Taraji P. Henson

Last night I finished listening to this book. When I tell you, it has definitely left me with a different outlook on life, I mean it. I laughed and I cried. This woman is REAL. When she spoke about the characters she's played, it gave me a new outlook on them. She has not let anything that has happened to her in her life deter her. Today I plan on watching season 1 of Empire now that I have a better understanding of Cookie. Thank you @tarajiphenson for sharing your story. As a single mother show more listening to your story, I have been inspired to keep pushing forward and to not let my current situation keep me down. Thank you so much. All women need to read or listen to this book. I need to invest in an actual physical copy of it. I have an even greater respect for you and higher level of admiration. Some things are just right on time, and your story was one for me. show less

I picked up this book on audio for a "bio pic" prompt in my reading group. Wow, what a surprise! I loved it. I am fairly unfamiliar with Taraji Henson's work, and I'm so curious to check out her movies and television roles after experiencing her story. I chose the audio, and the author reads the book herself, which is dynamite. Her book is empowering and also extremely illuminating. I was glued to her exploration of being a Black woman in Hollywood, as well as a woman over 40. Great content show more on being a mom and a single mom too, and her relationship with her dad is especially poignant. Recommend! show less

Cookie Lyon the Writer
If you haven’t caught on by my Empire reference yes, I am talking about Around the Way Girl. Five stars. It's not your typical autobiography, where the narrated details every significant milestone in their life, from birth until present day. One of the first things I thought when I started the book was, "wow, she is really spending a lot of time talking about her childhood." But as I got further into the book, I realized she was really taking her time to make the show more reader understand the significance of the events she was describing, how it made an impact in her life and the people around her. I loved how she described her experiences playing Cookie, Queenie, or Yvette, she talked about how she really put her all into the parts. It made me look at the roles she played in the movies differently, movies I have seen many times already. I added them all to my Netflix queue to re-watch them with a more critical eye, I highly recommend it! I think the fact that I listened to her tell her story with such emotion it made it even better. show less

“You Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What!): A Lil TJ Book” by Taraji P. Henson was a high quality children’s book following Lil TJ as she embarks on her first adventure with school. I thought this story had several positive messages for young children such as being yourself, being kind, and being a good friend. I thought it was sweet that her grandmother gave thoughtful advice to help Lil TJ when a bully situation arose. The illustrations were fantastic and I just love a book with a show more nice dust jacket. This is a great addition to my child’s ever growing library, highly recommend for all young children! show less