23. Never Make the Same Mistake Twice - Nene Leakes

Yes ... Nene Leakes. As in, Real Housewives of Atlanta. I know, I know - I was wary, too. The title didn't grab me by the throat ... and do you really need the quote on the back from Anderson Cooper that she's his "favorite housewife"?
But you know what? ... it was actually a great book!

There apparently is a lot more to Nene than what's on Bravo. As Jihan pointed out about Sheree (and why we dislike her so much on the show) - the editors of the show probably follow those women around for weeks - months? - and they are the ones who choose what we see or don't see. We all know about Nene's drama with finding out that Curtis wasn't really her father ... but did you know that her mom remarried while Nene was still young, and treated her and her husband's kids (Nene's stepdad) as her "real" kids and pretty much abandoned Nene and her brother? Or that Nene really was a stripper at a big Atlanta strip club ... and the juicy stories that go along with that? Or what Nene really thinks of Sheree and Kim?? (there's a whole chapter devoted to each!)

So, you ask ... does Nene think she's ghetto?

"People say I'm hood and ghetto and I'll take that because I do know how to get hood. I didn't grow up in any financially depressed household. Though my aunt and uncle weren't rich, we sure didn't want for anything and so I can't and won't claim the ghetto. But I do have ghetto tendencies. I know how to hold a meeting down and be professional, but if I'm riding in the car and I happen to be eating some chicken, I might just toss the bone out the window. [HA!] ... you might catch me getting a little loud and wrong while I'm drinking from a straw. I tend to slurp a little bit."

How can you not love that?! Another glimpse:

"...while what you saw of me on Real Housewives is real, it's only part of me that's real. It's my story, but it's not my complete story. There are many other facets to me. The truth of the matter is that drama sells. No matter how much people claimed they were embarrassed by my in-your-face personality, they love to hear about my drama. Big time. Nobody wants to see me going out and starting businesses, or having lunch with my kids, or cleaning the bathroom and cooking dinner. But I do these things. And anyone who says she cares to read about me doing those things is lying. Celebrities with no drama get no play and they don't last. Period.
I understand the game and I have no regrets about being on the show and how I was portrayed. Not one."

Interesting that the woman who co-authored this book with Nene is the same woman who co-authored Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man with Steve Harvey. There were some parts of the book that were a bit redundant ... but because it exceeded my expectations, I'd give it a generous four stars out of five. But wait for the paperback.