Today’s book review is a totally light + fun read entitled Pretty Takes Practice.
This particular book grabbed my attention while I was browsing the “New Non-fiction” section of my library. I had never heard of the author before but was quite happy to discover that Charla Muller lives in my very own city of Charlotte, NC. It’s like we’re friends. I mean, at least I suppose I have a better chance of seeing her while sitting in traffic, waving maniacally, and coming across as a total stalker.
Anyway, I picked this book up on a Saturday afternoon and proceeded to stay up late that night reading and laughing quite loudly, as I am prone to do when my offspring have been safely tucked in bed. It’s not a good habit. But it’s one that’s difficult to break, especially when you’re reading something as funny as Pretty Takes Practice.
This is Charla’s {see, we’re on a first name basis already!} second book and she writes about her experience in the public foray – specifically, her appearance on the Oprah show – and how it caused her to see herself in a new way. Like, on national television and in high definition. That combination has a way of making any minor blemish or flaw suddenly become quite large. Insurmountable, even. And that’s exactly the effect it had on Ms. Muller. As a result, she set about to discover the meaning of beauty. The result is pictured above: a book detailing both her quest + results of her findings.
Perhaps the moment I laughed the loudest was when she recounted her experience of ironing her shirt while wearing it, burning her collarbone during the ironing fiasco, and then attempting to explain it away to a concerned colleague. When I tried to relay the hilarious story to my husband, he was left wondering what was so funny. My interpretation of this event is that he has never been so lazy as to try and iron an article of clothing while wearing it. I, on the other hand, have attempted this deed on multiple occasions. This is why most of the clothes I choose to wear are either of the wrinkle-free variety or just plain wrinkled. I digress.
This book is not written from a Christian perspective, although Charla does indicate that she grew up in a conservative Christian environment here during her TEDx talk. So while the book leaves you with the author’s final thoughts on beauty, I found it helpful to keep in mind God’s words on beauty from Proverbs 31. You remember what they are? “Beauty is vain.” He doesn’t say that we shouldn’t work to be beautiful – that much is clear even as you read the rest of that chapter. But He does say that it’s vain. Fleeting. Empty. How easy it is to see both meanings of the word “vain” evidenced in our world today.
Overall, this is a super light and fun read. It’s a great book to pick up when you want to wind down for bed, but don’t have many brain waves left for the day. Humorous, lighthearted, and without pushing any major themes – I would consider this book to be a classic beach read. If you’re looking for an easy book to wrap up your summer, add Pretty Takes Practice to your list!
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