My World in Motion
I’ve just finished reading Jo Whiley’s autobiography My World in Motion. I’ve been thoroughly spoilt this year with the books I’ve read – A Thousand Splendid Suns and Snowflower and the Secret Fan, a couple of the best books I’ve ever read. My World in Motion didn’t come up to that standard but it was a pleasant read nevertheless.
The autobiography is split into sections which include her familial roles and her work. The book is pretty straight forward, she’s a good mother, has a solid marriage and is committed to and passionate about her work, if you’re expecting some gossip then you might as well skip over this one, as for me I don’t really go in for ‘celeb goss’ so it didn’t bother me. When I read an autobiography I’m usually looking for a bit more, someone that has experienced something (or preferably several) remarkable things, experiences that I can relate to or learn something from. I guess the remarkable thing about Jo is her job, so if you’re interested in music you’ll probably get a lot more out of it than I did. She details her playlist for her life in each of the sections, which I skipped over, but if you’re a music buff you’ll like it, I loved the fact that she names Elton John’s ‘Tiny Dancer’ as her “family anthem” as that song holds special meaning for me, it’s my Erin song and I listened to it constantly when I was pregnant.
I enjoyed reading about Glastonbury and the Live Lounge, it was very interesting to get an insider’s viewpoint, we have the Live Lounge albums and it seems to be one of her main work related passions, along with her Mencap charity gigs and Glastonbury.
One thing I did notice which became increasingly annoying was the repetitive nature of the book, there were several times when I felt I’d already read the same thing earlier in the book perhaps just worded slightly differently.
Overall though it’s a reasonable read and Jo seems to be a really nice person.
On a side note I really like the website they’ve put together to promote the book.
I’m going to be giving a copy of My World in Motion away via my newsletter, you can sign up for free.
I agree with you. Worth a read, I did enjoy it, but not in the league of 100 Splendid Suns (although personally, I never find autobiographies to grab me in the same way that fiction does). But I did enjoy it, and the way she set up the book even though it became a little repititive towards the end.
Haven’t come across the Sunflower and the Secret Fan yet, but if you are rating it up there with 1000 Splendid Sunds it shall be my next purchase
I thought Snowflower and the Secret Fan was better than A Thousand Splendid Suns but a family member disagreed, so you’ll need to decide for yourself.