Biographies and autobiographies

[satellite]

I'm reading Jane Fonda: The Private Life of a Public Womann by Patricia Bosworth. It's interesting, but very long and detailed at 540 pgs, not including the notes. And for some reason everything post-1980 is squeezed into like the last 100 pages.

I picked up Martha, Inc. about Martha Stewart, and Trainwreck, a bio of Anna Nicole Smith by her sister for $1 each at the grocery store, so I guess those will be next.

[sugarhigh]

Could someone recommend a good book on Queen Victoria? I've watched The Young Victoria (which I loved) and I've read her wiki entry but I'd like to learn more.

[NappingAthena]

May 30, 2012 12:30:40 GMT -4 sugarhigh said:

Could someone recommend a good book on Queen Victoria? I've watched The Young Victoria (which I loved) and I've read her wiki entry but I'd like to learn more.

"Becoming Queen Victoria" by Kate Williams is very good (its not just about QV but also Princess Charlotte of Wales, which is a great story too) and I recently read "A Magnificent Obsession" about what happened after Prince Albert died that was fab-can't remember the author though.

[sugarhigh]

Thank you! I'll add those to my long 'to-read' list.

[Mugsy]

I recently read Shania Twain’s book. I knew she grew up poor, but that was one hardscrabble life she had as a kid. Moving around, living in two rooms with six people, sleeping in wet cold basement bedrooms, eating only bread soaked in milk, working in tree planting, singing in bars at the age of 10, travelling on her own to Toronto to sing when she was only 12 – it’s a wonder she survived, which she says in the book, too.

I found her musical references interesting, the songs she said she sang along to as a kid and teen, because it pretty much mirrors my own youth.

Her attitude towards Mutt and his affair is odd. She loathes her former best friend, who Mutt left her for, but is very forgiving of Mutt. Maybe it’s because he’s still her child’s father and she doesn’t want to sully him publicly for her son, but she has no qualms doing that about her son’s stepmother (or her stepdaughter’s mother, which is the same person).

It was a good read and very revealing about one person’s unlikely ride to stardom.

[GoldenFleece]

I read the book Vanessa Williams did with her mother, who would chime in from time to time with her thoughts about Vanessa's life and loves. Basically, no guy Vanessa was ever involved with was ever really good enough according to her mother, though given the way the relationships all played out, she probably had a point.

The Richard Burton Diaries are a very good read so far but there are so many footnotes, for background on events of the day and literary references, of course, but also things like, Kleenex, an American brand of tissues, Bobby, slang for a British police officer, etc. There are footnotes for practically every person he mentions by name, which can get tedious, but it's interesting to know that some woman he mentions in passing will end up being his fiancee post-Elizabeth or that this producer's kid he goes fishing with one day grows up to produce the Harry Potter movies. I'm up to 1968 and it's a little sad to know that "Liz & Dick" don't live happily ever after since they seemed to adore each other and carved out a chaotic and glamorous yet routine existence. I know, they hardly began in ideal circumstances, but they were so well matched.

[forever1267]

Can anyone recommend any of the biographies on Jacqueline Kennedy Onnassis? We were discussing her at work this morning, and I realized I've never read her story. It must be fascinating.

I read Goldie Hawn's book A Lotus Grows in the Mud which was very 60's hippy dippy. She discusses her childhood and the beginnings of her career, but then delves into India and deep meanings, barely mentioning her work in Overboard, The First Wives Club or Death Becomes Her, which were the reasons I was reading it in the first place. If you like flowery flowers...

[forever1267]

I killed this thread! I had no idea!

BUMPing it up because I'm reading Rob Lowe's memoirs, Stories I Only Tell My Friends, which has been lightly written and honest and entertaining. Apparently, the Brat Pack drank back in the 80's! Who knew?

What I'm posting about though is that I'm about 20 pages from the end, and he's only just begun discussing the 90's. He bottomed out in 1990, went to rehab, and the girlfriend stuck with him. And they've been married ever since. There's hope in that.

It's a fun read.

[Kaleidoscope Eyes]

Sounds like he could've delved into the 90s era of his life a little more, but I heard this book was pretty good and pretty much everything you said.

I have a friend who literally bumped into him in the 90s in Vail, as in they were both walking around a corner in a hotel and bumped into each other. My friend was a stylist at a chi chi salon and offered to cut his hair, never thinking he'd actually do it. He came in for a cut the next day and my friend said he was very down to earth and more intelligent than you'd think. He also met the wife and said she was really nice.

ETA: I never get to do any pleasure reading (grad school) but the first thing on my list when I'm able is to read a spate of biographies, celebrity or otherwise. I don't care if it's Bobbie Brown's groupie autobio or Margaret Thatcher, I want to read all of them!

[sardonictart]

A friend of mine told me that Rob Lowe's book was good too. I may have to pick that up now. After all, I had a poster of him on the back of my bedroom door through all of high school. I've got to see if he was as great as I thought he was.

Bobbie Brown's book is good as is Janice Dickinson's first one. If you're into the 80s LA rock scene, read The Dirt. It's written by all four members of Motley Crüe. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Their personalities and character really come through in the writing though that's not necessarily a good thing. Ha.