Celebrities Books

A Very Good Screenplay! Like it like the movie!

"~This simple story about a travel bookstore owner and a famous actress is a romantic-comedy that's actually funny! appreciated with the written screenplay, which is where this hilarious movie formed from.

I'm a sucker for this guy. No, not that guy, not Hugh, but Richard Curtis. And Tim McInnerny. I liked the movie, of course--otherwise I wouldn't have bothered reading the screenplay--but the screenplay was better than the movie. Edited-out scenes, alternate storylines, a very funny afterword, lovely pictures. Plus the book's printed on just the most wonderful paper. I'm a sucker for good paper.

I enjoyed the movie greatly, but it was reading the script which really made me appreciate the sheer genius behind it all. Kudos to Richard Curtis! It is amazing how much he manages to get into a scene - everything WORKS, to tug at the heart strings or strike the funny bone.

The script reveals a few of the artistic choices that had to be made in the process of creating the script and the movie; however, this is a very polished end product - definately a last draft (with a few choice bits of scenes that did not make the cut at the end) and perfectly co-ordinated with film stills and photographs, all on luxurious glossy paper.

However, it is amazing how, having watched the film and knowing the charactrers, it is possible to visualise scenes in your head while reading the script - an especial plus for the left out scenes. I am now dying to compare my imagination with the director's cut, which I have been told might be available on the DVD version.

This is one of my favorite movies, and incidentally, my favorite screenplay! It's an excellent representation of the movie--many full-color pictures of the best scenes in the movie. It even includes story boards, cast and unit lists, and an afterword by Hugh Grant. The photographs were taken by Clive Coote, one of Great Britain's most famous photographers.

Almost everything I'd seen before I bought the book only included pictures of Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant--this book is different! It doesn't leave out Spike or any of the other small but memorable characters.

Anyone who's a fan of the movie will love this exquisite book. It gets an A+ from me!

Judy Lewis lived a life as a Hollywood star's child that no other offspring of a celebrity can claim - believing that she was the adopted daughter of Loretta Young, she was in fact Young's natural child, conceived during a brief affair with the King Of Hollywood, Clark Gable. However, the Tinsletown of the 1930s, out of wedlock pregnancies were unacceptable, and Gable's status as a married man and Young's Roman Catholic faith forbade any chance of the two ever to be linked in matrimony. Loretta carried out a plan with the help of her mother, in which she let it be known that she was embarking on a trip to Europe, when in fact she was in seclusion, waiting to secretly give birth. The baby girl was placed in an orphange while Young returned to Hollywood to put gossip to rest and resume her career. She reclaimed her infant daughter some months later and let it be known that she had adopted the child. Although the open secret around town was that she and Gable had a love child, it was one that everyone kept mum about. Thus, little Judy grew up with low whispers, a stepfather who turned on her the moment he fathered two sons with her mother, and Loretta's own strange ambivalence and detachment. Although Clark was aware of his daughter (even coming to visit her a few times as an infant), he never publicly acknowledged her. One of the most painful passages recalls Judy's hurt by being called "Dumbo" at a birthday party because of the size of her ears (inherited from her famous father). Young used her little girl's negative experience as an excuse to have Judy undergo excruciating surgeries to reshape her ears so that Loretta's secret would remain safe. When Judy did meet Gable as a teenager, she was still in the dark about her parentage and was awed by the famed actor's visit to her home. Her stepfather became emotionally cold and cruel to his stepdaughter while her mother was off busily doing her work. It wasn't until she was grown that Judy learned the truth about herself - from her fiancee, who admitted that everyone knew that she was the child of two legendary stars. In adulthood, Judy married, had a daughter of her own, and eventually became a psychologist (after working as an actress), and was able to piece together and analyze why her parents made the choices they did, and why her mother continued to deny the truth. With her own background of abandonment, Loretta felt that Gable's distance and lack of financial support of their baby was yet another example of how men were unreliable. Unfortunately, she inflicted her own sense of shame (reinforced by her religion, no doubt), guilt and anger on her daughter. God took the place of a father in Young's life, and she used her religion as a defense with many situations. At the time Uncommon Knowledge was published, Young still had not confirmed that Judy was her biological child, and they two were estranged. Loretta sniffed to the press after the book's initial release, "I cannot imagine why she wrote this book." It was only shortly before Young's death from ovarian cancer in 2000 that the star admitted the truth publicily and mother and daughter reconciled.

Judy Lewis was courageous in revealing what had been denied to her entire life - her father, and the truth. Most of us take for granted our lineage and our identities, but one thing's for certain - looking at photographs of Lewis there is no mistaking who her parents were. Loretta Young's "mortal sin" was in fact something that was hypocrisy at the time, no child is ever a sin, nor is love a sin. But Young's own psychology and the standards of the time prevented her from emotionally stepping up to the plate, the same can be said of Gable, and their child suffered as a result. Judy Lewis continues to inspire with her story, refusing to give into the shame that so affected her mother, and she maintains a close relationship with her daughter and granchildren. She was able to overcome the patterns and cycle that had emotionally crippled her forebearers, and has gone on to live a fufilled life.

Great book. Very interesting. I couldn't put it down. I respect Judy Lewis much more than I do, say, Christina Crawford, because she had the guts to write this book while her mother was still alive to defend herself. This book makes me feel bad not just for Judy Lewis, but also for Loretta Young. What a terrible position to be in. I think she did the best she could at the time. I feel awful for Judy Lewis that she never got to know her father, Clark Gable as well. The book was very intriguing, highly recommended!!!

When I was a little kid, my mother never missed the Loretta Young Show on TV. I grew up knowing that Young was a big Hollywood star who had always been a devout Catholic and therefore a `good girl' - unlike so many wild Hollywood stars.

I'm not immune to all celebrity buzz, but I missed the news years ago that Loretta Young's "adopted" daughter was in fact her own baby, born out of wedlock and fathered by Clark Gable, no less. When I did hear that recently, I had to read this book by Judy Lewis for all the scoop.

A lesser person could have published a shrill "Mommie Dearest" type of book. Instead, Lewis wrote a thoughtful, heartfelt memoir which takes the reader into the heart of a family - the good, the bad, the lovely and the ugly. That the family in question lived under the spotlight of Hollywood fame, wealth and influence is relevant, but not the focus of the story.

Lewis looks at her mother's family and traces patterns of attitude and behavior through the generations: beautiful, strong and talented women left to raise their children after their men left them, and "giving away" young children temporarily to allow them to have better living conditions than a struggling parent could manage.

A key fact is the devout Catholic faith of Loretta and her mother, Gladys. Already starring in pictures in her late teens, Loretta succeeded in the transition from silent films to the talkies. In 1935, the 22-year-old Young went on location to the mountains of Washington state to film "Call of the Wild" with Clark Gable. The production encountered severe winter weather and serious delays, and the stars fell in love. Young had been briefly married at age 17 (then divorced, but since she hadn't been married in church it somehow didn't "count" in Catholic terms), and Gable was married. When Young learned she was pregnant, abortion was out of the question due to her faith - which also told her that her child was a "mortal sin."

Young's machinations to keep her pregnancy out of the news, and to eventually publicly "adopt" the child when she was 23 months old (or so, the kid's exact age was also fudged as part of the smoke screen), from a children's home out of town where she had sent her baby to stay for months, are chilling to read. By the time Judy Lewis knew the truth about her parentage - facts which were "common knowledge" in Hollywood where she grew up - it was too late for her to get to know her father.

I wouldn't have been surprised if this book had been a long self-pitying whine. But Lewis has the gift of a loving and empathetic nature. She looks beyond her own story - backward to her family of origin, and forward as she revels in her daughter's happiness in adulthood - and thus gives us a frame of reference for the hard decisions taken by a young, beautiful and fiercely ambitious - and fiercely Catholic - movie star in the 1930's.

Lewis dishes up a little more psychotherapy than I thought was really necessary, but it's understandable. At the time she wrote this book, Lewis was a newly-minted therapist, having finally obtained the college education that her mother had so firmly steered her away from when Lewis had graduated from high school. Yet another strange thing to me; you'd expect a wealthy, successful woman to *want* her daughter to get a good education. But this story has many strange turns, and I'm glad I got a copy of this book and read about all of them. Sometimes, you just can't make this stuff up.

This book really delivers if you're looking for a fair, in-depth look at what Loretta Young was like and to understand her daughter's difficult journey. This book is especially useful to Loretta Young fans since Young always seemed to want to paint an angelic saint-like image of herself. Loretta's human, just like the rest of us, and it's too bad she never figured out that it is okay to be human and make mistakes. I thought this book gave her mother a fair examination, and I would recommend it to Young fans as well as anyone who was ever raised to feel abandoned and unwanted.

I could not put the book down. Even though I am in my thirties, I love old movies. This was a very entertaining book and I am so glad I purchased it. The writer, unlike many other similar books, does not pity herself. She states the facts in a compelling manner. I found myself wanting to just reach out and give her a hug for the way she was brought up and treated. She really makes you feel like you were there. The pictures are great and really lend to the story. I would recommend this book wholeheartedly!!! It left me wanting to know what happened next in their lives.

This little book is filled with small snippits of advice from a hundred or so people famous and otherwise on what they do when they are down. They vary from yelling at the television (President Bush) to fixing a fried bologna sandwich. This is not the deepest philosophy text that you will ever find, but it makes for pretty good light reading.

I find myself wondering why none of these people seem to do what I do which is go down to my local pub and have a beer or two with friends. Good friends are willing to listen, willing to talk and willing to put up with you when you're not having the best of days.

This book is a great pick me up for all ages! What a needed topic and great approach from those with experience. Encouraging words are the backbone of all positive on this planet and this is certainly Tanya's wonderful contribution
from the heart.
Debbie Laster

This book is a compilation of anecdotal essays by Tanya Tucker and ninety-nine of her friends, each sharing a moment, a memory, of that one day when the blues needed to be chased away . For Roseanne, it was a moment of rage, when she took a baseball bat to her ex-husband's prized motorcycle, only to realize it was her own. What could she do but laugh? Ian Duncan wonders if his submission will be the only one bemoaning lost love, his "Broken Heart Blues". George Stevens, Jr., calls it "when I feel a little bit down" and suggests literally changing the subject: a walk, nine holes at the golf course, calling a loved one to say hello. Instead of running, Garth Brooks went home to face his past and find his place on the smaller stage of daily life.

Page by page, the famous and the not-so-famous share their thoughts: Willie Nelson's "An Alternative to the Blues"; Wesley McNair's "The Back Seat Blues"; "Around the Farm Blues" by George Jones; "The Cinematic Blues" of Dan Lauria; Tom Rymour's "The Jurassic Blues"; and "Weird Al" Yankovic's "The Warm Weather Blues". These short essays won't solve the problems of the world, but they do offer a variety of alternatives for dealing with the downside of life, whether changing the scene or the thought, a testament to the universal experience we all know so well. Entertainment folks have their own stories to tell, the emotional roller coaster of fame and fortune, their stories in the end as familiar as our own. Luan Gaines/ 2006.

Who hasn't had the blues?

Yet the real question should be: What do you do about them?

Country singer Tanya Tucker in 100 WAYS TO BEAT THE BLUES
helps you answer that second one with a collection of tips from such celebrities as Garth Books, Brenda Lee, Sir Arthur C. Clarke, and NASCAR's Geoff Bodine . . . in
addition, she got ideas from 30 other "just plain" folks, including a
farmer, private detective, doctor, and retired gospel radio-show host.

You might not find anything brilliantly original in this book,
yet that said, it made me smile at times--such as when I
read that former President George H. W. Bush yells at
his television . . . I also found myself shaking my head
in agreement with such advice as the following given by
actress Morgan Fairchild: When it comes to the blues,
it's always better to give than to receive.

100 WAYS TO BEAT THE BLUES, by the way, would be
an excellent gift if you're looking for an ideal way just to tell
somebody that you're thinking of him or her . . . any
recipient would benefit from such other useful tidbits
as the following:

[Brenda Lee] The year 2000 marked by fiftieth year in show business.
I don't often get down, but when I do, I reflect on how blessed I've been
in my life. Then I think of something I can do for someone else.
Offering a helping hand to another will lift you up faster than anything.

[Paul Gahlinger]: So, if feeling blue is a matter of chemistry, and we can
change brain chemistry by sheer thought alone, then it seems logical to
stop feeling blue just by deciding to do so. But if that fails, I personally
reach for the ultimate weapon: a pint of Ben & Jerry's New York Super
Fudge Chunk.

[Robert Westbrook]: Here's what I've learned: Money can be nice. It can
even be necessary for a lot of things. But you can't buy away the blues.
And money didn't buy my parents long and fruitful lives. Instead, concentrate
on the things that you already own, and that no one can take from
you, whether you've got money or not: Music. Sunsets. Loyal friends.
Joy. Inner peace. That's the expensive stuff.

The list of celebrities alone is a wonderful list: Kris Kristofferson, Roseanne, Sir Arthur C. Clarke, Dr. Joyce Brothers, Burt Reynolds, Wally Lamb, Billy Bob Thornton, Willie Nelson, Joan Jett, George and Barbara Bush, Eric Burdon, Loretta Lynn, Bret Michaels, Kinky Friedman, Jerry Lee Lewis, Gretchen Wilson, Dave Prowse (that's Darth Vader!) Wynonna Judd, Little Richard, Weird Al Yankovic, NASCAR's Geoff Bodine, Garth Brooks, Jerry Orbach, George Jones, Tommy James, Chad & Jeremy, Gene Pitney, Brenda Lee, Morgan Fairchild....well, the list goes on and on. Some are very thoughtful and heart-stabbing, such as Tammy Faye Bakker Messner talking about all she had to go through, and even Barbara Bush talking about losing a young child. And then 30 "regular" folk were chosen from around the country, to show that no matter how famous or rich you are, we all get the blues now and then! But mostly, it's a fun book, uplifting, with 100 witty ways to beat the "blues!" A book for every kind of reader.

This was a gift, and the person just loved the idea of the book. Heard about the book on Howard Stern, and it was as good as spoke about. Weird and interesting facts. A must buy for the right person.

Where his Skincyclopeida was a veritable tome of nudity reference goodness, Mr. Skin's Skintastic Video Guide takes you on a tour through the mind of the man himself. More than just a list of reviews of great movies for nudity, the Guide presents you with humorous asides, top 5 lists, and new vocabulary that will change the way you talk about nudity in film. Unlike a standard reference, you can pick this book up and just read it.

That's not to say that the Guide can't be used as a reference, but if that's what you're looking for, you might be disappointed. It's certainly not comprehensive, and some of the inclusions and exclusions are debatable. But the care that Mr. Skin takes in presenting each of the entries in the book, and the enthusiasm that pervades throughout, more than makes up for any thoughts that a certain movie should not have been included.

If you're a fan of nudity in film and enjoy irreverent reading, this book is for you.

This book is an invaluable resource if you like seeing flesh in flicks (and who doesn't?) Whether you're using it as an occasional reference guide when deciding what movies to Netflix, flipping through it while on the toilet, or sitting down and reading it cover to cover, there is something entertaining and informative for everyone here. I bought three for friends and plan to buy more--it's a perfect gift! Hilarious and eye-opening. Oh and fly-opening!

I found this book to be both hilarious and a solid reference. I've always been a big movie fan, but not necessarily a person that seeks out nudity in film. The Skintastic video guide caught my attention and held it. It's a light, quick read with plenty of witty writing and entertaining tid-bits. Mr. Skin obviously takes his nudity seriously, (i.e. the exhaustive body part counts) but the book doesn't get bogged down with numbers and mere recitation of boring facts. I wasn't previously aware of Mr. Skin's first book, MR. SKIN'S SKINCYCLOPEDIA, but the Skintastic Video Guide convinced me to seek out that title as well. Besides being a good reference, it's also a perfect coffee table book and conversation starter for house guests. Overall I would recommend this book to even the most casual of movie fans.

Just as the title says, this book is Skintastic! It's a quick, easy read full of great information and tons of laughs. It covers all kinds of movies, from big-budget Hollywood blockbusters to straight-to-video sex flicks to artsy independent stuff. And it may just be the only place to learn what the term "caged monkey" means.

This book is absolutely exquisite. The photographs are stunning and insightful If you are not familiar with Avedon's male nudes--I wasn't--you should be aware that many of them are full frontal and not in any way prettified, pornographic, or erotic. I include this because none of the other reviews mentioned it. Had I been more familiar with the book's contents, perhaps I would not have left the book out on the kitchen counter for the wrong (adult) friend to unfold it before I did!! Yeah, I know, I should have known better . . . . Duh.

I looked at this book that I just received today and I thought, "These are good fotos but.....but....there is something missing." What is "missing"? The background for one thing! I want to KNOW MORE about these people than Avedon gives us. These portraits are "better than nothng" but...but...who are these people? There are very few "clues" to help us answer that question. On the contrary, Diana Arbus DOES "tell" us who her people are"---both in words and in their surroundings or background environment which Ms. Arbus DOES include. I think Mr. Avedon should throw away his "white sheet" or whatever he uses and show the subject with their environmnet. I'm sure the subjects in this book do NOT carry around a white sheet to put behind themselves! So, why does Mr. Avedon feel he has to use the white sheet? I don't get it and I don't like it. But, the above being said, these ARE very good portraits even with their alledged "defects". Boland7214@aol.com

The format allows for a stand-up display down the entire length of a coffee table! Pretty cool if you ask me;
Got this as a christmas gift for my art-school-grad photographer/niece. It caused something of a stir when the holiday guests started to look at everyone elses presents.. Along the lines of "Don't let the kids look at that book" and "Let me see it' and "Ewwww".

It is not really a book, but an art object: accordion folded and neatly ensconced in a box, its heavy cardboard structure makes it a durable thing, one that transcends the notion of a mere "book." It is an object of intrinsic beauty and the mere holding of it in one's hands conveys the good taste, fine quality, and the superb craftmanship that were blended to create PORTRAITS.

One side of the fold contains text -with some pictures- and the other the portfolio of portraits. Maria Hambourg and Mia Fineman collaborate in the essay "Avedon's Endgame," which presents, analyzes and brings into focus the extraordinary talent behind the portraits; and Richard Avedon gives us a touching essay called "Borrowed Dogs," in which he addresses some of his unquiet talents. The other side is one's private gallery of 27 pictures (including the covers) to be savored at home, each image a meticulous print. In all it is an extraordinary performance by those involved, and a jewel to possess.

Avedon has pushed the borders of his art far beyond picture taking: a master psychologist, his portraits are potent statements about the soul and the fears and the anger and the dilapidation and the triumph and the humanity of his subjects. His pictures are so intense and revealing that the viewer cannot remain neutral. The diptych of Clarence Lippard, a drifter, makes one see more than we have any right to ask for: because if we must view the horror of a wasted life on one panel we must also accept the defiant triumphalism and humor that the second panel conveys. Waste no pity on Mr. Lippard, he asks no such thing from you.

I shall often return to this jewel for solace; and for a jolt about the meaning of being alive and a human being.

I bought this book for my photography friend for Christmas. She was blown away. From the moment you open the package, it is clear this book is worlds apart from your standard photography book. Every photo is frame-ready. I highly recommend for the picky photography enthusiast.

My dad loved this book...he used to collect the newspapers to get his students interested in reading something...anything!

This and the Holy Bible are the only two books you need.

I continue to be baffled why folks believe The New York Times but not the Weekly World News. The WWN has *never* had to print a retraction or correction. It is the journalistic standard to which the Columbia Review of Journalism should benchmark.

Modern documentation off what Old Scratch is up to.

You may want to get a copy of "Let's Pave the Stupid Rainforest and Give Teachers Stun Guns."

Heard the Weekly World News isn't going to be publishing it's funny newspaper anymore. Was so sorry to hear this. Always loved reading the headlines as I waited in the grocery store line. Maybe should have purchased the paper every time I laughed at a headline and they'd still be in business. This book brings all the top of the tops in Weekly World News back. VERY well produced and all the articles will make you laugh out loud.

From President Clinton's 3 breasted intern to blobs from space eating farmer's trucks it's all here.

HIGHLY recommended.

It's hard to easily categorize BAT BOY LIVES!: it's a humor title which also is based on the Weekly World News gossip publication's impossible, sensationalist headlines - and it provides tongue-in-cheek commentary on celebrities, culture, politics, alien abductions and more within its pages of 'impossible events'. Black and white photos blend with 'truths' to make for a zany presentation indeed.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

. . . then you understand why this coffee-table size book is a must have for your reference library, especially since the Weekly World News recently quit publishing. This thing would be hilarious, if it weren't so true. My only disappointment was that, while the book includes the excellent article explaining that Abe Lincoln was female (yes folks, "Babe" Lincoln), the editors neglected to include a related and one of my all time favorite WWN articles: "Woman Gives Birth to Abe Lincoln" (that is WITH beard). You'll enjoy this.

High profile attacks? well, given the rate at which many corporate fat cats have been swindeling investors and the public, this book can be a must read for amusement. At least you know what kind of tactics some of these "businesses" use to keep the consumer wrapped around their fingers. The PR machine of the big business would be the envy of fascist propaganda systems of the 1930s and 40s. It's always good to know how the fox thinks before raiding the chicken coop. I can recommend a few other books to read along with this one to at least get a better picture as to why "Nail'em" is even written. I am glad people have begun to seriously question the excessive power big business has in the nation (especially in the light of ENRON, Worldcom, etc...), and a book like this is a sign the winds are changing. So read this book to be aware!

We all understand the agenda of capitalism and advertising, but it is important to understand the flip side of issues, how anti-business political movements use hate tactics to further their agenda and spread disinformation.

I am familiar with the work of Eric Dezenhall and his firm. He is a respected talent in his business of crisis management, and this book is a must-read. Dezenhall tells the truth that most are afraid to tell: America has become a fertile breeding ground for extorting greenmailers and frivolous litigation. In this no-nonsense book, Mr. Dezenhall lays out concepts of the "Victim Culture", tactics used by extorters, the role of the media, and the concept of "Schadenfreude".

The key to fighting back lies in understanding your adversary. If you want to hold hands with your attackers and sing "Kumbayah", this book is not for you. If you come to realize that you are in a fight, where your adversary has no interest in resolving differences and just wants to take you down, this book is definitely for you.

Great read, and highly recommended!

Dezenhall's book is about what happens when tv goes after my favorite movie star! Aren't they supposed to be covering that stuff in the Mideast? I really liked it! I also liked Michael Levine's Guerrilla PR: Wired 'cause he also deals with how to fight back using the web. Fight the madness!

High profile attacks? well, given the rate at which many corporate fat cats have been swindeling investors and the public, this book can be a must read for amusement. At least you know what kind of tactics some of these "businesses" use to keep the consumer wrapped around their fingers. The PR machine of the big business would be the envy of fascist propaganda systems of the 1930s and 40s. It's always good to know how the fox thinks before raiding the chicken coop. I can recommend a few other books to read along with this one to at least get a better picture as to why "Nail'em" is even written. I am glad people have begun to seriously question the excessive power big business has in the nation (especially in the light of ENRON, Worldcom, etc...), and a book like this is a sign the winds are changing. So read this book to be aware!

Very well written, part novel, part autobiography. The story deals openly and honestly with addiction, the problems that arise and the damage that can be done as a result. It's also an uplifting example of overcoming the addictions and changing your life on a positive way. Can't wait for Anna David's second novel.

I just got this book this weekend because they threw an AMAZING party for Anna David in Miami. She is beautiful, smart, and sexy---and was so hilarious in person! I read this book in 2 days---could not put it town! It is by far the most entertaining book about drugs I have ever read. (So much better than DRY!).

The self-loathing displayed by our heroine is not tied to her gender, but rather is a more universal human suffering. David does an admirable job tackling the subject of addiction without spewing tired 12 step wisdom or making it seem easy. David appears to have the depth to have written a much more somber book, but for some reason decided to fluff it into something that resembles chick lit, but is much more.

This book is awesome! I absolutely love Anna David and Amelia Stone! Two thumbs up!

Amelia Stone is a party girl, in every sense of the word. In fact, her story begins with her being caught in a compromising position with the cousin of the bride at a party being thrown at her mother's house. The story then goes on to describe her almost having a menage a trois with two groomsmen, before sobering up and falling asleep. Because this is what party girls do. Living her life in a haze of cocaine and alcohol, Amelia stops partying only long enough to turn in her articles at Absolutely Fabulous (an Us Weekly-type celebrity gossip mag), feed her cats, and catch some zzzzz's. Other than that, you can find her at the hottest industry parties, doing drugs in the bathroom, staying up all night, and using Ambien and alcohol to fall asleep. That is, until her hard-partying lifestyle catches up with her and Amelia finds herself in rehab.

Though she doesn't believe she has a problem with alcohol, Amelia is willing to admit she has a drinking problem. When she checks in to Pledges, her life is in shambles, she's been fired from her job, and she doesn't know what she's going to do for work. One month out of rehab later, she re-enters the world only to find that an admirer of her party girl lifestyle (the publisher of Chat, a different magazine, with a more Cosmo feel) is offering her a job to write about the crazy nights she used to have. Amelia knows she can't pass up this opportunity, but can she make a living out of writing about a life she no longer leads?

If you're the sort of person who reads Perez Hilton or Pink is the New Blog every day, and can't live without her (or his) Us Weekly, Party Girl is going to be right up your alley. This book has all the fun and entertainment of reading trashy gossip rags without the guilt, since the characters are fictional. Amelia was an intersting narrator, to say the least. At some points she was clearly so screwed up that I pitied her, but she managed to use her own downfall to build herself up bigger than she was before. The twists and turns that this book took were not all unexpected and at times the story was a bit predictable, and in that sense it's not the best book I've ever read, but it was still enjoyable from start to finish. If nothing else, it's something to kill the time while you wait for the new Us Weekly to hit the stands.

Interesting content and great photos, but carelessly written and seemingly not proofread. As a professional writer and editor, I'm flinching at the typos. Only recommended for readers with a serious interest in style and horses, or those obsessed with Jackie O.

If you love horses and admire Jackie, this is the book for you.

If you love horses and are a Jackie Kennedy fan, you will love this book. She was an amazing and dedicated rider. I have it on my coffee table for all to see.
I highly recommend this book.

This is a fabulous book about the horsey life of Jackie Kennedy Onassis. Her life was fascinating, and this book does not disappoint! If you are a horse person you will love all of the great photos. I wish I had Macaroni Pony as a child!

The pictures in this book are magnificent and the text is well written and easy to read, gossipy almost at times. However, it is written with love and respect for the subject, a fascinating woman who led her own exemplary life. If you are a fan of horses, or Jackie, or both, you will really enjoy this peek into her lifelong love affair with horses.

This one was a really delightful page-turner! I must confess that I originally bought it because the author and I are both named Elise. But I really got into it right from the get-go and stayed up late several nights reading it. VERY ENJOYABLE!!

If you're looking for a fun book to read, this one's for you! This book grabbed my attention from the very first page, and I never wanted to put it down. A perfect blend of fantasy and the real world...makes you realize that maybe the real world is pretty great after all.

Reviewed by Katherine Darnell, Small Spiral Notebook

Star Craving Mad, a first novel from Elise Abrams Miller is a charming read. While it hews close to the conventions of so-called "chick lit," the novel finds a pace and style all its own through the witty protagonist Maddy Braverman, an acerbic New York City first-grade teacher. Maddy is entranced with celebrities and she hungrily reads "Celeb File Weekly" for all the glamorous updates on her favorite stars. The novel gets its start when Lola Seabolt, the child of Hollywood's biggest couple, walks in to Maddy's classroom on the first day of a new school year. In short order Maddy becomes tangled up in the Seabolt's world and she launches a wild flirtation with the magnetic Mr. Seabolt. It doesn't take long before it is revealed that everything inside the Seabolt marriage is not as sunny as Maddy's treasured tabloid would have her believe.

What distinguishes this novel from the rest of the chick lit pack is an above-average wit and bawdy sense of impropriety. A hilarious and candid appreciation for sex gives Star Craving Mad a tenor all its own. There's no delicate, romantic fade-out's in the bedroom and Elise Abrams Miller isn't afraid to humorously discuss the fluctuating heat levels of Maddy's pants. There is a glorious level of tongue-in-cheek wit operating at all times. Maddy has a vigorous aptitude for good-natured and boozy trouble, and she has never met a hot celebrity that she wouldn't like to bed. Somewhat predictably, Mr. Seabolt's charms prove too enticing to resist; even with Maddy's moral qualms about his being the father of her student, as well as his being married to the uber-shrew Mrs. Seabolt, Maddy finds herself in compromising situations with the hot movie star. The novel focuses on Maddy trying to balance a responsibility to herself, to the children's novel that she's recently started writing, the emerging feelings that her cute assistant teacher evokes, and the unreal, gilded way that Mr. Seabolt makes her feel.

Miller is an apt writer, capable of weaving her narrative with wry moments of humor, which utilize gentle, knowing sarcasm. Clear moments of insight punctuate the narrative, like when Nick Seabolt comes to the school to retrieve his daughter, who has just broken her arm, and Maddy notes, "Although his expression is genuine, it strikes me as strange, because I've seen him exactly like this before - in Bluebell, the epic film, where his mistress dies giving birth to their secret love child." Miller also possesses a strong visually descriptive eye, giving even her minor characters vivid traits. Mrs. Seabolt's sinister healer, Dr. Kiki Joypain, is described succinctly as looking like a Modigliani painting, "as if she were made of taffy and had been stretched into an unwieldy rope. The turquoise beads around her neck are the size of giant gum balls and look excruciatingly heavy, as if at any moment their weight alone could slice her head clean off her pashmina-clad shoulders."

Miller has dreamed up characters that are memorable and earnest, and even if the outcome feels a bit inevitable, the ride is still fun. Because these characters are flawed in ways that feel more real and compelling than Bridget Jones' measly ten extra pounds - Miller's characters in Star Craving Mad are a little slutty and a little grungy and authentically broke and embarrassed and earnest - it quickly becomes hard to put the book down. Even if you know that celeb-obsessed Maddy Braverman will indeed find her happily ever after, you'll find yourself wishing hard for it, reading on as the pages fly by, anxious to get to the part where her battles are won and she can finally fall into the arms of her true prince charming, winning redemption and becoming her own kind of star.

If this is what Chit Lit is all about then NO Thanks! I'll stick with regualr romance where the characters are more sympathetic rather than pathetic, thanks very much.

The best chick lit twist I have ever read. It wasn't predictable! Fast paced and the plot is so nice I kept on hugging the book when I finished reading. You'll never get bored!