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Brunette Ambition
The star of the hit show Glee shares her experiences and insider tips on beauty, fashion, inner strength, and more in an illustrated book that’s part memoir, part how-to, and part style guide.
Lea Michele is one of the hardest working performers in show business. Whether she’s starring as Rachel Berry on Glee, rocking a glamorous look on the red carpet, recording her solo album, or acting as the spokesperson for L’Oreal, Lea is the ultimate multi-tasker. She knows better than anyone that it is difficult to be your best self and keep things in perspective when your to-do list is overflowing and you are faced with challenges, so she’s developed a foolproof system for remaining healthy and centered. In Brunette Ambition, she reveals the lessons and advice that have worked for her--from beauty and fashion secrets to fitness tips, and career insights. Supplemented with never-before-seen photos and revealing anecdotes, it’s the book Lea wishes she’d had in her teens and early twenties: A practical and inspirational guide to harnessing tenacity and passion and living the fullest life, no matter what obstacles life puts in your way.
Lea Michele is one of the hardest working performers in show business. Whether she’s starring as Rachel Berry on Glee, rocking a glamorous look on the red carpet, recording her solo album, or acting as the spokesperson for L’Oreal, Lea is the ultimate multi-tasker. She knows better than anyone that it is difficult to be your best self and keep things in perspective when your to-do list is overflowing and you are faced with challenges, so she’s developed a foolproof system for remaining healthy and centered. In Brunette Ambition, she reveals the lessons and advice that have worked for her--from beauty and fashion secrets to fitness tips, and career insights. Supplemented with never-before-seen photos and revealing anecdotes, it’s the book Lea wishes she’d had in her teens and early twenties: A practical and inspirational guide to harnessing tenacity and passion and living the fullest life, no matter what obstacles life puts in your way.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published May 20, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 412 reviews
January 4, 2019
4 stars!
Lea Michele is one of my favorite actresses. I’ve followed her on Broadway for the longest time, and I love her on Glee. This was a quick audio book (around 3 hours) that was read by her. I enjoyed listening to it. There wasn’t too much about Lea I hadn’t already known, but I liked getting her tips and info on how she does self care, how she eats, and all kinds of other info on her. It was nothing too special, but a quick and easy listen I’d recommend to any fans of hers.
Lea Michele is one of my favorite actresses. I’ve followed her on Broadway for the longest time, and I love her on Glee. This was a quick audio book (around 3 hours) that was read by her. I enjoyed listening to it. There wasn’t too much about Lea I hadn’t already known, but I liked getting her tips and info on how she does self care, how she eats, and all kinds of other info on her. It was nothing too special, but a quick and easy listen I’d recommend to any fans of hers.
June 29, 2014
I had a hard time not throwing up. Lea should visit a 3rd world country and check her priorities. I suppose I'm the wrong audience--narcissistic, first-world, teenage girls would think this book is fascinating.
It sounds a lot like Rachel Berry herself wrote this.
It sounds a lot like Rachel Berry herself wrote this.
May 21, 2016
The last celebrity autobiography I read was Yes, My Accent Is Real: and Some Other Things I Haven't Told You by The Big Bang Theory's Kunal Nayyer. And it was fabulous. Dry-witted, poignant, and contained lots of information about his childhood, how he got into acting, and The Big Bang Theory.
Brunette Ambition is:
-20% healthy eating
-20% beauty tips
-20% fashion
-20% workout tips
-10% cheesy motivation quotes her publicist went into orgasms over
-10% personal background and stuff about Glee
I bet 90% of us bought Brunette Ambition to hear her talk about Glee. It's how most of us were introduced to Lea Michele and became a fan.
The Glee chapter is shoved in the very back, almost as an afterthought, but I guarantee it's a marketing move to get us to slog on so we can get to the main dish. It's nothing much the casual fan hasn't already read in interviews or articles. Most of it is dedicated to the car crash before her Rachel audition and a couple more tidbits I honestly don't remember because they're that forgettable.
What I liked are the chapters on Johnathan Groff and her time onstage before she landed the role of Rachel. Everything else I skimmed.
Here is a brilliant, successful actress who landed the main role of a hit TV show, yet her "autobiography" has less content than the guy who plays a side character that's usually the butt of the group's jokes. Hello, sexism.
Brunette Ambition is:
-20% healthy eating
-20% beauty tips
-20% fashion
-20% workout tips
-10% cheesy motivation quotes her publicist went into orgasms over
-10% personal background and stuff about Glee
I bet 90% of us bought Brunette Ambition to hear her talk about Glee. It's how most of us were introduced to Lea Michele and became a fan.
The Glee chapter is shoved in the very back, almost as an afterthought, but I guarantee it's a marketing move to get us to slog on so we can get to the main dish. It's nothing much the casual fan hasn't already read in interviews or articles. Most of it is dedicated to the car crash before her Rachel audition and a couple more tidbits I honestly don't remember because they're that forgettable.
What I liked are the chapters on Johnathan Groff and her time onstage before she landed the role of Rachel. Everything else I skimmed.
Here is a brilliant, successful actress who landed the main role of a hit TV show, yet her "autobiography" has less content than the guy who plays a side character that's usually the butt of the group's jokes. Hello, sexism.
May 23, 2014
To anyone who knows me personally, I have a massive girl crush on Lea Michele. I started following her career back when I first heard some of the music from Spring Awakening, which was the same year that it was nominated for all of the Tony awards in 2007. (I can’t help it, I’m a Broadway musical nerd and I spend a lot of time in my car singing along to soundtracks)
Anyway, by the time Glee premiered in 2009 I had already been listening to the Spring Awakening soundtrack for two years and was already familiar with Lea’s amazing voice, but had never actually seen her perform other than in grainy bootleg versions of Spring Awakening on YouTube. Needless to say, I was basically hooked at the beginning.
Lea’s book follows her rise to stardom through the ups and downs of her Broadway career as a child in Les Miserables, Ragtime, and Fiddler on the Roof. She details her decision to have a normal high school experience before returning to workshop Spring Awakening and meeting her best friend J Groff. (Who, by the way, I had a giant crush on as well.)
The novel is interspersed with advice concerning personal health and beauty care, (I do plan on trying her bath routine to get smoother skin), healthy recipes that range from Vegan to Pescatarian, and beauty advice straight from her beauty team. Which, let’s face it, always make her look fabulous, so how can we ignore their advice?
I think the best part of Brunette Ambition is Lea’s ability to make the reader feel like she is talking directly to them, and the reader gets a chance to find out what all they might have in common with the singer/actress. For instance, Heathers is one of my favorite movies of all time, and evidently it is in Lea’s top ten movies to watch with her girlfriends!
I was a bit disappointed that there wasn’t a specific chapter on Cory (only because the Edelweiss page showed that he was supposed to originally have his own chapter), but I understand why there isn’t and respect her desire to only share her gratitude for his love and influence on her life.
I recommend everyone go out and buy a copy of this great book, I know I’ll be re-reading and using some of the recipes soon!
5 Bards
Anyway, by the time Glee premiered in 2009 I had already been listening to the Spring Awakening soundtrack for two years and was already familiar with Lea’s amazing voice, but had never actually seen her perform other than in grainy bootleg versions of Spring Awakening on YouTube. Needless to say, I was basically hooked at the beginning.
Lea’s book follows her rise to stardom through the ups and downs of her Broadway career as a child in Les Miserables, Ragtime, and Fiddler on the Roof. She details her decision to have a normal high school experience before returning to workshop Spring Awakening and meeting her best friend J Groff. (Who, by the way, I had a giant crush on as well.)
The novel is interspersed with advice concerning personal health and beauty care, (I do plan on trying her bath routine to get smoother skin), healthy recipes that range from Vegan to Pescatarian, and beauty advice straight from her beauty team. Which, let’s face it, always make her look fabulous, so how can we ignore their advice?
I think the best part of Brunette Ambition is Lea’s ability to make the reader feel like she is talking directly to them, and the reader gets a chance to find out what all they might have in common with the singer/actress. For instance, Heathers is one of my favorite movies of all time, and evidently it is in Lea’s top ten movies to watch with her girlfriends!
I was a bit disappointed that there wasn’t a specific chapter on Cory (only because the Edelweiss page showed that he was supposed to originally have his own chapter), but I understand why there isn’t and respect her desire to only share her gratitude for his love and influence on her life.
I recommend everyone go out and buy a copy of this great book, I know I’ll be re-reading and using some of the recipes soon!
5 Bards
June 4, 2014
Summary: Lea Michele. Written by Lea Michele.
Why I Read This: I don't normally read celebrity books because I don't have the patience for celebrity gossip. But, this book seemed different and I do love stories about how people made it on Broadway, so it seemed like a good fit.
Review: I don't think that I read anything in this book that told me anything more about who Lea Michele is than what I could read on her IMDB page. While I was reading the book, the way that she structured it struck me as shallow and self-centered; it reminded me forcibly of Gwyneth Paltrow, who, while she may be a good actress, does not merit telling people how they should eat or dress or live their lives. I don't know Lea Michele, and this was her chance to tell me who she is, but she didn't tell me much. It just left me feeling disappointed.
Why I Read This: I don't normally read celebrity books because I don't have the patience for celebrity gossip. But, this book seemed different and I do love stories about how people made it on Broadway, so it seemed like a good fit.
Review: I don't think that I read anything in this book that told me anything more about who Lea Michele is than what I could read on her IMDB page. While I was reading the book, the way that she structured it struck me as shallow and self-centered; it reminded me forcibly of Gwyneth Paltrow, who, while she may be a good actress, does not merit telling people how they should eat or dress or live their lives. I don't know Lea Michele, and this was her chance to tell me who she is, but she didn't tell me much. It just left me feeling disappointed.
July 24, 2014
Lea Michele is best known for her role as Rachel Berry on the wildly popular TV show Glee, but she was also an incredibly successful Broadway performer before she rose to TV stardom. In this memoir/how-to book, Lea tells her story of her rise to fame, as well as gives health, fitness, and beauty advice.
Brunette Ambition is beautifully laid out with many color photos and organized in such a way that makes it feel more like a magazine than a book. I know its unconventional and innovative approach to a memoir will appeal to teen girls, but as a thirtysomething teacher I wasn't impressed. The best parts of this book were when Lea forgot about the gimmicky layout with ridiculous diversions like recipes, beauty advice, and photographs of exercises she does to stay in shape, and just got real and told her story. She is not someone I would consider an authority on food or fitness, so adding those advice column-type diversions lessened the impact of her story. Instead, this book comes off as more novelty than substance.
What also didn't sit well with me about this book is that Lea talks a lot about staying true to who you are and not changing your appearance for the sake of Hollywood, yet the photos in this book are clearly heavily airbrushed. In addition, she comes of as a bit boastful when she talks about how to be red carpet ready, which she tries to downplay by attempting to approach her advice to the "commoner" by saying that her words hold true whether you're getting ready for the red carpet or your high school prom.
I'm not saying there aren't special moments in this book. I really do find Lea's story and her life fascinating -- I especially loved her story of when she met her hero, Barbara Streisand. But I wish she would have just focused on being real instead of distracting the reader with so much superficiality. I don't think this is a book I will be adding to my classroom library.
Originally posted on my blog, A Foodie Bibliophile in Wanderlust.
Brunette Ambition is beautifully laid out with many color photos and organized in such a way that makes it feel more like a magazine than a book. I know its unconventional and innovative approach to a memoir will appeal to teen girls, but as a thirtysomething teacher I wasn't impressed. The best parts of this book were when Lea forgot about the gimmicky layout with ridiculous diversions like recipes, beauty advice, and photographs of exercises she does to stay in shape, and just got real and told her story. She is not someone I would consider an authority on food or fitness, so adding those advice column-type diversions lessened the impact of her story. Instead, this book comes off as more novelty than substance.
What also didn't sit well with me about this book is that Lea talks a lot about staying true to who you are and not changing your appearance for the sake of Hollywood, yet the photos in this book are clearly heavily airbrushed. In addition, she comes of as a bit boastful when she talks about how to be red carpet ready, which she tries to downplay by attempting to approach her advice to the "commoner" by saying that her words hold true whether you're getting ready for the red carpet or your high school prom.
I'm not saying there aren't special moments in this book. I really do find Lea's story and her life fascinating -- I especially loved her story of when she met her hero, Barbara Streisand. But I wish she would have just focused on being real instead of distracting the reader with so much superficiality. I don't think this is a book I will be adding to my classroom library.
Originally posted on my blog, A Foodie Bibliophile in Wanderlust.
July 29, 2022
It’s obvious that Lea wrote this only for the money. Let me sum up my thoughts by saying:
1) this was incredibly boring
2) Lea is soooo out of touch with the real world
3) she contradicts what other ppl have called her out for so many times. It’s like she’s trying to brainwash the readers
4) jonathan groff stays iconic
5) ryan murphy is a father????? That poor child
1) this was incredibly boring
2) Lea is soooo out of touch with the real world
3) she contradicts what other ppl have called her out for so many times. It’s like she’s trying to brainwash the readers
4) jonathan groff stays iconic
5) ryan murphy is a father????? That poor child
August 23, 2019
Mildly entertaining, but I was hoping to hear more about her life and relationships rather than recipes and beauty tips. There are some interesting tidbits but not enough to make it worth reading unfortunately, in my opinion.
February 15, 2015
LEA = FUCKING QUEEN OF THE WORLD
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December 31, 2020wow, this is what literature should be
May 27, 2014
We though that this book would be a great book for a preteen to teenage age girl, but really it wasn't quite our cup of tea. It is more of an inspiring book especially for that age group. We really just feel that this book was basically made for the whole Seventeen readers audience. There were a lot of helpful tips & recipe's in this book such as a nice hair masque recipe. We enjoyed the photo's and layout, although we didn't like how everything was kind of broken up. For example, at one point she's talking about her life as an actress, and her career and then she drops a recipe in the middle of it, but then later on she has a section of recipe's. We just thought that it was kind of a random way to throw things in, maybe to keep the attention of the younger crowd? We we're really familiar with Lea Michele's work, so it was nice to be able to read a little about her life and career. We totally recommend this for younger readers, and fans of the show Glee.
Check out our post on www.theperfectstormbffs.blogspot.com
Check out our post on www.theperfectstormbffs.blogspot.com
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May 21, 2014I read this book in a day so it is pretty safe to say I liked it. I agree with the reviewer before me who said if anybody from Glee does something I would buy it, no matter what it is... I love Lea Michele. I think she is a great role model and I love watching the character of Rachel Berry grow and flourish on Glee. I found the parts about Lea's life to be the most interesting. Gonna have to try some of her recipes and beauty/health tips!!! :)
October 14, 2017
I never considered myself much of a Glee fan- sure, I watched the show, and liked some of its aspects (disliked, criticized and made fun of many others), and I did follow it somehow religiously after I started watching it halfway through its second season.
It came to be in a funny way: a few friends of mine watched it from the start, and soon started peer pressuring me into getting into the damn thing. Being my usual petty self, I resisted.
Until one day, I had just fixed myelf lunch at my dad's after class, and I sat before the TV; kept changing channels, unsuccessful in finding anything interesting to watch, until I got to Fox and I saw that Glee was starting. Sighing, I went "what the hell" and stayed with it.
I stayed with it until the last episode of its last season and, again, while I never considered myself a huge fan of the show, it's to this day that I still miss it.
One could say it grew on me like moss, or a skin disease (if you don't get that totally-offtopic reference, get off my face).
So, anyway, after the long ass intro, let's get to the book itself!
I wanted to get my hands on it since I first heard about it: even though my relationship with Glee (and with Rachel Berry herself) was nothing if not complicated, I always held Lea in pretty high regards: what little I knew of her personal self and her professional life made her a really interesting figure to me.
I loved getting this glimpse into her life experience, and it definitely helped paint a more complete picture of who she is, but also of every factor that played a part into her getting to be that person- and moreover, how her experience is still pretty much *human*. She knows that her life differs from the life of most people, but that doesn't cause her to keep her distance from the reality of the average human, so to speak.
By sharing her own, unusual, experience, and let the reader in on some of the steps that lead her to where and who she is, Lea offers the reader some tips on how to get to know yourself and thus help you find a path to live your life to the fullest. Her advice, while (obviously) focused mainly on what helped her achieve the level of stardom she currently has, can be applied to any kind of life experience, since she herself acknowledges that not everything works the same for everyone- it all boils down to each particular path in life.
I always found Lea inspiring, and after reading this book- which shed a new light on who she really is- I can't help but be awed by how down to earth she really is. I really enjoyed this book.
It came to be in a funny way: a few friends of mine watched it from the start, and soon started peer pressuring me into getting into the damn thing. Being my usual petty self, I resisted.
Until one day, I had just fixed myelf lunch at my dad's after class, and I sat before the TV; kept changing channels, unsuccessful in finding anything interesting to watch, until I got to Fox and I saw that Glee was starting. Sighing, I went "what the hell" and stayed with it.
I stayed with it until the last episode of its last season and, again, while I never considered myself a huge fan of the show, it's to this day that I still miss it.
One could say it grew on me like moss, or a skin disease (if you don't get that totally-offtopic reference, get off my face).
So, anyway, after the long ass intro, let's get to the book itself!
I wanted to get my hands on it since I first heard about it: even though my relationship with Glee (and with Rachel Berry herself) was nothing if not complicated, I always held Lea in pretty high regards: what little I knew of her personal self and her professional life made her a really interesting figure to me.
I loved getting this glimpse into her life experience, and it definitely helped paint a more complete picture of who she is, but also of every factor that played a part into her getting to be that person- and moreover, how her experience is still pretty much *human*. She knows that her life differs from the life of most people, but that doesn't cause her to keep her distance from the reality of the average human, so to speak.
By sharing her own, unusual, experience, and let the reader in on some of the steps that lead her to where and who she is, Lea offers the reader some tips on how to get to know yourself and thus help you find a path to live your life to the fullest. Her advice, while (obviously) focused mainly on what helped her achieve the level of stardom she currently has, can be applied to any kind of life experience, since she herself acknowledges that not everything works the same for everyone- it all boils down to each particular path in life.
I always found Lea inspiring, and after reading this book- which shed a new light on who she really is- I can't help but be awed by how down to earth she really is. I really enjoyed this book.
August 19, 2015
E' complicato spiegare il mio rating per Brunette Ambition, nel senso che il motivo per cui mi è piaciuto è anche l'aspetto del libro che ho apprezzato meno.
Okay, questa premessa non ha senso, cercherò di spiegarmi meglio.
Mi aspettavo un'autobiografia semplice, lineare, partendo da "Sono nata a... il..." ecc a "Questa è la mia vita finora". In quel senso, le mie aspettative sono state deluse, perchè Brunette Ambition non è una semplice autobiografia.
E qui entra in gioco il motivo per cui ho amato questo libro; Lea non si limita a parlare della sua vita, le sue relazioni, i suoi amici, la sua carriera, ma spende un sacco di tempo parlando di cibo, l'amore della sua vita (I feel you Lea) e di bellezza. Brunette Ambition è sì la storia di Lea Michele, ma anche una raccolta di consigli preziosi sull'amicizia, amare e accettare se stessi, e include deliziose ricette di cibo e di maschere per capelli e pelle, segreti di trucco e moda e routine di esercizi fisici che è possibile fare a casa. Insomma, in questo libro Lea si apre completamente sulla sua vita, come ha iniziato, la storia del suo successo, la sua famiglia e i suoi amici, ma condivide anche consigli e lezioni di vita.
Avrei preferito più contenuto sulla vita di Lea? Sì.
Sono totalmente soddisfatta del libro? Sì.
Non vedo l'ora di leggere il prossimo? Assolutamente sì.
Lo ammetto, Lea non mi è stata mai particolarmente simpatica per via del suo personaggio in Glee, che ho sempre odiato, ma se la incontrassi domani la abbraccerei e la ringrazierei per questo libro, per i messaggi preziosi che ha condiviso con i lettori, e di essere diventata il mio idolo.
Okay, questa premessa non ha senso, cercherò di spiegarmi meglio.
Mi aspettavo un'autobiografia semplice, lineare, partendo da "Sono nata a... il..." ecc a "Questa è la mia vita finora". In quel senso, le mie aspettative sono state deluse, perchè Brunette Ambition non è una semplice autobiografia.
E qui entra in gioco il motivo per cui ho amato questo libro; Lea non si limita a parlare della sua vita, le sue relazioni, i suoi amici, la sua carriera, ma spende un sacco di tempo parlando di cibo, l'amore della sua vita (I feel you Lea) e di bellezza. Brunette Ambition è sì la storia di Lea Michele, ma anche una raccolta di consigli preziosi sull'amicizia, amare e accettare se stessi, e include deliziose ricette di cibo e di maschere per capelli e pelle, segreti di trucco e moda e routine di esercizi fisici che è possibile fare a casa. Insomma, in questo libro Lea si apre completamente sulla sua vita, come ha iniziato, la storia del suo successo, la sua famiglia e i suoi amici, ma condivide anche consigli e lezioni di vita.
Avrei preferito più contenuto sulla vita di Lea? Sì.
Sono totalmente soddisfatta del libro? Sì.
Non vedo l'ora di leggere il prossimo? Assolutamente sì.
Lo ammetto, Lea non mi è stata mai particolarmente simpatica per via del suo personaggio in Glee, che ho sempre odiato, ma se la incontrassi domani la abbraccerei e la ringrazierei per questo libro, per i messaggi preziosi che ha condiviso con i lettori, e di essere diventata il mio idolo.
June 2, 2020
I rarely (ever?) give books 1 star. I believe most books have some good features in them that make it 'just okay' compared to not liking it at all.
This sweet, sad book didn't have any redeeming features. Perhaps I didn't know what I was getting into. I anticipated a good ol' celeb memoir. I know 'em, I love 'em. This was only slightly that. It was also beauty tips, fashion tips, healthy eating tips, and general success platitudes that I had difficulty swallowing considering she was 26 when she wrote this book.
By the way, you can replace the word tips in my last sentence with the word lists. So many lists. Again, I love a good list. But for some reason, I hit my list max somewhere around chapter 4?
I'm also pretty sure Whole Foods sponsored this book. She mentions them by name no less than 4 times. And hints at them several others. Again, I love Whole Foods, but do I need to hear a celeb tell me to find my natural face wash in the beauty aisle of my local Whole Foods?
So many things I love, and yet this was a book that I didn't like. At. All.
This sweet, sad book didn't have any redeeming features. Perhaps I didn't know what I was getting into. I anticipated a good ol' celeb memoir. I know 'em, I love 'em. This was only slightly that. It was also beauty tips, fashion tips, healthy eating tips, and general success platitudes that I had difficulty swallowing considering she was 26 when she wrote this book.
By the way, you can replace the word tips in my last sentence with the word lists. So many lists. Again, I love a good list. But for some reason, I hit my list max somewhere around chapter 4?
I'm also pretty sure Whole Foods sponsored this book. She mentions them by name no less than 4 times. And hints at them several others. Again, I love Whole Foods, but do I need to hear a celeb tell me to find my natural face wash in the beauty aisle of my local Whole Foods?
So many things I love, and yet this was a book that I didn't like. At. All.
September 11, 2015
It's no surprise that I'm not just a fan of Lea, I'm a worshipper. I've been since 2009. Following everything she appears in, she does, and basically I've been following her life. But my review on the book is based solely on the contents and not the writer herself.
Brunette Ambition is a book that everyone should read. Simple as that. It offers advice and a guide on how to excel at life, relationships, friendships, and so many aspects of life.
To all the Leanatics and Gleeks, you're going to get exactly what you want as well. A never-before information on Lea's life. I enjoyed page to page, picture to picture and even footnote to footnote and it's easily my bible in life.
Thank you, Lea for such an inspiring book.
Brunette Ambition is a book that everyone should read. Simple as that. It offers advice and a guide on how to excel at life, relationships, friendships, and so many aspects of life.
To all the Leanatics and Gleeks, you're going to get exactly what you want as well. A never-before information on Lea's life. I enjoyed page to page, picture to picture and even footnote to footnote and it's easily my bible in life.
Thank you, Lea for such an inspiring book.
June 2, 2014
Brunette Amibtion is a really nice biography/self-help book/cooking book/style book. I think this book was a nice read. Lea Michele describes how to live her life a.k.a. make your life better basically. But she never come off as pretentious or more over the top as usual.
The beauty and fitness tipps are really great and easy to follow.
The recipes were very helpful too. I never knew that veganism could be so easy and delicious. But I think her "little" advertising for 'Whole Foods' went a little too far...
All in all, Brunette Amition is a nice read if you like Lea Michele.
The beauty and fitness tipps are really great and easy to follow.
The recipes were very helpful too. I never knew that veganism could be so easy and delicious. But I think her "little" advertising for 'Whole Foods' went a little too far...
All in all, Brunette Amition is a nice read if you like Lea Michele.
May 27, 2014
I had waited a long time to read Brunette Ambition and I'm so happy to finally being able to say that I have. I wouldn't say I'm Lea Michele biggest fan, but I've always admired her work and especially her debut album that was released earlier this spring. You'll find everything from really great beauty tips to easy recipes. I love how diverse this book is. There's so many fun and insightful photos, and I especially loved reading the love letter to Jonathan Groff. I really recommend this book if you want to get motivated and inspired to lead a healthy and happy life.
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August 13, 2016I really liked this book. The bits about make up and exercises don't interest me very much, but it's nice to read Lea's memories about it and how she values friendship and hard work. I'm really very proud of her.
May 22, 2014
Love this book
Love this book
I love reading this book because I am a huge fan of lea's I have been since glee started and reading this book taught me a lot more about who she is and why I am so proud to be her fan
Love this book
I love reading this book because I am a huge fan of lea's I have been since glee started and reading this book taught me a lot more about who she is and why I am so proud to be her fan
May 24, 2014
I'm a fan of Lea Michelle. In Brunette Ambition, she reveals the lessons and advice that have worked for her from beauty and fashion secrets to fitness tips, and career insights.
Overall, a quick and fun read!
Overall, a quick and fun read!
June 26, 2014
This book was packed with helpful tips about exercise and make up but it was seriously lacking Lea Michele! It felt like a compilation of make over magazine articles with the occasional tidbit about her life thrown in. It was interesting but ... not what I was expecting.
December 15, 2015
I absolutely love Lea Michele, but clearly I was not the intended audience for this book. I was expecting more about her life and less about her 10 favorite movie snacks and tips on how not to get acne. She spends all of about 10 minutes on the subject of Glee and 10 minutes on Spring Awakening.
June 2, 2018
There were parts of this book that I really enjoyed. Like reading her time on broadway and doing glee. But then there were parts that I didn't really enjoy like the food and makeup parts. It just wasn't into that. I wanted to like it but it wasn't for me.
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
September 26, 2014
Interesting combo of memoir, recipes, makeup and exercise tips done in an easy, conversational style. Lots of beautiful full color pictures and behind the scenes tidbits.
July 1, 2014
I don't even know why I started reading this, but I wouldn't call it a book. It's more of an extended magazine. Lea Michele should stick to singing.
March 20, 2017
I could hear Lea Michele's voice forever and I would never get tired of it.
June 30, 2014
As seen on Rireading Reviews
Review:
I'm a huge glee fan and as a result have grown to love Lea too over the years. I'm always in awe of how confident and beautiful and intelligent Lea is. She is one of my biggest role models. The one thing (if had to choose one) I love most about her is how strong a woman she is.
When I found out that Lea was writing a book, it immediately went into my want to read list! I finally bought it and read it. On the whole it was a pretty good read, however I did feel that there were things I wanted to read about that were not in the book. A longer explanation is as follows.
☆☆☆
Things I liked about the book.
☆☆☆
The Layout: I think the layout was pretty clean cut and neat. The color scheme was really pretty and fitting for Lea. It matched the personality that I knew of her very well. It was bright and colorful but at the same time professional for a book. It was also really easy to flip back and forth - for an ebook at least - because there were links to different parts of the book. :)
The Photographs: I absolutely adore books with photographs! The photographs were probably my favorite parts of the books. A picture tells a thousand words afterall right? :) I love how it shows little bits of her life that we never knew about and so much more! She looks so beautiful in every photo!
The Recipes: Her food recipes were also very enjoyable to read and learn about! Lea always has great skin and a really great figure. She always talks about how the food she eats helps her to keep being healthy. It was really great knowing about her favorite foods. Her ways of keeping healthy. There were many moments when she talked about the basic foods in her life and all that! The recipes were a plus of course. I learned a lot from the recipes and I'm sure that it's going to be really tasty! I'm definitely going to try making one of those recipes soon!
The Health Tips: Besides the healthy food recipes, Lea added so much other health tips. From tips on the face, the body, the hair to tips on relaxing and keeping healthy. This book had all the self help tips needed.
Hair tips: There were specific tips on how she did her hair and pictures to show how it would like as seen in the picture to the left.
Make Up Tips: Besides tips on how to do your hair, there were tips on the kinds looks you could wear to different occasions. Be it a formal or informal occasion, there were many different make up looks for them.
Exercise Tips: Besides tips on how to do your hair, there were tips on the kinds looks you could wear to different occasions. Be it a formal or informal occasion, there were many different make up looks for them.
Fashion Tips: Lea is after all a huge fashionista so this is not a big surprise. I really liked what she said about fashion and also of her talking about her favorite brands, her shopping style, the types of clothes she likes and the different looks she has worn before.
The Personal Moments: Honestly, my favorite part of the book was this part. I was waiting for the parts about Lea because after all it is supposed to be a memoir about Lea.
Growing Up: I loved reading about Lea growing up and all the adorbs pictures of her! She was so adorable!
Broadway: Broadway was afterall a huge part of Lea's life. It's not surprising that there was so much about her Broadway career. I loved reading about what she learned from her different shows the most!
Glee: What I can say about Glee. Glee did make her the most famous after all. And she is the star of Glee. As a die hard Gleek, I was really happy that Glee had been included in the book!
Friendships: Lea is really inspiring! I love how even though this book is about her, she included stuff about her friends and what she does with them and how she cherishes them <3
Personal Life: What a strong woman Lea Michele is.
☆☆☆
Things I did not like about the book.
☆☆☆
The biggest thing I didn't like about the book was that I wanted to learn more about Lea Michele, the person. However, it seemed like it was more Lea Michele, the self help guidance counselor. It felt like it was 40% tips, 20% recipes, 25% her, 15% everything else.
She also seemed to skim over things about herself and her feelings etc. For example, she only briefly mentioned GLEE and all she talked about were that they were her family. However, that was something that seemed pretty obvious already. Many people I knew wanted her to go behind the scenes about the experience but she only seemed to talk very generally about it so I was a little disappointed.
Another thing I didn't really like was the fact that the book seemed so broken up. The photos and layout were pretty good, however for example, at one point Lea talked about her life as an actress and her career and all that and then suddenly she dropped a recipe in the middle of it, later on instead of having moments of 'sudden' recipes there was a section specifically for the recipes. I thought that it was a little bit random as she seemed to switch between make up and food and life and advice and all that.
I'm a Gleek so I know a lot about Lea Michele's work already, so it would have nice to be able to know more about her and her personal life. I felt like she skimmed over or wrote too little on the personal parts.
Brunette Ambition was marketed as a memoir. It's even mentioned in the summary. However, if a person was planning to learn more about Lea's life, the book probably would not be of much help. There were parts about her family and career and just her but the large part of the book was essentially a self help book. You don't really learn much about HER but more about her daily routine and how she helps herself stay healthy and happy and all that.
Instead of being a memoir, this probably should be a self-help book. I have however read somewhere that she may be writing another book some other time, perhaps since she has already shown all her 'helping' ways in this book, then that book might be a real memoir where we learn more about her.
☆☆☆
Overall.
☆☆☆
I gave this book three and a half stars. I did think that the tips would be useful for me and on the whole I enjoyed reading about her daily life and habits. I admit I may be a little bit bias as she's a huge idol of mine and this book would be more satisfying for die hard fans of her (like me).
On the whole it has been pretty satisfying for me. I did enjoy it and felt that it would be a good coffee table kind of book. I believe it is a great book for health and beauty and will help me a lot when I need time for myself!
If you get your hands on it do buy it!
☆☆☆
For the full review, please go to Rireading Reviews
Review:
I'm a huge glee fan and as a result have grown to love Lea too over the years. I'm always in awe of how confident and beautiful and intelligent Lea is. She is one of my biggest role models. The one thing (if had to choose one) I love most about her is how strong a woman she is.
When I found out that Lea was writing a book, it immediately went into my want to read list! I finally bought it and read it. On the whole it was a pretty good read, however I did feel that there were things I wanted to read about that were not in the book. A longer explanation is as follows.
☆☆☆
Things I liked about the book.
☆☆☆
The Layout: I think the layout was pretty clean cut and neat. The color scheme was really pretty and fitting for Lea. It matched the personality that I knew of her very well. It was bright and colorful but at the same time professional for a book. It was also really easy to flip back and forth - for an ebook at least - because there were links to different parts of the book. :)
The Photographs: I absolutely adore books with photographs! The photographs were probably my favorite parts of the books. A picture tells a thousand words afterall right? :) I love how it shows little bits of her life that we never knew about and so much more! She looks so beautiful in every photo!
The Recipes: Her food recipes were also very enjoyable to read and learn about! Lea always has great skin and a really great figure. She always talks about how the food she eats helps her to keep being healthy. It was really great knowing about her favorite foods. Her ways of keeping healthy. There were many moments when she talked about the basic foods in her life and all that! The recipes were a plus of course. I learned a lot from the recipes and I'm sure that it's going to be really tasty! I'm definitely going to try making one of those recipes soon!
The Health Tips: Besides the healthy food recipes, Lea added so much other health tips. From tips on the face, the body, the hair to tips on relaxing and keeping healthy. This book had all the self help tips needed.
Hair tips: There were specific tips on how she did her hair and pictures to show how it would like as seen in the picture to the left.
Make Up Tips: Besides tips on how to do your hair, there were tips on the kinds looks you could wear to different occasions. Be it a formal or informal occasion, there were many different make up looks for them.
Exercise Tips: Besides tips on how to do your hair, there were tips on the kinds looks you could wear to different occasions. Be it a formal or informal occasion, there were many different make up looks for them.
Fashion Tips: Lea is after all a huge fashionista so this is not a big surprise. I really liked what she said about fashion and also of her talking about her favorite brands, her shopping style, the types of clothes she likes and the different looks she has worn before.
The Personal Moments: Honestly, my favorite part of the book was this part. I was waiting for the parts about Lea because after all it is supposed to be a memoir about Lea.
Growing Up: I loved reading about Lea growing up and all the adorbs pictures of her! She was so adorable!
Broadway: Broadway was afterall a huge part of Lea's life. It's not surprising that there was so much about her Broadway career. I loved reading about what she learned from her different shows the most!
Glee: What I can say about Glee. Glee did make her the most famous after all. And she is the star of Glee. As a die hard Gleek, I was really happy that Glee had been included in the book!
Friendships: Lea is really inspiring! I love how even though this book is about her, she included stuff about her friends and what she does with them and how she cherishes them <3
Personal Life: What a strong woman Lea Michele is.
☆☆☆
Things I did not like about the book.
☆☆☆
The biggest thing I didn't like about the book was that I wanted to learn more about Lea Michele, the person. However, it seemed like it was more Lea Michele, the self help guidance counselor. It felt like it was 40% tips, 20% recipes, 25% her, 15% everything else.
She also seemed to skim over things about herself and her feelings etc. For example, she only briefly mentioned GLEE and all she talked about were that they were her family. However, that was something that seemed pretty obvious already. Many people I knew wanted her to go behind the scenes about the experience but she only seemed to talk very generally about it so I was a little disappointed.
Another thing I didn't really like was the fact that the book seemed so broken up. The photos and layout were pretty good, however for example, at one point Lea talked about her life as an actress and her career and all that and then suddenly she dropped a recipe in the middle of it, later on instead of having moments of 'sudden' recipes there was a section specifically for the recipes. I thought that it was a little bit random as she seemed to switch between make up and food and life and advice and all that.
I'm a Gleek so I know a lot about Lea Michele's work already, so it would have nice to be able to know more about her and her personal life. I felt like she skimmed over or wrote too little on the personal parts.
Brunette Ambition was marketed as a memoir. It's even mentioned in the summary. However, if a person was planning to learn more about Lea's life, the book probably would not be of much help. There were parts about her family and career and just her but the large part of the book was essentially a self help book. You don't really learn much about HER but more about her daily routine and how she helps herself stay healthy and happy and all that.
Instead of being a memoir, this probably should be a self-help book. I have however read somewhere that she may be writing another book some other time, perhaps since she has already shown all her 'helping' ways in this book, then that book might be a real memoir where we learn more about her.
☆☆☆
Overall.
☆☆☆
I gave this book three and a half stars. I did think that the tips would be useful for me and on the whole I enjoyed reading about her daily life and habits. I admit I may be a little bit bias as she's a huge idol of mine and this book would be more satisfying for die hard fans of her (like me).
On the whole it has been pretty satisfying for me. I did enjoy it and felt that it would be a good coffee table kind of book. I believe it is a great book for health and beauty and will help me a lot when I need time for myself!
If you get your hands on it do buy it!
☆☆☆
For the full review, please go to Rireading Reviews
October 11, 2014
Being a self-proclaimed Gleek, I was ecstatic when I saw that Lea Michele had a book out. It was an extra indulgent treat to listen to her read her own words in her upbeat voice.
The book starts out as more of the autobiography I was hoping for, revealing details of a young, pre-Glee Lea Michele and a glimpse into her home life. The beginning few chapters of the book were full of inspirational messages about being ourselves and embracing our uniqueness rather than trying to washout and be like everyone else.
We learn that before Rachel Berry, Lea Michele had her own outcast difficulties to navigate as a child not like all the other girls. Thankfully she followed her dreams, even though they took her away from fitting in. She was fortunate to have supportive parents who, despite their own conventional professions, encouraged her to follow her passion for acting starting at a very young age.
Towards the middle of the book, the focus shifts to health and beauty tips. She offers insights into her personal approach to living a healthy lifestyle, and sets a great example for all of the young girls and women who look up to her. She responsibly rejects deprivation, and wisely advocates for balanced, whole food eating, and finding enjoyable activities to stay in shape rather than slaving away at a gym (unless you like the gym).
She then moves into a lengthy discussion of beauty and fashion tips, and incorporates input from her personal stylists. There are still some personal stories sprinkled throughout these sections, including her recount of the time she met her idol, Barbara Streisand (every chapter starts with a quote by either Barbara Streisand or Funny Girl's Fanny Brice - nice touch!).
The book concludes with a few glimpses into Glee from Lea Michele's perspective. She talks about life on the set and friendships with other cast members. For a brief moment, she brings us into the world behind the magic that is Glee.
This book would be great for young girls or young women who are seeking rational health tips, fans of Lea Michele, and/or aspiring performers. The beginning few chapters and last chapter containing a few of her personal thoughts on Glee were my favorites. I felt that the meat of the book addressing beauty and health tips wasn't what I was personally after, although I suppose that was her primary focus in writing the book. Still, I picked up a few beauty tips and yummy healthy recipes, so I am a happy Lea Michele fanatic camper.
Lea Michele is an amazing role model for girls & women. She is leading by example, embracing a healthy lifestyle and pursuing and living her dreams. Towards the beginning of the book when she was talking about being yourself and following your dreams, I felt like that type of content could have been focused on more heavily. I feel like she is much deeper than what the bulk of the book is focused on. She had a lot of great advice towards the beginning of the book about reaching for your dreams that would have presented well if elaborated on more throughout the book. While the beauty and fashion tips might be what it seems that young girls & women want, I think she has so much more to share with us that would be far more inspiring than her trainer's tips for exercising or make-up artist's recommendations.
She says "I always..." or "I never..." many times throughout the book, which doesn't seem realistic. These types of statements make her come across as a perfect person. It is even more inspiring when a person in such an influential position admits their vulnerabilities and weaknesses. She does allude to some of these, but the "always" and "never" statements might have been toned down a bit to convey an even more realistic impression of a person who lives a life that is beyond comprehension for many.
It is completely understandable that she didn't include more details about her relationship with Cory, not only because that was not the book's original intended purpose or focus (it was largely written before his sudden passing), but also because that is her personal story that she may never choose to share beyond her inner circle. It is amazing she was able to put out a book after going through such a devastating loss not even a year ago. Her return to public life with a renewed sense of purpose and responsibility to be a positive influence is truly inspiring. I hope she writes another book in the coming years and can't wait to see what she creates next!
The book starts out as more of the autobiography I was hoping for, revealing details of a young, pre-Glee Lea Michele and a glimpse into her home life. The beginning few chapters of the book were full of inspirational messages about being ourselves and embracing our uniqueness rather than trying to washout and be like everyone else.
We learn that before Rachel Berry, Lea Michele had her own outcast difficulties to navigate as a child not like all the other girls. Thankfully she followed her dreams, even though they took her away from fitting in. She was fortunate to have supportive parents who, despite their own conventional professions, encouraged her to follow her passion for acting starting at a very young age.
Towards the middle of the book, the focus shifts to health and beauty tips. She offers insights into her personal approach to living a healthy lifestyle, and sets a great example for all of the young girls and women who look up to her. She responsibly rejects deprivation, and wisely advocates for balanced, whole food eating, and finding enjoyable activities to stay in shape rather than slaving away at a gym (unless you like the gym).
She then moves into a lengthy discussion of beauty and fashion tips, and incorporates input from her personal stylists. There are still some personal stories sprinkled throughout these sections, including her recount of the time she met her idol, Barbara Streisand (every chapter starts with a quote by either Barbara Streisand or Funny Girl's Fanny Brice - nice touch!).
The book concludes with a few glimpses into Glee from Lea Michele's perspective. She talks about life on the set and friendships with other cast members. For a brief moment, she brings us into the world behind the magic that is Glee.
This book would be great for young girls or young women who are seeking rational health tips, fans of Lea Michele, and/or aspiring performers. The beginning few chapters and last chapter containing a few of her personal thoughts on Glee were my favorites. I felt that the meat of the book addressing beauty and health tips wasn't what I was personally after, although I suppose that was her primary focus in writing the book. Still, I picked up a few beauty tips and yummy healthy recipes, so I am a happy Lea Michele fanatic camper.
Lea Michele is an amazing role model for girls & women. She is leading by example, embracing a healthy lifestyle and pursuing and living her dreams. Towards the beginning of the book when she was talking about being yourself and following your dreams, I felt like that type of content could have been focused on more heavily. I feel like she is much deeper than what the bulk of the book is focused on. She had a lot of great advice towards the beginning of the book about reaching for your dreams that would have presented well if elaborated on more throughout the book. While the beauty and fashion tips might be what it seems that young girls & women want, I think she has so much more to share with us that would be far more inspiring than her trainer's tips for exercising or make-up artist's recommendations.
She says "I always..." or "I never..." many times throughout the book, which doesn't seem realistic. These types of statements make her come across as a perfect person. It is even more inspiring when a person in such an influential position admits their vulnerabilities and weaknesses. She does allude to some of these, but the "always" and "never" statements might have been toned down a bit to convey an even more realistic impression of a person who lives a life that is beyond comprehension for many.
It is completely understandable that she didn't include more details about her relationship with Cory, not only because that was not the book's original intended purpose or focus (it was largely written before his sudden passing), but also because that is her personal story that she may never choose to share beyond her inner circle. It is amazing she was able to put out a book after going through such a devastating loss not even a year ago. Her return to public life with a renewed sense of purpose and responsibility to be a positive influence is truly inspiring. I hope she writes another book in the coming years and can't wait to see what she creates next!
December 3, 2015
FIRST THOUGHTS:
Before anything else, I will admit that I do happen to be a Lea Michele fan. I admire her talent a whole lot. This book was a wonderful peek into her life, with thoughts on everything and anything that interests her. While some parts were certainly more personally appealing than others, overall, it's a really great + informative read!
REVIEW:
(Originally posted on Alexa Loves Books)
Full disclosure: I’m a Lea Michele fan. I’ve admired her since her Spring Awakening days, and have followed her career in the years after - through Glee, a solo album and various other endeavors. She’s a talented, inspiring young woman – and that really shines through in her book, Brunette Ambition. It combines personal stories and recommendations seamlessly, treating readers to a look at some of the things that are quintessentially Lea Michele.
The advice Michele offers in Brunette Ambition is candid and concise. She covers everything from the best date hairstyle to some beloved recipes, even as she pops a few personal memories in to shake things up. Everything is presented simply and straight to the point, accompanied by beautiful photographs. I loved the look of the pages a lot! But the best part? Michele’s chosen tone makes it sound like she’s sharing some of her secrets with you personally, which makes it all the more inviting.
Obviously, this doesn’t cover every single detail of Lea Michele’s life. But it’s a great peek into how she does things, as well as her life story. As a fan, I really liked this glimpse into the girl behind the celebrity! Many of the things she chooses to do are practical and can be done (with variations) by most of us, and I’m truly inspired by that. I’d definitely recommend giving Brunette Ambition a shot, particularly if you happen to be a fellow fan.
Before anything else, I will admit that I do happen to be a Lea Michele fan. I admire her talent a whole lot. This book was a wonderful peek into her life, with thoughts on everything and anything that interests her. While some parts were certainly more personally appealing than others, overall, it's a really great + informative read!
REVIEW:
(Originally posted on Alexa Loves Books)
Full disclosure: I’m a Lea Michele fan. I’ve admired her since her Spring Awakening days, and have followed her career in the years after - through Glee, a solo album and various other endeavors. She’s a talented, inspiring young woman – and that really shines through in her book, Brunette Ambition. It combines personal stories and recommendations seamlessly, treating readers to a look at some of the things that are quintessentially Lea Michele.
The advice Michele offers in Brunette Ambition is candid and concise. She covers everything from the best date hairstyle to some beloved recipes, even as she pops a few personal memories in to shake things up. Everything is presented simply and straight to the point, accompanied by beautiful photographs. I loved the look of the pages a lot! But the best part? Michele’s chosen tone makes it sound like she’s sharing some of her secrets with you personally, which makes it all the more inviting.
Obviously, this doesn’t cover every single detail of Lea Michele’s life. But it’s a great peek into how she does things, as well as her life story. As a fan, I really liked this glimpse into the girl behind the celebrity! Many of the things she chooses to do are practical and can be done (with variations) by most of us, and I’m truly inspired by that. I’d definitely recommend giving Brunette Ambition a shot, particularly if you happen to be a fellow fan.
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