Do you read celebrity memoirs? What ones have you read or do you want to read? Which non-existant celebrity memoir would you like to see?
This is a pretty simple one for me. I'm not generally a big reader of memoirs. Twenty years ago I read a biography of Marilyn Monroe, that I found very interesting. I also read Dolly Parton's memoir, which was very good and eye opening. One of the most difficult ones I've read was Christopher Reeve's STILL ME, that I read in 1998. More recently I read Elizabeth Edwards' SAVING GRACES. I have a memoir on my TBR pile and that is THE GLASS CASTLE by Jeanette Walls, that I'm hoping to read this year.
I can't really think of a celebrity memoir that hasn't been written yet that I am anxious to read. Most times, if they are a celebrity, I'm a fan because of their talent, not for their personal life, so I feel like it's not necessary for me to know everything about them in that regard. Case in point, Michael Jackson. I respect him tremendously for his musical genius, but I don't really understand or feel the need to know more about his eccentric personal life. These days, the media over saturates us with celebrity coverage, making me far less likely to pick up their memoir. Even with Farrah, I've seen so many television reports and shows on her life lately, I don't think theire's anything in a book that probably hasn't already been aired. That's not to say I won't read memoirs, I'm just very selective of the ones I do read.
Absolutely agree with you! If I am a fan it is because of a special talent that they have, and I hate how their personal lives become public property.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a big reader of memoirs, celebrity or otherwise, although I'm reading one now and have read a couple others this year. People Magazine and Perez Hilton cover all I need to know in the celebrity area, LOL.
ReplyDeletejust a reviewed a book about a literary celebrity, but it was a fictional account, and set on a Greek island, so it was quite pleasant. I find ordinary celebrity bigraphies not too interesting as their lives are always in the news and on TV anyway.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading memoirs of random people who have written about their life experiences. For instance, The Glass Castle. I had never heard of Jeanette Walls before that book came out. It is a wonderful book, by the way. She also has a new one coming out in October called Half Broke Horses. :)
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I totally agree with you. With the media coverage today is there really anything left un said? Great post!
ReplyDeleteI read memoirs but I prefer to read about real people like Mahatma Gandhi, not celebrities!
ReplyDeleteHere is my BTT post!
I've got Kathleen Turner's memoir in my TBR pile. I will not be reading any about Michael Jackson or Farrah Fawcett.
ReplyDeleteI will be curious to see what you think of Walls's memoir. I stopped reading it after the first 50 pages because I was so annoyed with the exact conversations she recalled from when she was 2-3 years old, complete with quotation marks! How ridiculous is that?
ReplyDeleteGreat BTT. I completely agree with you. It bugs me that celebrities are so idolized and followed. While I have read several memoirs, I don't read celebrity memoirs just to read them. I don't really follow celebrities anyway, but there are actors/actresses I like. Of the ones I've read, I've enjoyed some and been disappointed in others.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your thoughts on this topic. I generally don't read celebrity books but I do enjoy my fair share of memoirs about ordinary people who've made it through extraordinary circumstances.
ReplyDeleteYour comments are right on target. This is one of the reasons I'm a little nervous about meeting authors whose books I adore. What if I don't like the author?!
ReplyDeleteThere is an award waiting for you at my blog.
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