Booking Through Thursday: It's All About Me

This week's BTT question is . . .

Which do you prefer - Biographies written about someone? Or autobiographies written by the actual person (and/or ghost-writer)?

This is an easy one for me. Autobiographies. Here's why: When I read about a real person's life, I want accuracy, not speculation. Although I'm not discrediting them, biographies are not first-hand accounts. In fact, some biographers don't even have the subjects permission to write their story. That is a big deciding factor for me when considering to read a biography. This may sound a bit harsh, but some biographies, especially the celebrity or even political type are a step above tabloid gossip in my opinion.

That said, historical biographies are a different matter. Obviously, if the person is deceased and the book is written after their death, it is impossible to have an autobiography. In that case, I simply keep in mind that not everything written may be factual.

As a rule, if I choose to read about a person's life, I always opt for the autobiography. If one is not available, I look to see if the person gave permission or contributed in some way to the biography.

Visit Booking Through Thursday for more responses on this subject or to participate.

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Recent Reviews:

• TIME OF MY LIFE by Patrick Swayze & Lisa Niemi
• THE SUMMER KITCHEN by Karen Weinreb

Booking Through Thursday: TMI (Too Much Information!)

For those who may not already know, BTT is a weekly event hosted by MizB and this week's question was suggested by Simon Thomas:

Have you ever been put off an author’s books after reading a biography of them? Or the reverse - a biography has made you love an author more?

This is an interesting question. Let me start by saying how much I've always enjoyed reading biographies. I love learning about where people come from and how they got to where they are. So now, to answer the question:

No, I've never had a biography change the way I feel about an author's books. If anything, it makes me more intrigued after learning about their life. However, I have been very disappointed after seeing an author interview that made me buy their particular book. Fortunately, it hasn't happened often, in fact, only once that really stands out in my mind. I don't need to go into detail and name the author, but suffice it to say that I had a very strong negative reaction to the book that left me questioning my interpretation of the interview I saw. I don't know if it made a difference that the book was non-fiction, but I was really surpised at how much I wanted to like the book, but actually ended up hating it.

How about you? Has a biography changed your perception of an author's books, or does it enhance your appreciation of them? Leave me a comment and let me know. For more comments on this question, click here.