Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “You Gotta Get Bigger Dreams And Other Stories” as Want to Read:
You Gotta Get Bigger Dreams And Other Stories
by
Alan Cumming
If you were to put David Sedaris and Glenn O'Brien in a blender and add a dash of New York and Hollywood gossip, you would wind up with Alan Cumming. Described by Time magazine as one of the most fun people in show business, Cumming is a genuine triple-threat as a successful stage, television, and film star whose real-life vivacity, sophisticated wit, and charm tend to mat
...more
Hardcover, 304 pages
Published
September 13th 2016
by Rizzoli Ex Libris
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
To ask other readers questions about
You Gotta Get Bigger Dreams And Other Stories,
please sign up.
Be the first to ask a question about You Gotta Get Bigger Dreams And Other Stories
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing 1-30)
I absolutely loved the stories in this wonderful audiobook. The audio comes with a PDF of the photos that go along with this book.
My favorite story was when he took his friend to meet Oprah. I laughed and laughed! I loved all his stories.
Alan Cumming is awesome! I will have to listen to his first book and hopefully he will come back to Broadway so I can go all fangirl outside and get him to sign my Playbill! Lol!
Highly recommended!!!
My favorite story was when he took his friend to meet Oprah. I laughed and laughed! I loved all his stories.
Alan Cumming is awesome! I will have to listen to his first book and hopefully he will come back to Broadway so I can go all fangirl outside and get him to sign my Playbill! Lol!
Highly recommended!!!
I really enjoyed Alan Cumming's previous book, "Not My Father's Son", and when I got tickets to hear him speak, I felt I should read his new book, too. This book is much more anecdotal and filled with small snippets of his life as an actor/singer/activist, not as deep of moving as his other book. Still, Cumming has a great voice and seems like a cheerful, kind, thoughtful person, an impression which was only supported when I saw him yesterday. He is at times serious, at times cheeky and light-he
...more
Again, I worship at the feet of Alan Cumming, godfather of all luxuriant bisexuals. When you open up a book with a story about Elizabeth Taylor's enormous diamond ring, how can you possibly go wrong?
Alan Cumming lives his life openly and unapologetic which, frankly, sort of seems like he'd be intolerable IRL, but his experiences make for really entertaining and thoughtful books.
Want to spend a very enjoyable 3 hours & 19 minutes? Here's one way:
• Obtain a copy of Alan Cumming's latest book
• Obtain an audiobook of same
• Follow along looking at all the pictures whilst Alan narrates with his lovely, lovely voice.
• Justify that you purchased both of these items by sharing with your husband, son, and various friends.
*optional dog snuggling during the above
Thank you to my Book Cougar bud, Emily, for making me aware of this new publication by one of my favorite enter ...more
• Obtain a copy of Alan Cumming's latest book
• Obtain an audiobook of same
• Follow along looking at all the pictures whilst Alan narrates with his lovely, lovely voice.
• Justify that you purchased both of these items by sharing with your husband, son, and various friends.
*optional dog snuggling during the above
Thank you to my Book Cougar bud, Emily, for making me aware of this new publication by one of my favorite enter ...more
I like books with personal photographs in them. There's a real intimacy when someone shares those kind of photos. Alan Cumming's You Gotta Get Bigger Dreams: And Other Stories is made up of essays and a lot personal photographs. Just a lovely book. He feels like someone I knew in a previous life or from an alternative reality. Next time, Alan.
Got this on audio and knew nothing about it before I read it.
Though I am familiar with Alan's writing, having read his previous work Not My Father's Son
I was surprised to find it is a book of mainly photos, Alans lifes through his photography and memories. But it was great to find a PDF cam with the audio, so I could look at all the photos.
As before, alan's writing is witty, memorable and full of emotion.
With an open heart to things and people he cannot stand and points of view he does not agree ...more
Though I am familiar with Alan's writing, having read his previous work Not My Father's Son
I was surprised to find it is a book of mainly photos, Alans lifes through his photography and memories. But it was great to find a PDF cam with the audio, so I could look at all the photos.
As before, alan's writing is witty, memorable and full of emotion.
With an open heart to things and people he cannot stand and points of view he does not agree ...more
I LOVED this! Alan Cumming has a bright starry way and not only because he's a rock star of the arts.
He shows that being vulnerable and authentic is part of the life adventure. He's funny (of course) candid and oh so cheeky :)) A real treat to read and if you haven't started following him on instagram, ya really REALLY should!
He shows that being vulnerable and authentic is part of the life adventure. He's funny (of course) candid and oh so cheeky :)) A real treat to read and if you haven't started following him on instagram, ya really REALLY should!
Any book that feeds my fantasy of being Alan Cumming's bestie/wife/spirit animal is a beautiful creation indeed.
I haven't really read a book in months. This was the perfect book to pick up; easy read about celebrities with plenty of picture. I love Alan Cumming.
Selfies with his dog. Pictures of his Crocs. Nekkid bewbs. This book is awesome.
I loved Alan Cumming's autobiography, Not My Father's Son. It was raw and honest and heartbreaking. He tries to show some of that same emotion in You Gotta Get Bigger Dreams, but this one just did not do it for me.
Cumming apparently really enjoys photography, and even has a traveling show. He's a very talented man, no doubt -- his acting, his singing, his general wonderfulness. But his photography seems very amateurish. I say this with absolutely no ability to take artistic photographs on my own ...more
Cumming apparently really enjoys photography, and even has a traveling show. He's a very talented man, no doubt -- his acting, his singing, his general wonderfulness. But his photography seems very amateurish. I say this with absolutely no ability to take artistic photographs on my own ...more
Lightning review at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
This is a memoir by actor, singer, dancer, all around awesome hedonist Alan Cumming (I fell for him in SpyKids, though you may remember him from Broadway’s Cabaret, or The Good Wife, or “This is Masterpiece Mystery”). It is mostly just vignettes of his life, from a cross-country trip with his dog to how he entertained Elizabeth Taylor at Carrie Fisher’s birthday party, augmented with pictures he’s taken.
It’s a beautiful book, and well-produced. I sa ...more
This is a memoir by actor, singer, dancer, all around awesome hedonist Alan Cumming (I fell for him in SpyKids, though you may remember him from Broadway’s Cabaret, or The Good Wife, or “This is Masterpiece Mystery”). It is mostly just vignettes of his life, from a cross-country trip with his dog to how he entertained Elizabeth Taylor at Carrie Fisher’s birthday party, augmented with pictures he’s taken.
It’s a beautiful book, and well-produced. I sa ...more
Love the actor! And audible version of this book is pure delight..... Just made my day
I absolutely adore Alan Cumming - as an actor, a professional, and an all-around fun guy. He truly lives up to his reputation as a spritely character - and though I am not half the let-it-go character he can be at times, I feel a slight kinship with him. His touching, poignant memoir, "Not My Father's Son" somewhat rocked my reading world a few years ago, and I had no idea in 2016 that he had released this fun book of essays, accompanied by his own personal snapshots, until I stumbled upon it in
...more
I'm not really sure what to say about this book.
Let's start with the good. I'm a big fan of Alan Cumming. If you've ever seen him interviewed, you'll know he's charming and decadent and impish, and he loves a good time. He's also a natural story-teller. And my god, the stories he can tell.
Cumming has tales of everyone from Elizabeth Taylor to Sylvester Stallone to Nicola Sturgeon. Most involve him being cheeky, and getting away with it.
As far as that goes, the book succeeds. Cumming's exploits ...more
Let's start with the good. I'm a big fan of Alan Cumming. If you've ever seen him interviewed, you'll know he's charming and decadent and impish, and he loves a good time. He's also a natural story-teller. And my god, the stories he can tell.
Cumming has tales of everyone from Elizabeth Taylor to Sylvester Stallone to Nicola Sturgeon. Most involve him being cheeky, and getting away with it.
As far as that goes, the book succeeds. Cumming's exploits ...more
I don't remember who suggested this book to me, but I'm glad they did. It's an interesting glimpse into the life of Alan Cumming who is remarkably self-aware about how absurd is life is sometimes as a celebrity. Telling the stories behind some of his personal photos (or sometimes just sharing the photo to share it) is much more entertaining than I expected, particularly because the photos are generally not of the "everyone-put-your-arms-around-each-other-and-smile" variety; rather they are photo
...more
I launched straight into this after reading (and loving) his memoir, Not my fathers son. I suppose I wanted to stay in his world a little longer, with his charm, vulnerability, and astute lens.
This book fell short for me.
There were certainly stories and moments that really showcased his wonderful ability to be both grounded and big and bright at the same time, but so much of it just fell flat. Stories would start and I would think they were headed somewhere but then they'd just end, or he'd star ...more
This book fell short for me.
There were certainly stories and moments that really showcased his wonderful ability to be both grounded and big and bright at the same time, but so much of it just fell flat. Stories would start and I would think they were headed somewhere but then they'd just end, or he'd star ...more
"...a curvy ass and ample tits equal Woman." No, this is not a quote from Donald Trump. It's from European born and bred, self-proclaimed lefty Alan Cumming. I've stopped at the midway point in the book to say I'm crestfallen. In the late 1970s my friend Deborah was dating David Bowie and one day I was over at her house and Bowie was due at any moment. I left before he arrived for the precise reason that I liked him too much; the "him" that I felt from his music and films and I didn't want the v
...more
Interesting stories and photos but I felt like some of them could use more explanation and I wanted to read more stories. Quick read though. I will read his other non-photo book(s), one about his terrible relationship with his father. If you're curious, the title came from an encounter Alan and a friend (a rabid Oprah Fan) had with Oprah Winfrey. They were at some event and their table was right by the bathroom so everyone was coming by. When they saw Oprah coming the friend freaked out and when
...more
I love Alan Cumming so much. His wit and charm are the obvious culprits, but there is also such a thoughtfulness to him and a feeling of acceptance of what being human is like and an easiness that comes with it. He seems like such a fun and cosy person to be around and a great friend. The stories and photos in this book are just like that too, just the right measure of fun and frivolous (a lot) and serious (a bit). It is also a great coaster for an orchid that just won't fucking bloom again once
...more
This is a delightful romp through part of Allan's life. I loved the pictures. Had I taken them I would not thought they were any good, and they likely would not be. Somehow Allan can make a leg going around a corner interesting and keep the viewer wondering, how did he do that.
I have long been a fan of Allan Cumming, and I went to New York to see him in Cabaret. I did not realize until I read this book his scope of talent and just how busy he keeps.
This is a man anyone would love to have for a ...more
I have long been a fan of Allan Cumming, and I went to New York to see him in Cabaret. I did not realize until I read this book his scope of talent and just how busy he keeps.
This is a man anyone would love to have for a ...more
There are wonderful photos with this book, glimpses that seemed very personal. The stories were short, easy to read, but left me wanting more detail. There's a lot of name dropping. My favorite stores weren't the ones about Elizabeth Taylor or Oprah, but where he talked about his husband and his dog Honey. Those were the ones that were far more intimate and showed the true heart of the man.
Gossipy, intimate, random..... I loved this collection of personal snaps and stories from the 'bawdy, conutercultural sprite' that is Alan Cumming. I love his lust for life and his joyful spirit, that is captured amongst these pages. His memoir of his childhood 'Not my Father's son' is so raw and heartbreaking, so I loved this contrasting vibe, so full of fun and warmth....
If you adore Alan Cumming and love his work on Broadway or TV or movies, this is a really great way to get a look inside his life and mind. I'd also highly recommend his other autobiography (Not My Father's Son)!
What can I say about this book? I loved it! Every little bit of it. I don't know much about Alan Cumming, I think the only thing I've seen him in is Tin Man. However, I need him to write more books. He comes across as authentic and just a little eccentric and I love that to bits!
Alan Cumming shares stories and photos he's gathered over his years as a celebrity. It's a bit like having him tell tales over drinks at a party. A lot of name-dropping here, and his takes on American culture as a Scot are amusing.
Hilarious, and also, remarkably, steady hilarity, through out the entire book (rather than the manic hilarity that is an over-the-top roller coaster ride). I so enjoyed the political, celebrity, humorous and human, as well as, canine topics. I loved this book!
Love this guy.
I'm an Alan Cummings fan, so I loved this series of happy snaps and anecdotes of his life
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Alan Cumming, OBE, is a Scottish-American stage, television and film actor. His roles have included Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler in X2: X-Men United, and Fegan Floop in the Spy Kids trilogy. He has also appeared in independent films like The Anniversary Party, which he wrote, directed and starred; and Ali Selim's Sweet Land for which he won an Independent Spirit award as producer.
His London stage app ...more
More about Alan Cumming...
His London stage app ...more
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
