I love Kathy Griffin. I've seen all of her comedy specials, and I'm a fan of her My Life on the D-List show. So I was pretty excited when I heard that...moreI love Kathy Griffin. I've seen all of her comedy specials, and I'm a fan of her My Life on the D-List show. So I was pretty excited when I heard that she was releasing a memoir.
I read this book in one day, and was really enjoying it. I appreciated Griffin's humorous take on her life as well as her candor and her ability to be serious when the subject matter called for it (like when she discussed her older brother). She was incredibly honest about her body image issues, plastic surgery, and divorce, and I admire her for opening up about those things.
Then I got to the chapter that was comprised entirely of e-mails back and forth with Woz. I almost skipped that chapter, because seriously, what was the point of it? It was excruciating to read and really offered no insight into their relationship.
Still, this is about 90 percent better than most celebrity memoirs out there, and it's a fun, quick read.(less)
I read this book in a few short hours, and I absolutely loved it. Keltie displays remarkable strength and passion in her life, whether she's overcomin...moreI read this book in a few short hours, and I absolutely loved it. Keltie displays remarkable strength and passion in her life, whether she's overcoming heartbreak, rejection at an audition, or personal tragedy. She comes across as very likeable and relatable throughout the book. It's hard not to admire someone who took a two-day bus ride from Canada to New York City with $500, no job, and no place to stay and has become a successful dancer and choreographer.
The book is well-written, too. I liked the structure of dividing it into thirds based on Keltie's relationships -- she dates the Rocker, the Singer, and the Dreamer, with the bulk of the book being the final third about the Dreamer. This person seems like the one she gave most of her heart to, and it's hard not to feel for her as the relationship crumbles. Throughout the book, she balances stories of her loves with her career in dance and personal growth.
It was interesting to read because I'm friends with someone who edited this book in its very early stages, and I got a few glimpses of some passages before publication. (Having a background in journalism and editing means that people come to me with questions about word choice and comma placement. I love this.) So it was cool seeing how this book came together in the end.
I enjoyed this so much that I'll be buying my best friend a copy for Christmas.(less)
This book is profoundly beautiful, a meditation on art, music, love, friendship, and New York. It tells the story of Patti Smith's relationship with t...moreThis book is profoundly beautiful, a meditation on art, music, love, friendship, and New York. It tells the story of Patti Smith's relationship with the photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. They meet in New York in the late '60s, and the book follows their relationship and art through the next decade and beyond.
Smith writes honestly and simply, with the obvious influence of her poetry. The '60s urban bohemian lifestyle she writes about has always interested me, and I loved seeing the names of various artists and musicians come up throughout the book. As the narrative progresses into the '70s, Smith writes about the "sound of a scene emerging" at CBGB: the beginnings of punk rock. I was obsessed with that time period and scene when I was in high school, so I enjoyed reading about it from the perspective of a woman who helped to shape the scene.
One of the things I liked most was seeing the evolution of Smith and Mapplethorpe's art, how they gradually came to music (Smith) and photography (Mapplethorpe) in their late twenties. And even as their interests diverged and they lived separate lives, it was always evident that they cared about each other. It's a touching story, although not an overly sentimental one.
For the most part, Smith looks back fondly on their time together. Mapplethorpe doesn't always come off as sympathetic -- he hustles for money, exposes her to STDs, does drugs, and is evasive with her about his sexuality -- but the portrait she creates of him here is imbued with great affection and forgiveness. She describes him as "the artist of my life," and it's not hard to see why.
Anyone who follows my reviews knows I pretty much never give out 5-star reviews, but this book was excellent.(less)
In high school and college, I read Dan Savage's column religiously. At first, I would sneak a Pittsburgh City Paper around, open it to the last sectio...moreIn high school and college, I read Dan Savage's column religiously. At first, I would sneak a Pittsburgh City Paper around, open it to the last section, where "Savage Love" was sandwiched between ads for phone sex lines and escorts, read it quickly, and then toss the paper back in my bag or throw it away. It felt like a very illicit act to be reading his column at the age of 15.
So, I guess you could say I grew up reading Savage's work. I read his book The Commitment, about his wedding to his husband, Terry, whenever it came out, and a couple of months ago I remembered that he wrote this book about adopting his and Terry's son.
The Kid was funny, heartbreaking, and thoughtful. I also related way too much to Dan's Catholic guilt, superstition, and magical thinking. Like Dan, I grew up to be a non-religious person who still culturally identifies as Catholic. Having been raised Catholic, I recognized his thought process as my own and his vengeful, Irish Catholic God as the same one I grew up with. (My family isn't Irish Catholic, but we have the same scary God who will punish you.)
I always have a hard time reviewing memoirs, so I'll just say that this was quite good, compulsively readable, and very touching. If you're a fan of Dan Savage, you should pick it up. He comes across as a nice guy in this book, and if you've ever read his column you know he can seem a little ... dickish at times when he's giving advice. This book shows another side of him, and it was one that I enjoyed.(less)
I was so excited to read this book, and it didn't disappoint. It's part memoir and part collection of essays. Tina covers her childhood, teenage years...moreI was so excited to read this book, and it didn't disappoint. It's part memoir and part collection of essays. Tina covers her childhood, teenage years, college, and years of doing improv before making it to SNL and creating 30 Rock. It's smart, funny, feminist, and totally awesome.
She's very aware of her privilege and how ridiculous show business is. My favorite parts were the behind the scenes stuff about SNL. Anytime Amy Poehler was mentioned, I had to smile. It's obvious that Tina and Amy have a great deal of respect for each other and enjoy working together.
The only reason I'm giving it four stars instead of five is that the first half of the book reads like a traditional memoir, and the second half seems like a bunch of separate essays. It just seemed a little disjointed. I still enjoyed the hell out of it, though, and found myself laughing or nodding my head in agreement more than a few times.(less)
I've been a fan of The Office and Mindy Kaling for a long time, so I was excited to hear she wrote a book. It didn't disappoint. Kaling is very relata...moreI've been a fan of The Office and Mindy Kaling for a long time, so I was excited to hear she wrote a book. It didn't disappoint. Kaling is very relatable for those of us who grew up as dorky, unathletic kids who enjoyed hanging out with our families and did well in school. She's funny and has a lot of good observations. She takes the reader through her childhood, to college, and her post-grad days trying to make it in New York, onto The Office and her experiences in Hollywood and with dating.
This book is a quick, enjoyable read, and one that I'll be recommending to friends.(less)
This book is repetitive at times, especially where looks, dating, and pregnancy are concerned, and Rachel Dratch has a few themes or points she keeps...moreThis book is repetitive at times, especially where looks, dating, and pregnancy are concerned, and Rachel Dratch has a few themes or points she keeps referring to or emphasizing (her career's decline, her looks, her struggle to find a good guy). The book has a lot of filler, too, with a few chapters that are three to four pages long and don't really provide any insight into Dratch's life. I also got the feeling that she wanted to invite the reader into her life, but not too far, that she wanted to keep us at a distance so we didn't get too many details of her private life. I didn't expect a tell-all memoir, but sometimes it seemed like she was holding back or leaving out details on purpose that she thought might be too personal. Sure, there are a few TMI moments, but for the most part -- when it came to the important stuff -- it seemed like something was missing.
For example, whenever she talks about her baby's father, it feels like she's being extremely careful not to say too much about him. I can understand that, as he's not a public figure, but he's a major person in her story. I got the impression that she didn't want us to know much about him beyond the basics. Their relationship is ambiguous, and sometimes I couldn't tell if he was living with her and her son post-birth or not. Sometimes it seemed like he was staying with them, then she'd make a reference to his returning to his apartment. That much wasn't clear. From what she's written, though, he seems like a great guy who's involved in his son's day-to-day life.
Overall, I enjoyed Dratch's story and found her to be relatable as she discussed her career and relationships, including those with her famous and non-famous friends. The first part of the book deals primarily with show business and Saturday Night Live (don't expect a lot in the way of behind-the-scenes gossip or anecdotes, though), and the second half is about dating, her unexpectedly meeting a great guy, and even more unexpectedly becoming pregnant.(less)
Recently, after seeing some episodes of Anthony Bourdain's show "The Layover," I decided to read this book. I was looking forward to it because I enjo...moreRecently, after seeing some episodes of Anthony Bourdain's show "The Layover," I decided to read this book. I was looking forward to it because I enjoyed "The Layover," but "Kitchen Confidential" dragged for me. On and on, Bourdain writes about how much of a badass and asshole he is; how hard running a restaurant is; how kitchens are full of testosterone, gross jokes, and insults. It all gets repetitive after a while.
Basically, once you hear one of his restaurant-related anecdotes, you've heard them all.(less)
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