few bad things, especially in the early days. Like a lot of people, I thought she was kind of a dumb blonde. I couldn't tell if she was playing it up for the cameras or not, but I didn't really care much either way. It was a youthful and cruel way of looking at it. After spending so much time with Simpson you can tell that this is who she really is, she definitely has her ditzy moments, but her earnestness and excitement aren't fake.
What makes the book worth reading (besides cementing your loathing of John Mayer) is that this is clearly clearly clearly a book by someone who has been through a lot of therapy. Memoir requires the ability to see yourself clearly, without that kind of perspective you're not reliable for how you write about other people. Simpson is quite willing to announce her own flaws and mistakes.
For some people, none of this will be enough to overcome other parts of the book. 1) Simpson is very churchy, especially in the early chapters. (If you're under 35 you may not remember but she was very very famous for staying a virgin until marriage even though she was already a famous pop star by then.) I didn't mind this so much since it feels so integrated into who she is, and it decreases in later chapters. 2) She shares a story of being molested as a child, details are kept vague and it's mostly off-page, but if that's something that's a particularly tough topic for you, it does come up a good amount as she addresses her shame at the time and the anxiety it left behind for years afterwards. 3) And, perhaps most importantly, there is a LOT of talk about body image and weight. While she is definitely of the you-are-perfect-at-every-size inspirational mantra type, there are a lot of times in her life where she doesn't see herself that way, there are a lot of times she is told by industry people to lose weight, and her weight is a constant topic of discussion and speculation in the culture at large. And while she has a certain amount of body positivity, she doesn't always talk about it in the healthiest way even when she tries to. If this is a sensitive topic for you, you may want to give it a pass just because it makes up so much of her life, even if most of that isn't her fault.
Rating: really liked it
Aside from a deadly raging mutant virus that emerged to sweep the globe - that I loved this book SO much is probably my greatest surprise of 2020!
Long Review Alert: I’m about to go all Open Book about Open Book!
When it came to the ultimate teen trifecta of the 2000s? I originally skewed Xtina, or maybe Britney - NOT Jessica. Now, I never had anything against her, and I always thought she was smarter and more talented than she ever got credit for: I just thought that I had absolutely NOTHING in common with her. While I could relate somewhat to Britney’s crazy and Xtina’s drrrrty, with Jessica I just thought, well, she’s a beautiful blonde and tanned cheerleader, she loves football, Texas, the USA, denim, Disneyland, marriage, the troops ...”she’s a good girl, she’s crazy about Elvis, loves Jesus, and her boyfriend too”...and she does! That is ALL still true! But, turns out there was, and is, SO much more to her than that!
We evolve, ya know? So, whereas once I was ride-or-die for Kurt, I’m now kind of in love with Eddie; whereas once I’d fought my mom that John “beats” Paul, I’ve now reversed my stance; and likewise: Step aside, you other two, cuz I’m now Jessica’s biggest fan!
This book IS about personal evolution - and it delivers on that front entirely separately from the fact that this just so happens to be the evolution of a supernova superstar. The memoir addresses themes of emotional maturation, cultivating personal insight and self compassion, and becoming empowered to be able to take responsibility for revising what I like to call “outdated” coping mechanisms (be they behavioral, cognitive, emotional) that may once have been necessary or “only options,” but are no longer serving one well.
Now, that makes this sound like a self-help book, but DON’T be deterred: it’s also incredibly JUICY, for lack of a better term, and delivers no-holds-barred honest revelations about the author and other celebrities, people, places, and things! Amid the torrent of celebrity memoirs these days, I often see complaints that the authors seem to “hold back” too much, even in generally well regarded memoirs (Demi Moore’s is one example). This is not the case here at all. Simpson remains respectful, thoughtful - and anything but restrained! It’s a pretty merciless self-examination and laying bare of flaws.
Nor should this celebrity memoir merit the also-common and valid critique that it really “didn’t need to be written.” In many ways, Simpson seriously might have one of the most interesting celebrity “larger-than-life lives” I’ve heard about in recent memory, especially given her still-young years. You know how so many readers have enjoyed novels like Taylor Jenkins Reid’s The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and that other one about the Stevie Nicks-like character? Well, this book is like that, but REAL!
The memoir is often poignant, but also supremely entertaining, and Simpson is a consummate Southern storyteller, with lots of colorful language and humor and pithy turns of phrase - which brings me to the point that this audiobook (read by Simpson herself) also ranks among the BEST audiobooks I’ve “read” by far. Simpson (a lifelong avid diarist, turns out) has a very unique voice, and she and her co-writer did an amazing job rendering it - as evidenced by her commanding ownership of, and clear emotional connection to, her prose and story as she reads it. Now, again, I know Simpson is more intelligent and a better actress than she often gets credit for, but still - she would need to be Meryl Streep in order to read the book the way she does if it were not written in what is more or less her true voice.
Simpson writes of an itinerant childhood with some...interesting parents in ministry (and especially a father who, to put it kindly, seemed to have an awwwwful lot going on) who were not able to provide the family with much stability. This, combined with some tenets of her very religious upbringing and a sort of intense personal idealism, innate generosity, and strong sense of filial duty, seemed to result in a kind of “parentification” in which Jessica developed a sense of having to become family breadwinner/caretaker - and her parents seemed not to fight that off too much. The theme of learning to recognize and overcome tendencies toward perfectionism and approval-seeking - learning that one is “enough,” even when also trying to accommodate and balance the many demanding roles of daughter/sister/wife/mother (not to mention bankable superstar) - continues through the book.
Jessica also experiences and writes about childhood and adolescent abuse and bullying. This is especially moving to read because: a) her childhood bullying occurred after she confided in a friend about sexual abuse she had experienced, and that friend then shared that information with others, who shamed/blamed Jessica, and b) the adolescent bullying she experienced was often from male adults within her “purity culture” religious community who shamed/blamed Jessica for having a curvaceous body that “tempted men to sin.” In a horrible sort of abusive whiplash, Jessica then enters the music and entertainment industry and is persistently criticized about the exact SAME thing, but for a totally DIFFERENT reason - she’s “too large” to be as sexually desirable and marketable as she “should” be. Suffice it to say that there’s a lot of good material in this book about the journey of overcoming body shaming and improving body image, acceptance, confidence, and self-esteem.
Also of note is Jessica’s exploration of her romantic partnerships at different levels of personal and relational maturity, and how the process of moving toward a healthy adult relationship paralleled the process of developing self-love and self-knowledge. (Hell, anyone who survives John Mayer and lives to tell the tale probably has some insight!) Along with this, Jessica discusses her at-risk pregnancies, motherhood, and how love for her new family prompted realizations that helped her overcome self-destructive relationships with drinking, pills, eating, and exercise. She also does the hard work many of us need to do in terms of developing better understanding of some of the family of origin dynamics that have impacted her and working on acceptance, forgiveness, and implementing healthier boundaries. And while she doesn’t wallow in self-pity, she also doesn’t make any of this sound too easy: both tendencies are also commonly-cited celebrity memoir pitfalls that this memoir avoids.
There’s so much more stuff in here that I’m not mentioning. But again, guys - I’m making it sound sappy or something, maybe, but it’s so incredibly interesting! If you don’t believe me, you can read the many favorable reviews in major newspapers and other publications - or, ask other American icons, like Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton, who are mentors of Simpson and appear in the book. And speaking of icons, while this also seemed like a very over-the-top, “could only happen in the USA” kind of story, it’s one where, finally, the blonde bombshell icon DOESN’T, like Marilyn or Anna Nicole, die in the end. How refreshing is that? - especially as the memoir shows how things well could have gone quite another way.
Instead, today, Simpson does crafts with her kids, reads and writes in her stacks of journals, writes and records songs in her home studio - I was actually moved to hear how much she truly loves music and songwriting, and she includes a few original songs on her audiobook that emphasize her country/Americana/gospel roots... they were actually really good, you guys! And she does a lot of philanthropic stuff, especially for kids and military families - oh, and she’s also a successful businessperson who runs, in a very hands-on way, her clothing empire, and it’s very interesting to learn about her approach to this and how she identified the niche and guiding philosophies of the brand.
In short, please consider reading or listening to this if you’re at all on the fence about it. IN FACT - I actually painted an entire perimeter of white picket yard fence while listening to this: how all-American is that??! But seriously, the whole pandemic thing was also getting underway when I started listening to this, and it was distracting and uplifting and inspiring and diverting in a much-needed way. Jessica writes of her motivation to support and encourage readers by sharing aspects of her story, and she really does seem, authentically, super patriotic and spiritual - two things I’m decidedly NOT feeling right now when it seems like we are on the highway to hell in a handbasket! But, you know, she really came across as a down-to-earth, decent, encouraging, and helpful human being in a way that just made me feel a little bit more hopeful in the here and now, at a time when it’s extremely hard for me and many of us to do so - and that really says something. I’ll take it where I can get it! Thanks for the hand, Jessica!
Rating: really liked it
I was never really a fan of Jessica Simpson's music back in the day, but when her reality show came out when I was in High School I absolutely loved it. Seems like that was a time when reality TV was fairly new (at least to me) and I was so there for it! I had to buy all the seasons on DVD and grew to love her down to earth, silly personality.
After that I pretty much lost all track of her and only saw the occasional picture or tabloid story. I never knew she dyed her hair brown! I had to look that up to see for myself! With all that said... I absolutely loved this! I'm usually a huge fan of memoirs, but this one has rushed up to be one of my favorites. She's obviously a big celebrity, but I still found much of this so relatable. It was really well written and I loved listening to her narrate the story of her life. It was honest, insightful, entertaining... all the good stuff and more!
Rating: really liked it
I hate-read about 90% of this book, basically after finishing the introduction and first chapter. I needed to prove to myself that my initial take was right, and I did. My heart breaks for the traumatic experiences she had as a child and I'm glad she's been able to seek therapy and healing. Other than that, she is completely lacking in self awareness and unbelievably self congratulatory. "I was always drunk, but I was still the perfect mom. I saved myself for marriage, but once I was divorced, all bets were off. All women should accept their bodies as beautiful, no matter size or weight, but I'm a super VIP and you need to know that I'm super tiny and am entitled to plastic surgery. God called me to use my voice to help women, but He's really just a genie in the sky to call on when I need a favor. I'm super smart, way more than people give me credit for, but I had never heard of Bosnia until I went there and I didn't know the correct lyrics to 'God Bless America' until I saw the President singing the correct words along with me, after I had performed it hundreds of times. I'm grateful for all the experiences I've had and wouldn't change a thing, but you need to know that all my problems are someone else's fault, esp the men I was involved with." And on and on. So much cognitive dissonance - she thinks she's so normal and relatable when in reality she's just a celebrity out of touch with all the rest of us and just can't admit it to herself. My one point of praise is that I've never liked John Mayer as a musician and now I know he's overall an awful guy, so my original take was validated.
