Notes to John by Joan Didion

For 500 weeks in a row, every Friday, I have published a book review on social media. On the rare occasion I did not publish a review that I wrote, I did a video or interviewed a family member about a book they've enjoyed. I did not miss a week, even on occasion when I thought I was too overwhelmed, or sad, or busy to write a review. I just committed to doing it every single week. Was it hard? No. Did it bring me joy? Yes. Did I like when people commented on my posts, either in disagreement or agreement? Absolutely. Was it something I could do with my husband, Jeff? Yes. He is my proof-reader. So, as I celebrate my 500th review, I knew it had to be by Joan Didion, my favorite author. "Notes to John" was published posthumously, with some fans supporting the release and others questioning it. I'm not sure this was ever meant to be a book, but I am here to say while it is uncomfortable to read someone's diary, I treasured every line. In 1999, Didion began seeing a psychiatrist and she chronicled those sessions in her diary. They covered such topics as depression, anxiety, adoption, marriage, childhood and parenting. The sessions went on for more than a decade. What is so heartbreaking about this book, is that the reader knows that Didion would outlive not only her husband, John, but also her daughter Quintana. One can only imagine that this book was a primer for her books on grief that were to come: "The Year of Magical Thinking" (2005) and "Blue Nights" (2011). I stop for anything Didion. So, it was not a question of if I would read this book, but how quickly. I was only sad to see it end because I didn't want the conversation with her to stop. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Culpability by Bruce Holsinger

When my brother, sister and I, were little, we sat at our tiny kitchen table eating sugary cereal and watching cartoons. "The Jetsons" was one of our favorites cartoons because it showed a futuristic world filled with robots and self-driving vehicles. Well, the future is now and this is the first book I have read in which the main character is a self-driving car. "Culpability" by Bruce Holsinger, is a family drama set in Chesapeake Bay that begins when the Cassidy-Shaw family sets out on a journey, and their self-driving mini-van hits another car, killing two people. Their 17-year-old son, Charlie, is in the driver's seat, alongside his dad Noah, while mother Lorelei and daughters, Alice and Izzy, are in the backseat. The family dynamics and repercussions from the accident, unleash a series of secrets that could destroy the family's future. This is the first book I have read that tries to grapple with the moral and ethical impact of Artificial Intelligence on our ever day lives. Can human beings continue to live in a world where technology is smart than all of us? This remains to be seen but Holsinger certainly crafts a clever tale in which AI is not a supporting character, but the star of the show. To buy this book on Amazon click here

How To Lose Your Mother: A Daughter's Memoir by Molly Jong-Fast

Ever since the publication of “Mommy Dearest,” in 1978, the genre of a mother-daughter memoir has taken on a dark turn. More recently Jennette McCurdy's “I’m Glad My Mom Died” detailed the abuse and manipulation that her mother inflicted upon McCurdy when she was a young actress. Now Molly Jong-Fast has written a memoir about life with her own mother, best-selling author Eric Jong. It is difficult for anyone who is not in their 80s today to realize just how famous Erica Jong was when her book “The Fear of Flying” was published in 1973. She was rock star famous. She was movie star famous. She was as famous as an author could be. She is credited with ushering in the second wave of feminism with its bold portrayal of Isadora Wing, who expressed her own sexual desires at a time when women were not permitted to do that. It could not have been easy for Jong-Fast to be the only child of a woman who was literally everywhere. Jong was on television, on talk shows, in newspapers and magazines. But to her daughter, she was everywhere but home. After grappling to make sense of the relationship with her mother for most of her life, Jong-Fast is thrown a complete curveball; Her mother, this larger-than-life figure, begins to show signs of dementia. Jong-Fast has to find a way to take care of her mother, and thus their traditional roles are reversed. This is an honest and very moving book that sadly centers around an issue that so many people face when confronted with senility and Alzheimer's disease. When you parent begins to show signs of mental illness, do they stop being your parent? Does the relationship cease, or does it continue in a different and heartbreaking way? An excellent book about a very difficult topic.

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

In this world full of drones, self-driving cars and AI chats, let's shine the light on an old-fashioned book, "The Correspondent" by Virginia Evans. The main character is Sybil Van Antwerp, who makes sense of the world by writing letters. She pens not emails nor text messages but real, snail mail letters to her friends, family and acquaintances. Some recipients are famous, such as Ann Patchett and Joan Didion, others are frenemies, such as the president of a university who refuses to let her audit a class. The letters give us a bird's eye view into Sybil's life, as well as a deep dive into a painful loss from her past. "The Correspondent" is a tribute to the power of the written word, and the connection that can occur between two people, even when they have never met. Charming, poignant, insightful and clever, this book opens up the life of Sybil Van Antwerp one letter at a time. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Verity by Colleen Hoover

I read this book a few years ago, on the most beautiful beach in Mo'orea, an island in the South Pacific. I even took a picture of the book on my lounge chair, so I would have a visual to include when I reviewed it. And I thought I did review it, but now I find no evidence that I ever wrote about it. Did I forget? Did I remember it wrong? What happened? Mystery, confusion and suspense are all at play in Colleen Hoover's book "Verity." Lowen Ashleigh takes the lead as a writer burdened with financial problems. As she struggles to make ends meet, she jumps at the chance to take a ghostwriting position for a famous author. Verity Crawford's husband Jeremy hires Lowen to complete the remaining books in his wife's series. His wife, it turns out, is injured and not able to complete the series on her own. Once inside the house, Lowen sees that the job is not as straightforward as it once seemed. The couple's daughter has died under mysterious circumstance. And then Lowen finds Verity's unfinished autobiography, which leads to more unanswered questions. Was she supposed to find the manuscript or not? And will it help her with her ghostwriting assignment or hinder it? Lowen must try to complete Verity's books, but at the same time try to figure out who in the house she can trust and who she cannot. She then finds herself falling for the most unlikely love interest: Verity's husband, Jeremy. If this sounds like a movie plot, you guessed correctly. Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson will star in the film version to be released in October 2026. Quick! Read it before the plot is revealed on the big screen. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Kate and Frida by Kim Fay

"Kate and Frida" is a new offering from the author of "Love & Saffron," a best seller that came out in 2022. Fay's new book again explores the theme of correspondence, friendship, books, and food. All four are high on my list of passions, so I knew this book was going to be a winner. "Kate and Frida" takes place in the 1990s, and is set in Seattle and Paris. Twenty-something Frida Rodriguez travels to Paris to become a war correspondent. But first she gets a job in a book store to pay her rent. This then leads to her friendship with Kate Fair, who works for a book store in Seattle. Kate dreams of being a writer, but is filled with self doubt and anxiety. The women begin to correspond about books then soon find their friendship turning into a genuine emotional support system. They not only listen to each other, but also lift each other up. Set in the days before the internet was common place, "Kate and Frida" is tribute to the art of real letter writing much like "84 Charring Cross Road" and "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society." I still write letters too, by the way, as often as I can. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Audition by Katie Kitamura

Every summer since 2009, Barak Obama releases a list of book recommendations. This summer "Audition" by Katie Kitamura was on his list. Oh, how I wish President Obama would come over to my apartment on Turk, have a glass of chardonnay and talk to me about this book. I read it. I enjoyed it. But I only think I understood about half of it. Basically "Audition" is a story told two ways. However, both of these stories could not have happened in the same lifetime. But I'm not sure which one happened, or which one is more meaningful. Like the Gwenyth Paltrow movie "Sliding Doors," the line between reality and fiction is significantly compromised and blurred by the author. We meet an actress and a younger man in a cafe. We are not sure if they are related or not, but she seems to be old enough to be his mother. But does she want to be his parent? Does he want her to be his mother? Are they telling the truth or is one of them lying? Is this just a play or a rehearsal? Thus begins the spider web of a book called "Audition." In lieu of being able to have a conversation with President Obama about this book, I encourage others to put your comments below.  What did you think?  To buy this book on Amazon click here.

If You Could Have Told Me by John Stamos

When John Stamos was on the soap opera "General Hospital" his dad still made him flip burgers and wait tables at the family's restaurant "The Yellow Jacket" in Orange County. It was only after throngs of teenage girls started stalking Stamos at the restaurant that his dad said he could stick to acting full time. This is how you raise a humble and hard working child. He had a dressing room with his name on it, and his dad made him flip burgers on his off time. Stamos is not only dedicated, but also does not take himself too seriously. When a reporter once asked how he stayed looking so young he said "I drank the blood of Rob Lowe." That's about the best answer on staying young in Hollywood that I have ever read. I would say that Stamos also stays so relevant because he spreads his parachute wide. In addition to the soap opera, he worked with the Olsen twins when they were babies on "Full House," starring as Uncle Jesse. He played Dr. Tony Gates on ER for 5 years, and co-starred with Jack Klugman in the series "You Again?" He has also been on Broadway and has been welcomed by the Beach Boy as an honorary member. He has had career highs and lows, and also suffered through a divorce. But married again with a young son, Stamos always seems to land on the right side of the street, with a smile on his face and a wink in his eye. This book is as likable as the man himself, and a super fun read.  To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Outer Chaos, Inner Calm by Anthony Abbagnano

I once took a trip to Israel where I road camel. It was my first camel ride, and I was quite nervous because it was shaped so differently than a horse. After I was on the camel for a few minutes, my friend’s husband Yehuda said, "Lori there is a big problem." And I called from my camel to his, "What’s the problem?" And he said, "You are not breathing. You need to breath to ride a camel." And he was absolutely correct. I do not breath correctly, and often I just hold my breath in fear, which is a really bad way to live. This book "Outer Chaos Inner Calm" by Anthony Abbagnano, I read with interest because it examines the theory that breath work can help you confront your fears, worries, childhood trauma, and feelings of powerlessness. He guides the readers on a series of exercises unlocking clues to the past and forging a new stronger path for the future. Be curious. Be present. Be committed. Surround yourself with people who will lift you up and not drag you down. It is easy? No. But Abbagnano believes that discomfort leads to growth, and growth is ongoing. So if you are feeling stuck and need a road out, follow the lead of Abbagnano and learn to breath better.  To buy this book on Amazon click here.

We Might Just Make It After All by Elyce Arons

I can remember coveting my first Kate Spade bag. It was the most gorgeous black on black messenger bag, and I saw it at Neiman Marcus. The year was 1993. It was around $200 and I actually squirreled away money so I would be able to pay for it in cash. In the 1990s if you carried a Kate Spade messenger bag, you were just downright cool. "We Might Make It After All" by Elyce Arons is the story about how that bag, and the Kate Spade company was formed. Elyce was Kate's best friend in college. Together with Kate's boyfriend Andy Spade, the three moved to New York after college where they came up with the idea to launch an affordable, yet chic, handbag company. The name was based on Kate Brosnahan's first name and Andy Spade's last name. He came up with the idea to put small name tag type labels on the front of the bags. Making the bags seemed to be easy, but the hard part was working trade shows and getting stores like Barney's and Neiman Marcus to carry them. Along with their other partners, Brosnahan and Arons hustled to get their bags into all the major stores. Eventually, years later, Neiman Marcus would buy 56 percent of the company and make Arons, Brosnahan and Spade millions. This is the story about how a small group of friends built an empire, and in the capable hands of Arons it is a fascinating read. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Care and Feeding: A Memoir by Laurie Woolever

I like restaurants. I like chefs. I like recipes and stories that involve behind the scenes peeks into how a restaurant kitchen is run. So, Laurie Woolever's new memoir, "Care and Feeding" ticked all of my foodie boxes. Woolever, a journalist and chef, worked for two of the culinary industry's most famous chefs: Mario Batali and Anthony "Tony" Bourdain. Woolever begins her career as a private chef for a wealthy New York City family. Those stories alone, of rich people and their absurd menu requests, could fill an entire book. But eventually she leaves the rich family to pursue a career in the restaurant business. It is there she meets first Batali, who was one of the most famous celebrity chefs of the time. Making his staff drink alcohol, go to strip clubs, and making passes at them, are eventually what brought Mario down in a scandalous fall from grace. But moving on from Batali, Woolever found a work home, and greater work satisfaction with Bourdain. He respected her as a television assistant and chef and paid her well for her dedication. However, Woolever soon realized that her own addiction to drugs and alcohol were getting the best of her. With a child and a husband, she then tries to forge a sober career for herself in the ever-changing food landscape. This is an excellent memoir that explores not only the restaurant industry but also the stress and toll this type of work can take on the body, mind and soul. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Lessons from My Teachers by Sarah Ruhl

My husband and I took a cooking class in Rome recently and the whole experience made me so happy. I love being a student. I love learning new things, and I love being guided and taught by a skilled teacher. This is the premise of Sarah Ruhl's new book "Lessons from My Teachers: From Preschool to the Present." For Ruhl, an award-winning author and playwright, her teachers have taken many forms from a parent, a student, a mentor and even a child. This book is based on a class she teaches at Yale, and exemplifies her wit, charm, creativity and true talent as a writer and teacher. She combs through her own life and details how these teachers, inside and outside of the classroom, have shaped the course of her life, and her career. Ruhl even shares with the reader the lessons she has learned from her own health battles with Bell's Palsy and Lyme disease. She explores the concept that our body and mind can teach and guide us as well. This is a beautiful gift to give to your favorite teacher, or just to a friend who has helped pave the way for you in life, or your career. To buy this book in Amazon click here.

Mouth to Mouth by Antoine Wilson

The other day my friend, Noelle, told me to read this book, "Mouth to Mouth" by Antoine Wilson. When I asked her what it was about, she said, "I can't tell you. I don't want to give it away." I said "Can you tell me the genre? Is it fiction, non-fiction, a romance, or mystery?" And she said, "Just read it." A man meets another man in an airport and the story begins. I was intrigued, and hopeful this would turn into a special book, and she nailed it. "Mouth to Mouth" is definitely a fiction book, but one could imagine it happening in real life. Two old friends from college run into each other at the airport when their plane is delayed. Jeff Cook, our protagonist, then takes our narrator into the first-class lounge at JFK airport for drinks. As the narrator does not drink, he accepts a non-alcoholic beer. Jeff, however, does drink and after a glass or two he launches into the most intriguing of tales. He explains how years ago he found a man drowning at the beach, and saved his life by resuscitating him. However, after the rescue, Jeff needs to find out not only what became of the man, but also who he is. It turns out that the man he saved is named Francis Arsenault, a famous and wealthy art dealer in Beverly Hills. Jeff then sets about systematically ingratiating himself into the life of the man and his family, without really knowing if he recognizes his rescuer or not. Part mystery, and part dramatic fiction, "Mouth to Mouth" takes the reader down a rabbit hole with an unstable ending. Can we trust Jeff? Can we trust Francis? Who has the upper hand on who? Noelle was right not to tell me more about the book, so I will stop here as well. "Mouth to Mouth" is a page tuner, and perfect to read in an airport lounge or elsewhere. To buy this book on Amazon click here

Remember Me as Human by Lucy Walsh

I loved this book because it is the true-life story of a young woman who took the time to get to know her grandmother at the end of her life. This is not something you see every day, in a world where youth so often is valued more than age, wisdom and experience. However, in "Remember Me as Human," author Walsh takes a true interest in her grandmother Wanda, in an effort to share her story with the reader. It all started when Lucy was just 17 years old, and was given 63 love letters her Grandfather Dale wrote to her Grandmother Wanda while he was overseas fighting in World War II. Wanda's letters to Dale were lost overseas, and some even burned when he moved from town to town, but 63 of his letters to her survived. Years later, Lucy decides to go to Newman, Illinois, and spend a few days with Wanda at her assisted living, asking her questions and getting to see her life in a larger context. Wanda, 97 years old at the time, shares memories of her own youth, and later marriage to Dale. Walsh digests these stories and weaves them in with her own stories about her mother, and her two fathers. What makes this book so rich, is the genuine interest Lucy has in Wanda's history and the time she takes to collect so many stories from her grandmother's past. "Remember Me as Human," is the story of Lucy and Wanda and so many generations of granddaughters and grandmothers who are so lucky to get the chance to spend time together, even for a short time. Lucy was a friend of my dad's, and I'm so glad I got to meet her, too. She has written a beautiful book. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop

LLP #486 To say my niece is a fan of the television show "The Gilmore Girls" does not even begin to describe her devotion to the series. She has seen every episode at least three times,and continues to re-watch it weekly. She has "Gilmore Girls" wallpaper in her bedroom, which she put up herself. And, she has been to the Mayflower Inn & Spa in Washington, Connecticut, which is one of the towns which inspired the fictional Stars Hollow, where the TV Show takes place. In honor of Siena, I read this book "The Third Gilmore Girl" by Kelly Bishop. The actress is most well-known for playing the iconic Emily Gilmore, mother to Lorelai and grandmother to Rory. However, the irony about this role being her best known, is that she was in the original cast of "A Chorus Line" on Broadway, and won a Tony award for it. If you are a fan of theatre, you know that "A Chorus Line" is one of the most ground-breaking shows of all time, and those lucky enough to be in the original cast experienced something extraordinary. In addition, she did a memorable spin in the movie "Dirty Dancing" as Jennifer Grey's mother, as well as countless other movies and television shows. This memoir follows her six decades in show business, in which she began as a dancer in the chorus. Steadily working as a dancer brought her great joy, but making the transition to drama is what propelled her into a more lucrative and fulfilling career. She is a professional, a veteran of acting, and shares her words of wisdom on everything thing from movies to theatre and television, as well as the trials and tribulations of marriage, death and widowhood. Bishop's memoir is as charming and quaint as the town of Stars Hollow. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

The Tell by Amy Griffin

While I’m the first one to grab a summer read for the beach, I tend to favor a heavier books during the summer because I have more time to read while traveling on planes or riding in cars.  “The Tell” by Amy Griffin is a very heavy story about abuse and childhood trauma. What makes this memoir particularly different from other books in this genre, is that the author did not, for many years, remember her trauma. As a student athlete, she became a long-distance runner, thinking it had no relationship to trauma at all. She ran in her hometown of Amarillo, Texas, and later at the University of Virginia. Then she continued to run when she moved to New York to start her career, get married, and have children. She thought, initially, that she ran to stay fit and healthy, but she did not realize she was running, trying to flee, from something in her past she could not remember. The secret might have stayed buried forever had her husband not suggested she try MDMA psychedelic therapy. I have read about this kind of therapy, used sometimes to help provide support to cancer patients with anxiety and depression. But I had never heard of its use to help unlock a secret buried in the mind of an adult. After only one session with a trained MDMA therapist, Griffin remembers an extremely tragic and heartbreaking trauma that occurred when she was at school in Amarillo at the hands of a teacher. She bravely then travels down a road to not only heal herself, but help others who might have experienced the same abuse she had. The Tell is a difficult book to read, but by sharing her story, one believes Griffin is trying to help others unlock their own secrets, no matter how deeply they are buried. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Prolific storyteller Taylor Jenkins Reid has now turned her attention toward outer space in her new novel "Atmosphere." The U.S. space program has long been portrayed as a male-dominated world, both through its technicians and astronauts. The iconic male-movie-star space movies such as "The Right Stuff" and "Apollo 13" always come to mind when I think of space. My decades long love for Sam Shepard never wavers. "Atmosphere" explores, however, a different side of the space program, through the eyes of its female participants. Set in the 1980s, this novel explores the Space Shuttle program at a time in which Jeff's own dad Fred Morris was making spacesuit backpacks for NASA. The story's main character is Joan Goodwin, a physics and astronomy professor from Rice University, who dreams of the stars every night. She is happy in her life of academia until she sees a NASA advertisement recruiting women scientists. After being selected from thousands of applicants, Joan begins her training at Houston's Johnson Space Center, along side fellow scientists, pilots and mission specialists. As the candidates train to become astronauts, some become friends, and others become enemies. Life on the ground becomes more complicated than all the stars in outer space. "Atmosphere" was one of the most anticipated reads of the summer, and I enjoyed every page. Fast paced, with complex characters, it is a fresh look at the U.S. space program, full of triumphs, tragedies and heroes, both men and women. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Autism Out Loud by Kate Swenson, Carrie Cariello and Adrian Wood

Years ago, when my daughter was in elementary school, I used to sit in Individual Educational Plan (IEP) meetings with my husband, Bill, and discuss with public school officials the plans for our daughter's future. I always had a terrible time concentrating in those meetings, no matter how much I slept, or no matter how much coffee I drank that morning. These meeting were very important, and yet I could not focus. It was not until I read this book that I realized what was wrong with me: I didn't want to be in the meetings, so I was disassociating from them. It had nothing to do with how much I loved my daughter, or how proud I have always been of her. It the chalkboard, cringe-worthy drudgery of the IEP meetings that dragged me into a quicksand of depression, and made me lose all focus. For that reason alone, I loved this book, but there are about 100 other reasons, too. It centers around three women, from different parts of the country, each with a son, who have all been diagnosed on the autism spectrum. Their stories are similar enough to bond them together, but also different in the way the diagnosis presents itself in each boy. The women are all fierce advocates for their sons, but also carry the stress and worry about the future. What will happen to their sons when they pass? Where will they live? Who will take care of him? Will this be a responsibly too heavy to carry for their other typical children? Honest, articulate and extremely educational, I think this book is a must read for everyone. It gives true insight into not only the resilience of these three mothers, but also the strength and character of their  sons. There is so much that the world does not know about autism, and this book is a great start in learning more about how to support children with it, and other disabilities as well. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Brothers by Alex Van Halen

We were racing to catch a connecting flight from Frankfurt to Dubrovnik, and we literally had 10 minutes to spare. The fact that we made the flight was some kind of miracle, perhaps only thanks to the German efficiency of the Frankfurt airport terminal. As I buckled into my seat, I put my headphones on, and began listening to this book, "Brothers" by Alex Van Halen. Suddenly another man strolled onto the plane holding this same book. I said "That book, I just started it. How is it?" "Great," he said, and smiled. "But I just like bands." Van Halen, the iconic American Rock band, was the group that defined hard rock and heavy metal in the 1970s and 1980s. "Brothers" is the memoir written by drummer Alex about his relationship with his brother and fellow band mate, the lead guitarist Ed Van Halen. Alex always refers to his brother as "Ed" or "Edward," rarely "Eddie." The brothers grew up in the Netherlands with a Dutch dad and a mother from Indonesia. When the boys were young, the family moved to Pasadena, California. Encouraged by their father's own love of music, they formed a band while in high school. They would play at high school parties and graduations, and drew big crowds even then. The more they played, the more they were able to build a reputation for themselves for their music, and Ed's legendary guitar solos. As their fame grew, so did their circle of famous friends which would include Ed's wife, the actress Valerie Bertinelli, and their lead singer, David Lee Roth. Their concert contracts introduced a famous clause that stipulated "no brown M&Ms" in the green room. Despite the fame and fortune, Alex and Ed were brothers who not only respected and admired each other, but who also took care of each other. With Ed's passing in 2020 at 65 from tongue and mouth cancer, Alex's world was left with a heavy sadness. This is an attempt to celebrate and mourn his little brother. This is a beautifully written book, suitable for fans of bands or those who just like a peek into a very special bond between brothers. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Mattie, Milo, and Me by Anne Abel

I am obsessed by this 71-year-old on Tik Tok named Anne Abel. She has something like 288,000 followers, and her mundane content is downright riveting. At first glance, people call her the "rich Manhattan grandma," but she has so much more going for her. She has anxiety, health issues, a good-as-gold-loyal husband named Andy, and a complicate relationship with her three sons and their wives. She is currently in France with Andy making content, including views of her gigantic room at the Peninsula Paris Hotel. The other day she posted a video from the infamous Cafe De Flore along the Boulevard Saint-Germain. She was drinking a hot chocolate, and Andy was eating a salmon club sandwich, and I hung on their every movement and word. She is not only an influencer but also an author. Her first book "Mattie, Milo and Me" is about how one day a UPS driver killed her beloved dog Mattie. Bereft, she did what everyone tells you not to do: She got another rescue dog right away. Milo, the new dog, proved to be nothing like Mattie. Milo was difficult, erratic and downright scary for Anne to manage. Despite toying with the idea of giving Milo back to the shelter, she sticks with him, and he sticks with her. You feel their growth on every page. Anne is an excellent storyteller but also a quirky person with enough anxiety for everyone who has it to identify with. One of the ways she keeps herself calm is through exercising daily, and another is through writing. I found this book charming, and a true insight in the way Anne's mind works. Her next book promises to be just as exciting. "High Hopes" will be released in September 2025 and chronicles the year she followed Bruce Springsteen's tour to Australia to battle depression, in lieu of entering a psychiatric hospital. Follow Anne on Instagram @annesimaabel  To buy this book on Amazon click here.