Rating 8/10
I adore Reese Witherspoon immensely. She just seems like a really lovely person inside and out whenever I’ve seen interviews about her. I also have watched quite a lot of her films, and I love her work ethic and her inclusions on featuring female authors with her book club, Reese’s Book Club. Did I mention that I also follow her book recommendations on IG? Yeah she rocks. I love her. So it was only fitting that I eventually read her book, Whiskey in a Teacup! This nonfiction read came out back in 2018 and since then it’s been on my to read list! I have a crazy long list but I do eventually get through my reading pile. Let’s get on with what this quirky fun book is all about!
About Whiskey in a Teacup: What Growing up in the South Taught me about Life, Love and Baking Biscuits
Academy Award–winning actress, producer, and entrepreneur Reese Witherspoon invites us into her world, where she infuses the southern style, parties, and traditions she loves with contemporary flair and charm.
This book is an in-depth look into why Reese Witherspoon is the way she is. She is a southern woman and it truly reflects in her mannerisms, her charm, her hair, and even in the way she talks! In this book, she shares the joys of southern living, and shows us that she truly takes the south with her wherever she goes. It’s reflected in how she entertains, decorates her home, and makes holidays special for her kids. She tells us all about her beloved grandmother Dorothia who has been a big influence in Witherspoon’s life. This book is also filled with tips on southern living, delicious recipes passed down from her family and friends, and so much more on the How Tos for Southern living.
Reese Witherspoon’s grandmother Dorothea always said that a combination of beauty and strength made southern women “whiskey in a teacup.” We may be delicate and ornamental on the outside, she said, but inside we’re strong and fiery.
My Review:
I mean…how could I not love this book! Haha it’s Reese Witherspoon! I feel like it’s impossible to not like her. She has all the charm you could ever want from a woman.
I decided to listen to the audible for this book because it was narrated by Reese Witherspoon herself. If you’re thinking of reading this book, give the audio book a go because it was fantastic! It also helps that she’s an actress so her voice really shines through in everything tells you about. It’s a perfect book to listen to while you do your household tasks, or while cooking your weeknight meal. I love her voice and accent a lot, so for me it was an enjoyable listen.
In this book, she literally gets into what Southern living is all about! So if you’re a person who lives in the south, or loves southern culture, then you’re gonna get into this book very easily! Even if you’re not familiar with southern culture, like myself, then you’ll learn a whole lot about how everything operates in the south. It was quite informative!
This book is definitely not a self-help book, I would say that it’s more of a how-to bible on southern living. It’s filled with cozy and comforting recipes that Reese Witherspoon makes on the regular, I especially liked that she put her grandma’s fried chicken recipe in it too! She also throws in all kinds of tips about how to entertain guests, the dos and don'ts for hosting the perfect party, she talks about how southern women live their day to day lives, how tos on hair, make-up, how to dress, gift giving etiquette, she basically covers it all!
I especially liked the sections in which she delved into everything Nashville! Haha I love Nashville, I even watched the entire series of Nashville haha. Nashville is a fun city and when you’re there you really do feel like you’re in a totally different part of the US compared to the other states. She tells us all about Nashville’s rich history with music, culture, traditions, values, and so much more. I also loved it when Witherspoon talked about Nashville’s contributions to the civil rights movement. You could tell that she’s an advocate for equal rights among all people, which is one of the reasons why I adore her. After reading this book, you’ll get a pretty good sense of who Reese Witherspoon is and what she values in life, that’s for sure.
If you're quite a feminine person, then you will like this book. I will say that at some points I did find the book to be too feminine, or a little too traditional in gender roles for me, but the book was also charming in itself, so I did let those feelings slide! haha
This is a perfect book to give to friends as a gift, it’s a perfect book for people who love southern culture, people who value family, traditions, southern music, and people who love to entertain too. All in all it was simply a charming read. It’s not majorly deep or filled with a lot of substance, but I think that’s what I liked about this book. It’s simply a delightful, light, and entertaining book that anyone would love to own. Also it helps if you’re a fan of Reese Witherspoon’s. Highly recommend getting a physical book as it is filled with a ton of recipes and how-tos, but I also recommend listening to the audio-book! She has such a charismatic voice and accent. I love her more after reading this book.
Song Pick:
I pretty much knew even before reading this book who I would pick for the artist. Reese Witherspoon LOVES Dolly Parton! I know this because she mentions it a lot in general. I mean, who wouldn’t. She even mentions Dolly quite a few times in her book and says that Dolly is the quintessential southern woman. She’s not wrong there! The hardest part was choosing one Dolly Parton song, she has so many great songs it was super hard to pick just one! But in the end, I decided on the most southern and charming of her songs that I feel captures the essence of this book. Southern Living, amirite? I chose ‘My Tennessee Mountain Home’. An absolute charming song that hits the nail on the head on what it’s like living in Tennessee.
Genre: Nonfiction | Biography | Food & Drink
Pages: 299 Pages
Publication Date: September 18, 2018
Publisher: Atria Books
Comments