Reba McEntire’s New Book, ‘Not That Fancy’ Is The Perfect Holiday Gift

From treasured recipes to stories from Reba’s past, this book has a little something for everyone.

The time has come for making those lists and checking them twice. It’s not just Santa who needs to plan ahead for holiday gifts. Being organized and planning ahead will ensure you can enjoy the holiday season with less stress. Well look no further because Reba McEntire has the perfect gift for just about anyone because it has something for just about everyone. Her new book, Not That Fancy, is on store shelves now and it truly does cover it all, as the country music icon explained in a recent conversation with Southern Living.

“During the pandemic people didn’t have things to do. We did the Spotify podcast, we did two seasons of that. And then went right into the book. It was going to be a coffee table book and then it became a coffee table cookbook. And then it was pictures, stories, and advice… We’ve worked really hard for the pictures for the food, pictures from my photo album, and it’s a lot of things I don’t think my fans have seen before and maybe some stories they haven’t heard before that will entertain them.”

The fun begins in the forward, written by none other than fellow Oklahoman, Garth Brooks. He says, “As you’ll see in this book, Reba is nothing fancy when it comes to being friends. She’s not only the girl next door. She is also what the girl next door dreams of being. You can never forget she’s a superstar, but it won’t be Reba who reminds you. I don’t know how she does it, but the great ones always do.”

Throughout the already named NY Times Best-Selling book, McEntire let’s fans in on her pride in being “an Okie,” favorite recipes and the stories behind them, a guide to “How to Talk Like a Native Oklahoman,” and her take on fashion. In a section dedicated to her family’s ranching roots she talks about how generations of her family got “the rodeo bug.” McEntire herself competed in barrel racing. We asked her about lessons being in the rodeo taught her and she said “You know, I did get discouraged every once in a while and grope and complain. And maybe throw a fit about something not working. My cousin said, ‘well if you don’t like it, why don’t you just quit?’ Complaining or voicing an opinion doesn’t mean you want to throw in the towel, does it? It just means there is a better way of doing it. If you didn’t care, you wouldn’t complain and wouldn’t try to make it better.” A universal life lesson, indeed.

The “I’m A Survivor” singer takes her fans on a thorough walk down memory lane. She shares poignant reflections on hard times like losing her beloved mother, and when she tragically lost several members of her band, tour manager, and two pilots in a plane crash in 1991. And in equal measure she shares happy moments like holiday traditions with her family and pranks played whilst on tour with Brooks & Dunn. She also takes us into the present, sharing stories about her romance with beau Rex Linn. She even shares some of Rex’s favorite recipes as the two love to cook together.

You might get the book for the recipes but you’ll keep reading for all of the stories. It’s the perfect gift for just about everyone on your list–or maybe just for yourself!

Not That Fancy is out now. Happy reading, y’all!

For more Southern Living news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Southern Living.