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Mommywood
If you thought Tinseltown was tough...
Tori Spelling might have grown up with everything a girl could wish for, but these days she's just another suburban working mom...whose toddler regularly recognizes her in the pages of Us Weekly . Welcome to Mommywood , where the stars are two feet tall and your neighbors know who you are before you move in.
Like most parents, Tori wants her children to have the one thing she didn't have as a kid -- a normal family. On their hit Oxygen reality show, Tori & Home Sweet Hollywood , the starlet and her husband Dean McDermott regularly wrestle dirty diapers, host the neighborhood block party, and tackle temper tantrums on the red carpet. But when the cameras aren't rolling, Tori's still having awkward run-ins with a former 90210 costar at a laser tag birthday party, scooping rogue poo out of the kiddie pool on a resort vacation, and racing to win back her pre-baby body before the media starts calling her fat. For all her suburban fantasies, Tori Spelling is no June Cleaver.
With the same down-to-earth wit that made her entertaining memoir sTORI telling a #1 New York Times bestseller, Tori tells the hilarious and humbling stories of life as a mom in the limelight. From learning to be the kind of parent her own mother never was to revealing what it's like to raise a family while everyone is watching, Mommywood is an irresistible snapshot of celebrity parenthood that you won't get from the paparazzi.
Tori Spelling might have grown up with everything a girl could wish for, but these days she's just another suburban working mom...whose toddler regularly recognizes her in the pages of Us Weekly . Welcome to Mommywood , where the stars are two feet tall and your neighbors know who you are before you move in.
Like most parents, Tori wants her children to have the one thing she didn't have as a kid -- a normal family. On their hit Oxygen reality show, Tori & Home Sweet Hollywood , the starlet and her husband Dean McDermott regularly wrestle dirty diapers, host the neighborhood block party, and tackle temper tantrums on the red carpet. But when the cameras aren't rolling, Tori's still having awkward run-ins with a former 90210 costar at a laser tag birthday party, scooping rogue poo out of the kiddie pool on a resort vacation, and racing to win back her pre-baby body before the media starts calling her fat. For all her suburban fantasies, Tori Spelling is no June Cleaver.
With the same down-to-earth wit that made her entertaining memoir sTORI telling a #1 New York Times bestseller, Tori tells the hilarious and humbling stories of life as a mom in the limelight. From learning to be the kind of parent her own mother never was to revealing what it's like to raise a family while everyone is watching, Mommywood is an irresistible snapshot of celebrity parenthood that you won't get from the paparazzi.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published March 24, 2009
83 people are currently reading
2027 people want to read
About the author
Tori Spelling
11 books339 followersVictoria Davey "Tori" Spelling is an American actress. She is known for being Aaron Spelling's daughter and for her role as Donna Martin in the 1990s teen soap opera Beverly Hills, 90210.
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November 14, 2021It seemed most people liked this book so I feel kind of bad about what I'm going to say, but feel it must be said. I found it a pathetic public thrashing of her own mother. I also have a hard time feeling the slightest bit sorry for her. Hello? The average woman doesn't have a ton of money, celebrity, a "baby nurse" or someone that she can hire to carry her toddler while she's pregnant and can't do lifting. Hell, some mothers are single mothers and don't even have a husband to help. I also nearly choked on my tea when she was talking about how Dean had a son from an earlier marriage and Tori was upset because Dean wasn't experiencing the newness of parenthood with her.
Lady, in the Midwest, that's what we call karma for messing with another woman's husband.
Sorry. I tried to like her and at some parts I just pitied her. Maybe if she would live in the real world with the rest of us,she could even be someone that I would be friends with in another time/place. I just don't think she can relate with the mommies outside of Hollywood.
Sorry T.
Lady, in the Midwest, that's what we call karma for messing with another woman's husband.
Sorry. I tried to like her and at some parts I just pitied her. Maybe if she would live in the real world with the rest of us,she could even be someone that I would be friends with in another time/place. I just don't think she can relate with the mommies outside of Hollywood.
Sorry T.
March 22, 2010
This is so out of the norm of what I typically read, that I was almost embarassed to add it on here.
Overall it was meh - Spelling is certainly bitter about her relationship with her mom, as evidenced by numerous little jabs throughout the book, which I thought was in poor taste after oh like, the 50th time.
She also complains about money throughout the book. A lot. A whole lot. Which I found quite strange. It almost felt like a crutch she was using to justify some of her decisions and actions. For example, she cited needing to go back to work 1 week after her daughter was born because their reality show was how they supported their family. Really? You're Tori Spelling and married to a B-list actor and you can't afford to take more than 1 week off work? I find it a bit hard to believe. Especially when a few chapters later when she can't figure out how to fold up her stroller so she just leaves it in the parking garage, hops in her Range Rover and heads off to a dinner party she's late for.
To me, the whole book felt like Spelling was trying to convince the reader, "Hey, I'm a normal person just like you! Let me just hand off my kids to their nurse and I'll be right with you."
I do have to give her props for really opening herself up, though. She shared a lot of person vulnerabilities and fears, which I respect. That said, however, I think she does need to learn the concept of boundaries and respect for other people's privacy. Even I felt uncomfortable when she started talking about her husband's ex-wife. And just in case you weren't aware, Spelling and McDermott met on a movie set while he was still married. So Spelling was the other woman. And obviously has no shame about it, which grates on my nerves and added an "ick" factor that was a bit surprising.
Overall it was meh - Spelling is certainly bitter about her relationship with her mom, as evidenced by numerous little jabs throughout the book, which I thought was in poor taste after oh like, the 50th time.
She also complains about money throughout the book. A lot. A whole lot. Which I found quite strange. It almost felt like a crutch she was using to justify some of her decisions and actions. For example, she cited needing to go back to work 1 week after her daughter was born because their reality show was how they supported their family. Really? You're Tori Spelling and married to a B-list actor and you can't afford to take more than 1 week off work? I find it a bit hard to believe. Especially when a few chapters later when she can't figure out how to fold up her stroller so she just leaves it in the parking garage, hops in her Range Rover and heads off to a dinner party she's late for.
To me, the whole book felt like Spelling was trying to convince the reader, "Hey, I'm a normal person just like you! Let me just hand off my kids to their nurse and I'll be right with you."
I do have to give her props for really opening herself up, though. She shared a lot of person vulnerabilities and fears, which I respect. That said, however, I think she does need to learn the concept of boundaries and respect for other people's privacy. Even I felt uncomfortable when she started talking about her husband's ex-wife. And just in case you weren't aware, Spelling and McDermott met on a movie set while he was still married. So Spelling was the other woman. And obviously has no shame about it, which grates on my nerves and added an "ick" factor that was a bit surprising.
September 2, 2009
Friends, get over it, swallow it, I have a THING for Tori and Dean. At the Inn in Hollywood, on Oxygen when I'm in hotels and they happen to be playing 24 hours of T and D - with all her batshit craziness and fears and their homewrecking ways - I love em. Guiltiest pleasure ever.
March 26, 2016
I have always loved to watch Tori Spelling on 90210 and I loved her on Tori and Dean as well. I saw this book not too long ago and thought, this will be a fun read one day. So about a week ago I picked it up and I couldn't put it down. I have started to see another side to Tori that you don't get from the bright lights of Hollywood and the magazine covers and her TV show. I mean we all have a hard time believing that "reality tv" is truly reality. But for Tori and Dean what you see is what you get. She wants to show us that there is more to her life than Hollywood. She is a mother, a wife and a best friend just like the rest of us. She just does it under the watchful eye of Hollywood and the paparazzi.
Tori is married to Dean McDermott and are ready to start a family. Tori wants to move to the suburbs, live on a normal street and raise her child like any other mom in America. Then their wished start to come true. Tori becomes pregnant with their first child together. His is name is Liam and he is the perfect baby. They can take him to dinner, to parties, charity events and life is a dream. Or so they thought.
Then Tori begins to panic - Liam seems to be more attached to Dean than her. Is their something wrong with her? Is she not meant to be a mother? They see her therapist and they try to work through these issues little by little.
Then there is the hilarious incident with the poo in the pool (Tori will have you laughing uncontrollably when you read this), Liam's love for OK! and so many other fun stories.
Who wants to live in Hollywood (um maybe me?) when you can live on Beaver Street? Tori decides that she wants to live in a normal house, on a normal street and have normal neighbors and friends. So they move to Beaver Street. Things aren't as easy as Tori had hoped they would be - the neighbors are always watching them, the paparazzi are able to get to her whenever they see fit, and they can't even fit in at the neighborhood street party. What's a girl to do? Will they ever accept her? Will this be their forever home or is there another move in store?
Then surprise, along comes baby number 2 - Stella! She was finally having a girl! A part of her has been dreading this all her life, she didn't want to have the same relationship with her that she had with her own other (look at how well that turned out). She also fears that Stella will grow to prefer Dean over her as well.
This book is packed with fun outtakes of her life - from meeting her Gay friends, days out with Liam and Stella, thoughts of purchasing a new home, outrageous birthday parties for her kids and celebrities - it's a guilty pleasure that you won't be able to put down!
I can't wait to read more of her books and I really enjoyed "meeting" this Tori and seeing that she really is a down to earth mom with a little Hollywood on the side. What a fun read, you will not be disappointed.
Tori is married to Dean McDermott and are ready to start a family. Tori wants to move to the suburbs, live on a normal street and raise her child like any other mom in America. Then their wished start to come true. Tori becomes pregnant with their first child together. His is name is Liam and he is the perfect baby. They can take him to dinner, to parties, charity events and life is a dream. Or so they thought.
Then Tori begins to panic - Liam seems to be more attached to Dean than her. Is their something wrong with her? Is she not meant to be a mother? They see her therapist and they try to work through these issues little by little.
Then there is the hilarious incident with the poo in the pool (Tori will have you laughing uncontrollably when you read this), Liam's love for OK! and so many other fun stories.
Who wants to live in Hollywood (um maybe me?) when you can live on Beaver Street? Tori decides that she wants to live in a normal house, on a normal street and have normal neighbors and friends. So they move to Beaver Street. Things aren't as easy as Tori had hoped they would be - the neighbors are always watching them, the paparazzi are able to get to her whenever they see fit, and they can't even fit in at the neighborhood street party. What's a girl to do? Will they ever accept her? Will this be their forever home or is there another move in store?
Then surprise, along comes baby number 2 - Stella! She was finally having a girl! A part of her has been dreading this all her life, she didn't want to have the same relationship with her that she had with her own other (look at how well that turned out). She also fears that Stella will grow to prefer Dean over her as well.
This book is packed with fun outtakes of her life - from meeting her Gay friends, days out with Liam and Stella, thoughts of purchasing a new home, outrageous birthday parties for her kids and celebrities - it's a guilty pleasure that you won't be able to put down!
I can't wait to read more of her books and I really enjoyed "meeting" this Tori and seeing that she really is a down to earth mom with a little Hollywood on the side. What a fun read, you will not be disappointed.
June 9, 2009
She describes herself as a “work in progress”—both as a grownup and a mother—and then talks to the reader in a very down-to-earth voice about her efforts to make her home and everyday life as “normal” as can be for her husband and children, considering that she lives in the land where motherhood exists against a backdrop of red carpets, premieres, and basically living “on the set” of a reality show. A world where her son leafs through celebrity magazines, identifying himself and his parents in the photos.
You can’t help but applaud her efforts. She certainly has had her insecurities and fears, mostly due to her “over the top” childhood and her flawed relationship with her own mother. But she is determined to create a different relationship with her own children, and believes that, with the help of the family she has created—with friends as the core of this group—she can achieve her goals.
A promising indicator that she might just succeed lies in her acceptance that she must be present in her life and that she only has to take it a step at a time. It won’t happen overnight.
This seems like a very mature approach for someone living in “La-la Land.” I’m voting for her!
You can’t help but applaud her efforts. She certainly has had her insecurities and fears, mostly due to her “over the top” childhood and her flawed relationship with her own mother. But she is determined to create a different relationship with her own children, and believes that, with the help of the family she has created—with friends as the core of this group—she can achieve her goals.
A promising indicator that she might just succeed lies in her acceptance that she must be present in her life and that she only has to take it a step at a time. It won’t happen overnight.
This seems like a very mature approach for someone living in “La-la Land.” I’m voting for her!
June 5, 2009
After reading "sTori Telling" I was very much looking forwad to Ms. Spelling's next book. I was a little disappointed as this one was not quite as good as the first but still a good, easy read that describes a life so far removed from my own.
In "Mommywood" Tori Spelling picks up where her last book left off writing, quite simply, about the day to day goings on of her life. She uses a lot of humor while showing a normal 'human' side of herself outside of that of a celebrity, one that is very relatable. Using compassion and humor she writes about her life as a mother in Hollywood, being a wife, her work, being a celebrity and at the core of the book she describes how she attempted to fulfill her lifelong dream of living in a suburban neighborhood. Of course, threaded throughout are remarks and comments about her mother.
While I did enjoy this book, I did not find it as compelling as her first book. I think this is simply because in "sTori Telling" there were so many fantastic stories of lavishness and excess that were absent in this one.
In "Mommywood" Tori Spelling picks up where her last book left off writing, quite simply, about the day to day goings on of her life. She uses a lot of humor while showing a normal 'human' side of herself outside of that of a celebrity, one that is very relatable. Using compassion and humor she writes about her life as a mother in Hollywood, being a wife, her work, being a celebrity and at the core of the book she describes how she attempted to fulfill her lifelong dream of living in a suburban neighborhood. Of course, threaded throughout are remarks and comments about her mother.
While I did enjoy this book, I did not find it as compelling as her first book. I think this is simply because in "sTori Telling" there were so many fantastic stories of lavishness and excess that were absent in this one.
August 3, 2009
*Sigh* Here we go.
So, I sort of love Tori Spelling now. I know, where did this come from? But after reading her fantastic first book, I started recording her show on Oxygen. And it is so addicting, and I just totally love her now. I'm not even ashamed of it anymore. She is so humorous, down-to-earth, and intelligent. She know she's not beautiful. She knows she's not a great actress. She knows she only got somewhere because of her father. But she is so forthcoming about it all, how can you hate her?
So, I sort of love Tori Spelling now. I know, where did this come from? But after reading her fantastic first book, I started recording her show on Oxygen. And it is so addicting, and I just totally love her now. I'm not even ashamed of it anymore. She is so humorous, down-to-earth, and intelligent. She know she's not beautiful. She knows she's not a great actress. She knows she only got somewhere because of her father. But she is so forthcoming about it all, how can you hate her?
June 11, 2009
I thought Tori's 1st book was pretty interesting. It talked about her whole life. She did life in some interesting circumstances.
This book was just trying to hurry and publish another book. Most of the things she wrote about have been shown on their reality show.
Didn't get through it. Didn't need to. I had already seen it.
This book was just trying to hurry and publish another book. Most of the things she wrote about have been shown on their reality show.
Didn't get through it. Didn't need to. I had already seen it.
April 14, 2022
I really have to start looking closer at audiobooks before picking them.
I really never followed Tori Spelling, so didn't know much about her. But figured this would be an honest book about motherhood, so figured I'd give it a try.
Spoiler alert:
This wasn't funny. This was a book filled with jabs at Tori's mom, and about how she didn't want to become a mother like her own. It didn't go into a lot of details, but the details she did share, really made her sound petty and vindictive. She hated her mom because she didn't let her pick her halloween costumes, and bought her dolls she couldn't play with? Honey- no mom is perfect, and sounds like you had a privileged childhood.
Also- Tori tried so so hard to be a "relatable mom". She talked about how she couldn't afford to take a maternity leave. She constantly talked about how she had the burden of being a working mom. Not so she could maintain a lifestyle, but to meet basic bills.
Obviously I don't know much about her finances. But she is a celebrity, with a reality tv show (when the book was written). She talks about ditching a double stroller in a parking garage because she didn't know how to fold it. She talks about shopping and travelling and a lifestyle most wouldn't dream of. Tori- you don't have the pressure of being a "regular working mom, providing for your family" in the same way.
Sorry girl- you aren't relatable. You make more money than 98% of your readers-just because you don't manage it well- that doesn't make you relatable.
I really never followed Tori Spelling, so didn't know much about her. But figured this would be an honest book about motherhood, so figured I'd give it a try.
Spoiler alert:
This wasn't funny. This was a book filled with jabs at Tori's mom, and about how she didn't want to become a mother like her own. It didn't go into a lot of details, but the details she did share, really made her sound petty and vindictive. She hated her mom because she didn't let her pick her halloween costumes, and bought her dolls she couldn't play with? Honey- no mom is perfect, and sounds like you had a privileged childhood.
Also- Tori tried so so hard to be a "relatable mom". She talked about how she couldn't afford to take a maternity leave. She constantly talked about how she had the burden of being a working mom. Not so she could maintain a lifestyle, but to meet basic bills.
Obviously I don't know much about her finances. But she is a celebrity, with a reality tv show (when the book was written). She talks about ditching a double stroller in a parking garage because she didn't know how to fold it. She talks about shopping and travelling and a lifestyle most wouldn't dream of. Tori- you don't have the pressure of being a "regular working mom, providing for your family" in the same way.
Sorry girl- you aren't relatable. You make more money than 98% of your readers-just because you don't manage it well- that doesn't make you relatable.
February 11, 2023
Was a great in side view from tori spelling
August 23, 2009
okay, I'd like to preface my review of the book by the reactions I received when I told my friends/family that I was reading Tori Spelling's book. the first being, "really? what is wrong with you?" but after I get done telling them that I just finished reading Lauren Conrad's first book (who's star rating might be changing after reading this, more on that later), they see this as a vast improvement, so now it's okay?
I want to defend the book first. Tori is amazing witty, funny and articulate. I appreciate the honesty that she writes with, her normalcy (for all intent and purposes), and her inner dialogue/comedy. this was a light, quick read that does let you inside her world and makes you chuckle and realize that we're all the same just trying to figure things out. if you are a fan of her show, then you won't really get much from the book- she is very true to herself and just brings more stories to light. er, maybe she fills in the back story if you don't understand her relationships (or lack thereof) on the show.
my only negative on the book. (which is highly personally and a bit wonky.) is the fact that I am bothered how she talks about Stella, or, her lacking of talking about Stella. maybe I am just hyper-sensitive to being a second child and for once, want to meet a mom that put forth a lot of effort into showering her second child with the love she gave her first, but Tori's book didn't not give me the warm-fuzzy I was hoping for. I mean, I even scrutinized the amount of pictures Liam has compared to Stella (21- 13, in case you were wondering). so clearly, I am not focusing on what she was trying to achieve in this book.
I think she's a great mother and very honest about what a struggle it is to figure it all out. what she needs to realize is that being "normal" doesn't really exist. no book is going to tell you how to get it right. if we were all normal, then none of this would be fun. or worth it.
read it. watch her show. you'll grow to love her and her family.
oh, and I want Lauren Conrad to work with Hilary Liftin.
I want to defend the book first. Tori is amazing witty, funny and articulate. I appreciate the honesty that she writes with, her normalcy (for all intent and purposes), and her inner dialogue/comedy. this was a light, quick read that does let you inside her world and makes you chuckle and realize that we're all the same just trying to figure things out. if you are a fan of her show, then you won't really get much from the book- she is very true to herself and just brings more stories to light. er, maybe she fills in the back story if you don't understand her relationships (or lack thereof) on the show.
my only negative on the book. (which is highly personally and a bit wonky.) is the fact that I am bothered how she talks about Stella, or, her lacking of talking about Stella. maybe I am just hyper-sensitive to being a second child and for once, want to meet a mom that put forth a lot of effort into showering her second child with the love she gave her first, but Tori's book didn't not give me the warm-fuzzy I was hoping for. I mean, I even scrutinized the amount of pictures Liam has compared to Stella (21- 13, in case you were wondering). so clearly, I am not focusing on what she was trying to achieve in this book.
I think she's a great mother and very honest about what a struggle it is to figure it all out. what she needs to realize is that being "normal" doesn't really exist. no book is going to tell you how to get it right. if we were all normal, then none of this would be fun. or worth it.
read it. watch her show. you'll grow to love her and her family.
oh, and I want Lauren Conrad to work with Hilary Liftin.
July 25, 2009
Tori Spelling might have grown up with everything a girl could wish for, but these days she's just another suburban working mom...whose toddler regularly recognizes her in the pages of Us Weekly. Welcome to Mommywood, where the stars are two feet tall and your neighbors know who you are before you move in.
Like most parents, Tori wants her children to have the one thing she didn't have as a kid — a normal family. On their hit Oxygen reality show, Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood, the starlet and her husband Dean McDermott regularly wrestle dirty diapers, host the neighborhood block party, and tackle temper tantrums on the red carpet. But when the cameras aren't rolling, Tori's still having awkward run-ins with a former 90210 costar at a laser tag birthday party, scooping rogue poo out of the kiddie pool on a resort vacation, and racing to win back her pre-baby body before the media starts calling her fat. For all her suburban fantasies, Tori Spelling is no June Cleaver.
With the same down-to-earth wit that made her entertaining memoir sTORI telling a #1 New York Times bestseller, Tori tells the hilarious and humbling stories of life as a mom in the limelight. From learning to be the kind of parent her own mother never was to revealing what it's like to raise a family while everyone is watching, Mommywood is an irresistible snapshot of celebrity parenthood that you won't get from the paparazzi.
****Rate this 4/5. I adore Tori and watch all of her and Dean's shows. For growing up the way she did, she is doing her very best to raise a normal family. She has a great sense of humor, and reading her book, you think of her as a girlfriend, not a celebrity. Bravo, Tori.....I enjoyed your second book even more than the first!
Like most parents, Tori wants her children to have the one thing she didn't have as a kid — a normal family. On their hit Oxygen reality show, Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood, the starlet and her husband Dean McDermott regularly wrestle dirty diapers, host the neighborhood block party, and tackle temper tantrums on the red carpet. But when the cameras aren't rolling, Tori's still having awkward run-ins with a former 90210 costar at a laser tag birthday party, scooping rogue poo out of the kiddie pool on a resort vacation, and racing to win back her pre-baby body before the media starts calling her fat. For all her suburban fantasies, Tori Spelling is no June Cleaver.
With the same down-to-earth wit that made her entertaining memoir sTORI telling a #1 New York Times bestseller, Tori tells the hilarious and humbling stories of life as a mom in the limelight. From learning to be the kind of parent her own mother never was to revealing what it's like to raise a family while everyone is watching, Mommywood is an irresistible snapshot of celebrity parenthood that you won't get from the paparazzi.
****Rate this 4/5. I adore Tori and watch all of her and Dean's shows. For growing up the way she did, she is doing her very best to raise a normal family. She has a great sense of humor, and reading her book, you think of her as a girlfriend, not a celebrity. Bravo, Tori.....I enjoyed your second book even more than the first!
January 29, 2011
I don't have a lot of strong opinions about celebrities, but Tori Spelling is one of those people who, for some reason, I find myself angrily defending when her name comes up both in terms of her talent and her personality. I read Tori's first memoir and, well, I didn't hate it. This one? I may not have hated it, but I really disliked it. Let me start by stating that I'm a babysitter/nanny and I have seen it all. I am not amused by Tori's stories of baby poop floating through a pool, as I've scooped it myself. That said, I appreciate that these typical stories of motherhood can vary wildly when they're told by someone who is in the public eye. Instead of being one of those wacky stories that happens to everyone, it becomes, "Tori Spelling let her baby poop in the pool." I get that, really.
Here's what I don't get. Tori talks constantly about her struggle to negotiate her (admittedly bizarre) upbringing with trying to fit in, to be normal. On the surface that's something that makes a lot of sense to me; I automatically sympathize with anyone with a past like hers who just wants to fit in and be normal, rather than to be a Paris Hilton-type. It's an endearing quality of Tori's. That said, she doesn't seem to have any concept of what normalcy really is. She has a baby nurse (whatever that is), a few babysitters, plenty of money, and a reality show constantly being filmed in her house. Then she moves this gaggle of people to the suburbs and wonders why her neighbors are suspicious of her. It's not something that struck me as spoiled or obnoxious or annoying, because she seems like a really down to earth chick. Mostly, it struck me as sad.
I'm still Team Tori Spelling, though. Just sayin'.
Here's what I don't get. Tori talks constantly about her struggle to negotiate her (admittedly bizarre) upbringing with trying to fit in, to be normal. On the surface that's something that makes a lot of sense to me; I automatically sympathize with anyone with a past like hers who just wants to fit in and be normal, rather than to be a Paris Hilton-type. It's an endearing quality of Tori's. That said, she doesn't seem to have any concept of what normalcy really is. She has a baby nurse (whatever that is), a few babysitters, plenty of money, and a reality show constantly being filmed in her house. Then she moves this gaggle of people to the suburbs and wonders why her neighbors are suspicious of her. It's not something that struck me as spoiled or obnoxious or annoying, because she seems like a really down to earth chick. Mostly, it struck me as sad.
I'm still Team Tori Spelling, though. Just sayin'.
July 5, 2009
I didn't enjoy this nearly as much as sTORI Telling but I can't say I hated it either. It's so obvious that she's trying to shed the celeb image and be the girl-next-door and she needs to realize that unless she quits the business, and maybe not even then, it's not happening. So what. Be Tori Spelling. Not the "girl-next-door".
She bugged me a lot to in this. I didn't get the sense of humor that came through in sTORI and she constantly, and I DO mean CONSTANTLY, went on about her mother. Constantly. After saying she wouldn't harp on her mother anymore and "let me just say this, it was more about her mom, what her mom did to her, what her mom didn't do for her, etc. Grow up and be a woman, get some counseling and deal with your issues. In other words- get over it.
The first thing she noticed on her sons sonogram was that his nose looked big. Yep, I have a HUGE problem with that. I waited a lot of years and thought I would never have my baby for a lot of years. There are many people out there who can not have children and she's worried about this kids nose. Be happy he has a nose Tori. Some don't. I'm sure.
She harped on the fact that she can't afford this or can't afford that, she has to work like everyone else too. Yeah, sorry but you're not working like my local trash men. Or the cashier at my local Food Lion. Or a real stay at home mom for that matter. Nope, sorry. Then she turns around, goes to Fred Segal and buys something in every color they have it in. Yeah, way normal there Tori.
All in all it was entertaining I suppose. More for seeing her squirm though than anything else. Don't pay the 25 bucks for it.
She bugged me a lot to in this. I didn't get the sense of humor that came through in sTORI and she constantly, and I DO mean CONSTANTLY, went on about her mother. Constantly. After saying she wouldn't harp on her mother anymore and "let me just say this, it was more about her mom, what her mom did to her, what her mom didn't do for her, etc. Grow up and be a woman, get some counseling and deal with your issues. In other words- get over it.
The first thing she noticed on her sons sonogram was that his nose looked big. Yep, I have a HUGE problem with that. I waited a lot of years and thought I would never have my baby for a lot of years. There are many people out there who can not have children and she's worried about this kids nose. Be happy he has a nose Tori. Some don't. I'm sure.
She harped on the fact that she can't afford this or can't afford that, she has to work like everyone else too. Yeah, sorry but you're not working like my local trash men. Or the cashier at my local Food Lion. Or a real stay at home mom for that matter. Nope, sorry. Then she turns around, goes to Fred Segal and buys something in every color they have it in. Yeah, way normal there Tori.
All in all it was entertaining I suppose. More for seeing her squirm though than anything else. Don't pay the 25 bucks for it.
November 9, 2009
Somewhat the same as the last book…same tone and instead of being filled with stories about her dating life and 90210 it is just stories of her husband and children. There were two things that bothered me about this book (and they are the same things that annoyed me about her last book).
1.) She spends too much time talking about how she is “normal.” Here’s a hint: if you feel the need to continuously state that then you aren’t “normal.” Also, her view of what is “normal” is so warped because she grew up in such an exceptional way. She admits this in the book…that her view of what is “normal” is based on TV shows. Um, that is not “normal.” She should just be happy with who she is and quit trying so hard to prove she is something she is not.
2.) She continues to throw her mom under the bus. Big time. This is especially highlighted in a list she includes about the things she would never do to her children. The list is geared towards pointing out all the bad things her mother did and how she won’t do them to her kids…like not letting them pick out their own Halloween costumes and buying them presents they can't play with like Madame Alexander dolls (also mentioned in her other book) and a bunch of other things. But then later on she talks about how she doesn’t want to prevent her kids from having a relationship with her mother. I don’t really care what the real story is between the two of them but if she really does want her kids to have a relationship with their grandma then she should just stop bashing her mom in the press (and her mom needs to do the same if she wants to see those kids).
Okay, that's all.
1.) She spends too much time talking about how she is “normal.” Here’s a hint: if you feel the need to continuously state that then you aren’t “normal.” Also, her view of what is “normal” is so warped because she grew up in such an exceptional way. She admits this in the book…that her view of what is “normal” is based on TV shows. Um, that is not “normal.” She should just be happy with who she is and quit trying so hard to prove she is something she is not.
2.) She continues to throw her mom under the bus. Big time. This is especially highlighted in a list she includes about the things she would never do to her children. The list is geared towards pointing out all the bad things her mother did and how she won’t do them to her kids…like not letting them pick out their own Halloween costumes and buying them presents they can't play with like Madame Alexander dolls (also mentioned in her other book) and a bunch of other things. But then later on she talks about how she doesn’t want to prevent her kids from having a relationship with her mother. I don’t really care what the real story is between the two of them but if she really does want her kids to have a relationship with their grandma then she should just stop bashing her mom in the press (and her mom needs to do the same if she wants to see those kids).
Okay, that's all.
April 22, 2010
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While I thought Stori Telling was just "meh," I really enjoyed Tori Spelling's Mommywood.
The difference between the two novels was I think Stori Telling was all about Tori's entitled childhood and her uncomfortable relationship with her family, specifically her mother. She detailed her adulterous affair and that was a little hard for me to take. She didn't really come across as a nice girl.
Mommywood is the next step. So she and her husband had an affair, unfortunately they are not the only people in the world to start their relationship that way. They are married now and have started their family together. This is where I start to like Tori. Sure her world is completely different than any world I will ever live in. But she tries so hard to be "normal". Baking cake for the neighborhood party, pushing her kids in the stroller, dealing with poopy diapers in the swimming pool. All everyday stuff that most Mom's have to deal with.
Tori's self deprecating humor was almost refreshing. She really came across as "down to earth" in this book. Almost so much that I may actually check out her show. What do you think? Will I like it?
While I thought Stori Telling was just "meh," I really enjoyed Tori Spelling's Mommywood.
The difference between the two novels was I think Stori Telling was all about Tori's entitled childhood and her uncomfortable relationship with her family, specifically her mother. She detailed her adulterous affair and that was a little hard for me to take. She didn't really come across as a nice girl.
Mommywood is the next step. So she and her husband had an affair, unfortunately they are not the only people in the world to start their relationship that way. They are married now and have started their family together. This is where I start to like Tori. Sure her world is completely different than any world I will ever live in. But she tries so hard to be "normal". Baking cake for the neighborhood party, pushing her kids in the stroller, dealing with poopy diapers in the swimming pool. All everyday stuff that most Mom's have to deal with.
Tori's self deprecating humor was almost refreshing. She really came across as "down to earth" in this book. Almost so much that I may actually check out her show. What do you think? Will I like it?
July 14, 2009
Okay, so this book is a total guilty pleasure sort-of read. I was in the mood for something completely light and fluffy that would amuse me and this fit the bill. I read her previous book, "sTori Telling" last year and found it enjoyable; it was humorous and light. I also enjoy her show on Oxygen. I find her amusing and witty and somewhat "normal" (whatever that really means) for a celebrity. Her neurotic worries sometimes remind me of my own and while she strives for the normalcy of the average mother/wife, she also realizes she will never achieve it due to her celebrity status, and finds content in her own kind of normal.
I started off reading the book, but then decided to switch over and give the audio book a try. I'm not a fan of audio books in general, but I really enjoyed this one! I think it lends itself perfectly to the audio format and Tori Spelling, herself, narrates it, which adds another level of enjoyment. It was a fun glimpse into the life of a mother and wife who experiences the same embarrassing moments, simple joys, and every-day sort of experiences we all face.
I started off reading the book, but then decided to switch over and give the audio book a try. I'm not a fan of audio books in general, but I really enjoyed this one! I think it lends itself perfectly to the audio format and Tori Spelling, herself, narrates it, which adds another level of enjoyment. It was a fun glimpse into the life of a mother and wife who experiences the same embarrassing moments, simple joys, and every-day sort of experiences we all face.
October 10, 2010
Mommywood by Tori Spelling chronicles Spelling’s life as a wife and mother in Hollywood. In addition to her son Liam, Spelling now has a daughter named Stella.
Even though Spelling is famous, she wants to be a regular suburban mom. The family moves to a nice close-knit neighborhood where Tori tried to befriend her neighbors, some welcoming, some not.
Like her last book which I reviewed yesterday, this one is just as funny. More funny, perhaps. Hilarious moments include Spelling’s son Liam preferring weekly tabloids to picture books and the “poo in the pool” incident.
Spelling also gets into some heady issues that parents face. She is heartbroken when her son Liam only wants Daddy. She deals with her dog passing away just before the birth of her daughter. She discusses her worries of her relationship with her mom and how it will affect her as a parent. She also delves into being a stepmom and the difficulties she runs into trying to find the right balance.
Again, I loved this book. I couldn’t put it down and found this one to be even funnier and more heartfelt than Spelling’s first book. Motherhood definitely suits Tori.
Even though Spelling is famous, she wants to be a regular suburban mom. The family moves to a nice close-knit neighborhood where Tori tried to befriend her neighbors, some welcoming, some not.
Like her last book which I reviewed yesterday, this one is just as funny. More funny, perhaps. Hilarious moments include Spelling’s son Liam preferring weekly tabloids to picture books and the “poo in the pool” incident.
Spelling also gets into some heady issues that parents face. She is heartbroken when her son Liam only wants Daddy. She deals with her dog passing away just before the birth of her daughter. She discusses her worries of her relationship with her mom and how it will affect her as a parent. She also delves into being a stepmom and the difficulties she runs into trying to find the right balance.
Again, I loved this book. I couldn’t put it down and found this one to be even funnier and more heartfelt than Spelling’s first book. Motherhood definitely suits Tori.
January 4, 2010
This book was a quick read and I'm glad! Mommywood was painfully obnoxious and Spelling's insecurities, paranoia and whiny outlook on life set my teeth on edge. The premise of this book is based on her personal growth and new-found confidence gained through her marriage and becoming a new mother. Instead she portrays herself as needy and clingy while constantly in a state of paranoia about what other people (neighbors, celebrities, etc) may or may not think of her, yet fails to reach out and make a connection with any of them.
I did read sTORI Telling and found it to be entertaining enough to pick up this newest memoir. In her previous book she writes about her strained relationship with her mother and her unique childhood growing up in the spotlight. In Mommywood, the subject of her mother became redundant and nearly every chapter contained a similar sentence: "I'm sure you know by now my mother and I haven't had the best relationship...." So if you are fascinated about the story of Candy and Tori, then you may enjoy hearing about it again and again throughout Mommywood.
I did read sTORI Telling and found it to be entertaining enough to pick up this newest memoir. In her previous book she writes about her strained relationship with her mother and her unique childhood growing up in the spotlight. In Mommywood, the subject of her mother became redundant and nearly every chapter contained a similar sentence: "I'm sure you know by now my mother and I haven't had the best relationship...." So if you are fascinated about the story of Candy and Tori, then you may enjoy hearing about it again and again throughout Mommywood.
July 7, 2009
This book had a few funny parts. But other than that I felt like this book was a cry for Tori's mother, Candy, to come to her side and say "I am sorry Honey." Hollywood has such twisted morals for things. I love to watch or read trash just like the next person. But for reality...you want your mom to pay somewhat attention to your family. The papers aren't everything..I don't care how much money you make. Everyone wants the same things in life..the older you get. You want to go back to simple things and what REALLY matters. Money isn't it. Sure it is nice..but it doesn't make your heart feel good at the end of the day. A hug or love DOES.
July 4, 2009
I am a little embarrassed to have read this book. I've never been the least bit interested in Tori Spelling. I guess it was the title that grabbed me. Needless to say, it was super light reading (which is what I've been into lately). It was interesting to see what life is like for a Hollywood mom. Some of the stories that she told about her mishaps at parenting were pretty funny. Tori was quite whiny throughout (no real surprise there), especially when talking about her relationship with her mother. I have to say that I will probably read her first book sometime, STORItelling.
July 6, 2009
I found this to be pretty much a repeat of her first book, sTORI TELLING, just add the kids. She is funny, and while I found myself amused by her stories it got to the point where I wondered if this weren't really an article or blog post...stretched out into a book.
She is a sweet girl who seems to really want to do right by her children, which I appreciated. However, the stories about her mom and the snow imported into California by her dad have gotten tired and leave me wishing that she'd talk about something else, in spite of the fact that I really like her.
She is a sweet girl who seems to really want to do right by her children, which I appreciated. However, the stories about her mom and the snow imported into California by her dad have gotten tired and leave me wishing that she'd talk about something else, in spite of the fact that I really like her.
July 22, 2009
While not quite as good as her previous novel, it was nice to see that the challenges of being a parent are no different no matter who you are. I feel badly that Tori wants so much to be accepted and have a "normal" life. I cannot imagine not having that, and wanting it so badly. And as she concluded, that may not be possible for her and her family. So she is doing what we are all doing as parents, the best we can!
June 2, 2009
I liked listening to Tori read this. Clearly I can't get enough of her if I want her to read the book to me. :)
Not as good as her first book, but I still really enjoyed it. Tori is just a super fun writer, actress, and person in general.
Not as good as her first book, but I still really enjoyed it. Tori is just a super fun writer, actress, and person in general.
April 20, 2010
I must say I liked sTORI telling better. This one was a little too "I'm a working mom just like you!" even though she goes to red carpet events and has 3 hired help for her 2 kids. Slightly entertaining and a quick read, however, which is what I wanted.
August 2, 2014
This was a good book. I wouldnt say great. But I love Tori Spelling. Shes hilarious. Its about becoming a Mommy for the first time and then mommy to stella for the second time. She did a great job on this book. I cant wait to read her next one.
June 22, 2014
It just wasn't as funny (or good) as her first book. A lot of jabs at her mother, the stories just didn't have the humor to them that her first book's had, and I got really tired of reading the word "Mommywood".
November 12, 2022
Wasn't as entertaining as sTORI Telling, but it had its moments.
February 20, 2010
Kindle to iPhone
Not as entertaining as the first, but still better than it has any right to be.
Not as entertaining as the first, but still better than it has any right to be.
June 20, 2016
Love Tori!!!!
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