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Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea
Par Chelsea Handler. 2008
The absurdly hilarious #1 New York Times bestseller by the author of Life Will Be the Death of Me.When Chelsea…
Handler needs to get a few things off her chest, she appeals to a higher power—vodka. Seems reasonable, considering that she discovered her boyfriend was having an affair with a Peekapoo and she had to pretend to be honeymooning with her father in order to upgrade to first class.In this highly entertaining, deliciously skewed collection, Chelsea mines her past for stories about her family, relationships, and career that are at once singular and ridiculous. Whether she’s convincing her third-grade class that she has been chosen to play Goldie Hawn’s daughter in the sequel to Private Benjamin, deciding to be more egalitarian by dating a redhead, or looking out for a foulmouthed, rum-swilling little person who looks just like her . . . only smaller, Chelsea has a knack for getting herself into the most outrageous situations. Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea showcases the candor and irresistible turns of phrase that have made her an icon of modern comedy.“Handler’s laugh-out-loud stories will have you hooked from page one.” —CosmoFace to Face: The Art of Human Connection
Par Brian Grazer. 2019
Featured on CBS This Morning, Squawk Box, MSNBC, CNN, Bloomberg, Forbes, Fast Company, The New York Times, and more.&“Reading Face…
to Face is like being a fly on the wall, watching Brian Grazer work his magic. Utterly entertaining, this is how you become Hollywood&’s best producer.&” —Malcolm Gladwell, author of Talking to StrangersLegendary Hollywood producer and author of the bestselling A Curious Mind, Brian Grazer is back with a captivating new book about the life-changing ways we can connect with one another. Much of Brian Grazer&’s success—as a #1 New York Times bestselling author, Academy Award–winning producer, father, and husband—comes from his ability to establish genuine connections with almost anyone. In Face to Face, he takes you around the world and behind the scenes of some of his most iconic movies and television shows, like A Beautiful Mind, Empire, Arrested Development, American Gangster, and 8 Mile, to show just how much in-person encounters have revolutionized his life—and how they have the power to change yours.With his flair for intriguing stories, Grazer reveals what he&’s learned through interactions with people like Bill Gates, Taraji P. Henson, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Eminem, Prince, Spike Lee, and the Afghani rapper activist Sonita: that the secret to a bigger life lies in personal connection. In a world where our attention is too often focused downward at our devices, Grazer argues that we are missing an essential piece of the human experience. Only when we are face to face, able to look one another in the eyes, can we form the kinds of connections that expand our world views, deepen our self-awareness, and ultimately lead to our greatest achievements and most meaningful moments.When we lift our eyes to look at the person in front of us, we open the door to infinite possibility.Black Is the New White: A Memoir
Par Paul Mooney. 2009
With his no-holds-barred delivery and unique worldview, Paul Mooney continues to stir anger, generate laughter, and provoke thought while attempting…
to tear down racial and social barriers through his juicy memoir about his years writing comedy with the likes of Richard Pryor, Redd Foxx, the Wayans' Brothers, and Dave Chappelle.For more than forty years—whether writing for Richard Pryor and Saturday Night Live or performing stand-up to sold-out crowds around the country—Paul Mooney has been provocative, incisive, and absolutely hilarious. His comedy has always been indisputably real and raw, reflecting race issues in America, and this fascinating, fearless new memoir continues that unapologetically candid tradition. While other stars soared only to crash and burn, Paul Mooney has stayed chiefly behind the scenes, and he&’s got a lifetime of stories to show for it. As head writer for The Richard Pryor Show, he helped tear down racial barriers and change the course of comedy. He helped Robin Williams and Sarah Bernhard break into show business. He paved the way for superstars like Eddie Murphy. Few have witnessed as much comedy history as Mooney; even fewer could recount it with such riotous honesty and depth of insight. He reveals the truth about his celebrated partnership with the brilliant, self-destructive Richard Pryor, from their first meeting to the very last joke, and reflects on some of his most notorious moments. Decades ago, Paul Mooney set out not just make audiences laugh but to make them think. Black Is the New White is his blisteringly funny, no-holds-barred memoir of how he continues to succeed wildly at both.John Wayne: The Life and Legend
Par Scott Eyman. 2014
The New York Times bestselling biography of John Wayne: &“authoritative and enormously engaging…Eyman takes you through Wayne&’s life, his death,…
and his legend in a detailed, remarkably knowledgeable yet extremely readable way&” (Peter Bogdanovich, The New York Times Book Review).John Wayne died more than thirty years ago, but he remains one of today’s five favorite movie stars. The celebrated Hollywood icon comes fully to life in this complex portrait by noted film historian and master biographer Scott Eyman.Exploring Wayne’s early life with a difficult mother and a feckless father, “Eyman gets at the details that the bean-counters and myth-spinners miss…Wayne’s intimates have told things here that they’ve never told anyone else” (Los Angeles Times). Eyman makes startling connections to Wayne’s later days as an anti-Communist conservative, his stormy marriages to Latina women, and his notorious—and surprisingly long-lived—passionate affair with Marlene Dietrich. He also draws on the actor’s own business records and, of course, his storied film career.“We all think we know John Wayne, in part because he seemed to be playing himself in movie after movie. Yet as Eyman carefully lays out, ‘John Wayne’ was an invention, a persona created layer by layer by an ambitious young actor” (The Washington Post). This is the most nuanced and sympathetic portrait available of the man who became a symbol of his country at mid-century, a cultural icon and quintessential American male against whom other screen heroes are still compared.The Gucci Mane Guide to Greatness
Par Gucci Mane, Soren Baker. 2020
From the platinum selling recording artist and New York Times bestselling author of The Autobiography of Gucci Mane comes THE…
GUCCI MANE GUIDE TO GREATNESS—an unprecedented look at Gucci Mane&’s secrets to success, health, wealth, and self-improvement.From Gucci: &“I live by the principles in this book. I wanted to write this book to give you a tool set. This book should touch people who are going through something. It&’s not going to be easy. But study these words, and put them into action. I want this book to keep you motivated. I want you to keep coming back to it for guidance and inspiration. You can put it on your shelf and keep going to TheGucci Mane Guide to Greatness. This book is a challenge. Don&’t underestimate yourself. Don&’t think that what you&’re saying is not important. Don&’t think you can&’t achieve the impossible. Everyone needs some game, so here it is. TheGucci Mane Guide to Greatness is for the world. Enjoy.&”In this inspiring follow up to his iconic memoir, Gucci Mane gifts us with his playbook for living your best life. Packed with stunning photographs, The Gucci Mane Guide to Greatness distills the legend&’s timeless wisdom into a one-of-a-kind motivational guidebook. Gucci Mane emerged transformed after a turbulent life of violence, crime, and addiction to become a dazzling embodiment of the power of positivity, focus, and hard-work. Using examples from his life of unparalleled success, Gucci Mane looks inward and upward to offer his blueprint for greatness. A must read for anyone with big ambitions and bigger dreams.The Butterfly Effect: How Kendrick Lamar Ignited the Soul of Black America
Par Marcus J. Moore. 2020
This &“smart, confident, and necessary&” (Shea Serrano, New York Times bestselling author) first cultural biography of rap superstar and &“master…
of storytelling&” (The New Yorker) Kendrick Lamar explores his meteoric rise to fame and his profound impact on a racially fraught America—perfect for fans of Zack O&’Malley Greenburg&’s Empire State of Mind.Kendrick Lamar is at the top of his game.The thirteen-time Grammy Award-winning rapper is just in his early thirties, but he&’s already won the Pulitzer Prize for Music, produced and curated the soundtrack of the megahit film Black Panther, and has been named one of Time&’s 100 Influential People. But what&’s even more striking about the Compton-born lyricist and performer is how he&’s established himself as a formidable adversary of oppression and force for change. Through his confessional poetics, his politically charged anthems, and his radical performances, Lamar has become a beacon of light for countless people.Written by veteran journalist and music critic Marcus J. Moore, this is much more than the first biography of Kendrick Lamar. &“It&’s an analytical deep dive into the life of that good kid whose m.A.A.d city raised him, and how it sparked a fire within Kendrick Lamar to change history&” (Kathy Iandoli, author of Baby Girl) for the better.Resistance: A Songwriter's Story of Hope, Change, and Courage
Par Tori Amos. 2020
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERA timely and passionate call to action for engaging with our current political moment, from the Grammy-nominated…
and multiplatinum singer-songwriter and New York Times bestselling author Tori Amos.Since the release of her first, career-defining solo album Little Earthquakes, Tori Amos has been one of the music industry&’s most enduring and ingenious artists. From her unnerving depiction of sexual assault in &“Me and a Gun&” to her post-9/11 album, Scarlet&’s Walk, to 2017&’s Native Invader, her work has never shied away from intermingling the personal with the political.From her time as a teenager playing hotel bars in Washington, DC, for the politically powerful to the subsequent three decades of her formidable music career, Amos explains how she managed to create meaningful, politically resonant work against patriarchal power structures—and how her proud declarations of feminism and her fight for the marginalized always proved to be her guiding light. She teaches us to engage with intention in this tumultuous global climate and speaks directly to supporters of #MeToo and Time&’s Up, as well as young people fighting for their rights and visibility in the world.Filled with compassionate guidance and actionable advice—and using some of the most powerful, political songs in Amos&’s canon—Resistance is for anyone determined to steer the world back in the right direction.Shook One: Anxiety Playing Tricks on Me
Par Charlamagne Tha God. 2018
Charlamagne Tha God, New York Times bestselling author of Black Privilege and always provocative cohost of Power 105.1&’s The Breakfast…
Club, reveals his blueprint for breaking free from your fears and anxieties.Being &“shook&” is more than a rap lyric for Charlamagne, it&’s his mission to overcome. While it may seem like he&’s ahead of the game, he is actually plagued by anxieties, such as the fear of losing his roots, the fear of being a bad dad, and the fear of being a terrible husband. In the national bestseller Shook One, Charlamagne chronicles his journey to beat those fears and shows a path that you too can take to overcome the anxieties that may be holding you back. Ironically, Charlamagne&’s fear of failure—of falling into the life of stagnation or crime that caught up so many of his friends and family in his hometown of Moncks Corner—has been the fuel that has propelled him to success. However, even after achieving national prominence as a radio personality, Charlamagne still found himself paralyzed by anxiety and distrust. Here, in Shook One, he is working through these problems—many of which he traces back to cultural PTSD—with help from mentors, friends, and therapy. Being anxious doesn&’t serve the same purpose anymore. Through therapy, he&’s figuring out how to get over the irrational fears that won&’t take him anywhere positive. Charlamange hopes Shook One can be a call to action: Getting help is your right. His second book &“cements the radio personality&’s stance in making sure he&’s on the right side of history when it comes to society&’s growing focus on mental health, while helping remove the negative stigma&” (Billboard).Around the Way Girl: A Memoir
Par Taraji P. Henson. 2016
From Taraji P. Henson, Academy Award nominee, Golden Globe winner, and star of the award-winning film Hidden Figures and the…
2023 film The Color Purple, comes an inspiring and funny memoir—&“a bona fide hit&” (Essence)—about family, friends, the hustle required to make it in Hollywood, and the joy of living your own truth.With a sensibility that recalls her beloved screen characters, including Katherine, the NASA mathematician, Yvette, Queenie, Shug, and the iconic Cookie from Empire, Taraji P. Henson writes of her family, the one she was born into and the one she created. She shares stories of her father, a Vietnam vet who was bowed but never broken by life&’s challenges, and of her mother who survived violence both at home and on DC&’s volatile streets. Here, too, she opens up about her experiences as a single mother, a journey some saw as a burden but which she saw as a gift.Around the Way Girl is also a classic actor&’s memoir in which Taraji reflects on the world-class instruction she received at Howard University and how she chipped away, with one small role after another, at Hollywood&’s resistance to give women, particularly women of color, meaty significant roles. With laugh-out-loud humor and candor, she shares the challenges and disappointments of the actor&’s journey and shows us that behind the red carpet moments, she is ever authentic. She is at heart just a girl in pursuit of her dreams in this &“inspiring account of overcoming adversity and a quest for self-discovery, written with vitality and enthusiasm&” (Shelf Awareness).Singular Sensation: The Triumph of Broadway
Par Michael Riedel. 2020
&“Fun and gossipy.&” —The Wall Street Journal * &“A masterful history.&” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) * &“Engaging.&” —NewsweekA &“brisk, insightful,…
and deliciously detailed take&” (Kirkus Reviews) on a transformative decade on Broadway, featuring behind-the-scenes accounts of shows such as Rent, Angels in America, Chicago, The Lion King, and The Producers—shows that changed the history of the American theater. The 1990s was a decade of profound change on Broadway. At the dawn of the nineties, the British invasion of Broadway was in full swing, as musical spectacles like Les Miserables, Cats, and The Phantom of the Opera dominated the box office. But Andrew Lloyd Webber&’s Sunset Boulevard soon spelled the end of this era and ushered in a new wave of American musicals, beginning with the ascendance of an unlikely show by a struggling writer who reimagined Puccini&’s opera La Bohème as the smash Broadway show Rent. American musical comedy made its grand return, culminating in The Producers, while plays, always an endangered species on Broadway, staged a powerful comeback with Tony Kushner&’s Angels in America. A different breed of producers rose up to challenge the grip theater owners had long held on Broadway, and corporations began to see how much money could be made from live theater.And just as Broadway had clawed its way back into the mainstream of American popular culture, the September 11 attacks struck fear into the heart of Americans who thought Times Square might be the next target. But Broadway was back in business just two days later, buoyed by talented theater people intent on bringing New Yorkers together and supporting the economics of an injured city.&“Told with all the wit and style readers could wish for&” (Booklist) Michael Riedel presents the drama behind every mega-hit or shocking flop. From the bitter feuds to the surprising collaborations, all the intrigue of a revolutionary era in the Theater District is packed into Singular Sensation. Broadway has triumphs and disasters, but the show always goes on.The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini
Par Joe Posnanski. 2019
Joe Posnanski enters the colorful world of Harry Houdini and his legions of devoted fans to explore the illusionist&’s impact…
on global culture—and why his legacy endures to this day. Nearly a century after Harry Houdini died on Halloween in 1926, he feels as modern and alive as ever. The name Houdini still leaps to mind whenever we witness a daring escape. The baby who frees herself from her crib? Houdini. The dog who vanishes and reappears in the neighbor&’s garden? Houdini. Every generation produces new disciples of the magician, from household names in magic like David Copperfield and David Blaine to countless other followers whose lives have been transformed by the power of Houdini.In rural Pennsylvania, a thirteen-year-old girl finds the courage to leave a violent home after learning that Houdini ran away to join the circus; she eventually becomes the first female magician to saw a man in half on television. In Australia, an eight-year-old boy with a learning impediment feels worthless until he sees an old poster of Houdini advertising &“Nothing on earth can hold Houdini prisoner,&” and begins his path to becoming that nation&’s most popular magician. In California, an actor and Vietnam War veteran finds purpose in his life by uncovering the secrets of his hero.But the unique phenomenon of Houdini was always more than his death-defying stunts or his ability to escape handcuffs and straitjackets. It is also about the power of imagination and self-invention. His incredible transformation from Ehrich Weiss, humble Hungarian immigrant and rabbi&’s son, into the self-named Harry Houdini has won him a slice of immortality. No one has withstood the test of time quite like Houdini. Fueled by Posnanski&’s personal obsession with the magician—and magic itself—The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini is a poignant odyssey of discovery, blending biography, memoir, and first-person reporting to trace Houdini&’s metamorphosis into an iconic figure who has inspired millions.Tell Me Why: The Story of My Life and My Music
Par Archie Roach. 2019
A powerful memoir of a true Australian legend: stolen child, musical and lyrical genius, and leader. Not many have lived…
as many lives as Archie Roach – stolen child, seeker, teenage alcoholic, lover, father, musical and lyrical genius, and leader – but it took him almost a lifetime to find out who he really was. Roach was only two years old when he was forcibly removed from his family. Brought up by a series of foster parents until his early teens, his world imploded when he received a letter that spoke of a life he had no memory of. In this intimate, moving and often shocking memoir, Archie&’s story is an extraordinary odyssey through love and heartbreak, family and community, survival and renewal – and the healing power of music. Overcoming enormous odds to find his story and his people, Archie voices the joy, pain and hope he found on his path through song to become the legendary singer-songwriter and storyteller that he is today – beloved by fans worldwide.Tell Me Why is a stunning account of resilience and the strength of spirit – and of a great love story.Winner of the 2020 Indie Book of the Year Non-FictionWinner of the 2021 Victorian Premier&’s Literary Award for Indigenous WritingShortlisted for the 2020 ABIA Biography Book of the YearShortlisted for the 2020 Victorian Premier&’s Literary Awards, Non-FictionShortlisted for the Booksellers' Choice 2020 Book of the Year Awards, Non-Fiction Archie Roach was the 2020 VIC Australian of the Year 'Tell Me Why is an extraordinary odyssey and offering. Archie has come through snares, pits and suffering to bring us an inspiring tale of survival, grace and generosity. This book should be in every school.' Paul Kelly &‘Just like his early songs, Tell Me Why was written with empathy as its impetus and that intent shines through on every page. This is a phenomenal work by one of the most articulate and recognisable members of the Stolen Generations. It will be read, studied and discussed for many years to come.&’ The Australian &‘Beautiful, gut-wrenching and compelling memoir&’ Sydney Morning Herald &‘Archie&’s deeply resonant voice sings out – of a broken country and a life renewed. The voice of Australia.&’ Daniel Browning, ABC journalist and producer &‘Roach is honest and humble in his oft-heartbreaking retelling of his search for identity, belonging and purpose&’ Courier Mail &‘Best book of 2019: Tell Me Why by Archie Roach, a beautifully written autobiography that captures one of the most remarkable lives in Australian music&’ Weekend AustraliaA Story Lately Told: Coming of Age in Ireland, London, and New York
Par Anjelica Huston. 2013
Anjelica Huston’s “gorgeously written” (O, The Oprah Magazine) memoir is “an elegant, funny, and frequently haunting reminiscence of the first…
two decades of her life…A classic” (Vanity Fair).In her first, dazzling memoir, Anjelica Huston shares the story of her deeply unconventional early life—her enchanted childhood in Ireland, living with her glamorous and artistic mother, educated by tutors and nuns, intrepid on a horse. Huston was raised on an Irish estate to which—between movies—her father, director John Huston, brought his array of extraordinary friends, from Carson McCullers and John Steinbeck to Peter O’Toole and Marlon Brando.In London, where she lived with her mother and brother in the early sixties when her parents separated, Huston encountered the Rolling Stones and Fleetwood Mac. She understudied Marianne Faithfull in Hamlet. Seventeen, striking, precocious, but still young and vulnerable, she was devastated when her mother died in a car crash. Months later she moved to New York, fell in love with the much older, brilliant but disturbed photographer, Bob Richardson, and became a model. Living in the Chelsea Hotel, working with Richard Avedon and other photographers, she navigated a volatile relationship and the dynamic cultural epicenter of New York in the seventies.A Story Lately Told is an “evocative” (The New York Times), “magically beautiful” (The Boston Globe) memoir. Huston’s second memoir, Watch Me, will be published in November 2014.Silver Screen Fiend: Learning About Life from an Addiction to Film
Par Patton Oswalt. 2015
The instant New York Times bestseller from author, comedian and actor Patton Oswalt, a “heartfelt and hilarious” (USA TODAY) memoir…
about coming of age as a performer during the late 1990s while obsessively watching classic films at a legendary theater in Los Angeles. “[Oswalt has] a set of synapses like a pinball machine and a prose style to match” (TheNew York Times).Between 1995 and 1999, Patton Oswalt lived with an unshakable addiction. It wasn’t drugs, alcohol, or sex: it was film. After moving to Los Angeles, Oswalt became a huge film buff (or as he calls it, a sprocket fiend), absorbing classics, cult hits, and new releases at the famous New Beverly Cinema. Silver screen celluloid became Patton’s life schoolbook, informing his notion of acting, writing, comedy, and relationships.Set in the nascent days of LA’s alternative comedy scene, Silver Screen Fiend chronicles Oswalt’s journey from fledgling stand-up comedian to self-assured sitcom actor, with the colorful New Beverly collective and a cast of now-notable young comedians supporting him all along the way. “Clever and readable...Oswalt’s encyclopedic knowledge and frothing enthusiasm for films (from sleek noir classics, to gory B movies, to cliché-riddled independents, to big empty blockbusters) is relentlessly present, whirring in the background like a projector” (TheBoston Globe). More than a memoir, this is “a love song to the silver screen” (Paste Magazine).Alexander McQueen: Blood Beneath the Skin
Par Andrew Wilson. 2015
The first, definitive biography of the iconic, notoriously private British fashion designer Alexander McQueen “offers new insights...and provides unprecedented access…
to a misunderstood soul” (The Boston Globe).When forty-year-old Alexander McQueen committed suicide in February 2010, a shocked world mourned the loss. McQueen had risen from humble beginnings as the son of an East London taxi driver to scale the heights of fame, fortune, and glamour. He created a multimillion-dollar luxury brand that became a favorite with celebrities, including Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell. He designed clothes for the world’s most beautiful women and royalty, most famously the Duchess of Cambridge, who wore a McQueen dress on her wedding day.But behind the confident facade and bad-boy image, lay a sensitive soul who struggled to survive in the ruthless world of fashion. As the pressures of work intensified, McQueen became increasingly dependent on the drugs that contributed to his tragic end. Meanwhile, his failure to find lasting love in a string of boyfriends only added to his despair. And then there were the secrets that haunted his sleep…A modern-day fairy tale infused with the darkness of a Greek tragedy, Alexander McQueen provides “a thorough and emotionally compelling exploration…of a complex and enigmatic artist” (Publishers Weekly). Andrew Wilson’s “magnificent” (The Independent, UK) and “compelling and heavily researched bio” (Entertainment Weekly), featuring never-before-seen photographs and rare interviews, dispels myths, corrects inaccuracies, and shares new insights into McQueen’s private life and the source of his creative genius.She Come By It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs
Par Sarah Smarsh. 2020
In this Time Top 100 Book of the Year, the National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author…
of Heartland &“analyzes how Dolly Parton&’s songs—and success—have embodied feminism for working-class women&” (People). Growing up amid Kansas wheat fields and airplane factories, Sarah Smarsh witnessed firsthand the particular vulnerabilities—and strengths—of women in working poverty. Meanwhile, country songs by female artists played in the background, telling powerful stories about life, men, hard times, and surviving. In her family, she writes, &“country music was foremost a language among women. It&’s how we talked to each other in a place where feelings aren&’t discussed.&” And no one provided that language better than Dolly Parton. In this &“tribute to the woman who continues to demonstrate that feminism comes in coats of many colors,&” Smarsh tells readers how Parton&’s songs have validated women who go unheard: the poor woman, the pregnant teenager, the struggling mother disparaged as &“trailer trash.&” Parton&’s broader career—from singing on the front porch of her family&’s cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains to achieving stardom in Nashville and Hollywood, from &“girl singer&” managed by powerful men to self-made mogul of business and philanthropy—offers a springboard to examining the intersections of gender, class, and culture. Infused with Smarsh&’s trademark insight, intelligence, and humanity, this is &“an ambitious book&” (The New Republic) about the icon Dolly Parton and an &“in-depth examination into gender and class and what it means to be a woman and a working-class hero that feels particularly important right now&” (Refinery29).To the Temple of Tranquility...And Step On It!: A Memoir
Par Ed Begley Jr.. 2023
Beloved actor and environmental activist Ed Begley Jr. shares hilarious and poignant stories of his improbable life, focusing on his…
relationship with his legendary father, adventures with Hollywood icons, the origins of his environmental activism, addiction and recovery, and his lifelong search for wisdom and common ground. Ed Begley Jr. is truly one of a kind, a performer who is known equally for his prolific film and television career and his environmental activism. From an appearance on My Three Sons to a notable role in Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman to starring in St. Elsewhere—as well as films with Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, and mockumentarian Christopher Guest—Begley has worked with just about everyone in Hollywood. His "green" bona fides date back to 1970, and have been the topic of two books, a reality show, countless media appearances, and even repeated spoofs on The Simpsons (in one episode, Begley's solar‑powered car stalls out on train tracks, but is saved when the train is revealed to be an "Ed Begley Solar‑Powered Train&”). In To the Temple of Tranquility...And Step On It!, Begley shares a fountain of hilarious and poignant stories throughout his life. The memoir is candid and endearing; in one chapter, he is summoned to Marlon Brando's house to discuss the practical uses of electric eels. In another, he tells the story of taking Annette Bening to the Oscars in &“an oddball kit-car that had gull wing doors, and was nearly impossible to get in or out of, unless you were a yoga master, which fortunately she was.&” Not to mention insightful and surprising tales about The Beatles, Monty Python, Richard Pryor, Cesar Chavez, Jeff Goldblum, Tom Waits, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carrie Fisher, and so many more luminaries. Begley&’s unmistakable voice is honest and revealing in a way that only a comic of his caliber can accomplish. Behind all the stories, Begley has wisdom to impart. This is a book about family, friends, addiction, failure, and redemption.Still Just a Geek: An Annotated Memoir
Par Wil Wheaton. 2022
A New York Times bestseller!Celebrated actor, personality, and all-around nerd, Wil Wheaton updates his memoir of collected blog posts with…
all new material and annotations as he reexamines one of the most interesting lives in Hollywood and fandom--and now for the first time in audio, narrated by Wil himself!From starring in Stand by Me to playing Wesley Crusher on Star Trek: The Next Generation to playing himself, in his second (third?) iconic role of Evil Wil Wheaton in The Big Bang Theory, to becoming a social media supernova, Wil Wheaton has charted a career course unlike anyone else, and has emerged as one of the most popular and well respected names in science fiction, fantasy and pop culture.Back in 2001, Wil began blogging on wilwheaton.net. Believing himself to have fallen victim to the curse of the child actor, Wil felt relegated to the convention circuit, and didn’t expect many would want to read about his random experiences and personal philosophies.Yet, much to his surprise, people were reading. He still blogs, and now has an enormous following on social media with well over 3 million followers.In Still Just a Geek, Wil revisits his 2004 collection of blog posts, Just a Geek, filled with insightful and often laugh-out-loud annotated comments, additional later writings, and all new material written for this publication. The result is an incredibly raw and honest memoir, in which Wil opens up about his life, about falling in love, about coming to grips with his past work, choices, and family, and finding fulfillment in the new phases of his career. From his times on the Enterprise to his struggles with depression to his starting a family and finding his passion--writing--Wil Wheaton is someone whose life is both a cautionary tale and a story of finding one’s true purpose that should resonate with fans and aspiring artists alike.A Good Bad Boy: Luke Perry and How a Generation Grew Up
Par Margaret Wappler. 2024
An artful and contemplative tribute to the late actor famed for his role as Dylan McKay in Beverly Hills, 90210.Best…
known for playing loner rebel Dylan McKay in Beverly Hills 90210, Luke Perry was fifty-two years old when he died of a stroke in 2019. There have been other deaths of 90&’s stars, but this one hit different. Gen X was reminded of their own inescapable mortality, and robbed of an exciting career resurgence for one of their most cherished icons—with recent roles in the hit series Riverdale and Quentin Tarantino&’s Once Upon a Time In Hollywood bringing him renewed attention and acclaim. Only upon his death, as stories poured out online about his authenticity and kindness, did it become clear how little was known about the exceedingly humble actor and how deeply he impacted popular culture. In A Good Bad Boy, Margaret Wappler attempts to understand who Perry was and why he was unique among his Hollywood peers. To do so, she uses an inventive hybrid narrative. She speaks with dozens who knew Perry personally and professionally. They share insightful anecdotes: how he kept connected to his Ohio upbringing; nearly blew his 90210 audition; tried to shed his heartthrob image by joining the HBO prison drama Oz; and in the last year of his life, sought to set up two of his newly divorced friends. (After his death, the pair bonded in their grief and eventually married.) Amid these original interviews and exhaustive archival research, Wappler weaves poignant vignettes of memoir in which she serves as an avatar to show how Perry shaped a generation&’s views on masculinity, privilege and the ideal of &“cool.&” Timed to the fifth anniversary of Perry&’s death, A Good Bad Boy is a profound and entertaining examination of what it means to be an artist and an adult.I'm Glad My Mom Died
Par Jennette McCurdy. 2022
* #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER * MORE THAN 2 MILLION COPIES SOLD! A heartbreaking and…
hilarious memoir by iCarly and Sam & Cat star Jennette McCurdy about her struggles as a former child actor—including eating disorders, addiction, and a complicated relationship with her overbearing mother—and how she retook control of her life. Jennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audition. Her mother&’s dream was for her only daughter to become a star, and Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy. So she went along with what Mom called &“calorie restriction,&” eating little and weighing herself five times a day. She endured extensive at-home makeovers while Mom chided, &“Your eyelashes are invisible, okay? You think Dakota Fanning doesn&’t tint hers?&” She was even showered by Mom until age sixteen while sharing her diaries, email, and all her income. In I&’m Glad My Mom Died, Jennette recounts all this in unflinching detail—just as she chronicles what happens when the dream finally comes true. Cast in a new Nickelodeon series called iCarly, she is thrust into fame. Though Mom is ecstatic, emailing fan club moderators and getting on a first-name basis with the paparazzi (&“Hi Gale!&”), Jennette is riddled with anxiety, shame, and self-loathing, which manifest into eating disorders, addiction, and a series of unhealthy relationships. These issues only get worse when, soon after taking the lead in the iCarly spinoff Sam & Cat alongside Ariana Grande, her mother dies of cancer. Finally, after discovering therapy and quitting acting, Jennette embarks on recovery and decides for the first time in her life what she really wants. Told with refreshing candor and dark humor, I&’m Glad My Mom Died is an inspiring story of resilience, independence, and the joy of shampooing your own hair.